Day 5
Today's destination is Ouvea and as there is no pier, all 2000 passengers need to be ferried ashore on the tenders (lifeboats). This process was set to begin at 8am and tender tickets are required. Had a nice sleep in and missed walking a mile, so wandered down to breakfast instead. MBB decided to go back to bed and skip visiting Ouvea but then just as I was ready to leave the captain announced that the swell was too big an our visit was cancelled.
I would have liked a day on the island by myself, catching up on my writing, reading and sudoku but it can be achieved just as easily onboard ship if a quiet corner can be found. I started out on Promenade Deck but the walkers were making me feel guilty. I moved to Horizon Court and had a light lunch of cheese, crackers and fruit but when it began to fill up with the lunch crowd I retired to my favourite spot under the stairs on the Aft Deck, away from the crowds and out of the sun.
All sorts of sunburn is on parade today - from the mild pink in need of aloe vera to the screaming red blisters in need of sedation. Lovely patterns are emerging: the Swimmer Bow; the Thong gone Wrong; the Sunglasses Mask and the most common - the Mosaic, aka the bits I missed with the sunscreen.
I passed the entire afternoon as I had promised myself: relaxing by the pool and doing nothing but reading and writing. I really really like cruise life. If we could just get rid of all the kids it would be the perfect holiday. MBB joined me late in the afternoon and we headed down to the Promenade Deck so I could walk a mile. I was feeling so guilty for having such a lazy day I added an extra lap to the mile. For the person who thinks that exercise is a four letter word, the mile walk is the most pleasant activity in the world. It's quiet, flat, with a great view and a nice breeze. The irony is that the exercise track is also the smoking deck.
After a quick shower we descended upon the bar for a pre-dinner drink and 'best of 3' in backgammon. MBB and I have had a healthy backgammon rivalry for years and we are fairly even matched. MBB is very competitive - the opposite of me - I couldn't really give a toss either way - although it's nice to boast about when I thrash her 3-0.
Rash update: still bright red and it has now spread to my toes and tops of my feet. My feet are starting to swell and I no longer have ankles. Does not itch or sting - it's just RED!
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