Day 77 Hong Kong

Wednesday, overcast and hazy. The sun almost broke through once. Last night: Finished reading Khaled Hosseini's A Thousand Splendid Suns. The first 90 percent was all pain. The last 10 percent was ok.

The water taxi arrived on time to pick us up. The agent's assistant kept us cooling our heels on the dock for half an hour, before he delivered our passports from Immigration. The assistant did help us change money at a good rate, and suggested where one of the passengers could reload his cell phone minutes. Observed at least 6 street missionaries. Forgot to mention that we saw a young monk in orange in Thailand. Took the funicular up to Victoria Peak. Nice view, but hazy. We could see the ship at anchor on the back side of Hong Kong Island. We ate at the McDonalds on Victoria Peak. There is also a BK up there. So far, every place I have gone ashore has had the big yellow arches. Took the Star Ferry across to Kowloon. Walked to the Kowloon Park and visited the HK Heritage Discovery Center. Walked to the HK Museum of Art. The Chinese Antiquities collections were good. The special exhibition of a current artist, well, ahh, I'm not going to comment.

Ate supper at an Outback Steakhouse. Had a shrimp caesar salad and a good glass of wine. Found a grocery store and got 2 bottles of wine. The slop chest will be closed for almost 3 weeks until the new captain takes over. Took the ferry back to Hong Kong and managed to connect with the agent, clear Immigration, and get a ride back to the ship. Hong Kong has geared up for a big party. Many streets and docks are closed to vehicles. Many skyscrapers on both Hong Kong and Kowloon have animated Christmas and New Years images. Fireworks start soon. Not sure if we will be able to see it from the ship. Happy New Years! We are scheduled to weigh anchor at 02:00.

Day 76 Hong Kong

Tuesday, hazy, rainy, foggy, colder. Temperature was 17 degrees C at 13:00. I wore on a long sleeve shirt for the first time in a month. Last night: Gave myself a haircut. With a single mirror, the back is the hardest, but most of my flip is gone now. Looks ok from the front, and I can't see the back.

Had moderate roll. This morning, the maximum roll indicator showed 10 degrees. Saw more small ships and boats as we neared Hong Kong. 13:15 The ship is going in circles. Either the rudder is broken, or we are waiting for the pilot to arrive. 15:45 Dropped anchor. We are between Hong Kong Island and Lamma Island, closer to the northwest corner of Lamma Island. The ship will not be at dock here. Barges are used for loading and unloading cargo. 17:15 Spoke with the local agent. This was the only agent so far who would admit his identity and actually give us his card. The water taxi will cost us 130 USD, each way. We will split that between us. The taxi will pick us up at 09:00 Wednesday morning. Liberty expires at 22:00. There are supposed to be fireworks tomorrow night.

Day 75 South China Sea

Monday, hazy and overcast. There were intermittent patches of blue sky, and sometimes, the sun lined up with the holes in the clouds. Swells have been minor. The headwind is less than yesterday.

On the way to the focsl today, I climbed up and walked on the hatches part way, because of corrosion control work or dunnage along the way. Saw no birds or fish today. Noticed a small ship going by in the opposite direction. Learned where we will anchor in Hong Kong tomorrow. I have been discussing and reading about possible activities there.

Day 74 South China Sea

Sunday, overcast, changing to partly sunny, then rain and fog when we reach the intersection of warm water and cooler wind. Last night: Enjoyed the last one fourth of the last bottle of merlot, which I had been hoarding since last month. Departed Ho Chi Minh City at 0500 with the outgoing tide.

The channel is through mangrove swamps. Got to the coastal waters about 0800. The chief officer patiently corrects my pronunciation of my 6 Chinese words. At 1100 I see an oil platform. The headwind is strong. Coming in from the pilot deck, I use one hand to keep my sun glasses from blowing away, and have difficulty pulling the door open with my other hand. Midday, during a break in the rain, I walked to the focsl. The air temperature is still comfortable for Bermuda shorts, but is cooler each day we move north. A sea eagle soars beside the front of the ship for a long time, diving into the water when it eyes food. Its recovery is fast and it is back in the air quickly after each catch. It is black with a white underside, and its body is sleek and streamlined.

At 1430, I saw the Gerd Maersk, probably still the largest container ship in the world, at 367 m long, 42 m wide, 25 knots. That is about the length of an aircraft carrier, but not as fast. My first ballpoint pen ran dry today. This evening, we are in the open ocean and experiencing a little more roll. There is another time zone change tonight. We will be 14 hours ahead of cst again, for the next 3 weeks, until we leave China.

Day 73 Ho Chi Minh City

Saturday, overcast and sprinkles, with a brief period of sun during midday. Last night, we watched the dock activity and the surroundings from the pilot deck. Here, as in some other Asian ports, the outboard motor from the man-overboard boat is removed and stored inside. Safety rules vary widely by port for dock workers. Life vests and hard hats are not required here, and sandals are common. The latest plan is to sail at 0500 Sunday, so we are no longer a day ahead of schedule, and we could have spent the day in the city.

The passenger lounge is open to us most of the time now. It contains 2 wall shelves for books, a floor cabinet with 2 shelves of books, and two other closed cabinets with magazines, puzzles, and limited tourist information. About a month ago, I neatened up the books. I have not sorted them by author, but that could happen on the Pacific crossing. Today, I sorted the contents of the closed cabinets, tossing some newspapers from 2007, and dividing the magazines from the puzzles and the tourist information. I found and read several freighter industry magazines, and 4 NewYorkers. Also took several pictures of ship and port activities. One of the things I learned today is that Babylonian astronomers determined that there are 235 lunar months in 19 years. Time for a movie!

Day 72 South China Sea

Friday, overcast turning to rain. The temperature is cooler now. Last night: I watched a documentary on Van Cliburn. There were many fishing boats in the area with bright light arrays, to attract fish. We had one short period of moderate roll, but the night was mostly smooth. Over the last several weeks, sometimes the ship's movement is like a continuous earthquake, sometimes it is like a galloping horse, and sometimes it is like a cradle or a hammock.

