En route to Banjul, Gambia

For the fourth time on this world cruise, we crossed the equator. <Sidenote: São Tomé is on the equator and prime meridian> Since it is the fourth time, even the “Voices of Silversea” performers were getting a bit tired of the same routine.

So, this time they wrote a new script and moved from the pool area to the stage. I knew something was up when I arrived and one of the door greeters said, “Good, you’re here.”

Seems the Voices decided to make this a “King Neptune is mad that you have crossed the equator four times in 100 days” thing and punish the world cruisers. There were four penalty events – I and two others were selected to imbibe “The Drink… of …DEATH!”. I think it was grapefruit juice and chocolate milk – not dangerous, but properly vile.

I am not an actor, but I can exaggerate in proper pantomime style. As I arrived on the stage it was all “NO! Not the Drink of DEATH! Anything but that!” and tried to escape. The audience was chanting “Shame!”

The other punishments were musical chairs (the guests were awful), conga line with life jackets, find the room keys in pudding and the ever-popular Kiss The Fish.

Great fun. And the pictures prove I wore a jacket at least once this cruise. Credit for the pictures go to Ron and Carole (same folks I went to the Rain Forest excursion with in Cairns, Australia).

“Bonus” Ghana Dancing

During the cultural dance and music event at the beach resort in Accra, Ghana the dancers went into the crowd and grabbed “volunteers”. As they are wont to do. Here I participate in what I can only call the “Ghana Bootie Shake.”

There is also video. Mercifully it can’t be uploaded due to the at-sea internet. Picture and video credits (blame?) also go to Ron and Carole.