20231124 AAAA Trip - Darwin, Australia - A Thanksgiving miracle

2023 Alaska, Asia, Australia, Arabian Peninsula Trip 
Day 69/105 - Darwin, Australia

It was Thanksgiving Day when we woke up - well, Thankgiving Day back in the US, 14.5 hours behind us.  That meant it was a good time to call the kids and wish them a happy turkey day.

It was a little drizzly here in Darwin this morning.  We waited a bit and then headed off for a little walkabout. We're in Australia, so we can't just walk - we do a walkabout. There is a small park right next to the port and we wandered over there. 

Darwin was named in honor of Charles Darwin even though he never came here. His ship, the Beagle, did and that was enough for them to name the place in his honor. It has an amazing ability to survive given that it has been all but wiped out not once but twice. I mentioned Cyclone Tracy which flattened Darwin in 1974. Before that, the Japanese bombed Darwin in 1942, wiping out everything including sinking US ships that were stationed there.

We were going to continue to Bicentennial Park but the walkway was closed for tree trimming.  We took in the sights of local flora and fauna.

There was a meeting this morning - magpie geese only

A straw-necked ibis and an Australian white ibis were aerating the park lawn

The tide was out this morning

We know about the muster stations on the ship, but they have one here too

Part of the oil storage tunnel system used in WWII

I stumbled on this wasp nest suspended under the leaves of a tree - they didn't seem to mind

Since we couldn't go any farther, we changed direction and walked back up toward town.  In town, I couldn't resist taking a few more photos of the beautiful lorikeets.

Another passenger mentioned some street art. We wandered over from Smith Street a block or two and saw a lot of it. It really livened up the downtown area.

We got back to the ship and took a well-deserved shower. We were both a little sticky from the humidity on the walk.  Not long after, the doorbell buzzed.  The room hushed with anticipation. I opened the door and was handed a small package.  I gave the package to Arlona.

She pulled the tape

She opened the box

Ta-da!!!  Her old phone, driver's license, Villages ID, credit card, insurance card, cash - it was all there

We've already sent thanks to the two guys who took care of this and communicated with me about it. We wish we knew who found it in the restroom and took it to the police so we could thank them as well. It really restores your faith in humanity when people do the decent thing. Samsung Smart Switch took care of moving all her accounts, apps, photos, and such. The new phone is now fully good to go and the old phone is now factory reset and ready to sell when we get home.

We ate lunch and shortly after, we could hear some commotion. Tugboats got into position for our departure and ropes were being thrown off. It was time to sail.

About an hour after sailing, we could hear a fairly loud marine engine.

It was the pilot boat coming alongside to retrieve the local pilot

There were muster stations everywhere today!

As we passed the final channel marker, a committee of birds was there to bid us farewell and fair seas.

Once we passed the final channel marker, the pilot boat came directly alongside and the pilot hopped off.

I found it interesting that the assistant was harnessed and the pilot was too as soon as he hopped on. In many other countries, the pilot just jumps back and forth and walks across the deck without any safety equipment.

We're heading out into the Arafura Sea as we travel east to Thursday Island where we will ironically arrive on Sunday

Tonight, Assistant Cruise Director, Harry, hosted a Name That Tune trivia in the Explorers' Bar.  We competed with friends and failed miserably on Motown songs, only correctly naming 9/15.  Oh well, we still had fun.

Tonight's entertainment is yet another rerun from earlier segments, so we skipped it and headed to the room.  We lose 30 minutes tonight as we shift to UTC+10 or 15 hours ahead of the US East Coast. That will leave us with just one more hour to move before we reach Sydney on December 5.

Tomorrow is a sea day, so it should be a nice, relaxing 24 hours.