マイガルー

6月30日(土)快晴

現在確認されている世界唯一の白鯨。20歳で全長14mのメスのザトウクジラ。マイガルーとはアボリジニの言葉で「白い友達」。毎年今の時期ケアンズにやってきます。果たして今年は？目撃情報では3日前にグレート・バリア・リーフのヘロン島付近を北上中とか。

白い食い物じゃねえの？

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Migaloo
Sat. June 30 : fine

Migaloo is the only white whale exists in the world. She’s a 20 years old female humpback whale and she is14m long. Migaloo means “white fellow” in Aboriginal language. She comes to Cairns this season every year. How about this year? I heard she was seen swimming up to north near Heron Island in Great Barrier Leaf 3 days ago.

Is that white food？

スター・フルーツ

6月29日(金)快晴

切り口が星型のスターフルーツは5－10ｍの高木に沢山の実をつけます。みずみずしくて見た目はおいしそうですが、ほとんど味がない期待外れの果物とも言えます。強いて言えば繊維質のないセロリー。歯ざわりがとても良いので、野菜サラダやフルーツサラダに加えてもいいし、アイスクリームやケーキなど甘いものと一緒に食べると美味。多分病みつきにはならないでしょう。

星占い

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Star fruit
Fri. June : fine
The cut ends of star fruits are star shaped. The trees are 5-10m high and bear a lot of fruits. Although they seem to be fresh and juicy it is rather tasteless. I would say it is similar to celeries that have no fiber. It’s very crunchy, so it goes well with some vegetable or fruit salad, or you can eat with some sweets such as ice cream or cake. You will probably not be crazy about it, though.

star fotune-telling

パッション・フルーツ

6月28日(木)快晴

つる性の果物で花も実もカラスウリに似ています。和名は花の形からトケイソウ。ケアンズ周辺には栽培農家も多く、1個50円くらいで購入できます。果実を2つに割って、果肉の付着した種をスプーンですくって食べます。甘味と酸味のバランスと、種の喉越しが病みつきになります。果実の表面がシワシワになるまで完熟させると甘味が増します。生命力が強く、僕のアパートの庭にもあちこちに実をつけています。

丸いパッション・フルーツ

割ったパッション・フルーツ

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Passion fruit
Thu. June 28 : fine

It’s the vain and its flower and fruit are very similar to the ones of the trichosanthes cucumeroides. Its’ Japanese name is “clock plant” that is named after its’ flower shape. There are many cultivators in the suburbs of Cairns and it is about 50 in yen each. When you eat it cut the fruit into half and scoop the seeds with the flesh by spoon. The balance of sweetness and sourness is just great, and how you feel when you swallow it will turn you into a regular eating addict. It increases sweetness if you keep it ripe completely until its surface get wrinkled. It’s very strong plant and there are a lot of fruits through the garden of our apartment.

whole passion fruit

cutted passion fruit

コーヒー豆

6月27日(水)曇

ケアンズ周辺はサトウキビとマンゴだけではなく、バナナとコーヒー豆の産地。ケアンズ西の高地のテーブルランドでは極めて高品質のコーヒー豆を産出します。日本では馴染みが薄いかもしれませんが、豪州ワインはフランス産より上質ですし、豪州コーヒーはジャマイカ産より上質です。その理由は農業に適した気候、汚染のない土壌、極度に農薬を排した農業にあります。日本のコーヒーが不味いのは、挽肉同様に不正なブレンドが行われているから？

ジャマイカ

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Coffee beans
Wed. June 27 : cloudy

Cairns suburbs yield not only sugar canes and mangos but also bananas and coffee beans. Table Land, the highland in the west of Cairns yields quite high quality coffee beans. Although they are not popular in Japan Australian wine is better than French one and Australian coffee is also better than Jamaican one. The reason why Australia makes such good products is its proper climate for agriculture, none contaminated soil, and extremely regulated agrochemical farming. Is the reason why Japanese coffee doesn’t taste good because they have unfair blend like minced meat?

