DAY 50 - CAIRNS, AUSTRALIA - MARCH 18, 2010

NO TOURS FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 50 DAYS OF TRAVEL, 16 PORTS OF CALL. OUR FIRST ORDER OF BUSINESS WAS TO FIND A PHONE TO GET UP TO DATE INFO ON LARRY AND CHRIS.

AS WE EXITED THE SHIP, THE SKY WAS AS BLUE AS COULD BE AND THE WARM BREEZE TEMPERED THE HOT SUN. THE TEMPERATURE WAS 29 C OR ABOUT 90 F. WE HEADED THROUGH THE PARKING LOT TO THE MAIN STREET ADJACENT TO THE WHARF. CROSSING THE STREET AT THE LIGHT WE WALKED ALONG ABBOTT STREET AND PASSED THE SEBEL HOTEL.

LET’S TRY THE HOTEL FOR A PAY PHONE AND STAY OUT OF THE HEAT I TOLD GEORGIA AND WE FOLLOWED AN ASIAN TOUR GROUP INTO THE LOBBY. WE WERE INFORMED THE PAY PHONE WAS ON LEVEL ONE, ABOVE. (I THOUGHT WE WERE ON LEVEL ONE BUT SUBSEQUENTLY WAS INFORMED WE WERE ON THE GROUND FLOOR)

WE TRIED THE ACCESS NUMBERS FOR AUSTRALIA WITHOUT SUCCESS. I THINK THE PROBLEM WAS THE PHONE, IT WASN’T TOUCHTONE, ALTHOUGH IT WAS PUSHBUTTON. WE GAVE UP AFTER 10 MINUTES AND LEFT THE HOTEL. AS WE EXITED I SAW A SIGN ON THE OUTSIDE WALL, NEAR THE FRONT DOOR, INFORMING GUEST TO USE THEIR ROOM KEYCARDS TO GAIN ACCESS TO THE LOBBY. WE CRASHED THE HOTEL BY WALKING IN WITH THE ASIAN GROUP.

WALKING FURTHER ALONG ABBOTT STREET WE SAW PHONES ON THE CORNER, ONLY THESE PHONE WERE FROM A DIFFERENT PROVIDER. WE TRIED AGAIN AND REACHED LARRY.

GEORGIA AND LARRY TALKED FOR ABOUT 35 MINUTES AND WE RECEIVED ALL THE UP DATES CONCERNING THE OUTLOOK FOR HIS LUNG TRANSPLANT. HE BEGINS TESTING ON THE 15TH OF APRIL WITH HEART CATH TESTS. THE INSURANCE COMPANY APPEARS TO HAVE SAID IF HE PASSES THE TEST THE TRANSPLANT WILL BE COVERED. THAT IS GREAT NEWS.

HOLLY STARTED BACK TEACHING, ALSO GOOD NEWS.

FINISHING UP OUR LARRY CALL WE CALLED COLETE TO GET THE LOWDOWN ON CHRIS’ SITUATION. HE RECEIVED THE BAD NEWS THAT VERY DAY. ALL THE BUMPS WERE COMPLETED AND HE WOULD BE CUT ON THE 27TH AS PREVIOUSLY ANNOUNCED. EVEN THOUGH YOU KNOW THE NEWS IS COMING IT STILL ISN’T EASY TO TAKE.

THE PHONES WERE JUST OUTSIDE THE OPAL SHOP, AND THAT BECAME OUR SECOND STOP. GEORGIA WAS ABLE TO FIND A VERY NICE AUSTRALIAN OPAL NECKLACE, IT IS MY GIFT FOR HER BIRTHDAY.

WHILE GEORGIA HAD BEEN TALKING ON THE PHONE I STOPPED ONE OF THE COUPLES FROM THE SHIP TO INQUIRER WHERE THEY GOT ALL THE GOODIES. I STORED THAT INFO FOR THE CONTINUATION OF OUR STROLL THROUGH THE STREET OF CAIRNS. (THE AUSSIES PRONOUNCE THE NAME OF THIS PLACE LIKE “CANS”) WE POPPED IN AND OUT OF A FEW SHOPS AS WE HEADED TO WOOLWORTH’S. THIS IS NOT LIKE THE WOOLWORTH’S WE KNOW FROM THE STATES. THESE GUYS ARE MORE LIKE A SMALL SUPERMARKET.

