Happy Leap Day.

Got up late. Lunch – pasta, fruit, Sudoku.

Australian face-to-face immigration. We all processed into the restaurant, got handed back our passports -which the ship holds so they do all the shenanigans most of the time, and we get left alone -processed to the other end, met one of three immigration officers, who opened the passport, counted the forms and checked they had been filled in with words (they didn’t check WHAT words!), glanced at the passport photo and up at us, and then handed them back, and then those of us staying on past Oz handed the passports and all the forms straight back to the crew and walked out. What a complete waste of time and energy. Still the three officers got a two-day all expenses paid cruise out of it, so someone was happy.

Irate email to bank. Siesta.

Busy day. Busy, busy, busy.

Last dinner with Laurie and Michael and Michael. We had a nice time and said our goodbyes. It’s sad to lose them. And always a bit scary to see who we will get next.

Spent a lot of money online tonight, talking to a friend from uni at home. Her husband, also my friend from uni (I sang at their wedding), is in hospital, seriously ill. I wish I could rush to her side and alleviate her burden, but I could not physically be further away, and it feels awful to be so unable to help.