Around the Ship

After our emergency procedures test yesterday that required everyone onto the deck in their life jackets on we headed out to sea leaving Nassau behind. We are supposed to arrive in Puerto Rico tomorrow around noon so I guess we’re a bit more than half way there. According to the info. around the ship we are traveling at an average of about 20 nautical miles per hour and the seas are not exactly calm. In fact everyone is kind of swaying around today, trying to get used to the roll of the ocean beneath us. Fortunately I have not gotten sea sick but I know there are a fair number of people who are not feeling too well today.

Lois at the Emergency Drill yesterday

There are an amazing number of programs available onboard… today there were three lectures; a writing class; Portuguese workshop, Scrabble Tournament, 12-Step meeting, Zumba, Bingo, a visual arts workshop… and quite a few more. But the BIG news is that there’s a Sri Lankan Buddhist monk on board (Bhante) and he is offering morning meditation instruction AND, there’s also a morning Yoga class… I didn’t get there today but I plan on being there tomorrow. I have to say that having Yoga and Meditation available brings a huge smile to my face and is helping me relax into being with so many people (most of you know that I’m not a lover of big groups) for so many days.

Ship's central area...upstairs is library & computer lab. Downstairs is Purser's desk and general info. center.

It should be interesting to be in Puerto Rico at Christmastime. Our group leader said that they’d had quite a difficult time finding an on-site person to work with because Christmas is a really important holiday there… in a religious way, not a commercial way. She’s hoping that the person she got to commit to us will come through!

Shops (on left & right) and hallway to the classrooms and one of the dining areas.

Well, we are headed down for dinner (I will have to write a whole post just on the food here… so far it’s mostly good and extremely plentiful.) More later.