The crew dressed in white robes, decorated with bows, tinfoil, and colorful decorations and stormed through every hallway, at least three times, banging on pots and pans, and blowing whistles to wake everyone up. At 9 0’clock am we were called to Deck 7, the top deck where the pool is and where the Neptune day initiation was taking place. There sat the royalty, Captain Jeremy and his Queen painted in green and adorned with seaweed wigs and other sea jewels

(this picture is deck 7 where I can be found before/between/and after class every day)

Crossing the Line, or Neptune Day, is an initiation rite celebrated in many navies. It commemorates a sailor's first crossing of the equator. The rite was intended originally as a test of new shipmates by seasoned sailors. The tradition dates back to the 16th century, and in the old days, the ship heaved to (that is, it set its sails so as to remain stationary) and the pollywogs were hoisted on the mainyard and dunked into the ocean 40 feet below; afterwards, shaving and other forms of blood letting took place.

The initiation first started with an oath.
Then experienced equator crossers poured green fish guts (I think it was slime) on me.

Next I kissed a fish…on the lips.
Then I kissed King Neptune’s ring, and the Queen.
Then I jumped into the water (it was freezing and I was laughing at all of the faces people were making when they surfaced—and then I made the same face and realized why they were making those faces)
Then I was knighted by a Sea Lord.
And now I am Initiated!
(and then…people went to get their heads shaved, yes girls too)

This went on for a few hours, and the rest of the afternoon we had off from class and hung out in the sun and caught up on some homework.
--great day. I asked Captain Jeremy, aka King Neptune Rex who was driving the ship. He replied, "I don't know." So then I asked if it was on Auto-Pilot, and he replied "I'm not sure."
Hopefully we'll arrive at Namibia in a few days!

xoxo