A Brief Break from Stories about Brazil

Hey everybody!

I thought I’d take a break from telling you about Brazil and give you an update on what’s been happening around the ship.  Or really what just happened this morning.  Semester at Sea has a tradition every time a voyage crosses the equator for the first time on the open ocean (we already crossed it sailing the Amazon River).  It’s called Neptune Day, and people who’ve never sailed across the equator (which is almost all of us) are treated to a little ceremony.

First, we were woken up early in the morning by members of our crew banging drums and blowing whistles while dressed in togas.  After that, we had fish guts poured over our heads and we jumped into the pool on-board to rinse off.  We also had to kiss a fish.  Plus, everyone had the option of shaving their heads.  Being the rebel that I am I decided to go for it (sorry Mom, it’ll grow back).  Tonight, some friends and I are signed up for a five course meal to celebrate a birthday.

This is how you pass ten days on a ship the size of a high school by the way; by doing things you didn’t really plan for.  It keeps you from getting cabin fever, but hey, that’s why it’s an adventure…

P.S. I figure the ship's bandwidth can handle one compressed photo right?