We left the South China Sea this afternoon, at 1400, moving through narrow tidal channels for 3 hours, arriving at the dock in Ho Chi Minh City at 1730. There are many old wooden fishing boats, many tied up near the shore. We saw 2 high speed transports, which pass close in front of the ship. They appear to be hovercraft. The local pilot blew the ship's horn many times because of boats too close or blind turns. I'm glad I was back from the focsl when the honking started, because the horn is up there, and it is LOUD. The ship is tied up near a new suspension bridge, which is under construction, and about half complete. It is dark already, but I see many large logs on the dock.

Three of us needed visas, at 75 USD each. The schedule is being advanced, and liberty will expire at 0930 tomorrow morning. All three of us decide not to get a visa for $75 on a rainy night. At home, we use some Kashi brand products, toaster waffles, cereals, snack bars. I'm trying to learn a few Chinese words and also am looking at my Japanese guide. I learned that kashi is a Japanese word that means 'little confection'. This is another passenger's blog: gklucsarits.blogspot.com Correction: Yesterday, we were in the Gulf of Thailand.

Day 71 South China Sea

Christmas Day Thursday, overcast. Last evening, we gathered in another passenger's cabin and enjoyed traditional German Christmas cake-cookies with hot tea and good conversation. At 9 am, I called home and talked with family and friends. It was 8 pm Chistmas Eve at home, and the party was in full swing.

Watched a Michael Palin DVD on freighter travel. BBC 1988. He reenacted Around the World in 80 Days. While the ship was a container ship, the physical movement of the ship at sea was representative. At noon, we had a Christmas feast in the crew's mess. Chef Roger did a magnificent job, serving up roast turkey and piglet, to name just a few of the items. Of course, there were liquid refreshments, followed by karaoke. Watched until 4:30 pm. I'm too full to think about supper. There are many small fishing boats around with bright lights, perhaps to attract fish.

Day 70 Laem Chabang, Thailand

Christmas Eve. Wednesday, sunny and pleasant most of the day, with clouds later. This has been a quiet day on the ship for me. The planned schedule is to weigh anchor at 2100. Still don't have an updated schedule after that. My Nikon chewed up and spit out its second set of batteries. Replaced the batteries, and uploaded the pictures today. Tomorrow, after the crew has recovered from the intense activities of unloading and loading, the holiday activities begin.

At the shopping mall last night, I bought 400 grams of unsalted cashews and a bottle of cabernet. Both are quite good. The grapes came from South Africa, but the wine was bottled in Thailand. By careful daily portion management, I got Ann's phenominal trail mix to last this long. I dumped the remains on my desk and sorted it into 2 piles, old cashew crumbs, and almonds and dried cherry pieces. I ate the few old cashew crumbs and put the remaining almonds and dried cherries in with the new cashews. Should last until I get home. Alecia, I have a picture of that store you like from Singapore.

Summary: Indonesia, Singapore, and Thailand all have driving on the OTHER side of the road. Comfort level and cleanliness were very high in Singapore. Thailand has made good improvements. Thailand has kind and peaceful people. The crew tells me that Indonesia gets very high marks in other areas. Another tropical sunset. Well, we couldn't actually see the sun, but the bottom of the cloud ceiling was a striking orange and pink. The attached picture is of myself (on the left) and the other passengers; George, Hubert (with the beard), and Dieter in an ancient Siam park. Merry Christmas, everyone!

Day 69 Laem Chabang, Thailand

Tuesday, sunny and nice. Tied up at 6 am this morning. Met with the local agent after breakfast. We had to sign a lot of documents here. The agent drove us into Bangkok, about an 80 mile trip each way, and stayed with us the whole day. We visited the Ancient Siam heritage park, full of many old shrines and pagodas. The park is laid out like the country, with 116 points of interest. Later, we saw the gold reclining Buddha. It is very large. Seems like a block long. Thailand is 95% Buddhist, so there are many temples and shrines throughout the country. We got a quick look at the old cannon museum, in front of the Ministry of Defense building. Drove by it twice. If you have seen the James Bond movie, The Man with the Golden Gun, you know about the klong boats, shaped like a large canoe. The propulsion is provided by a truck engine on a swivel, attached to a 12 foot shaft, with a weed-wacker propeller on the end. Yes, of course, we had a ride through the klongs. I didn't get to steer, though. Oh well, they won't let us steer the ship either. A klong vendor even tried to sell us a carved elephant, or a variety of other things. Was offered a Thai kick-boxing demo, but we declined.

Dinner was provided by the beautiful and generous Ai. Some of us had Singha beer and we all shared shabu-shabu, a Japanese communal meal. Ate with chop sticks! Stopped at a shopping center on the way back to the ship to spend our last baht. Ended up with 3 Thai coins. We were back to the ship by 2130. Text on signs is often written in beautiful script with small holes in the end of strokes, which makes the words look like the copper traces on pc boards. I saw birds today, for the first time in days. Saw one when I first looked out my window. Later, I saw white birds that looked like egrets. Saw a few dogs around. Saw one cat.

Day 68 Gulf of Thailand

Monday, some clouds early, but mostly sunny. As we travel north, the temperature has dropped a little, but is still tee-shirt and sun screen weather. Last night was clear when I phoned home. Saw Orion and many others. Saw the big dipper in the early morning hours, but Polaris was obscured by low clouds. We had drill mid-morning, to the muster station, and then to the escape pod.

On the focsl after lunch, I saw some flying fish. Still no birds. Sometimes there is floating refuse in the water. At 1400, I saw a rain squall approaching, and barely made it back to the accommodation structure without getting wet. The squall was over and the sun was back in 20 minutes. There are small fishing boats out here. At supper, the Christmas trees have been put up and decorated in the dinning rooms. The ship has crossed the South China Sea and has entered the Gulf of Thailand. Expected arrival in Thailand is early morning.

Day 67 Singapore Strait to Gulf of Thailand

Sunday, early light haze, sunny all day, another perfect tropical day at sea. Cargo loading continued into the early morning hours. The cranes are secured and locked for sea. We depart Singapore and are underway at 0800. We pass the original area of Singapore, now filled with tall, modern buildings. Except for the haze, it is a postcard picture. Later we pass a large anchorage of ships waiting for clearance to enter the port. There are many small fishing boats in the ship channel, with one or two people, and oars or a sail. For the first half of the day, while the water is shallow, the water color is that beautiful light blue. It changes to darker blue later in the day as the water gets deeper and the sun gets lower in the sky. It is nice to be back on the focsl after lunch.

