Harking and barking with the sickly one

It started with a cold. And then just kept getting worse. It was just like the virus I had in Sri Lanka last year and just as bad. There was much coughing and sneezing and then ominous rattles began in my chest. It was time to see the doctor. Thankfully there’s one on board who, for a price, will diagnose and treat you within the limits of the facilities. Amputations and heart valve replacements are probably not available.

Masked up, I went down to the bowels of the ship, next to the freezing cold gangway and waited with a few other souls whose day had been spoiled. Gabrielle meanwhile headed out to the bus and had the trip you’ve maybe just read about. My ticket was handed back but unfortunately no money came whizzing back in our direction. Ts and Cs are dreadfully scary things.

I was told to go and sit back in the lounge so that I was not a danger to others. I had suggested I might benefit from a Covid test. When I finally got in to see the guy doing triage, he said that if I had a positive test I would be confined to my room for the duration, so I chose just to see the doc. She was a very kindly German or Swiss lady who took my BP - all good - my temperature, likewise, checked my throat and listened to my chest. She declared that I had a possible bout of bronchitis or certainly something similar and prescribed high strength antibiotics, gargle and Strepsils.

I had a good go with all of those and then after lunch took a nap of around two hours, after which I felt a good deal better. I brightened up considerably and at just before 6pm, the main attraction returned, much to my relief, and I poured us both a glass of pop, having first of all checked that it wasn’t verboten by the drugs. We went for dinner, after getting ourselves dressed appropriately and all was well.

We went to bed and that’s where the problem started. I coughed continuously for most of the night, meaning that neither of us got much sleep and probably not the neighbours either. There was to be another expensive trip that morning, featuring a ride on the bullet train. There was no way I would be going on that one either. Depths of despair but, Gabrielle gave me a slap and told me to get a grip so that was all right. As she headed off to see Japan, I huddled over a warm iPad to get her blog post live. At least something positive happened then.

Meanwhile, the cabin steward has tried cheering me up with a towel creation. I’m not sure whether it’s a penguin or Yoda, but it made laugh.

And so here I am, watching the world go by in the channel outside our window. Hoping this will calm down soon and that the infection starts to be defeated. It’s one step forward and two back at the moment. But in positive news, I’ve just racked up eight laps of the deck circuit so I feel virtuous. And very windswept. Osaka is bitterly cold at the moment. Time for a cuppa and maybe another slap. Have to wait until Gabrielle returns then!

And tomorrow’s a sea day so we get to pack and then leave the Silver Nova in Tokyo, bright and early on Thursday morning.

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