Favalosa Nine
Late breakfast today, Sue was tired and proved difficult to rouse. We ate at the rear of the ship and it looked like many of the passengers had also decided to sleep in as many tables were empty.

We took a couple of turns around the deck, no clouds, no dolphins, no aircraft, no pirates just blue sea as far as th blue horizon. It’s been like this for days, I suspect we are lost. Hope the food lasts out. We heard last night that as we had not taken on supplies in Forteleza, we only have enough for 2 more days of mangoes!

During the morning we joined in with a quiz with some of the other English passengers. We didn’t win, a rather pretty young blonde girl did and therefore obviously cheated. Hollywood typecasting can’t be wrong. I took exception to 2 questions I got wrong: (1) What 4 legged creature cannot jump? Apparently a tortoise can and an elephant cannot! I have seen an elephant jump over a ball in Thailand. I have never seen a tortoise ever get the speed up to leave the ground. (2) What bird is the most common? Apparently it is a chicken, despite my protestations that I ate three yesterday and relegated them to second place. Pigeon was unacceptable though I argued that they were the most common in my garden.

After the quiz Sue and I watched a vegetable carving exhibition by some of the ship’s Philipino chefs. Despite the fact that they used pineapple, melons, apples etc. which are fruit, the finished articles were fantastic and completed with great speed and skill. We read our books until around lunchtime hunger drove us to find a restaurant and fill the gaping chasm that had appeared somewhere deep down.

During the afternoon I attempted to read a book in the library, but it had been cordoned off by the film crew to shoot a scene. I found Sue on Deck 10 falling aslep in a corner and I read there.

When she woke up we went to Deck 11 for coffee and a panini and then a brisk walk around the deck. Still nothing to be seen out to sea other than blue, even the waves had no white tops. We looked in vain for any jellyfish floating by then went back to our cabin. Sue watched “The Exotic Marigold Hotel” on the TV while I read my book.

During the evening meal our waiter entertained us with some magic (pretty rubbish but funny). However, on the way back to our cabin we did vote for him on one of the Totems around the ship as a staff member who pleased us.

The show in the theatre was titled ‘Ice & Fire’, it was magnificent. We had skaters, acrobats, dancers, singers and lasers and the music was to our taste. I should have videoed it. They replay all the shows in a loop on the TV in the cabin, no doubt we shall be watching it again.