I listen to Stephen Lynch and laugh out loud. Learned a few new songs to sing at the next neighborhood party. I still notice no birds or fish here. A white 5 gallon pail floats past. I am reading my China book and considering options. Tonight, the time retards an hour, so we will be back to only 13 hours ahead of CST for a week, before it starts advancing again. The itinerary has some more tentative changes. South America and Galveston are out. Freeport, TX is in. ETA in Houston is now 2/18/09.

Day 66 Singapore

Saturday, comfortably hot, humid, and mostly sunny. It has been a quiet day in port. Met the new American passenger at breakfast. He is the youngest passenger, at 47. He does SAP related work in Singapore, is doing the whole trip, and is fluent in German. Three of us walked around the dock area this morning, watching heavy objects being loaded and unloaded. Liberty expired at 1600. Cargo is still being loaded. The ship may leave tonight. Have been reading my new China book and also reviewing kanji characters.

Day 65 Singapore

Friday, hazy early, hot, humid, sunny midhalf, showers at 1600. Last night: It is clear at 2100, before the moon rise. Stars are great! Faithful Orion and many others are visible for the first time in days. Still smooth.

Hot to trot, we cool our heels from 0900 to 1000, waiting for the clearance process. We walk to the gate, walk out to Julon Buroh street, and flag down a taxi. This is about a 1 mile walk. The driver accepts USD without a problem. We go to the shopping area on Orchard Road, about 12USD by taxi. Singapore is clean and safe and comfortable, so different from some other places in Asia. There is a strong emphasis here on education and tolerance. We find a book store, with perhaps the largest English book selection in Asia. LARGE. I buy a Lonely Planet book on China, probably the first purchase that I will bring home. Used plastic. We have lunch at a place called Coffee Club. I have a Caesar Salad and a Java Arabica coffee. I think I am the only person on the ship who drinks coffee black, without sugar. After that, we walk toward the older part of Singapore. Walked until we were tired and hot, and almost by coincidence arrived at one of the 2 museums on my list, Singapore National Museum, a historical museum. It was very good. We get in for the senior rate, 5 SD, which includes an audio device. This is the first museum in my life where such a device was free. Afterwards, we take the outside escalator up the hill to the old fort, and walked around the reservoir to the Raffles wharf area, where we catch a taxi back to the ship. After the taxi, we have 1.50 SD left between us. Security is tight. Our taxi driver has never been allowed inside the port area before.

A side note: One of my traveling companions traveled across the Sahara in a VW bus, carrying 200 liters of gas, 200 liters of water, and 6 pieces of plywood for the sand. We hear that the 4th passenger, an American, is aboard, but we have not met him yet. My Volkswagen-and-ski-crash hip is sore from all the walking, and I will self-medicate tonight.

Day 64 Java Sea Northbound

Thursday, low haze early, sunny and blue sky all day. Last night, I saw lightning, but the roll and vibration was minor and the sailing was relatively smooth. Finished a Ludlum novel. It was another great day in the tropics. The waters we are crossing are shallow. There is only 15 meters clearance in some areas. If the ship were sitting on the bottom, my deck would still be above the water. Because the water is relatively shallow, the color is that wonderful aqua-green of tropical island resorts, with a few darker patches.

There is some headwind. I spent an hour on the focsl, but no time on the Pilot Deck, because of the wind. Finished listening to Ron White. Started reading a book on kanji characters, and A Thousand Splendid Suns. We will be back in the Northern Hemisphere early in the morning, when we reach Singapore. FLASH! This just in: Hong Kong is back in the schedule. Korea is out. There are still 2 ports in Japan, but now they are Nagoya and Nagasaki.

Day 63 Jakarta

Wednesday, overcast early, hot and sunny midday, 1600 dark with thunder and showers. Last night I got a picture of another great tropical sunset. Sleeping in port seems kind of boring now. The steward had to get a tooth pulled. The exchange rate here is about 11,000 Rupiah to 1 USD. We went into the city midmorning, with one of the 3 cadets. He wanted to buy some work clothing. Instead of a taxi, we rode as passengers on motorcycles. I have few pictures here, because I was concentrating on hanging on, and making sure my knees didn't collide with truck body parts. Like many local transportation providers, mine tried to renegotiate the agreed on price, when we returned to the port gate, unsuccessfully.

Saw 2 McDonalds and a KFC. I had hoped to acquire local coffee beans and local dark chocolate. Milk chocolate is apparently more popular here. Had to settle for Tablerone Swiss dark chocolate. It was just in time, because I had the last square of Belgian chocolate tonight.

The air was ripe with allergens before the late afternoon rain washed them out. The rain brought a total stop to the cement loading on the next ship, which is painted pink on its lower surfaces. At sunset, while the sun was obscured by clouds, the bottom of the cloud ceiling looked like it was on fire for a long time. Our stay here is brief. We depart shortly after 7 pm, to the north through the Java Sea, between Sumatra and Borneo, enroute to Singapore. Going out past the breakwater is going to be a traffic jamb. I'm not even going to look. Amazingly, our time advances another hour tonight, so we will be 14 hours ahead of CST. The number of hours will keep increasing until we cross the international dateline in early February 2009, when it will be 18 ahead of CST, and then flip to 6 hours behind CST.

Day 62 Jakarta, Indonesia!

Tuesday, overcast with the sun peeking through. Smooth sailing last night and today. We are more than halfway in terms of longitude and clock hour, but a little less than halfway in terms of calendar days. Last night I finished watching Castaway. With a few exceptions, I am only up to C on the movies, so I think the movies will last. I did watch all 5 of the James Bond movies on the ipod, regardless of their position in the alphabet, and maybe a few others.

