The Red Sea, Day 2

14 Nov. Monday:  The weather has changed drastically!  By 9am it was already 85* on our balcony.  I was ready to walk deck 12 a few times but changed my mind when I felt the heat.  It is also not “dry” but humid on the water.  I’m not sure if being on the land will be dry or not but this is what it is today.  Around 8:30am the boat we expected came along side and deliver “equipment” did so, and we suspect the people to use this equipment came aboard as well.  Around 10am we had our “Safe Haven” drill, which took about 15 minutes.  If you are in an outside cabin, on deck outside, or near the windows you need to move to a more inside location.  If you are in an outside cabin you simply move to the hallway.  If you are dining in some area you just move to the center of the room.  The staff directed us and it was a very simple procedure. Anyway, we are set now for our venture out of the Red Sea and into the Gulf of Aden.  We are not likely targets for the pirates as we go between Yemen and Somalia.  We are big, strong, fast, and difficult to board as the lowest open deck is deck 5.  We have been instructed that outside lights will be out for the 3 nights of passage and therefore for our safety in walking decks 5 and 12 outside areas will be closed.  In addition to keep visibility from the ship optimal, outside cabins and balconies are to keep curtains drawn and balcony lights out.  All these measures are just precautions and we feel perfectly safe with no concerns.

John had a nice breakfast in the Windjammer and I had coffee.  We then took up residence on a lounge in the shade on deck 5 with a delicious ice blended coffee and our current book.  Mine is City of Thieves by David Benioff, it is very good!!  That was our perch for several hours.  We each took breaks, me for a salad I brought back for lunch, and John to check the pool tables, which always seem occupied.  I think he needs to put his name in or wait there for a turn or something, which he has not done.  As the sun came upon us later we migrated back to the seclusion and A/C of our cabin.

Dinner was a delight with George and Tawny and Stuart and Darlene.  For dessert it was crème de menthe for me, a real treat!  Steak Dianne, which was medium rare and perfect, was the main course with a spinach pie for the appetizer.  We are feeling completely rested up from the three very busy days.   We have traveled over 3000 nautical miles since leaving Barcelona! 

Today I resisted the double chocolate espresso brownies and mudslide cookies… so many desserts, so many calories!  Ugh!