Jamaica

気にならない木

6月26日(火)曇

豪州はあちこちに巨木があるので、大きな木を見ても気にも留めません。家から車で30分の距離にあるシュガー・ワールドは、製糖工場の跡地に作られた遊園地。周囲は今もサトウキビ畑。広い園内には沢山の巨木がありますが、中でも形のいいのがこれ。商売気がないのか土日だけオープン、TVでCMも流していません。

シドニーの巨木

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Trees people do not mind
Tue. June 26 : cloudy

There are so many huge trees here and there in Australia that people rarely pay attention to them. Sugar World is the amusement park that was built by redeveloping the old sugar refined factory. It is still surrounded by sugar cane fields. There are a lot of huge trees in its big garden and this is the best one in good shape among them. The owner seems not having strong business instinct, Sugar World opens only Saturdays and Sundays. It doesn’t have any promotion on TV.

huge trees in Sydney

桃色吐息

6月25日(月)曇

豪州のコメツキガニは白砂に穴を掘って棲む5－8mmの小型のスナガニ。両方のはさみで砂を掬い上げて餌を食べ終わると、小さな砂団子を作ります。その動作は素早くて、巣穴の周りはあっという間に砂団子だらけ。砂に書いたラブレターも小一時間で消し去られます。

ワタリガニ

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Strike me pink
Mon. June 25 : cloudy

Soldier crabs are 5-8mm sized sand crab that digs holes in the sand and they live in there. Scooping sand by their claws they eat food in the sand and make small sand dumpling. The motion is so quick that it becomes full of dumplings around its hole in a moment. In an hour the love letter on the sand is erased.

swimming crab

豪州のピンクのイルカ

6月24日(日)快晴

豪州の水族館にもピンクのイルカはいます。淡水イルカではなく、先日と同じく東南アジアの海水イルカです。最近日本人に人気のイルカ結婚式もお勧めです。新郎新婦の前でイルカが何度もジャンプしてくれます。ビーチ結婚式は2人が小船に乗って白砂のビーチに到着。日が落ちて宴もたけなわの頃、沖に花火が打ち上げられます。しかし2人の恋に暗雲が・・・(続く)

カンガルー結婚式

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Pink dolphin in Australia
Sun. June 24 : fine

There are pink dolphins in Australian aquariums, too. They are not pure water dolphins but salt water ones from East South Asia as same as the other day. Recently dolphin wedding has been very popular among Japanese. Dolphins repeat jumping in front of the couple. On the other hand on beach wedding the couple come to the white sand beach by the small boat. Fire works are set off offshore when the party is at its height in the evening. But the dark cloud is approaching to their love….（to be continued）

kangaroo wedding

ススキヶ原

6月23日(土)晴

本日は最高気温が27度、最低気温が18度。今年の冬は寒いのでサトウキビの収穫も遅れています。5m以上に生長したサトウキビはススキそっくりの花を咲かせています。サトウキビ畑には縦横無尽に鉄路が走り、収穫後は製糖工場に運び込まれます。

3ヶ月前のサトウキビ

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A field of pampas grass
Sat. June 23 : fine

Today’s hottest temperature was 27 degrees and lowest, 18. This winter has been so cold that the harvest of sugar canes has been delayed. 4-5m high sugar canes are having flowers like pampas. There are railway tracks running throughout the sugar cane field and all the harvest is carried to the sugar refined factories.

sugar cane field 3 months ago

電熱ヒーター

6月22日(金)晴

シンガポールとケアンズ間は直行便がなく、ダーウィン経由。疲れ果てて帰宅後6時間昼寝の後プールで2000m泳ぎました。蒸し暑いシンガポールと違って、ケアンズは少し肌寒いくらい。本日の最高気温は25度、最低気温は17度。厚着は嫌なので1600円のルームヒーターを購入。写真の水中ゴーグルはシンガポールで1700円でした。

ドッグフード・ヒーター

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Electrical room heater
Fri. June 22 : fine

There’s no direct flight between Singapore and Cairns All the flights are by way of Darwin. I was completely tired after returning home and took a nap for 6 hours, and then swam 2000m in our swimming pool. Unlike hot and humid weather in Singapore Cairns is a little chilly. Today’s highest temperature was 25 degrees and lowest, 17. As I don’t like to wear too many clothes I bought the 1600-in-yen electrical room heater. The swimming goggle I bought in Singapore in the photo was 1700 in yen.

dog food heater

セントーサ島

6月21日（木）晴

聖なる歴史と俗っぽい現代とがごちゃ混ぜになったようなアミューズメント・センター。江ノ島に似ていなくもありません。人工の白砂のビーチの向こうはシンガポール海峡。行き交う船が多過ぎて水平線も見えないくらいです。湘南の海よりこちらの方が汚れは少しひどい。健康のために海は避けてホテルのプールで3日間泳いで、今夜ケアンズ行きの飛行機に乗ります。

マーライオン

マラッカ海峡

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Sentosa Island
Thu. June 21 :fine

