And still we plough on across the emptiness towards Easter Island which we will reach by about 4pm tomorrow…… temperatures are increasing and sunshine hours are also ramping up.

Unfortunately, I spent most of today indoors…. This has got to change! Firstly, 2 hours of bridge class. To be honest, I am not enjoying this much anymore and if it were not for Bob, I would have stopped by now. I'll keep giving it a go until we reach Auckland and then, I think, all bets are off… It's so complicated… not relaxing… not exactly what I would choose to do on holiday or crucially what I am really interested in doing when we get home. I find I actually don't like card games, am not very good at it, hate losing….. yikes….. negative vibes all around…..

Painting, on the other hand, is very relaxing and very enjoyable no matter what the end result looks like. Today we painted a three dimensional winter forest in snow with a fox foreground looking back through the trees at a flying crow. Pretty pleased with both of our efforts. Loads of people are better than us… some are worse: it doesn't matter at all.

Drama followed closely on. Our group met early to ensure we could read through at least twice. Because I have less lines than the others (but more "business" which they don't realise yet AHAHAHAAH) I also have the opportunity to do a bit of directing, which being a bossy and controlling person, I do enjoy! I have given the others stock characters to try and "channel". One lady is Margot from "The Good Life". One chap is her husband in the same show. The other chap is Bernard Breslaw in the Carry Ons and I am Mavis from Corrie. There are now three groups: ours, which is the strongest (obviously, LOL) and will perform first, after Tahiti. Another group, which look good too. And the third group with Lord Eyelashes and MT who have decided not to perform to anyone else but us.

A most surreal evening. Tonight's theatre entertainer was so excruciating, I literally lack the words. Oh, my dear old friend Penny, how I wished, wished you had been sitting beside me. How we would have clutched each other in a convulsion of agonised hysteria…..! You'd have LOVED it… A 60ish very effeminate man dressed in a Wyatt Earp style evening suit minus Stetson, singing the songs of Andrew Lloyd Webber. Well, I say singing…. It would be more truly described as some singing with extraordinary, agonised emoting in the highest camp I have ever seen, complete at times with sobbing, gurning, flapping, waving arms, striding around, self-caressing….. Made worse by the fact that nearly all the songs were actually written for women… think Don't Cry for Me Argentina, Memory, Tell me on a Sunday, I don't know how to love him, etc etc…. Bob and I were literally clinging together throughout as it was actually quite frightening to be at the front such was the violence of this chap's delivery. Wow. Speechless.

After that, we needed a restorative. So we headed up onto the top deck where a 60s pool party was underway. Trust me, it was a major relief. Still daylight at 10pm so we sat out under the sky and watched the stars come out while the band played away. It was great. We relaxed again.