Day 5 ~ I Can't Believe I Ate the Whole Thing!

“Irony is the opposite of wrinkly.” ~ Anonymous

 Yes, it's true. Laundry is that which "droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven," and is considerably more abundant than mercy. We'd been on the road since last Saturday so it was time to seek the laundry facilities on the Star. We could, of course, send our things out and someone else would do them for a price, but I'd rather spend our cruise money on experiences I can't get at home. Laundry follows me everywhere! 

All passenger cabin decks seem to have their own launderette. We managed to hit ours when all four washers and dryers were available. The only snag is that many of my things never see the inside of a heated dryer. It's always fluff and hang to preserve the fit. Unfortunately, the handy-dandy little ten item over-the-door hook I packed will not fit over our bathroom door. Viking believes in building for stout. The door is too thick for me to slip the device over. So our cabin now resembles Dhobi Ghat  (see my post on Mumbai!) on wash day.   

We'd hoped to sit in on a lecture by the wildlife expert on the types of marine and avian life we're likely to encounter on our way to, and around, Cabo San Lucas. However, before that, we had to attend a meeting in the Star Theatre to settle the matter of our Chilean Vaccine Pass. Before we'll be allowed to set foot on this long thin South American country, we have to submit evidence of both our passports and our vaccination status. And for better or worse, this can be accomplished using our cellphones. 

First we had to set up an account with the entity collecting all this information for the government. Then they sent a confirmation to our email account prior to allowing us into the site. After being confirmed, we submitted information about ourselves and our vaccine history (including the specific lot numbers of the specific vaccine).  We had to upload a photo of our face with our passport held beneath our chins, our passports by themselves, and our CDC vaccine card so they could make sure all the information we had input manually matched what was on our documents. Once that was done, we were assured that we are ... ta-ta-ta-da ... "under review." 

Now, imagine if you will, a whole theatre full of people of a certain age and indeterminate technical ability, trying to navigate a site whose primary language is Spanish, while the wifi system they are ALL using at the same time grinds to the speed of a giant sloth under the strain...

Fortunately, the DH, who retired from Google, is my ace in the hole, but there were a lot of unhappy campers around us.

Kristy and Dave at an adjoining table with our energetic server!

We dined al fresco this evening around the pool. It was a lovely, soft evening. The mechanical cover over the pool deck was retracted. Perfect temperature for a quasi-outdoor dining experience. Again, this was a fixed menu. The only thing we could specify was the level of done-ness we wanted. All tables were set for two because there was no room for more once the steak for two was brought out.  

Have you ever seen such a big cut of meat? It was like a whole roast clinging to the end of what I presume must be a rib bone. 

Rustic Caesar Salad & Crostini

Tomahawk Steak & accompaniments, fries, mac & cheese, spinach, & sauces

It was all delicious. But no, we didn't eat the whole thing!