Shellbacks Now Are We!

I had reservations...we were just crossing the equator by ship. So what? We crossed the International Dateline with no pomp and circumstance. Actually, we were rewarded with another hour of sleep. A celebration rather than a ceremony. That's how I like it. But then the longer I thought about it, the more I realized that crossing the equator by ship probably warrants a commemoration of some sort and if the explorers and travelers of centuries ago decided that Neptune Day was the way to do it, then who was I to question tradition. A pollywog, that's who I was.

The day began with a rude awakening. Seriously. Starting at 7am, crew members cloaked in white and gold marched up and down the halls with whistles and drums calling all passengers to the top most deck.

We all congregated around the pool as the ceremony began. In came Queen Minerva and her court each cradling large not-so-fresh fish, followed by King Neptune, himself in all his sea-green glory. The hundreds of Pollywogs recited a poem proclaiming our desire to become Shellbacks however unworthy we all were. Then came the rite of passage.

We lined up in groups of 5 at the first station where we were doused from head to toe in marine life liquid smelling much like the bottom of an aquarium in desperate need of a cleaning. We were then ordered by the king to plunge into the pool for a rinse before approaching him. (As you can imagine, waiting too long to get through the first station only resulted in a swim in a stinky, murky pool.) Upon emerging from the pool we found ourselves in a slimy, lukewarm lip lock with the chicken of the sea or some close relative. At the final station, we were face to face with the trident bearing king to whom we bowed and kissed his emerald ring. If he approved of your anointing, you were allowed you to pass. If he felt that you were still unworthy, he chucked you back into the pool to begin the process again.

If, for some reason you felt that you were still unworthy of the elevated status and needed the delve deeper into the ocean that is your psyche, you could cap off the ceremony with a visit to the Royal Barbers.

So, regarding to The Smith Family Four:
Shellbacks now are we
One with locks still flowing
And BALD are the other three!

We arrive in Mauritius on the 18th. We are at port for only 12 hours then back to sea for 6 days on our way to Cape Town!