OUR MISSION WAS TO STOCK UP ON GOODIES FOR THE REMAINING 56 DAYS. CANDY, PRINGLES, COOKIES AND ALL THOSE GOOD THINGS. THE MISSION WAS SUCCESSFUL. TOILETS AND COFFEE WERE NEXT ON THE AGENDA.

LET ME TELL YOU SOMETHING, THE AUSSIES AND NEW ZEALANDERS DON’T KNOW WHAT BREWED COFFEE IS ALL ABOUT. COFFEE HERE IS EITHER EXPRESSO, CAPPUCCINOS OR LATTES. WE EXITED ONE COFFEE SHOP AFTER A LONG DISCUSSION WITH THE “BREWMASTER” WHO WAS GOING TO WATER DOWN HIS CONCOCTION. HE STILL DIDN’T KNOW WHAT WE MEANT BY COFFEE CREAM. CREAM WITH YOUR COFFEE MEANS, WHIPPED OR STEAMED MILK.

WHEN WE HIT THE SIDEWALK SOME FELLOW SAYS TO ME, “LOST YOUR BEARING MATE.” I EXPLAINED OUR SITUATION AND ASK IF HE KNEW WHERE THE MCDONALD’S WAS LOCATED. “MCDONALD’S,” HE EXCLAIMED, “YOU CAN DO BETTER THAN THAT.” UNDERSTANDING OUR PREDICAMENT HE POINTED US IN THE PROPER DIRECTION AND AWAY WE WENT.

SEVERAL BLOCKS DOWN THE STREET TOWARD THE ESPLANADE WAS EXACTLY WHAT WE NEEDED. ALTHOUGH IT TOOK SEVERAL MINUTES TO EXPLAIN OUR REQUEST TO THE YOUNG GIRL BEHIND THE COUNTER, WE WERE ABLE TO GET TWO FRESHLY BREWED CUPS OF COFFEE, WITH COFFEE CREAM.

WHILE DRINKING OUR COFFEE GEORGIA STRUCK UP A CONVERSATION WITH A COUPLE AT THE NEXT TABLE WHO WERE ON HOLIDAY. THEY WERE AUSSIES. THE MENTIONED THAT EVEN THOUGH THE WEATHER WAS WARM, ACTUALLY HOT, THEY HAD NOT BEEN ABLE TO GET ANY TOUR COMPANIES TO TAKE THEM TO THE REEF FOR OVER FIVE DAYS BECAUSE OF THE CHOPPY WATER OF THE COAST. WEALSO FOUND OUT A CYCLONE WAS HEADED TOWARD QUEENSLAND.

WE ENJOYED OUR COFFEE AND EVEN CRACKED OPEN A PACK OF COOKIES BEFORE STROLLING ACROSS THE STREET TO THE PUBLIC PARK AND POOL. THE PLACE WAS SCENIC, CLEAN AND THE SUNBATHERS WERE NOT ROUTY OR DISORDERLY.

WE RETURNED TO THE SHIP HOT, SWEATY AND THINKING THE POOL WOULD BE THE IDEAL PLACE TO COOL OFF. JUST AS WE METERED THE POOL THE CLOUDS MOVED IN OVER THE MOUNTAIN RANGE. ALTHOUGH MANY OF THE PASSENGERS WERE STILL OUT AND ABOUT GOT CAUGHT IN THE STROM, IT HARDLY SPRINKLED ON THE SHIP. WE WERE WET ALREADY, SO THERE WASN’T ANY PROBLEM IF IT HAD RAINED.

