ship of fools

It is just after 7 in the morning in Australia.

We are sitting off the coast of Cairns with the not-unrealistic expectation of making up for our lost day of snorkeling on the Great Barrier Reef. At least, that was what we had hoped.

But, unlike what the tag on my stateroom door says, I am not catching some thrills. I am sitting here writing to you. And that is thrill enough for me.

Once again, the weather has conspired to keep us on board. The rains, winds, and seas are simply too dangerous to tender us from the ship to shore. And, even if we could get to the snorkeling platforms on the reef, the seas are too rough and the light too subdued to make snorkeling worth the effort. It would be like visiting the Picasso Museum during a power outage.

That is too bad because I was looking forward to the experience. But I long ago learned I control very few circumstances in my life, and weather tops the list of things I need not worry my head about.

After we could not land at Airlie Beach two days ago, the captain took us on a circuitous route for a day and a half. Missing ports is not an uncommionevent in the cruise world. I have missed at least one port in about every third cruise I have taken.

Captains have a regular alternative. Because most passengers are interested in spending time in the sun, the captain will take his ship on a zig-zag course through the ocean at saunter speed hunting for any holes in the clouds. He will then slow the ship to take advantage of a bit of spotlight in an otherwise-existentially-bleak world.

I just returned from the Customer Services desk. While I was there, a North American, in a bull-in-rut voice, was lecturing the customer representative on how the entire cruise line should be run. Apparently, he had not bothered to read the adhesion contract he approved by buying his ticket.

Frustration had driven him to the edge of foolhardiness. Well, not the edge. He was well on his way to being crowned King of Fools -- a role I had auditioned for when I first boarded the ship. But that is a tale that will be probably be left untold.

Not being able to wave my magic wand to change all of this, I am going to take advantage of some more free time on board to exercise and read. Of course, I could do that at home. But I am not there. I am here. And the day is to be enjoyed.

Unless we encounter a cyclone,. we will be able to get off the ship for a bit at Darwin. We will overnight there, so I should have some Australian tales to tell -- before we head off across the Indian Ocean to Singapore.

See you then.