Pool and Jacuzzi !

　　We had lunch in a buffet-style restaurant of "Horizon Court" on the ship after our short trip to the city center. We were allowed to eat as much as we wanted, and ate too much. Then I went swimming to escape from the scorching heat. I had been eager to swim in the pool on the ship since long ago. The pool area was not so crowded. It would be due to the fact that lots of passengers were out for the long optional tours to Kuala Lumpur. We would have a whole day on the ocean on the way back to Singapore. I was afraid that recreational facilities would swarm with passengers.
　　When I was thumbing through my travel guide on Penang at the poolside, a kind of recreation started near my deck chair. A crew member was checking the scores of every participant. It looked so much fun. As I didn't have today's bulletin, Princess Patter, I didn't know that. Blowing in the breeze of the Strait of Malacca over a glass of beer on the Diamond Princess, I spent a really gorgeous afternoon.

マラッカ海峡クルージング記：　船上のプールサイドでビール！ Gorgeous afternoon!
　
昼頃に船に戻り、ランチ。これも食べ放題。少し運動しなくてはとも思い、またあまりの熱さに耐えかねてプールへ直行。船の上でプールに入る、、一度やってみたかった。乗船客の半数以上が７時間コースのツアーに出ているのでガラガラ。帰りの終日航海の日には船内が相当混むのだろうなあと心配にもなった。
　
プールサイドで翌日のペナン島の勉強をしていたら近くでなにやらゲームが始まった。クルーがポイントを付けながら何かやっている。見たことの無いゲームだった。船内新聞をくまなく読めば書いてあったのだろうけれど。で僕はあまりの暑さに日陰でビールを飲みながら涼む。日差しは強烈だがマラッカ海峡を吹く風は実に心地よい。