LAND HO! Saw the first land in days at 0830. It was the remains of Krakatoa. A few parts of the crater still stick through the water. A smaller island in the center still vents steam, and is growing. Our passage was obviously on the south side of Sumatra, not through the more dangerous Straight of Malacca. Saw the first ships in days. I had planned to spend only a half hour on the focsl today, so I didn't put on sun screen. Probably should have. Still am not seeing birds or fish. At 1000, we enter the channel between Sumatra and Java. A fishing boat follows us for an hour. In the afternoon, there are many small islands, and many small fishing boats. I see vegetable material floating in the water, plant leaves and pieces of wood. After passing an island with a lighthouse, we circle and wait among many interesting ships, until a local pilot boards. Saw a dredge go by with a large garden on the aft deck. Tall buildings and harbor cranes from Jakarta are visible in the haze. The pilot guides us through the local traffic and the breakwater to our berth. It reminds me of the trip from the Boston airport through the old tunnel into Boston. If you looked to either side, you lost.

Late afternoon, Immigration boards, and I am invited to pay $25 for a visa. A vendor of the local agent offers us a city tour tomorrow for $50 per person. We decline. We will take a taxi for $10 total, each way, to downtown Jakarta. The crew begins to unload cargo here, but will load very little or none. There is a large cement plant here, and the next ship is being loaded with pallet loads of bags of cement. There is a cattle ship futher down the dock, with 4 decks of live cattle. Made me think of a cruise ship. Really! I will keep my window closed tonight. I wonder if they recover the methane to propel the ship.

With the present schedule, including Houston, I count 17 ports for the trip. We are scheduled to leave Japan to begin our crossing of the Pacific near the end of January. Almost a month later, we arrive back at Houston, my starting point.

For my niece LW, Ta Ta for now!

Day 61 Indian Ocean South of Sumatra

Monday, another overcast day. Started with a little sun and blue sky. Mild roll and headwind at noon. Last night I actually saw 2 stars peeking through the thinning clouds. The roll has been mild. Started watching Castaway last night, another good movie to enjoy at sea. Listened to comedian Ron White on the focsl today.

Still no birds and no fish. We are ahead of schedule and expect to reach Jakarta in another 24 hours or so. I have a list prepared to resupply my snack drawer. Ate the last mini salted nut roll today. I need to eat more often when I take malaria pills.

Day 60 Indian Ocean Southern Hemisphere

Sunday, overcast, foggy, and rainy. At noon, I stood for a few minutes on the Pilot Deck, under the overhand, watching the rain water slosh back and forth on the deck as the ship rolled. I have full rain gear, but decided not to make the trip to the focsl today. Some of the crew was apprehensive about crossing the Indian Ocean, based on their previous rough crossing in late summer. While we aren't across yet, the water has been fairly the smooth, and much easier than the North Atlantic and the North Sea.

My communication link has been behaving. I had originally shortened the two cables to keep then neat, with a bread bag twister on one and a rubber band on the other. I think one was being crimped. I dont even stow them now, just leave them out straight. I also dont try to transmit from 4 pm until dark. Have only had one problem with a large file.

On my trips to Japan, I had accumulated many complimentary tissue packs. When my cabin tissue box ran out, I decided to use them up, so I won't be hauling them home. We have another time zone change tonight, so tomorrow we will be on Jakarta time, 13 hours ahead of CST. I have included a picture of Chef Roger carving the roast piglet from our feast last night.

Day 59 Indian Ocean - Southern Hemisphere

Saturday, overcast, light rain early, mild roll today. Overnight we crossed the Equator. Had an easy night, with only mild roll. This morning, we had drills. For passengers, that meant 3 decks down to the muster station, then 2 decks back up and get strapped into the escape pod-life boat. Here in warmer waters, I only bring my hard hat and life vest, not the immersion suit.

The sun peeked out once today, that I noticed. I was on the focsl at the time, and got to see that magnificent blue water color again. Saw no birds and no fish today. Heard a new noise. The water was turned on in the anchor chain tubes, to flush out the mud. I have not applied sunscreen to my legs, and they are not red, but they feel like they are burned sometimes The night skies have not been clear for a while, but I don't think it is possible to see Polaris, the North Star, anymore. As we have traveled farther south, I discovered that my star guide is only for the northern hemisphere Doesn't matter much, because our time south of the Equator is less than a week. It is time to start taking malaria medication. We had roast piglet at the barbeque party tonight, in the Blue Bar on the Pilot Deck I had more than 1900 calories today. There was karaoke, but I had to leave. I notice the pool has been refilled, possibly for Equator rites later tonight?

Day 58 Indian Ocean

Friday, rain and foggy early, overcast all day. Rain at 6 pm, with increasing roll. Last night: Roll was mild. Even though it was cloudy, we are closs to full moon. I took pictures in the early morning hours when the moon peeked through, reflecting on the ocean. Because of the subdued light and roll of the ship, I got 'blur' warnings from my camera. We are south of India, and east of the Maldives. I have not seen another ship today. I am surprised to see all the small island groups on the navigation chart for the Indian Ocean. We continue southeast, crossing another time zone every 2 or 3 days. We cross another tonight. Tomorrow, we will be 12 hours ahead of home time, CST.

There are few flying fish today. Perhaps, like humans, they prefer sunny days, or perhaps they have already advanced up the food chain. It is warm on the focsl today, even with the overcast. The cooling breeze is very light. I listen to my play list, singing and dancing to a few songs, like "Sweet Home Alabama" and "Born to be Wild", until another passenger appears.

Another passenger revised his meal portion instructions today: half size at breakfast, half size at lunch, and half size at supper, but full size for ice cream. My diet is not too different, except I skip many deserts and often a course from each meal, but I add another 100 or 200 calories of red wine most days. I estimate my total is around 1900 calories per day. I still need my belt. Life on a freighter is a vertical experience. The laundry is down 1 deck. The bridge is up 2 flights. At meal time, 3 times a day we go down 3 flights. To travel to the focsl, counting two trips to the bridge to check out and check back in, the total is 10 flights down and up. I think everyone on the ship develops 'calves of steel'.

Day 57 Indian Ocean

Thursday, foggy early, mostly blue sky through most of the day. Water temp is warm. It is hot in the sun at midday. Very little wind. Cold at home, but -63C in Siberia. Last night was smooth and uneventful. We had another time zone change, and are now 11 hours ahead of home. Wrote another short story this morning.

