by V. Louro
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In the medical center, things were not much better and Sofia lost her patience with a crew member who had syphilis and confessed to be having regular sex without protection just after another one who had asked for blood tests because he wasn’t sure if he had a STD. Damn crew members and their stupid messy sex lives!
Like that wasn’t enough, crossing the Tasmanian Sea had been a bit of a nightmare and many passengers were still complaining of sea sickness. According to Andrea it was one of those places where it was a matter of luck to have a quiet ocean.
Fiordland National Park was a day for scenic cruising which included Milford Sound and Dusky Sound. The ship didn’t dock anywhere. The idea was to appreciate the stunning landscape and the passengers would be outside on the open decks or in the balconies.
The most interesting part started around eleven and the medical center team still got a chance to see a good bit of the absolutely amazing scenery surrounding the ship during lunch break. Carla, Sofia, Mary and Keira put on jumpers because it was very cold in the area and found a spot on deck 16 aft. As soon as the ship entered Milford Sound a voice came up on the speakers. There was a port guide on the bridge with a microphone, giving information to the passengers about what they were seeing. It was a good idea. Most people would only relate to it as another pretty place to take pictures but Milford Sound was a lot more than just a pretty place. It was actually considered the eighth wonder of the world.
Captain Cook and his crew were the first Europeans to visit Fiordland and in 1773 they spent five weeks in the area. His maps and descriptions attracted sealers and whalers who formed the first European settlements of New Zealand. From the middle of the nineteenth century, surveyors, explorers and prospectors began to penetrate the unexplored interior of Fiordland.
The group observed the mountain peaks quilted with green vegetation and it was not hard to imagine the wide valleys hiding just behind the big walls of thick rock.
Milford Sound owes some of its allure to the 23 foot of rain that falls here every year, nourishing the lush grasses and forests. Nowhere else in the area do the mountains stand as tall, straight out of the sea like in the foreground of the Fiords. The legendary Mitre Park dominates the skyline.
From his privileged spot, the guide explained that the Maori were the first to attribute the creation of the Fiords to a ‘titanic mason’. They couldn’t find any other explanation to comprehend the sheer breadth of geological events that created this seemingly perfect sculpture, as the cliffs rose vertically upward from the ocean.
“Wow! This is just spectacular.” Sofia said, taking dozens of pictures.
Angry waves battered against the walls of the cliffs and sprayed clouds of sea foam towards the rocks.
Crew and passengers admired the view and many forgot to go for lunch as the ship made her way through mountains and waterfalls.
“You know what? I’m really happy there are still things in this world that can surprise me.” Sofia said to no one in particular.
Mary sighed. “That’s something you might feel a few time in New Zealand. This country has such a variety of landscapes, from the farmlands to the rivers, gorges and plains to mountains like these ones. I love it here. It’s simply amazing.”
Sofia changed the settings on her camera to get a lower shutter speed so she could create a nice effect with the waterfall, and took some more pictures before they had to go inside. If she couldn’t get anything else out of her time at sea, at least she had plenty of great photos to look at.
By twelve o’clock Denise escaped to her cabin, put on one of Diego’s large t-shirts and had a bowl of cereal with a yogurt she found in the fridge. She opened the curtains and admired the view from the one place where she could still have some peace of mind. Twenty minutes later Diego came in and found her sitting on the bed staring at the portholes.
“Hey. What’s going on? How come you didn’t show up for lunch?”
“I wasn’t hungry.” She said vaguely, her eyes fixed outside.
Diego sat next to her and played with her hair. “Talk to me. What’s taking your appetite?”
She drummed a weak smile. “I work every day for six months, I’m Leah’s favorite target, I’m an occasional actress and a guess entertainer, I’m a supervisor to a bunch of idiots, a duty shrink and now I’m also a kindergarten teacher!”
“Oh, come here.” He pulled her on a tight hug. “And you are also my girlfriend. Let me take care of you, at least until three o’clock.”
He sat on the bed with his back to the wall and pulled her close until her back was completely supported by his chest. Then he held her in his arms.
“How are you planning to take care of me?” She asked with a coy smile.
“I’m going to hug you and kiss you and tell you many jokes to make you laugh until you forget all your dramas.”
Denise turned around and kissed his lips softly. “That works for me.” She only wished he had that kind of idea more often. When they spent moments like that together she could imagine having a future with him.