Ours was the first tour out, so, yet again, we were up bright and early; only this time the alarm clock (replaced on Tuesday) worked and we didn’t have to bolt breakfast.
Dhows are traditional Middle-Eastern wooden boats, used more for carrying people than for cargo. Colorful woven ‘canvas’ keeps the deck area protected from the sun, and there are no true seats, just cushions put around the perimeter on the floor. Tables in general are not a common piece of furniture in this part of the world, even in houses, as our guide pointed out to us. Nevertheless, the seating was quite comfortable. During the last part of the cruise, a few people even sat back and took a nap.
So we embarked on a four-hour cruise into the ‘Norway of Arabia’. Our destination was the closed fjord Khor Ash Sham. There is a narrow entranceway and then it opens up quite large and fairly long. The only difference between here and Norway is the colour of the rock and the amount of vegetation - as in none. The three most common colours of the day were the blue of the sky, brown of the rock, and the green of the water - most appropriate since it is St. Patrick’s Day!
Along the way, we had the good fortune to come across a small pod of bottlenose dolphins who decided to come out to play in the wakes from our two dhows.
In honour of St. Patrick’s Day, there will be an Irish theme in the Dining Room and the Avenue Saloon is being converted into an Irish Pub, complete with green beer and a fish ‘n chip dinner…all presided over by our captain, Glenn O’Edvardsen from the Irish part of Norway.
Time to get moving - mandatory lifeboat drill is at 5:30 this afternoon, just before the festivities start.
No comments:
Post a Comment