One of the crewman asked why anyone would pay this much money to live on a freighter. I explained, "Its just another day in paradise." I guess it makes a big difference if you don't have to do it. Scored a triple this afternoon. Probably won't be able to do this in the North Pacific, in February. Spent nearly 2 hours on the focsl, all on the raised platform. The pool was refilled this morning, so I used it when I came back from the focsl. After I showered, I dragged out a deck chair on the Pilot Deck.

Saw a rainbow and distant showers to the port side. I like the focsl because it is close to the water, and right out in front. Saw no birds today. For the first time this voyage, I saw or noticed flying fish. They looked like dragon flies. They were so small I didn't recognize them as flying fish at first. Finally saw one 4 inches long. What I remember from the Navy were fish the size that lake perch used to be when I was a kid. Back then, a misguided fish would occasionally fling itself onto the hangar deck. That's hangar deck, not flight deck.

Today the water in front of me was a rare cobalt blue, with lighter streaks from the penetrating sunlight. Perhaps it is because of the higher angle of the sun. I came back from the focsl on the port side, passing through the base of two of the cranes. One structure was being cleaned and prepared for painting. Had to wait for a break in the falling paint chips and soapy degreaser dripping down. Later, I stopped for falling sparks from welding. I'm going to start wearing my hard hat on deck, like I'm probably supposed to. Thankfully, this is way different from a cruise ship. There are 3000 less people, and no lines! Between the focsl and the Pilot Deck, I finished listening to "The Man Who Loved China", interesting non-fiction about a British scholar, Joseph Needham. The ipod is recharging now. I want to watch the last half of "Calendar Girls" tonight. We should pass through the Maldives early tomorrow.

Day 56 Indian Ocean

Wednesday, another beautiful day on tropical waters. Had salt spray on both windows this morning. Early visibility was down to about 5 miles due to low fog. Clear higher up, changing to towering cumulo-nimbus with sun peeking through later. Last night: Moderate roll.

My communication link to this BLOG failed yesterday. After a phone call to the satellite phone support number, I was able to temporarily resolve the problem. If the link fails again, there may be gaps, and postings may become shorter. Plan B involves voice mail and more work for my support team. Testing today went well, and perhaps the hardware will behave. Also had some other unplanned events last evening.

Stowed the winter blanket from my bed this morning. Sea water temp is 28C here. The pool is empty. I hear it will be refilled before the upcoming 'Equator Crossing Event'. Our course crosses the Maldives. We get these extraordinary pastries some days. Got my daily fix of the focsl today after lunch. Almost always have it to myself. I put on plenty of sun screen, even though there was little direct sun. There was moderate roll, but no whitecaps. Saw no fish or birds today. Yesterday, there were small black sea birds. If I did this again, I would bring a sea bird guide. Only have 2 days left of the book on ipod. A crewman related an experience on another ship. A stowaway was detected. Any crew is usually able to detect a stowaway within a day, and the method is interesting.

Day 55 Indian Ocean

Tuesday, sunny and smooth morning, rougher and overcast afternoon. Last night: Supper was Chicken Cordon Bleu. The sun setting through the haze was a striking red. Finished watching Caddy Shack. Had mild roll overnight. There was another time zone change, so we are 10 hours ahead of home now.

We are clear of Somalia, so the security protochol is back to normal today. I spent 2 hours on the focsl after lunch, listening to the book on ipod. If the raised platform I favor is too windy, I sit on a hatch counterweight just behind the raised part. Wore only a tee shirt and Bermudas, so I slathered on the sunscreen. Corrosion maintenance continues. Sounded like a dentist's office this morning. On my walk to the focsl on the dry starboard side, I see a lot of paint chips on the deck. By now, the decks will be swept clean and the bare spots will be primed. I returned on the wet port side, where waves occasionally splash onto upper main deck. There is no grinding or painting there today.

Need to start my shopping list for Jakarta: more sun screen, more cabin snacks. Also need to start studying another phrase book. I received the latest schedule by email. I'm told it can be found on the Rickmers website. It is subject to revision weekly. The schedule on my main website is quite incorrect now. The end date is almost a month off, and we will not visit Kuwait or Hong Kong. The new schedule includes a stop in Venezuela on 2/18/09, with arrival in Houston 2/27/09. Might not be home until 3/5/09. Late this afternoon as we get further into the Indian Ocean, we are starting to get a little more roll. Might be putting everything away tonight.

Day 54 Indian Ocean

Monday, sunny and smooth. Pizza and fried noodles last night for Sunday night supper! Saw another Navy vessel this morning. Additional security protochols remain in effect. No visit to the focsl today, maybe tomorrow afternoon. We stay close to the Yemen side, but are too far out to see anything. This route is 26 miles longer than a straight line course, but I notice several other ships take it also. Over the next 9 days we travel east and south. Our travel south will be another 18 degrees of latitude, taking us across the equator to 6 degrees south latitude at Jakarta.

I washed and stowed my winter clothes this morning. Won't need long sleeves for a month, until we reach northern China which, by the way, gets its name from the Chin Dynasty. I loaned my noise cancellation headphones to the doctor for his visit to the engine room this morning. After lunch, I swim. The pool has been newly refilled. I like the salt water pool. It is deep, but not a lap pool. To swim each side is a scissor kick and one stroke. It is pleasant drying in the midday sun and breeze. I am stretched out in a plastic chair with my feet resting on my heels and my toes pointed up. I notice my toes are vibrating. Also the surface of the pool has an interesting and unusual stationary wave pattern of points. After a few weeks on the ship, the background noises and movements hardly register. It occurs to me that one could jump into the pool from 1, 2, 3, or 4 decks up, but Im not in college anymore, and I dont want to be confined to my cabin for the duration. The afternoon would not be complete without some time in a deck chair on the Pilot Deck.