THE PLAN WAS TO STAY AT THE POOL FOR AN HOUR, GO BACK AND CHANGE CLOTHES AND HEAD TO THE GRILL FOR HAMBURGERS AND FRIES. AFTER DINNER WE REVIEWED MORE PICTURES ONE MORE STORY BEFORE TURNING OUT THE LIGHTS TONIGHT. AS YOU KNOW FROM PREVIOUS ENTRIES WE HAVE HAD OUR SHARE OF ROUGH SEA. FROM TIME TO TIME, AND ONLY A NIGHT, WE HEAR A RATTLE, SOMETIMES A HARD BANGING, IN THE CEILING ABOVE OUR BEDS. ALTHOUGH WE TOLD OUR CABIN STEWARD, SAMMY, AND THE FRONT DESK PERSONNEL, IT WAS FELT THE ONLY WAY TO GET THE PROBLEM FIXED WAS TO CALL FOR ASSISTANCE WHEN THE NOISE OCCURRED. THE TIME OF NIGHT WAS NOT A CONCERN FOR THE SHIP STAFF, JUST CALL.

SO, AS YOU WOULD EXPECT, THE SEA BEGAN TO GET ROUGH ABOUT 10:00 PM, AND WE HAD JUST A LITTLE NOISE TO START. BY 11:00 THE NOISE WAS MUCH LOUDER AND WE CALLED THE FRONT DESK. SURE ENOUGH THE NIGHTWATCH CAME TO THE DOOR, EXAMINED THE SITUATION AND SAID SHE WOULD RETURN WITH HELP. AT 11:30 THE PHONE RINGS AND THE NIGHTWATCH LETS ME KNOW SHE HASN’T FORGOTTEN US. OUR PROBLEM WAS THE NOISE WAS BEGINNING TO SUBSIDE. WOULD THE NOISE EVEN BE THERE WHEN THEY RETURNED. WOULD IT BE LIKE BEING SICK AS A DOG AND WHEN GETTING TO THE DOCTOR....WELL YOU GET THE IDEA.

OUR CABIN IS NOT THE SMALLEST WE HAVE EVER HAD NOR IS IT THE BIGGEST. IT DOES HOWEVER ACCOMMODATE FOUR PEOPLE, BUT ONLY BECAUSE IT HAS TWO BUNK BEDS THAT DROP FROM THE CEILING. THE SEA IS BEGINNING TO CHURN MORE BUT THE NOISE IS BEGINNING TO FADE. IF THE NIGHT WATCH DOESN’T COME BACK WITH THE MAINTENANCE MAN, HE’S GOING TO THINK WE ARE CRAZY.

FINALLY A RAP ON THE DOOR, AND THANKFULLY THE MAINTENANCE MAN WAS ACCOMPANIED BY THE NIGHT WATCH. HE LISTENED VERY CAREFULLY, AND NOTHING. I MENTIONED THE NOISE GOT EVEN LOUDER AND TRAVELLED THE ENTIRE LENGTH OF THE CEILING, BUT STILL NO NOISE. THE NOISE WAS IN THE CORNER SAID THE NIGHT WATCH, HOPEFULLY ELIMINATING ALL DOUBTS IN THE MIND OF THE MAINTENANCE MAN WE WERE CRAZY.

JUST A TINY RATTLE WOULD DO, I THOUGHT, EVEN THE SOUND OF A FLUSHING COMMODE, ANYTHING. AND THEN, JUST THE SLIGHTEST OF SOUND OF THE NOISE. HE WAS NOT IMPRESSED. GEORGIA TOLD HIM, I KNOW THERE IS A BUNK BED UP IN THE CEILING, OPEN THE THING UP AND LETS SEE WHAT IS LOOSE.

RELUCTANTLY HE OPENED THE LATCH AND LOWERED THE BED. LIFTING THE MATTRESS HE REMOVED THE METAL LADDER AND A CURVED METAL BAR. MAYBE THIS COULD BE THE PROBLEM. IT IS WORTH A TRY. HE PUSHED THE BED BACK INTO THE CEILING, AND THE TOOK THE LADDER WITH THEM. WAS IT THE PROBLEM, WOULD WE SLEEP IN NOISELESS COMFORT?

WELL, THE SEA BECAME VERY ROUGH AS THE NIGHT PROGRESSED. SO MUCH SO IT WOKE ME SEVERAL TIMES BUT THE CEILING PRODUCED NO MORE RATTLES.

THE ONE QUESTION I STILL HAVE IS WHY DOESN’T THE BUNK BED ABOVE GEORGIA’S SIDE OF OUR BED MAKE ANY NOISE?
MY INPUT ---- BECAUSE I HAVE ANGELS HOLDING THE LADDERS STILL.