Lines in Paradise

Line #1: It seems like I always need a theme to my blogs. I think it's because they have a line for a title, and I feel pressure to fill the line in. So, I'm talkin' about lines today. It was sort of a recurring aspect of the cruise, which I am still writing about because I don't find interest in writing about the ills of tax season. I may someday, though, so watch out!

Line #2: If you ever go on a cruise, it's nice to get to the port a little early. Our fantastic driver, Reginald, had a few meetings to attend on the day that we were getting dropped at the port, so he dropped us off a little early. The ship was late at getting in from the previous cruise, so we made ourselves comfortable chatting with other cruisers and playing a travel Settlers game. We eventually got on the boat after a relatively short period of waiting, ate lunch, checked out our rooms, toured the ship, took pictures, and went to look off the deck. It was a couple of hours later, and there was still a long line of guests lined up in the parking lot, waiting to get on the ship. Be a little early. Listen to me. Trust me.

Line #3: Have you ever noticed how big, yet how small cruise ships are? Take, for example, my hallway, pictured somewhere on this post. The thing went on for-ever. At least, that's the perspective I had when I was walking down it. Yet, it was not long enough to warrant the half-hour wait for security to let us in our room, during which Tena and I were propositioned by a creepy older man, using a well-thought-out, but extremely disturbing line that only few could understand.

Line #4: But, if you've ever spent a great deal of time on the same cruise ship with noisy room neighbors, it seems impossible to find an oasis of peacefulness. On my first cruise, I actually took a nap in the disco room because it wasn't being used and was air-conditioned. When I awoke, I found others doing the same thing. I didn't know them, but we were friends. One of my favorite moments of solitude on this cruise was when my travel companions were napping, and I was able to go off by myself taking photos and trying to find places where I was by myself. Notice the lines on the deck. That's why I took the picture. I liked it.

Line #5: One part of the cruise that I enjoyed was the ability to renew my tan-lines that had really dwindled from my somewhat frequent summer visits to the reservoir. Snorkeling did the job, and Tena ended up with a really interesting tan line from leaning her arm on the side of the boat. We also met a fascinating chap later on in the cruise who had asked someone else to spray some sunscreen on him. The spray job created some very intriguing ... uh... lines.

Line #6: When we were parasailing, I thought that it was pretty ingenious that we were ... many (I have no concept of how many) feet above the water and just attached to this little boat by one scary, sometimes shaking line. The thought was petrifying and thrilling. We later learned that the motor had broken and that they had to fix it before they reeled us in. No wonder Rusty didn't have as much fun as we did. He had experienced the break of the motor before he had gone, and I think that it worried him when the wind would suddenly shoot him up in the air. I had no idea that there was anything wrong and was just sort of scared by the looks of the 'knot' that was connecting us to the line. I guess there's no such thing as Boy Scouts of Mexico. I'm glad that Tena stuffed her camera down her suit because I actually might have some photos to upload when we finally develop our underwater camera film.

To sum up, my suggestions: Be early. Don't proposition nice girls in the hallway. Find solitude. Renew tan lines. Apply sunscreen correctly. Pray prior to parasailing.