The island is the amusement center that is mixed with Singapore’s saint history and its vulgar modernity. I find some similarities to Enoshima Island. You can see the Singapore Strait beyond the artificial white beach. There are so many ships that it is difficult to see the horizontal line. The sea water is dirtier here than the one in Syonan beach. I swam in the swimming pool in the hotel instead of in the sea here for my health for 3 days and I am departing Singapore for Cairns tonight.

marlion

the Strait of Malacca

ピンクのイルカ

6月20日（水）晴

ピンクのトパーズ、ピンクの髪、そして今日はピンクのイルカです。今回の旅行の主要テーマは水族館訪問。セントーサ島にはピンクのイルカが3頭いて、1200円払うとイルカを抱いて写真が撮れます。ケアンズでも1500円でコアラを抱いて写真を撮らせていますからケチはつけたくありませんが、3頭のイルカは灰色でピンクではありません。以前アマゾン川で野生のピンクのイルカ（アマゾン・カワイルカ）を見たことがありますが、もっと赤くて背びれがなかったように思います。

ピンクレディー

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Pink dolphin
Wed. June 20 : fine

After pink topaz and pink hair pink dolphin follows as the topic for today. The main theme of this trip is an aquarium crawling. There are three pink dolphins in Sentosa Island and you can take a photo hugging them, if you pay 1200 in yen. I would not like to complain about it because you can also pay 1500 in yen to take a photo hugging koala in Cairns. However, 3 dolphins were not pink but gray. I have seen some wild pink dolphins in the Amazon River. They were bigger and more red.

pink lady

断髪式

6月19日（火）快晴

僕も前回の航海では髪をピンクに染めていたので偉そうなことは言えませんが、船内生活の指導も僕の任務。ストレート・パーマのDr岡本の断髪式を何とか完了しました。この最後の重責を果たして、今夜シンガポールで下船します。

ベトナムの散髪

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Hair cut ceremony
Tue. June 19 : fine

Although I can’t say strictly as I dyed my hair pink in last cruise, it’s one of my duties to teach our new doctor inboard rules. I have finished with the hair cut ceremony of Dr. Okamoto who has straight-permed hair. Having completed this last significant responsibility I will disembark at Singapore Port tonight.

hair cut in Vietnam

使い捨ての鍼

6月18日（月）曇

アキレス腱断裂から5ヶ月が経過しましたが、右足首にはまだ大きなしこりがあり階段の上り下りが少し不自由です。アママの比嘉ちゃんは按摩の免許のほかに鍼灸の免許も持っています。しこりに何本も鍼を突き立ててもらいました。生まれて初めての鍼体験です。全然痛くはないという触れ込みでしたが、かなり痛かった。灸もとても熱かった。

アママ

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disporsable acupuncture needles
Mon. June 18 : cloudy

It past 5monthes from my Achilles tendon fracture but there’s a quite big lump on my right ankle so I can’t go up and down stairs smoothly. Ms. Higa, the masseuse in the Amama massage shop on our ship has not only the license of massage but also acupuncture and moxibustion. I had her stick needles onto my lump. It’s the first time for me to have an acupuncture and moxibustion. She had said there would be no pain but it was painful and burning hot.

Amama

ピンク・トパーズ

6月17日（日）快晴

ユミは宝石に全く興味がなく、僕がスリランカで買ってあげたルビーも引越しのガレージ・セールで叩き売ったようです。今回はフラマー・リゾート・ホテルの宝石店で45,000,000ドンのピンクのトパーズを購入。と言っても日本円に換算すると3万円。船と同じ名前の宝石だから大事にして欲しいけど・・・。

フラマー・リゾート・ホテル

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Pink topaz
Sun. June 17 : fine

Yumi is not interested in jewels at all. She must have sold the ruby I bought for her in Sri Lanka in garage sale when we moved out. I bought a pink topaz for her in the jewelry shop in Furamar Resort Hotel for 45,000,000 in don. Actually it’s 30,000in yen. I hope she cherish it as its name is the same as our ship.

Furamar Resort Hotel

三病息災

6月16日（土）快晴

船内にはジムがありますが、汗臭いので行くのは厭です。運動不足でアキレス腱断裂の右脚が悪化。左肩甲関節周囲炎（いわゆる五十肩）が再発。持病のテニス肘も疼きます。行きつけのフラマー・リゾート・ホテルで2000m泳ぎました。

船内ジム

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Chronic disease lengthen your life span
Sat. June 16 : fine
There’s an athletic gym on our ship but I never use it as it’s so stinky. My right leg has become worse because of lack of exercise. My left shoulder arthritis has recurred and tennis elbow also started to pain. I went to favorite Flamar Resort Hotel and swam 2000m.

gym inboard