Day 18: Fit and healthy (north-east of Hokkaido, Japan)

Staying fit and healthy on a cruise can be challenging. Endless conveyor belts of food, too many excuses not to do much of anything.

In one small step against excess we skipped breakfast, striking a blow against expanding waistlines.

We do get quite of bit of incidental exercise walking, aided by the fact that after two weeks onboard the ship we still get lost, adding dozens of extra kilometres to our daily routine.

On a less-active note, I had a second spa treatment today. 

The first part was a seaweed wrap. Never having done one before I had no idea what to expect. I pictured myself being wrapped in sheets of seaweed, looking like a giant sushi. 

It turns out the seaweed is mixed into some sort of muddy paste. After that was smeared over me I was wrapped up in plastic sheets and dunked into a bath of hot water.

So, not sushi. Tempura.

The second part was another massage. The first one had knocked out the worst kinks, so this one was more relaxing. I could get used to this sort of thing.

I caught another science lecture by Dr Ray, this one on "Weird Science", like the Higg's Boson and clathrates (frozen methane hydrates at the bottom of the ocean), and a discussion on the differences between real science,  pseudoscience and fake science. Not bad, but my favourite lecture is still the one on bad science in movies.

Which sort of segues to another scientific/medical/health fact. We found out so far this cruise three people have had heart attacks, two of them fatal. That's what happens when you combine people past their prime with too much food and alcohol.

Being fitness conscious we did something sporty. We watched part of the AFL Grand Final on the giant screen on the top deck (which looked to be a real clunker until the Hawks decided to make it look competitive). With drinks, French champagne for Emma, and Alaskan Ale for me.

I told you staying fit and healthy was challenging. 

Needing more Danger! and Adventure! We undertook a harsh wilderness experience where only one person was expected to survive. Watching "The Hunger Games" in the open air. Of course the "only one will survive" thing was from the movie, but we felt the main characters plight so keenly it was like being at risk ourselves.

I lie. The movie was a bit "meh". Not to mention there's something faintly obscene about a ship full of overfed people watching The Hunger Games, but I don't pick the movies.

Tomorrow we would see real wilderness, after we reached Hokkaido. Then we'd see how our love of adventure would up stand up against our love of sake and Japanese food.