DAY 106---SAILING IN THE INDIAN OCEAN (DAY 3)

         Our position at 12:30 this afternoon.  We are still 300 miles from the Seychelles.  Passing rain showers and 82 degrees under mostly cloudy skies.

                                         Better view of where we are in this part of the world.

        At 1:39 this afternoon the ship's horn was sounded indicating that we had just crossed the Equator.  I took this photo showing at the top our latitude had just crossed into the Southern Hemisphere.

LAST EVENING

                                                                  Aldrin is a bar server.

                                       We again enjoyed this fried calamari for our appetizer.

                                                     Our liver and onions was very good.

                                                     They called this key lime pie.  NOT!

         Not sure how Regent does it but their orchestras are always fantastic and so talented.

                  Once again Nik Page's show was beyond INCREDIBLE.  What a voice!!

Nik is also a great drummer.  He did a drum solo the was joined by the orchestra's drummer and Andrew, the assistant cruise director.  Andrew also joined Nik when singing one number.  We did not know Andrew was so talented.

        Here the three of them are doing a drum stick fight.  At the end of Nik's show he got one of the longest standing ovations from a packed theater crowd that we have ever seen.

TODAY

        Last night I heard thunder and sure enough we had passed through a thunderstorm sometime during the early morning hours.  When I opened the balcony curtains I could see the weather behind us in the distance.  At 7am it was 82 degrees with 81% humidity.

        It's Sunday morning here (Saturday night where you are) so that means caviar breakfast in Compass Rose and up in La Veranda. 

        The ocean is almost mirror like today but at noon the Captain said we are experiencing some 6 foot swells out of the South which is the direction we are headed.  We can hardly feel them in our suite but he said it is lowering the ship's speed by a couple knots.

        Lunch in Compass Rose.  I had the grilled salmon, but unfortunately, it was tough again.  So I will give up on ordering salmon.

        This afternoon we watched to taping of this morning's lecture by Bill Toone.  His talk was titled, 

"Madagascar, Africa's Ghost Island".  Bill is a botanist who worked among the natives for several years.  Can you imagine living in tents with no electricity or running water in the heat and not knowing the people's language.  Just an interpreter with a diet of rice for 3 meals every day.  His story today was so interesting and very sad.

        The planned crossing the Equator ceremony for first time crossing passengers with King Neptune up on the pool deck had to be canceled due to the rainy weather.  They did have one at 1:30 for photos but I missed it while watching Bill Toone so no photos.

        Mid afternoon we watched the movie, "The Impossible".  It was about how a family vacationing at a resort in Thailand survives a tsunami.  Good movie.  Rebecca will have to do her hair earlier today as we will be attending the interdenominational church service at 5:15.

        There is a pre-dinner show at 6pm in the theater featuring Terry Bishop's, "Stuff and Nonsense" show.  We have seen it before and it is very good but we shall pass on it this evening.

        After cocktail hour we will dine in Compass Rose.  The 9:30 show is featuring Alan Kavanagh's second and last show.  We did not care for his first show so shall pass on this one.

        We are suppose to be anchored just off the coast of the Seychelle island of La Digue by 7am.  More about the Seychelles tomorrow.  The Captain said due to the swells we may not be able to anchor and use the tenders safely but he was 70% hopeful.