86. Cruise Ship

85.

Cruise Ship

Tonight is “Hawaii Night” in the ship ballroom. The women are given plastic leis and the host wears a lava-lava. I wear my yellow “Fah Out Hawaii” cartoon tee shirt and dance all night.

The ship’s “off watch” provides the music. They make up a fourteen-piece samba school and these sailors are all musicians! A police whistle sets the beat and then, one by one, each adds the sound of his particular percussion instrument. Their driving rhythm moves the dancers around the room in a slow elbow-flapping shuffle. It is hypnotic and great good sensual fun. The closest thing I have ever experienced to this dance is the sexless Ananda Marga Yoga circle dance and chant in Honolulu.

I like this a lot better!

The days pass plowing steadily down the brown river. Hooting women and children paddle canoes from the shore to ride the wake of the ship like surfers riding the waves over the coral reefs in Hawaii. It looks like quite a thrill. We pass villages and islands and the Brazilians photograph everything.

“Attencao!” on the loudspeakers again and again, followed by some to me incomprehensible message in Portuguese.

Well, more meaningless communication doesn’t bother me now. If anything is really important, I get the word--so I relax and enjoy the ride.

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