Tuesday evening

It is our last evening aboard... We are in the Crows Nest as we have been known to have been before occasionally on the cruise. Tonight, the ship is "scenic cruising" through some of the islands off Auckland... But I digress, for the real entertainment is not "hole in the rock" just off the starboard bow, but instead, a couple of our fellow passengers sitting nearby...

They are maintaining a commentary mostly about their fellow passengers... "they are all so rude" They are reminiscent of Monty Python (they have a Englishesk accent... But could be Aussie, Kiwi, English, Indian, Pakistani, or from any of many former bits of the Empire) crossed with Grocho Marx, when making fun of the Catskills... The speak in stage whispers, making it difficult to believe they don't know they are being overheard... They have arrived in the bar recently, and are angry that the chairs have been taken... They have plopped themselves on the seats against the window... They have loudly announced to all "these cannot be saved" to no one in particular... (no one was trying to) and seem to be upset people are drinking champaign (in a bar, who would have thought)... If they are to be believed the the other passengers are all drunk... She would like a glass of champagne... Everyone on this ship is so rude...

He is using her camera, and wonders out loud why she would take a picture of such a thing, she would like her cameras back, but he is using it to take photos "he wouldn't waste his camera on". She would like a glass of champagne... He is busy reading their ship's expense account... "I can't believe they are so rude, We paid up our fare and can sit here if we want". We are to see Hole in the rock... There is a commentary which they are ignoring... They have spyed a small hole, and have mistaken it for Hole in the rock... Discussing what a disappointment it is and the NZ propensity to name everything... "wouldn't a glass of champagne be nice?" The real hole in the rock is visible to starboard, but invisible to our special friends... having decided that the scenery wasn't worth it, they retreated to the stern, she concerned it might be too cold...

I expected him to launch into a tirade about endless hotels Bel-view and Miramar, Bloody Whatney's Red Barrel beer, and the German tourists by the pool making pyramids and scaring all the children... But instead, his tirade was about people drinking in bars, While she thought a glass of champagne would be lovely...

Of course it is possible that the couple was right, and everyone in the Crow's nest including yours truly was drunk, and I made the story up... But I don't think so.

Tina has retreated downstairs to nap or pack... I am finishing a beer, eating peanuts and watching islands go by... It's not as much fun without the alternate commentary...

Now, near 8:00 and our last supper... we are mostly packed, ready to put the suitcases out by the midnight dead line... with appropriate stuff out for tomorrow... (a standard cruise joke, frequently repeated involves a passenger who pack at the last minute, put their suitcases out wearing the cruise line provided bathrobe, on to the pier, through customs and immigration in search of something to wear...)

Dinner complete, I am in the library posting a couple of additional blog entries... This one will wait until tomorrow...

We are now some 189 knts from Auckland... Several hours ago we were 43 knts off Auckland... We, the ship, is wasting time, sailing by the same volcano 5 or 6 times, now doing slow loops in the bays off Auckland... It will soon be over, we will disembark and we will start the journey home... A day and night in Auckland, the a flight to Brisbane, a layover, a flight to LA, a short layover, and a flight to San Francisco, Home...