G'day Mates

Nov.8

Our adventure began today as we docked in Cairns, a city I can tell you nothing about because I never set foot upon her ground. Our reef adventure was so popular on board they decided to bring the large catamaran  boat right up to the water side of the boat and load the 220 passengers directly onto the boat, while the rest of the ship’s passengers got off on the other side to do shore tours. This fast catamaran took our group about 90 minutes out to a moored pontoon station on one of the reefs. The ride out was quite scenic as we traveled past green treed mountains and islands and what I would call mangroves in certain areas. Unfortunately, it was also quite wavy and rough and several people got sea sick. One man came running inside from an outer deck shouting ”Where are the little white bags?” At this stage in the cruise a little white bag means only one thing and you don’t want to be near the person needing it.  We all just pointed and turned away because the power of suggestion is mighty on the sea.

We finally reached Marine World after repeatedly being told what extras we could add to the already $210 bill we paid: guided snorkel tours, scuba dives and lessons, helicopter rides, etc. I had wisely left my credit card back on the ship, so short of begging and borrowing I could only buy a photo or a beer as I had planned.  I was sitting with four older gentleman (yes, more men) and I just have to stop here and mention how absolutely wonderful it has been to see the adventures and stamina some of the elderly have managed on this cruise. One of the men I sat with was all gung ho on scuba diving and he was probably 80. Two others were going for the helicopters and another 80 year old was renting a wet suit for the snorkel lesson. A 75 year old I know is set to climb the harbor bridge in Sydney and some of the people on the Great Wall of China who were skipping up the same steps I hauled myself up were in their 70’s and 80’s. Marvelous to behold and an inspiration daily!

Back at Marine World: This was a very, very large moored three level pontoon that easily holds 300 people. We disembark the catamaran and pile onto the pontoon and start going in whatever direction we have chosen. Once again, advance intel told me to get to the snorkel gear early to get all the correct sized equipment. So I rush over and get fin, mask, snorkel and life jacket and back to a table on the covered main deck to undress and prepare for the water. The weather has been overcast today, but for the first time in 3 days it wasn’t raining. I head over to the steps with a friend and her daughter to walk down to the platform to put on fins and start snorkeling. I get to the top of the steps and an older man is standing in the middle of the steps contemplating the people on the entrance platform. And he is standing, standing, standing. These steps are only wide enough for one person. Finally, I say under my breath, “Move it, you old bugger!” Not Christian, I admit, and my friend Diane, looks and me and smiles sweetly and says” Is it time for Peggy to get off the cruise?” Which is right on – my patience is thinning to transparency. She admits she finds herself now using language she doesn’t always use either. 45 days with people you haven’t necessarily chosen to be with can be wearing. We finally get to the bottom of the stairs and are thigh deep in water and are supposed to go sit on this bench and put on fins and mask and slip over the side into the reef water. One problem: the benches are full of fully suited up older people. And by suited up I mean the Marine Park people have warned us it is jelly fish season and we should rent lycra body suits to protect ourselves from stings. Yeah. Like I’m putting a full body lycra suit on a body that has been eating 16 meals a day for 45 days. But all the old people decided it would be a good idea. So they are sitting on this bench in the water in red and blue full body tights covering their heads, body, hands and feet with life preservers, fins ,masks and snorkels, and their sitting there filling the bench not moving, looking at the water. And I’m standing there looking at them holding my equipment with a sort of questioning look hoping they’ll get the hint I need a seat and they should move out. Nope. They just sit. I look at Diane and we both stare back at all of them. I am really, really containing myself at this point. Something bad is going to come out of my mouth. Finally one of them blips out of his stupor and notices us and moves an inch, not into the water, heaven forbid, just over slightly. So I cram in and Diane just plunks in the water and we suit up. I am over the edge and into the water as fast as possible. A bit of a shock, but not bad! Then sweet freedom and the joy of salt water in the nose and eyes. But who cares, I clear the sinuses, clean the mask and off I go to explore the Great Barrier Reef.  And it’s a beauty. All shapes and colors of coral, fish of every design and hue imaginable, and other people’s fins in my face. I had to move out a bit to get away from the other snorkelers, but it really was a treat. And I suddenly ran into a scuba diver with a camera and she points to my side and along comes a huge, bright blue and yellow fish I had luckily been warned about or I would have walked on water in fear. It was about 4-5 feet long and 3 feet tall and as friendly as a puppy. It let me pet it and swim alongside while she took photos of us. I of course bought that photo.  The water was a little choppy so I had to keep clearing the snorkel of water which got tiring, but after an hour or so it was time for lunch so I went in to eat anyway. We had the option to ride in glass bottom boats and a semi-submersible boat, but the sun came out after lunch and I wanted to do some free dives down to the bottom of the reef so I chose to go back in the water even though I was cold. Good choice as Wally, the big blue fish, decided to swim right onto the bench platform as I was suiting up. He just sat right there with about 6 inches of his body out of water and let us pet him. It was amazing. And free diving was fun. I could get really close to some of the bottom frondy coral and almost hit my head on a coral wall I hadn’t noticed as I focused on the undulating forms. A humongo grouper was hiding down there too. Someone saw a baby shark and I almost ran right into the only jelly fish anyone saw in the swimming area. Figures, as I wasn’t in the body suit. Worn out and water logged I finally turned in my gear and went to the top deck for some sun and warmth. The ride home was just as crazy, but I don’t know if anyone used the bags as most of us fell into exhausted, fitful sleep. I was somewhat gratified to find out later I’m not the only one with a short fuse. As we were unloading back at the ship it was taking a long time and my friend Don observed an interaction on the stairway of the catamaran. One woman was pushing ahead of another to try and disembark more quickly and the woman she pushed in front of looked at her and said “Get your fat a** back in line where it belongs!”  Then she looked at Don and said “If she tries that again I’m gonna slap her silly.” Whoa! Makes me look kind of sweet.

The boy friend issue is getting kind of sticky. It might be time to get off the ship. I keep adding new ones to the lineup and it’s getting harder to keep them apart. The ship needs to stop allowing new people on at each port. The other morning at breakfast there were actually four of them in a row at different tables at the same time in the Lido (buffet) restaurant. I didn’t know what to do and the waiters were just as confused. They had no idea who to seat me with. The men are starting to get jealous and one had a hissy fit because I talked to someone he doesn’t like. How inappropriate is that? I mean, they are all old enough to be my father or at least a whole other generation. I have no favorites, make no promises, divide my time equally, and introduce them to all the other women. I’m a man magnet! I guess I need to hide in my room. I hear the siren call of New Zealand.  No worries, mates.