Day 53 Indian Ocean

Sunday, same hazy, sunny, hazy. Moderate head wind today. Rougher seas and white caps. 0845 Small rocky islands, both sides. Saw a few ships. 1230 More small rocky islands. I can see land on both sides as we cross from the Red Sea into the Indian Ocean. On the raised platform at the foremost part of the focsl, the wind is whipping my jacket. The combination of the air the ship is passing through and the headwind feels like 40 mph or more. I raise my arms and stand on one foot in the karate crane position. Have to lean forward into the wind. Even with the wind, it is not difficult. The rolling of the sea has strengthened my ankles. Sea legs, I guess.

Going to finish reading Plum Wine by Davis-Gardner today. My traveling companions to southern Japan might appreciate this novel. Special additional security protocols are now in effect. I would like to thank the US Navy for their presence in the area. I guess my tax dollars are working for me!

Hello back to Monte.

Day 52 Red Sea

Saturday, hazy turning to sunny, then back to hazy. Decks were wet this morning, either from a shower or condensation. It is more humid now. I keep the side curtain closed during the hot part of the day now, to help keep my cabin from heating up. When I woke this morning, my mouth was watering for a slider and a senior coffee at Blake Rd & Hwy 7. Had my weekend breakfast this birthday morning. Almost made it through the day without anyone finding out. I think another person has their birthday today also. There was some minor celebration. Free soft drinks and beer at supper.

Early afternoon on the focsl, it was quite warm. Very smooth sailing today. It was another great day at sea. The swells appear to be less than 4 ft, but are complex, coming from more than 1 direction. Listened to the book on ipod some more. When I came back to the accomodation structure, I dragged out the deck chair on the Pilot Deck and listened some more. Yesterday and today on the focsl, I noticed that the wind and air moving through the railing has a sound much like the wind through the branches 'up north' at home.

At supper time, the pool is almost full. Crew members are very happy and waiting. I will take a dip tomorrow, before or after breakfast. As I thought, it is salt water. Finished reading 'Wreck of the Medusa'. According to French doctor Alain Bombard, if you are shipwrecked in tropical waters, it is ok to drink up to 1-1/2 pints of sea water the first 5 days, if you catch and eat fish after that. Fishes' bodies contain fresh water. The limited amount of sea water helps maintain electrolytes.

Day 51 Red Sea

Friday, blue sky and sunny until near sunset, then hazy. Winds and roll midday. This was another perfect freighter day, and no more sand! Stars were good last night. I only noticed 3 other ships all day. This morning, a ship was aft, but gradually fell behind. Early afternoon we met a ship traveling in the opposite direction. Late afternoon, we passed a ship moving in the same direction. This ship moves right along. Course is SSE through the Red Sea. Over today and the next 2 days, we will move south 18 degrees of latitude. That means longer and warmer days. During that time, the vast deserts of Saudi Arabia are on the port side. On the starboard side, it is Egypt today, the Sudan tomorrow, and Somalia the next day. The sea is wide enough here that we only see water.

This afternoon, I wore Bermuda shorts and a tee shirt. On my trek to the focsl, I also wore a wind shell. I think the focsl is my favorite place on the ship. The 'Suez spotlight' has been removed. The 2nd mate told us sharks were plentiful in these waters, because of the temperature. A disturbance in the water on the port side ahead caught my eye. I watched more closely. It happened again, closer. As I watched, a group of sharks swam across in front of the ship from port to starboard. Then another. These were not large sharks, less than 4 feet. I think I would not swim here because of the number.

One of my German friends came up behind me on the focsl. I did not notice. I thought I heard a song bird. I was listening to a book on the ipod at the time. I looked to the starboard. Heard it again and looked to port. The third time, I turned all the way around and saw him. He had been whistling bird sounds. He was laughing. He learns more English each day, and I learn more Deutsch. Today, I paid my November slop chest charge of $70.

The pool awning has been removed. There was cleaning, scraping, grinding and priming work going on all day. That suggests we will have water in the pool soon. I'm guessing salt water, but fresh water seems to be plentiful. I brought my suit! My dark chocolate inventory is down to 12 squares or 12 days. Should be enough to last until Jakarta. I think the rest of the goodies from home will be gone by then, so one of my objectives in Jakarta is to get some cabin snacks. We will have another time zone change tonight, and will be 9 hours ahead of home.

Day 50 Suez Canal

Thursday, clear and sunny, hazy in the distance. I think I am finished with long sleeve shirts until we reach China. Had corn flakes today. Walked to the focsl after breakfast. Mid-afternoon, I hauled out a deck chair for a while. There is a real lot of sand here, with mountains in the background. Here's what happens: At the designated time, ships head in from both ends and meet in the middle, in Bitter Lake. A lottery determines a ship's position in line. For the most part, the canal is only wide enough for one ship. Ships travel at 12 knots, about 1 mile apart, to allow space to stop. There are no locks. Our ship weighed anchor in Poat Said at 0100 this morning, and passed through the first half of the canal. Stopped at 0800 and waited until 1500. Passed through the second half, arriving in the Suez Gulf at 1900. On the second part, our position was 20 of 23. The passage requires 3 pilots. The Egyptian flag is flown during the passage. This is referred to as Marlboro Country, because the pilots ask for Marlboros.

Day 49 Port Said, Egypt

Wednesday, today was a fine day, sunny, clear, and warmer. The sky is still clear and starry this evening. This was our last day on the Mediterranean Sea. We arrived in Port Said after 1800. Because of timing, we will not dock or go ashore here. Later, we will join a convoy and begin the passage through the Suez Canal. There is a lake part way through the canal. A super bright spotlight has been mounted where I like to stand on the focsl. This is required for canal passage, so the bridge can see the ship in front, or anything else. The inner bulb consumes some incredible amount of watts, and requires a compressed air line for cooling.

I spent an hour and a half on the focsl today after lunch, listening to a 'book on ipod', The Man Who Loved China, non-fiction about Needham. I washed my windows this morning. The ship's limited supply of merlot is gone. I tried the Crane Lake cabernet, a California wine. It is harsh, but worked fine for cleaning glass. My opinion. I'm sure the same could be said about 2 buck chuck.

Day 48 Mediterranean Sea

Tuesday, overcast, sunny midday, turning to haze. We are still north of Libya at the 0800 position fixing. Will be above Egypt soon. ETA at Port Said is tomorrow. Arrival time is assigned, and speed is adjusted to arrive at the assigned time.

