Today’s post is “halfway” for two reasons. I left home two weeks ago yesterday and will return two weeks from tomorrow so the trip is halfway done. We’re also completing our third of six sea days from Mexico to Hawaii so we are (about) halfway there.
Our day in Mazatlan was very pleasant. I took a birdwatching excursion and saw some beautiful birds, most of which I see occasionally at home: egrets, herons, frigates (I said most…..). It was a nice group of people, and I had the good fortune of being at the very back of the boat with a seat to myself so I had unobstructed views to my side — which happened to be the one with the better views — as well as to the back of the boat. Having spent so much of the day in the sun, and having received lots of warnings from the ship and from our local guide about petty crime, I chose not to venture toward the old town on my own after the tour so I did not end up with any caches.
I’ve done two sea days in a row, but never six. The past three days have been very nice — lots of down time, lots of reading reading (after I finish writing this I should complete my sixth book of the trip), time to write some pieces for my book, and an interesting mix of ship activities. I’ve been in the pool and hot tub, gone to the gym, and walked laps on the deck. I’ve also participated in a few trivia sessions, always doing respectably but never winning. There’s an astrophysics professor from UC San Diego (my alma mater) on board who has been giving excellent talks most days — preparing for the eclipse, brown dwarfs, search for intelligent life beyond earth; tomorrow will be about the Webb telescope — he has the remarkable trait of being able to describe rather complex scientific details to an educated but not scientific audience. I’ve also gone to some ship entertainment — a couple of comedians, a xylosynth player (a cross between a xylophone and a synthesizer), a sand artist (my favorite so far) and even one dance performance as well as finally seeing Boys on the Boat.
In sum, I’m neither bored nor seasick.
Looking forward to three more low-key sea days then to several Hawaiian ports.
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