It seems that crossing the
equator is quite a big deal when you’re on a ship. Custom dictates that anyone
who has never crossed the equator is a pollywog and must face judgment in the
court of King Neptune, complete with Judge, Jury and even Queen Neptuna.
This judgment includes being
“gunged” using food resembling the innards of fish and other sea animals (or
the more kindly process of parading around the deck and kissing a fish). Ed
signed up to be “gunged”; however, there were so many who wanted to be “gunged”
that they drew names of those who would participate in the ‘full works’.
Unfortunately, Ed’s name was not called (that’s typical for us, as holding
winning raffle tickets is not our strong point) and he paraded with the rest of
us, kissing a fish and becoming a full-fledged shellback. And perhaps it was
all for the best as those who were “gunged” had slime and spaghetti and other
messy stuff rubbed in their hair, face, and other places before having to jump
in the pool to complete the process. Note: the pool was drained afterwards,
cleaned and refilled – yuck!
So, yes, this is what you do when
you cross the equator, in the middle of the south Pacific Ocean, without a
single ship or land in sight. All in all, a silly way to pass the afternoon,
and certainly one we will remember.
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