I did 2 loads of laundry this morning, and have clean socks and tee-shirts for another 10 days. After lunch, I walked to the focsl and read for an hour. The sounds of the wind and the waves are relaxing and comforting to me. I enjoy sitting at the very front of the ship, especially when the sun is shinning. The wind is still strong from the starboard fore quarter, but the seas are not very rough, and there are few whitecaps. I see only one other ship, far ahead. There are more dry spots on the deck today, and the battle against rust has resumed with chipping and grinding and painting.

I am reading The Wreck of the Medusa, an unflattering true story of the 1816 French Navy. I can only read a page or two of this book before I have to put it down for a while. It was one of a collection of books left to me by the previous Electrician. I started a novel last night, the first fiction I have read in a while.

Day 47 Mediterranean Sea

Monday, Slop Chest day. Overcast, partly cloudy in the afternoon. The early evening moon is just a sliver. The 2 evening stars are planets, Venus and Jupiter. Sometimes you can see 1-4 of Jupiter's largest moons with only binoculars. Woke at 0100. Lights to the south. Moderate roll. It was another starry night. I could tell the approximate time by the position of the stars.

Had my first daytime nap of the voyage this morning. I was drowsy and lay down on the couch, watching the reflection of the sea going by on the overhead light panel. Next thing I knew, a half hour had disappeared. Felt great, and it was time to eat again! It is warmer. I walked to the focsl after lunch and read for an hour. I was comfortable with a tee shirt and windshell. Walked on the port side to and from because the starboard side was quite wet. The swells are coming from the starboard fore quarter and splashing on deck.

We steamed through the Malta straight earlier. The sea bottom rises to 92 meters there. We are north of Libya now. Finished reading COLLAPSE, How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed, by Jared Diamond. Finished watching The Bucket List last night. Working on the new list for next year. It is 1830 and dark. Outside lights are out, so no other ships are nearby.

Day 46 Mediterranean Sea

Sunday, started overcast. Afternoon was hazy low, clear and sunny high. For the last 2 days, the swells have been from the aft about the same speed as the ship. The ride has been smooth. At the Barbeque Event last evening, there was chicken, brats, fried rice, German chocolate cake, cheese cake, and many other goodies. There was a screen and karaoke set up, but I refrained. Some of the officers talked about what it was like to be at sea 25 years ago with no email or cell phones. I remember it well. We got mail because people still wrote letters. For the most part, crew members go to the local seamen's club and call or email. Some cell phones work close to the coast. One of the passengers flies a glider, which he owns cooperatively.

Our course has been close to Africa. I woke last night at 0300. The ship was only a few kilometers from the coast of Algeria. I could see many city lights. The sky was clear for a while, and the Moon has not risen. Orion was clear, as well as his hounds, Canis Major with Sirius, and Canis Minor. I found one of the Orion Nebulas, M42. Could see the color of the gas cloud through my binoculars. I know where to look next time for the other Orion Nebula, M78. Castor and Pollux of Gemini were too high in the sky to see from my cabin window, and I didn't want to see them enough to get dressed and go up to the Pilot Deck.

We entered another time zone last night, the Eastern European time zone. We are now 8 hours ahead of home. Walked to the focsl this afternoon. Spent an hour in the sun. Surfaces have a fine coating of salt crystals, which sparkle in the sunlight. Still wore 2 layers over my shirt.

Day 45 Mediterranean Sea

Saturday, overcast. Moderate swells from aft, with many whitecaps. Last evening was partly clear for a while. Like the last time I had a good look at the stars, there was no Moon. I was very glad there is a railing around the Pilot Deck. Saw the following: Cassiopeia, the big W, overhead. The Great Square of Pegasus. The Summer Triangle is still visible, early. Polaris. The Big Dipper is low in the sky and was covered by clouds. I thought I was seeing the Milky Way, but it turned out to be stack gas blowing sideways. Wasn't wearing my glasses.

We passed Gibraltar about 0145 this morning. I saw a string of lights on the African side, in the rain. Heard from others that there was thunder and lightening. The rain again washed the salt from my side window. Our general alarm drill was at 1020 this morning. Light rain. In the following life boat drill, I easily got the harness correctly attached and adjusted. Company policy is that we have the option to bring our life vest or the immersion suit, or both. The buoyant suit is closed cell neoprene, and better for cold water. The life vest is better for warm waters. I forgot to bring my hard hat today.

Thanks to all of you for your interest, but especially to my support team members, who have helped with things like lodging and transportation, cleaning up the transmission issues of my BLOG texts, looking up lyrics to songs or poems, researching terms, to name a few. It would be very difficult without your help! I could not remember the correct author of INVICTUS. I was influenced by the last 2 lines, which I first read as a freshman at the U. I am the master of my fate: I am the captain of my soul. William Ernest Henley, Yesterday, I finished reading Maya Angelou's touching story, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. Usually, I have up to 4 books going at a time, not counting the Sudoku book, or the language books.

Barbeque scheduled for tonight. 1800 on the Pilot Deck. Beer, wine, hamburgers, and other goodies. I have custody of the ships cork screw, and my assigned responsibility is to bring it. I might sing tonight.

Day 44 Atlantic Ocean, last full day

Friday, overcast early, changing to blue skies and sunny. There are some whitecaps. Temperature at midday was 17 deg C, a relief from the last several days. The sailing has been smooth and the roll minimal. We have permission to visit the bridge again. After lunch, I walked to the focsl. Near the front of the upper main deck, before the ladder to the focsl, there was some splash from the swells. In the dry areas, the deck crew's eternal battle against rust and corrosion continues with chipping and painting. Even though I had 2 layers over my shirt, the sun was pleasant. I sat on a small hatch and enjoyed the warmth on my face for half an hour.

I check out with the duty officer when I leave the accomodation structure, and check back in when I return. At 1600 the sun streaming in through the west window makes my cabin toasty. I see 5 other slower ships behind us, headed in the same direction. We are scheduled to pass through Gibraltar in the early morning hours. I predict a drill tomorrow morning, and a party tomorrow evening.

