2/11/2010 ? Transit Day

Transit day was wonderful! I slept in. I slept in until 8am, the latest I can remember sleeping to since San Diego. Then we (Elena, Erin and I) watched the lion king. Eventually we got up to get hot chocolate and lunch. After lunch we went to the wellness center (the onboard spa).

The spa was having a “party” where each person could pop a balloon and receive a free ten-minute massage. I got a scalp massage from my balloon! Because my feet were killing me from the previous day, I also decided to take advantage of the 10% off sale the spa was doing. I got a reflexology (foot) massage and then my free 10min scalp massage. I made the appointment for this special treat right before dinner.

The rest of the day was spent writing about the previous day, sleeping, and talking with Elena. Then I was off to my massages!

Each massage was wonderful. My feet felt the love, which made all the difference. Then my head… that was amazing. This was my first scalp massage and it was blissful. My body was very thankful for the attention. After the massages I went down to dinner, which was done in a special way for the 200 students traveling between ports on board the MV Explorer.

Normally our dinner is buffet style; you grab a plate and walk past the dishes as you serve yourself. This night a menu was prepared. Everyone was seated family-style and our orders were taken for a five-course meal. Appetizers were fried calamari or a fruit bowl (of course I got the calamari). Then there was a cream of broccoli soup and Caesar salad. The entrées were a choice between black snapper with mango salsa, breaded pork with curry, and vegetarian pasta. I got the black snapper and it was very tasty! For the desert we had cherries jubilee. It was the best meal offered on the ship so far.

The day was relaxing and wonderful! It was exactly what I needed to get ready for a day in Kyoto and the following day in Kobe.