Reporting from the HMS Petri Dish

Despite hand sanitizer and washing stations galore, I've succumbed to the ailment that has left everyone hacking and sneezing.  This has been spreading through the passengers almost since the beginning (we're a month in.)  Background accompaniment for all lectures and shows has been said hacking.  I thought I was dodging the bullet.  Bob had a mild form and I nursed him along with enforced gargling with stolen salt.  Well, I've been stricken. 

We had a day at Bora Bora and a day at sea while heading for Rarotonga in the Cook Islands.  I had been doing some research on Rarotonga, in hopes of diverging from the planned excursion and heading out on our own via public transportation in search of beach and snorkeling.  TripAdvisor mentioned that the waters are often too rough for visitors to tender in from cruise ship.  Well, that's what happened.  We were scheduled to anchor on the north side, sent crew members in to meet with port officials, determined that it was too rough, sailed around to the west side for calmer waters, also too rough, back to the north to pick up crew and away.  I was just beginning to feel poorly and wasn't disappointed to have the free sea day to recover, followed by another sea day tomorrow and either another sea day or crossing the International Date Line (I haven't quite figured that out yet) then Tonga.  By then, I should be recovered. 

Internet has been very bad.  Maybe it's the cloud cover.  So, combined with my being under the weather, I haven't had the patience to chronicle or upload.  Instead, I stayed in bed and binge-watched Narcos episodes that I had downloaded.  I owe you some posts.