From: Sherman Rootberg
Date: Jan 22, 2008 7:27 PM
Subject: 1/22/2008
1/22/2008
Sea day on the way to Puerto Montt, Chile
We are headed almost directly into 8 to 10 foot waves with occasional 13 and 15 footers. That is making it a little rocky. When we go down to the lower floors and look out it is very interesting to see how well the ship rides. It is cool to see us splash through some of these big waves and watch the water fly.
As we cruise down the coast we get nearer and further from shore. They try to steer a straight course for the ship but the shore juts in and out. Sometimes the mist and fog gets denser from the cold water current and at other times it gets pretty clear. When the shore is close enough and the fog and mist has let up, we have continued views of the beautiful and mostly wild coast. I purposely picked a suite on the port side of the ship so we would be on the side facing the shore through almost the whole cruise. It was definitely the right choice.
As you may be aware, or not, there are volcanoes along the coast where we are now cruising. A while ago we turned on the TV channel that shows a view out the bow (that’s the pointy end) of the ship. Suddenly we saw what looked like a lot of snow coming down. Quickly there became so much that the windshield wipers had to be turned on. We turned to the TV channel that gave the outside temperature. It was over 50 degrees. How could it be snowing? Then we realized it wasn’t snowing at all. It was ashing. There was so much ash falling that it was covering the ship. If you want to get some ash, this is the place to go.
That reminds me of a very old joke. Do you know how to catch an elephant? Don’t tell me if you’ve heard this one. I don’t care. Just read.
First you go out in the jungle and dig a very big elephant size hole. Then you fill the bottom of the hole with ashes. Next you cover the hole with branches and then put leaves and other vegetation over the branches so the hole is hidden. Now you sprinkle peas all over the top of the leaves. All that is left to do now is wait for an elephant to come. Then, when the elephant goes to take a pee, kick him in the ash hole.
Ha, ha, ha. Was that terrible or what? Well, as I’ve mentioned before, there is not much exciting to do on sea days. That was the best I could come up with. At least Teagan laughs at this stuff.
We have been invited to the captains table for dinner tonight. Captain Alfredo Romeo is really a very nice guy? We have sailed with him many times and have had dinner with him several times. The last time we had dinner together was about three years ago. Then too the conditions of the ocean were a little rocky. Also at the table, among others, was a woman that was, I shall say, a bit eccentric. I say that only because Bobbi says friggen nutz is impolite. At any rate, as soon as she gets to the table she takes one look at the captain and in a very accusatory voice says, what are you doing here? Who is driving the boat. Ship captains love it when you call their ship a boat but let me hand it to Romeo. Without missing a beat and with a smile still on his face he said, my cabin steward is a very talented young lady. That got him a strange look from the nutzo woman. Later during the dinner the subject of it being a little rocky came up. As soon as it was mentioned, nutz woman weighs right in. She says to Romeo, I know why it’s so bumpy. It’s because you drive too fast. If you would slow down you could miss all the bumps. I don’t know why the captain hadn’t thought of that.
At dinner we asked the captain about the windshield wipers going on. He said the wind was in the wrong direction for it to have been ash. We did see it off our balcony as well as on the front camera. We now think it was soap blowing from a deck that was being washed. Who cares. It sounded better the other way.
I’m sending more pictures from yesterday in Valparaiso.
Sea day on the way to Puerto Montt, Chile
We are headed almost directly into 8 to 10 foot waves with occasional 13 and 15 footers. That is making it a little rocky. When we go down to the lower floors and look out it is very interesting to see how well the ship rides. It is cool to see us splash through some of these big waves and watch the water fly.
As we cruise down the coast we get nearer and further from shore. They try to steer a straight course for the ship but the shore juts in and out. Sometimes the mist and fog gets denser from the cold water current and at other times it gets pretty clear. When the shore is close enough and the fog and mist has let up, we have continued views of the beautiful and mostly wild coast. I purposely picked a suite on the port side of the ship so we would be on the side facing the shore through almost the whole cruise. It was definitely the right choice.
As you may be aware, or not, there are volcanoes along the coast where we are now cruising. A while ago we turned on the TV channel that shows a view out the bow (that’s the pointy end) of the ship. Suddenly we saw what looked like a lot of snow coming down. Quickly there became so much that the windshield wipers had to be turned on. We turned to the TV channel that gave the outside temperature. It was over 50 degrees. How could it be snowing? Then we realized it wasn’t snowing at all. It was ashing. There was so much ash falling that it was covering the ship. If you want to get some ash, this is the place to go.
That reminds me of a very old joke. Do you know how to catch an elephant? Don’t tell me if you’ve heard this one. I don’t care. Just read.
First you go out in the jungle and dig a very big elephant size hole. Then you fill the bottom of the hole with ashes. Next you cover the hole with branches and then put leaves and other vegetation over the branches so the hole is hidden. Now you sprinkle peas all over the top of the leaves. All that is left to do now is wait for an elephant to come. Then, when the elephant goes to take a pee, kick him in the ash hole.
Ha, ha, ha. Was that terrible or what? Well, as I’ve mentioned before, there is not much exciting to do on sea days. That was the best I could come up with. At least Teagan laughs at this stuff.
We have been invited to the captains table for dinner tonight. Captain Alfredo Romeo is really a very nice guy? We have sailed with him many times and have had dinner with him several times. The last time we had dinner together was about three years ago. Then too the conditions of the ocean were a little rocky. Also at the table, among others, was a woman that was, I shall say, a bit eccentric. I say that only because Bobbi says friggen nutz is impolite. At any rate, as soon as she gets to the table she takes one look at the captain and in a very accusatory voice says, what are you doing here? Who is driving the boat. Ship captains love it when you call their ship a boat but let me hand it to Romeo. Without missing a beat and with a smile still on his face he said, my cabin steward is a very talented young lady. That got him a strange look from the nutzo woman. Later during the dinner the subject of it being a little rocky came up. As soon as it was mentioned, nutz woman weighs right in. She says to Romeo, I know why it’s so bumpy. It’s because you drive too fast. If you would slow down you could miss all the bumps. I don’t know why the captain hadn’t thought of that.
At dinner we asked the captain about the windshield wipers going on. He said the wind was in the wrong direction for it to have been ash. We did see it off our balcony as well as on the front camera. We now think it was soap blowing from a deck that was being washed. Who cares. It sounded better the other way.
I’m sending more pictures from yesterday in Valparaiso.
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