Noon Report:

• Location:  N 12° 41.47′, E 074° 30.96′
• Speed: 11 knots
• Course: 340º
• Weather: Partly Cloudy/High Overcast
• Temperature: 27 C; 81 F
• Wind: NNW 7 knots; 9 mph
• Sea: <3 ft swells

Sea day between Cochin and Goa.

The day started out like a normal sea day – complete with a visit to Mamsen’s for waffles (When we think about things that we will really really miss when we get back home…).

Following breakfast Randy moved upstairs to the upper level of the Explorer’s Lounge to spend the morning blogging and generally playing on his computer while Cheryl moved to her favorite lounger on the pool deck to engage in a bit of reading. We tend to gravitate to these two spots because, though they are both relaxing the Explorer’s Lounge is always cool and the pool deck is always warm – so they fit each of our visions of ideal room temperature.

9:30 came and went, and the lecture on “The Decolonization of India and Ceylon” proceeded without us, as did the 11:00 lecture “Tea for 4? China, India, Ceylon & Britain: A Worldwide Quartet” (though we’ll view this one later in our stateroom). But 1:00 found us in line on the Terrace for Kabob Day.

Normally we ignore these events – too many people and too little food, but the ‘bobs looked so good that we stood in line and were served excellent chicken kabobs with a couple of different seasonings (They were as good as they looked.) along with veggie kabobs, potatoes, pita bread, house-made hummus, and guacamole (I had the guac, Cheryl didn’t. She pointed out – correctly – that Kim’s is way better. But being a generally less picky eater…)

After lunch it was back to the stateroom to: Begin work on this blog (Randy) and finish up yesterday’s blog (Cheryl) and nap (Randy) and read (Cheryl).

Cheryl had a massage at 4:00 – working on her sore back while Randy picked up our passports at 4:15. (In Cochin Indian Immigration kept our passports and returned them to the ship en mass. Not sure why, their house-their rules.)
When Cheryl got back from her massage we watched the “Tea for 4…” lecture.
The 6:30 lecture was “The Legacy of Portugal in India” – a pretty damning recounting of European attitudes and actions in the 16th and 17th centuries. Historically they acted pretty much just like the “Ugly Americans” that give us such a bad reputation throughout Europe.

Dinner followed and then BBB where our 10/22 was some better than last night’s debacle, but still below our standard.

Back in the stateroom we watched the Mumbai Port Talk that we had missed this afternoon. It’s going to be a very interesting 3 days there.
But first we have Goa – tomorrow’s adventure. Can’t wait!

But first we sleep.
Nite all, R