A strange kind of day
We’d had advice that our luggage needed to be outside our room at 8am this morning for collection. Needless to say, it wouldn’t be a problem. After all, we were probably going to be awake at some early hour anyway, but even so, we’d more or less packed up last night and just needed to put in a few last minute bits before attaching the bright yellow ribbons to our four suitcases, leaving them outside our room and going off for some breakfast.
The thing is, they were still there when we got back.
Even worse, they were still there at 11.30am.
We wondered why we’d taken the trouble to scoot about this morning to have it all ready so early and said as much to the ground staff in the hotel. “Oh, well some people don’t listen and they’re not ready when we go to collect it at 10 o’clock, so we say 8 to make sure”.
So we spent the morning relaxing. I was taking a few photos of the beach and the people down there. There was email to catch up with and newspapers to read.
And some were still recovering from all those Pisco Sours last night.
Eventually, half an hour later than scheduled, those of us assigned to the yellow ribbon group climbed on board the coach to be taken to the port at Callao, about forty minutes away. Our luggage was put on the same vehicle, which was sort of baffling, for we could have brought it ourselves, couldn’t we?
It’s at times like these when our patience is stretched. Still, we did our best to go with the flow. After all, what more is there to do? All will be well!
After half an hour or so, we entered the docklands and spotted a cool white funnel above the construction site.
Sorry, Mariner, not your most flattering angle, but it’s good to see you again!
Our suite was ready and having checked in and collected our key card, we were soon making ourselves at home.
From time to time we looked outside to see if anything was going on, but the view from here was pretty unprepossessing. So, we unpacked our suitcases and settled in, having met the neighbours and Rosemarie, the housekeeper.
At 5.15pm the emergency signal of seven short and one long toot sounded over the loudspeaker and we followed instruction and attended the lifeboat drill. Serious stuff – quite rightly, too – including being led out by our lifeboat guide to the boat deck, wearing our lifejackets.
Whilst we were all focused on this essential knowledge, the Captain had been more concerned with manoeuvring this huge ship out from the port and by the time we were ready to return to our suite, we were already underway.
We ran the gauntlet of an armada of small ships waiting for the tide, perhaps, and sailed out under the guidance of the pilot, whose small boat sailed alongside.
By now, we were ready for a quick change and a return to the pool deck, where pisco sours and a few tunes from the band got the party started.
So it’s been a strange day of being busy doing nothing really. We chose to have dinner in Compass Rose this evening, joining another couple and enjoying their company and some fun conversation over dinner. We returned to our suite to find a familiar arrangement on our bed: tomorrow’s Passages (which may or may not form part of tomorrow’s journal page…let’s see about that later), a few reminders and introductions, news from the UK and two chocolates.
We have an early start in the morning. We leave at 8am for an adventure to which both of us are really looking forward. I hope to have some photographs to share tomorrow and will surely have a tale or two to tell. In the meantime, it’s goodnight from the Mariner. We are happy to be here.
