OCEAN VILLAGE Pt 2

AT SEA

"Water water everywhere and not a drop to drink"
So first full day at sea and an opportunity to have a good look around the ship. OV is an incredible craft and huge as well. The Market Plaza is full of shops selling stuff at reasonable prices. Already made my first purchases. They use a paperless system here in that they take an impression of your debit/credit card and then charge everything to your cabin. So no money changes hands at all whilst on board. this can be considered good. but with the constant drinking I've alreadylost count as to how much I have soent. You get a paper receipt from the ever-smiling, ever present waitresses but who keeps count? Hey I'm on holiday.

Today we were at sea all day en route to Tunisia, Spend the majority of the day on the deck sitting in a nice shady spot and occasionally venturing out to one of the pools or the Jacuzzis. It is here where you seem to make the most friends.

There is something about Jacuzzis that make total strangers talk to each other. I think it is because you are constantly facing them trying desperately not to touch any part of their body with any part of your own. I got talking to a pleasant gent named Eric. Eighty seven and rendered blind last year by Type Two Diabetes. He talked at length about his experiences with the desease, which I found very interesting and very scary at the same time. He told me that he had just bought a PC with the software for the blind that reads out everything on the screen and everything that you type. He is going to night school to learn how to use it.

The evenings entertainment on board ship is plentiful and I was in a real fix as to what to watch. There was a magician and singer in "The Marquee" (the main theatre) or a singer and comedian in "Connexions" (a kind of club/bar affair). I decided on the latter thinking that I would catch the magician next time around. Good decision too. The singer in Connexions was first rate and the comedian hilarious (Why are Washing machines sarcastic? Because they take the piss out of your knickers!).

Before any of the entertainment I bravely took a step into unknown territory and played BINGO! £10.00 got me three books of five games. These ranged from one line games with a prize between 35 and 50 quid; two line games, £75 to £100 and the jackpot full house of £550 (if its won within the first 46 numbers called then it went down to £110) I must have had beginners luck as I shared a £50 win with some other woman leaving me up by £15 on the night.

Left Connexions at 12.30am after staying to watch the comedian's late night set and went back to my cabin a happy man.

TO BE CONTINUED...