Friday, March 8, 2024

Cairns, Australia

Reluctantly, we leave this amazing country this evening. It has been one of the high points of our voyage to see the Great Barrier Reef and all the other incredible sights, sounds, critters and tastes from the land down under. We experienced the end of the rainy season here, with frequent rain, followed by brief hot sunny times, and 90% humidity. I keep reminding myself how good it is for my skin!

Our White Night was moved indoors from its usual venue on deck which put a little damper, excuse the pun, on the evening. The day brought an announcement from Azamara that our world cruise itinerary is being drastically altered due to the “unrest” in the Red Sea and dangers of cruising through the Suez Canal. Obviously, we’re very disappointed and yet we totally understand and were not surprised. We now have some choices to make. We may be able to go around Africa on the ship, or can disembark in Dubai and head off in a new direction or home. It is a little uncertain at this point, never-the-less we have some exciting and intriguing ports ahead and continue to take advantage of every opportunity to explore new places and cultures.

Hmm, not sure what goes into the box, but the theme of the police pick-up was cool!

Rusty’s Market is a colorful extravaganza of exotic fruits and veggies, tropical flowers, gourmet international foods, clothes and jewelry and a fascinating place to people watch. We sampled some delicacies such as a coconut 🥥 parfait, fresh sugar cane juice smoothies and paw paw salad. Note the prices are in Australian dollars. Better than Costco!