We spent a few days out at sea, both before and after the eclipse. On those days, I would wake up before dawn because of the jetlag. Part of me was still on California time, and part on Japanese time, but mostly, I was confused. We tended to go to bed right after dinner, and at 4 am, my eyes would pop open and there was no turning back. It was either toss and turn in bed for a few hours, or find something to do. A few mornings, I waiting for the light to come creeping into the window around 5:00 am, got dressed, and went up to the top deck to look and photograph the clouds and sunrise.
I wasn't alone in this odd schedule. Usually, there were a few other early birds up on deck, jogging or holding cameras waiting for the light to rise in the sky. Most days, Frank was not far behind me, and the two of us would hang out and enjoy the morning calm, while Alex slept peacefully in the cabin.
Some days, we had nearly complete cloud cover, but the light would dramatically force its way through, showing the ripples on the black sea below.
Some mornings, the blue sky would dominate, but a cloud bank would obscure the rising sun somewhat, creating shades of gold, navy, and pink in the sky. Pacific Ocean clouds are really different from those over land. Frank told me that the early Polynesians could find land based on the size and shapes of the clouds, making them beautiful, and useful, too.
I enjoyed the serenity of these mornings, far away from the usual noise and hubbub of our busy lives. Sometimes, just looking at clouds can be a vacation on its own.
