Neptune Day!

Neptune Day begins with teachers and the crew marching down the hall at a lovely hour (7:30 - hush, we’re college kids, it’s early) banging on drums and other assorted objects. Or so I am told. I heard it, sure, and for a good hour after they went by my door I could still hear it, but by the time I got my glasses on and got our door open they were already halfway down the hall. Jesse, our room steward, tried to convince us we had to go up on deck right then, but he was tricking with us. We probably should have anyways, because we got no more sleep. I guess the staff decided to set up shop with their drums right above our room. Fun.

Finally we all got called up on deck so the Neptune Day celebrations could commence. Something was going on when we got up there, but little shorty me couldn’t see anything. My guess is it was the Captain shaving the two raffle winners heads? Finally King Neptune and Queen Minerva (two teachers) made their way to the pool deck. We all had to recite an oath to King Neptune, and then the ritual to prove we Pollywogs were ready to become Shellbacks began.

To prove this, you go and stand in the wave pools on the side of the pool, where a crew member pours fluorescent blue and yellow “fish guts” on your head - nobody really knows what’s in it, but it sure stunk so I’m guessing there was some fish in there somewhere. Then you jump into the pool. Now, this sounds like it would be refreshing. It’s not. It’s extremely salty, and all the fish guts are draining right into it. Plus, if you’re short like me and can’t keep your feet on the pool floor when the ship rocks it’s full of people to bump into. Then you climb out of the pool and kiss a fish on the lips (you’re not alone anymore, Glenn!). It’s very salty, again. Then you kiss Queen Minerva’s ring, and finally you kneel to be knighted as a shellback. The particularly adventurous then go to shave their heads. We had a good number of kids do it; I have no idea how many, but there are lots of baldies going around now.

Public Service Announcement: HAPPY BIRTHDAY DADDY! Holy crap you’re old! Haha I still love you. But seriously now. You’re old. Over the hill. I thought it was particularly fitting that your birthday was spent by kids getting their heads shaved. The barbers weren’t as good as you, though. There are a lot of patchy kids walking around. Also, I don’t know if Mom told you, but we can see birds now because we’re close to land, and they’re called mashed boobies hahaha.

The rest of the day was spent relaxing on deck (which is somewhat dangerous for me - the wind keeps you so cool that you don’t realize how hot and dehydrated your body is really getting from the sun, so I’ll have to be more careful next time) and napping. Tonight we have our first cultural pre-port to find out more about Brazil, and tomorrow we have our logistical pre-port, which I guess is the more safety side of things. Then the next day we’ll be in Brazil! Crazy to think it’s so close already. I probably won’t update the blog until after Brazil, unless I find a cheap internet café or something on my trip and have the time. But I love and miss you all and I’m still available by e-mail for the next 2 days! I can’t tell if I’m receiving all the e-mails sent to me, so if there’s one that it seems suspicious I haven’t responded to yet, re-send it just in case or ask me if I got it.