Harry Potter and the Ridiculous Sunburn

In one language spoken below decks amongst some of the crew, I'm not sure what language it is, there is a greeting that sounds like "hi Don."

It has taken me some time to realize this and stop turning around every time I hear it.

The near-equatorial sun of the Seychelles did a real number on my back, I had the most thorough sunburn you will ever see. I have lost seventeen pounds from the resultant peeling alone. The pain took a few days to subside, and since then we've only had two ports anyway so I really didn't have to think about staying out of the sun.

We were in the Maldives, which was uneventful, and then in Colombo, Sri Lanka, where there is a bit of a story.

I woke early on the morning of Sri Lanka, beacause I had much to do onboard later in the day and thought I'd do my exploring before noon, if possible. I ventured out alone, hopped onto the shuttle bus, and rode in to the first of its two stops. From there, I got directions to Pettah, the major bazzar in the city. I was told it was the "must see" in town, so... I walked. After a while, I asked someone else for directions, and they told me it was much farther than I'd been led to believe... I hailed a tuktuk, a three-wheeled rickshaw/truck like thing, set a price, and headed for the bazaar.

I realized quickly we were not headed to the bazaar.

There are some situations when travelling, especially travelling alone, where being timid does not pay. Somewhat belligerently, I told the driver I knew this wasn't the way. He feigned ignorance and said he ought to maybe stop for directions. I (lying) said I had friends waiting at Pettah and needed to hurry. He got out and went into a store.

At this point I realized I had no port card - they leave small slips of paper to take when you leave the ship, serving no other purpose but to give you an address to get back to the port if you become lost. I was lost. I didn't even know the port name. Stupid, stupid, stupid.

Back comes my shady Sri driver. He smiles and says he knows now. We drive for a block and he stops for a moment, at which point another man gets in and we pull away.

I protest this loudly, I'm not sharing my two-seater ride... The new arrival, obviously lying, claims it's okay, we will split the fare.

"The fare is $4," I say, "I don't need to split it. Get out."

"No no," says he,"I work at the [hotel the shuttle drops off at]. I will return with you. I will be your guide."

"I don't need a guide. I'm Indiana Jones." Yes,I actually said that. I don't know why.

ACK! Gotta run. Will finish this later.

It's Not What You Thought, When You First Began It

Okay, I have no officially replaced all these photos. These are things I have bought in Africa from Namibia to Kenya... in places like Maputo, Mozambique but mostly in Mombasa. There are stories here about trading pens and sodas for things... this whole bartering thing is something I could get into. There are also pictures here from Safari in Kenya and from... well, I don't have a lot of time but let's see what I can get done before I have to go.
The feet of an Italian, an American, a few Canadians, a Romanian, and an Australian in Kenya.

I was standng in the front of the safari van, looking quite like the great white hunter in my safari vest... and the best photos I got all day were not of any animals. We saw elephants, giraffes (sorta), water buffalo, baboons, French people, and Filipinos, but mostly it was uneventful driving around punctuated by a few moments of "is that?!?!?...no."

This elephant tried to charge the van in front of us when the van got too close. That would've made good video, but it stopped advancing.

I bought this basket on my first day in Africa, at a market in Walvisbay, Namibia. All this handmade stuff, inexpensive, and some of you are going to get the COOLEST gifts. Others, turn green with envy. Okay my battery is dying... not much more time...

These statues of Masai warriors are bigger than they look. Thank goodness for Ft. Lauderdale disembarkation.

Okay gotta finish later... this giraffe, though... it's stunning seen "in person..." and huge...

This is yesterday in the Seychelles, and now I have a HORRIBLE sunburn... updated 2/16...

I went down to the Grundy county auction

Maybe it's been vague, maybe it's been subtle, but this time the message is blunt and straightforward on my blog.

Vanessa, I miss you. Happy Valentine's Day... this one is gonna suck without you.

:(

From the DP wire...I'm doing my own show twice tonight... sang the prayer with Amy Baker yesterday at the Captain's birthday party... working on putting together our new Broadway show for a couple of weeks from now... rehearsing the Country Roads production show, getting ready to start rehearsing the other new one, thankfully Terrence from our last cast is on to teach the shows... going on A SAFARI tomorrow AND going to a Kenyan neurologist (THAT should make for a story). Fran, the nurse, really helped me out so I could do both... another loosely (and poorly) themed, half-assed crew party last night, but the lameness of the party didn't stop me from having a good time.

Anyway. Tired now (see party above)... rehearsal for country show at noon, my show at one...

Won't Let The Elevator Bring Us Down

Last night (this morning) around 1:15 am, I left the crew bar after enjoying a couple of drinks with friends, happily ready to go to bed.

A bartender, Danny, and a singer, Mallorie, told me we should go see what else is happening, maybe in a nameless-for-their-sake room notorious for after parties. Nothing happening there.

We had noticed, as the crew bar closed, that the Superbowl was starting, and we'd watched Billy Joel sing the national anthem on the crew bar TV to much jeering and heckling. The ship had only been able to get the Superbowl through a difficult satellite link with a Mexican ESPN simulcast.

I remembered that there was a pajama Superbowl party in the conference room upstairs, where they would show the game. We decided that with our clientele, no one would be up this late... we could sneak in and watch the game, we could get some drinks from our cabins, make some popcorn, have a great time.

We wandered our way up the conference room and found a semi-packed room and a spread of beers, chicken wings, and pizza waiting for us... a big machine full of popcorn and a giant screen projection of the game.

At one point I looked over at our stage manager, Chris, with Phil, and Mal, and said "It's 2:30 in the morning and we are watching the Super Bowl in the Indian Ocean, off the coast of Africa."

By 3:30, Prince had finished the halftime show, I was dead tired and needed to go to bed. I almost slept in my coat and tie.

Grolsch. A Super Bowl party hosted by officers, chefs, and bar staff from countries that could care less about American football. Silver buffet serving dishes of gourmet chicken wings and tiny slices of pizza... only one element was missing to make the surprising greatness of last night completely ideal, and that something is somewhere between Australia and New Zealand at this particular moment.

No pics of anything from last night, but maybe some guests have some I can lay hands on.

Only whispers of some quiet conversa-a-ation

Here I am, collapsed as I climb the largest sand dune in Namibia. Phil, the band leader, happened upon a few of us in a market in Walvisbay and asked us to join him on this expedition... so off we went. I hate that you cannot tell in this picture, due to the light and the color of sand in general, how high up I am. If you notice the picnic tables and trees below, that's some indication. The angle of this dune is pretty steep... and as my travelling companions left me to die in the desert, I mustered my remaining strength to get to the top in order to push them down for making me do this in the first place.

In this picture, you'll see the other two singers (Mallorie and Corrine) and Phil, all much faster than me. The trail we left scarring the side of the dune remained through at least the next day. We have marred the face of Africa with our American (and Filipino) footsteps.
I put this photo on myspace and my old roommate Jamie said it looks like an ad for a new WB show. Suggestions for the title and premise show would amuse a weary world traveller.
More to come... Cape Town for the next two and a half days.