Sunday, 15th February, on a very calm sea days 22 degrees

It looked as if it was going to be a nice day which will please the sun worshippers! I had to be woken up this morning. Unheard of! Getting lazy in my old age! We were still out just after 7.00 and able to see the sun rise.

I guess we will now be well and truly off the Atacama trench that was mentioned yesterday. Happy about that. After a few laps of the deck it was up to breakfast, which we ate outside (where whales were sighted) and then I went on to the gathering for the ukulele. The good news was that everyone enjoyed the love songs they did yesterday, but the bad news was that they are going to do a bigger concert open to all! This is aghast from Buxton! Sadly I did not pick up the date…..

Bridge had its usual tensions, not least because of the introduction of the ‘stop’ signal. If only I could keep all the information in my head at once. As I get one new thing in, another recently learnt thing falls out – or so it seems. We were recommended a useful app to put on our ‘phone. And I don’t even have enough to catch up with the Archers!

I have also to report that Manda (the lady tutor of the draping business yesterday) was really being very silly in her interaction with Douglas (the man tutor) today. They disappear off into the middle distance after the next port and we get yet another teacher, (And Pauline made a very tricky contract of 4 Hearts but she won’t tell you that, of course. Ed)

After that it was more laps around the deck before lunch, when dolphins were sighted! (And a Peruvian Booby. Ed)

After lunch we had a bit of down time before I went up to the top deck to let Keith get on with his writing while I did correspondence and my crosswords for the day, We don’t cease to be amazed at the new people we see around the decks and particularly on the tours we go on – and today was no different. Where do these people lurk that we haven’t seen before? I did see Penny and Michael from our table though. an unusual occurrence outside of dinner time.

I descended from my eyrie as promised at about 4.00 p.m. and there was further quiet time before 5.00 when the dinner preparations tend to start. Today I had completely forgotten the special meal we had booked for Valentine’s Day and whilst I looked ok I had not pushed the boat out in terms of my outfit. I was therefore totally sideswiped when Keith put his suit on to take me out to dinner! What am I – hopeless!!

Nevertheless we had a very nice Indian meal and enjoyed every morsel. I am glad I went back for some better shoes when I knew where I was going!

Tomorrow we reach Arica on the top bulge on the coast in Chile. We have an outing booked for the morning but then will have a wander in the afternoon. Looking forward to it.

The temperature has risen to 24 degrees. (It’ll be more like 30 in Arica, one of the driest places on Earth. Ed)