Day 16 of 102. Thursday 26th January. 

I slept magnificently last night, hitting the hay at a respectable 11 o’clock and surfacing refreshed at 9.30 this morning.  I must have needed the sleep.  

This morning, at long last, the manager in charge of the Citizen watch outlet, after some difficulty, succeeded in registering the guarantee of my new possession online, extending the warranty to six years, and I think, entering my purchase details into a draw which might just win me another watch to the same value.  Unintentionally, I now have five Citizen Eco timepieces, three in use, and two boxed limited editions marking the maiden voyages of R.M.S. Queen Mary 2 and M.S. (or M.V., I’m not sure which)  Queen Elizabeth. I do like my new timepiece and look forward to a retirement of whizzing through multiple time zones while I still can.  That does not mean world voyages as an annual event.  But maybe crossing North America on Amtrak and Via Rail remains an attractive prospect.   There are new trains being introduced in the U.S.A. and I would like to try them out, especially over routes I have yet to cover.

QM2 must be showing its age.  Indeed, it has just entered its 20th year of service (12/1/23), and I, perhaps along with quite a few others, regard the ship as a second home.  However, an announcement over the ship’s P.A. system seemed to announce that because some technical malfunction, none of the ship’s toilets could flush. I was thus thankful I was a passenger and not a cabin steward!  (13.43, Kings Court Buffet)  Now to  continue walking.

We are now out of the Red Sea into the rougher waters of the Gulf of Aden as we continue in a more easterly direction towards our next port of call, Salalah, the day after tomorrow.  

My posh new watch continues to be troublesome. I went out on Deck 13, where there is a massive open space.  The day on the watch indicated that it was Friday; today is Thursday. I was rather hoping that the watch would adjust accordingly; it didn’t!  Once again, I am in the Citizen outlet waiting as the watch is set up to do what it says on the box.  By now, (and I never intended this), the patience of the sales personnel must be wearing a bit thin!  Later, i was advised to charge the battery by leaving the watch under a bright lamp for half an hour. I returned to a windy deck 13. Being very windy where we are right now, there are no deck chairs, but a few wooden upright seats against the bulk head behind-which is a small area of “new” balcony and inside staterooms. I sat there for almost 45 minutes in the hopes that the battery would be adequately charged to function as designed.

Having slept well last night, I now feel, unlike yesterday, that I have the patience of Job whose alleged grave I am visiting in two days. 

I enjoyed a sensible one course lunch in the Kings Court Buffet. A delicious cottage pie was on offer, a small portion of which I enjoyed, along with around three of my five a day veggies.

Around 23.55 hrs. I caught up with Jo later in the afternoon. She wanted to see a movie which, although seen before, she thoroughly enjoyed for (at least) a second time. Thus, I dined alone but wasn’t alone for long before being joined by a couple who had sat an adjacent table for dinner a couple of nights ago. Another couple made a fivesome. Jo then caught up with me at the show. Having slept for England last night, I am wide awake right now (after midnight). I took some warm fresh air on Deck 13 with very little lighting due to the pirate precautions. The stars shone like brand new lights. A patrolling ship’s officer lent me his night vision lens through which I could discern a night sky of nothing but stars. What a privilege!

I shouldn’t have done this, but still feeling awake, I ventured to the midnight buffet, not because I was hungry (I wasn’t) but to make the most of a very nice day. But, we lose another hour at 2 am. It won’t be long before one has to think twice when phoning home.

I’m not sure who it is who comes up here. It’s a completely different atmosphere during the day.

Many thanks for reading, David, 00.28 (equivalent of 01.28) Kings Court Midnight Buffet.