Missed ports, making friends and lazy sea days

Neither John nor I left the ship either at Colombo (Sri Lanka) or Muscat (Oman).  “Working ports” rather than cruise terminals are generally not set up for passengers who use wheelchairs – certainly not for those who can’t climb the steps of a shuttle bus.  I had intended to walk around the city of Colombo, but on the day, John was forced to stay in bed as a precaution due to a temporary skin problem, so I stopped in with him.

Those who did go ashore said that the roadways and footpaths were certainly not wheelchair friendly.  Many cruisers hired a tuk-tuk for an hour or three and found that a good experience.  However, Sri Lanka’s decades of conflict is certainly reflected in the country’s paucity of tourist services or citizens’ amenities.  Other cruisers booked tours with varying opinions as to their value.  These tours were to watch elephants feeding or to see a tea plantation, but mostly included a six-hour drive, rather tiring for most.

I had booked a tour to a Mosque and the Suq (market) in Muscat, the capital of Oman, but at the last moment cancelled the tour due to not feeling well.  That has been my only off-day so far.  Neither have I caught John’s cold and bad cough.  The latter is certainly going around the ship.  John is having difficulty getting rid of his cough and spent four days of self-imposed isolation in the cabin last week.

The weather has been extremely hot since Singapore and that is another reason we’ve felt lazy.  I have made use of my new swimming costume in the hot tub: luxurious.

We’ve met lots of people – friends of friends we knew beforehand – as well as others by chance.  We’ve found kindred spirits in a well-travelled American couple now living in Florida but hailing from Buffalo and Detroit originally.  We spend hours and hours discussing books, travel, politics and human rights.  Last night we joined them for a restaurant meal to celebrate their Independence Day.

We’ve also read heaps of books – mostly on Kindle, but also borrowed from the ship’s library.  The best books appear to be donated by guests – too hard to carry home no doubt.

My legs and back are stiff today – I spent the day at Petra, Jordan.  That's a tale for another day.