Two days in one

As we have four busy days, four different ports, ahead I'm going to cover the last two days (both at sea) in one post.

As Janet suggested in one of her comments we had a slightly quiet start to the day. Though we woke at 10.00 a.m. it was 12.30 before we ventured out of the cabin. I had the sense to catch up with some sleep, but Drew took the 'hair of the dog approach and had a bottle of beer from the mini-bar!! To be fair when I say 12.30 p.m. I mean 11.00 a.m. compared to yesterday, as the ship's clock went on last night to set us to Thai time. So we are now 6 hours ahead of the UK. So 12.30 was 6.30 your time.

We went to the panorama buffet for lunch - note no breakfast, we really must have been hungover. It was Japanese day at the Buffet, we avoided the Sushi, but had some lovely roast beef and stir fried vegetables in a Teriacki sauce. We both stayed on the Soda water.

Having written yesterday's blog entry we then read for most of the afternoon. The wind that was following us across the Bay of Bengal picked up quite a lot, so we watched on the balcony as the ship bobbed up and down and then from side to side, I reckon sea-sick people would have had their worst day so far, but it makes for a really relaxing sensation. The temperature was only about 74 degrees, the least it has been so far and even the humidity dropped, making for a lovely day to sit on the Balcony and read until Dinner.

Drinks and Dinner

We went down for our regular Martinis before dinner. We both started with a Cosmopolitan (Cosmo), after seeing the demo yesterday. These are Absolut Orange, Triple Sec and orange Juice (we had what is called a Medium one) for some reason these are twice the size larger than a normal one. Calling it medium is a cunning plan to make us feel better. We then had one more, standard size, Drew had one he really loved an Almond Tini which has Vodka, Almond Liqueur, Kahula and Bailey's (it looked really creamy), I had another Cosmo.

For dinner Drew and I had Prosciutto with Melon, Drew then had a salad with herb vinaigrette and I had a lovely Minestrone soap with large chucks of vegetables and small strips of pasta. For the main course I had Pork Devonshire with a cider, sage and onion sauce yummy. This was served with Turnips and Roast Pots. Drew had Cheesecake and I Cheese, Cheddar and Gouda, so not the most exciting cheeses but still pleasant. We only had one bottle of wine tonight, a Verdiccio (not sure I've spelt that right!).

We intended an early night, but we went back to see the pianist again and 3 24K Martinis later we gave up and went to bed - it was around 12.30 a.m. (6.30 p.m. UK time)

The third of the three days

Back to normal today we got to Breakfast at 7.15 a.m. None of the on-ship activities appealed to us (An Art auction was the main event) so it was another day of sitting reading. Drew got two more DVDs and watched one of them (I think I mentioned before these are free to us.)

The sea was less windy today but only a little less choppier, as we continued across the Bay of Bengal. It did however rain torrentially for about three hours, so we sat inside and read, rather than on the Balcony. At around 4.30 p.m. (10.30 a.m. BST) we saw our first bit of land for three days. The tiny set of islands called the Andeman and Nicabar Islands - we went through a channel between two of them, so we had land on both sides of us for an hour or so.

We had invited the gang (the eight who share our table and ourselves) to our Cabin for Drinks and Nibbles before Dinner and then went down for Dinner.

Foolishly, and against our better judgment the table persuaded us to join them for the 'show', we had missed them up to know. Well it was awful, about halfway through I'd have felt better is someone had shot me!! The singers and dancers were clearly not enjoying themselves, so the performance was boring.

Though the positive side of going was being able to go over and talk to Sarah. So as Janet asked her is her story. She lives in Pentregethin Road in Mansalton (not for indeed from the first house we lived in after I was born). So she is from Gendros Parish (Holy Cross). She is a Dyer, her Grandfather being Walter Dyer (he's dead now) who was a Swansea City Councilor. (or was it West Glam, Janet you'd know) . If I'm not mistaken he was one of the Governors of St.Iltyd's School when Mam was on the governing body. So yes it really is a small world.

Food and Drink

Breakfast was the usual - juice, Orange for Drew and Cranberry for me. Then fruit, grapefruit for Drew and Orange Segments for me. I then had two eggs 'over-hard' with Canadian ham, bacon and link sausages. Drew had scrambled eggs and bacon.

This evening we invited the 'gang' around for drinks. We ordered three bottles of Poilly Fusse (this seems to be the wine of the trip, the regularity with which we drink it) and two bottles of Wolf Blass Cabernet Savingnon. The canapes were lovely, prawns in marie rose sauce, cavier, salami stuffed with cream cheese, salmon moose, (there were 10 different types, but those are the ones I remember. Then there were lovely crudites served in bowls of ice to keep them fresh with a delicious Blue Cheese sauce. These in particular went down really well as none of the others had ordered them when we had been to their cabins.

At 8.15 we went down for dinner (what no Martinis I hear you say, its true). We stayed in the Poilly Fusse for a bottle and then had another of the Wolf Blass Cab Sav. Drew had Won Ton Soup to start, while I had Smoked Duck breast, it was incredibly tender. Then Drew went for a Greek Salad while I had Scotch Barley and Mushroom soup - superb rich broth. For the main course Drew had Red Scarlet Snapper with Ginger and garlic-cilantro sauce with rice. (The snapper was deep fried and battered, Drew really didn't like it. I had Australian spring leg of lamb which was slow roasted and came with mint peas and potatoes sauted with onion, and some mint sauce. The lamb was so tender, absolutely brilliant. Drew having been put off by the snapper had no dessert, I had cheese, a lovely Italian Blue cheese and some gorganzola - excellent.