Day 43 Atlantic Ocean

Thursday, HAPPY THANKSGIVING! Tonight, I'll listen to Willie Nelson's rich voice crooning "You are always on my mind", and sip a glass of California merlot. For me, breakfast was pineapple juice, toast, and coffee; lunch was cabbage and chicken soup with a scoop of rice added, and salad, a piece of bread, ice cream with peach parts; supper was pork cutlets, fried potatoes, and vegetables, and a warm bun. There is always more available.

Dawn was like a Japanese painting, with pastel pinks and grays low on the eastern sky. Today was mostly overcast, but smooth sailing. The temperature is still crisp. Haven't stayed outside long. The sea was not like a mirror, but was glassy most of the day. It was an easy day to read. believe we are still over a day away from Gibraltar. My security software and windows software seem to get more agitated each day, because they are unable to update. My laptop battery needs recharging 2 times a day, depending on the specific application, and how much I use it. A charge is good for 2 hours. The ipod needs a charge every 6 or 7 days, depending on music or video. The phone lasts 3 or 4 weeks. Time for the holiday phone call!

Day 42 English Channel to Atlantic Ocean

Wednesday, overcast, became darker mid morning. Red sky at night, sailors delight. Red sky at morning, sailors take warning. - unknown author, The red dawn this morning was spectacular. During the night, we entered the shelter of the English Channel. We had virtually no roll for the latter part of the night. Today continues to be the smoothest ride so far. It was almost like being in port. Even at 1600, the ocean is still fairly smooth. Taking advantage of the easy sailing this morning, we walked to the focsle, all the way to the raised platform at the front most part.

Still chilly. It has been a good day for reading. It is more difficult to read when the sea is rough, but I can still type or do other computer tasks. We need to sail southwest, out and around the Iberian peninsula, Spain and Portugal, and turn east through Gibralter.

Day 41 North Sea, south bound!

Tuesday, partly sunny. The North Sea swells are back, so we have 6 second rolls again, but there have been few whitecaps. I went out on the Pilot Deck to see the sea, and the new cargo that was loaded in Hamburg. The large, most interesting cargo items are usually on top. Didn't stay long because of the biting cold. The final count of new passengers is 2. One is from Cologne, one is from a small town between Nurnberg and Munich. Both are friendly. I shared my discoveries about the laundry. We had no drill this morning, but it is only a matter of time, since there are new passengers, and a few new crew members.

Saw a very large oil platform to the west, early afternoon. Whoa. That was a good one. I can tell I'll be putting everything in drawers soon. On days like this, I have toast and coffee for breakfast, a scoop of rice with 2 ladles of soup over it for lunch, and a heavier supper. Probably a piece of dark chocolate, and a glass or 2 of red wine afterwards. I'm starting to ration my treats from home. From Ann's trail mix, today I will have one cashew, one almond, and one dried cherry. Maybe it is wishfull thinking, but it seems like the temperature is rising and the days are getting longer already.

Day 40 Hamburg

Monday, began overcast, but most of the day was sunny. The people who work outside complained of miserable humid cold in the early hours. I'm told that some emails don't make it through. Also, because of transmission problems, I've dropped most punctuation. Das tut mir leid. Well, not that sorry.

Many things get replenished here at the headquarter port. Got a new pillow and new sheets yesterday. Last night the ships supper was, appropriately, hamburgers in Hamburg. Tonight was my Thanksgiving meal. Had a roasted turkey drumstick with gravy and rice. The newest departure schedule is 0300 Tuesday. Won't stop until the Suez canal, and then Jakarta, around December 17. Sister ship, Shanghai, departed at 1400.

Here's the bow process for the Shanghai, which I could see really well from my cabin. We are really not able to see this happen for our own ship for safety reasons. Tugs show up and push ship against dock. Deck crew and supervising mate arrive on the focsle. Rat guards are removed from lines and stowed. A pilot line is fed to the tug and used to winch, first a medium line, and then the tow line back to the ship. Side mooring lines are singled up. Four bow mooring lines are slacked. Three lines are dropped from the dock and winched into the ship. Final side line and final bow line are dropped and winched into ship. The tug pulled her away, down the channel. The bow thruster was never used.

All day, a crew of 3 has been stripping the corrugated roof from a large wood frame warehouse next to the ship. Red sky at night. Two stars are visible in the southwest, even in the city. Planets perhaps, following the sun over the horizon. Venus and another planet, I think. I stepped outside for a look with the binoculars, but did not stay long because of the cold. Both here and in Antwerp, there are refineries nearby, with large burnoff flames, reminiscent of the scene in Lord of the Rings.

Day 39 Hamburg

Sunday, nice and sunny first half, then overcast. Seagulls are around in port. There were few at sea, and only close to land. I look forward to reading Jonathan Livingston Seagull again when I get home. After listening to the song a few times on the ipod, I decided to try mixing lime and coconut when I get home, and see what the big deal is. Have shared 3 meals with first new passenger. We communicate with some limitations. We both have our respective phrase books. I'm predicting we will be having life boat drill Tuesday morning, the first day back at sea. Made the weekly call home. Makes me think of 'ET phone home'.

Day 38 Hamburg

Saturday, there is more fresh snow on the ground. It was sunny and cold, changing to cloudy about 10 am. Saw a V formation of migrating birds. The sun is back again now. Hamburg is at 53 degrees N latitude, as far north as we will go on this entire voyage. If you have a road atlas, take a look at where 53 degrees crosses Canada, it's about 550 miles straight north of Minneapolis.

The afternoon sun shining through my aft cabin window is pleasant, and seems as least as low as it is at home in December. The leaves are gone here, and the days are shorter. My cabin temperature dropped down to 58 degrees F last night before the heat came on, but has been comfortable since. Reminded me of Minnesota.

The Shanghai has caught up with us again. Cargo activity continues, but is at a calmer pace today. I have not met the first new passenger yet, but will probably meet at dinner. The next 2 are scheduled to join us tomorrow.

Day 37 Hamburg

Friday, snowing and cold. I could have stayed home for this! Changed to mostly sunny and warmer, by mid day. Tied up at the dock at 1830 last night. The captain informed me that I had been cleared by Immigration without restriction. This was so much easier than Antwerp. The Immigration process in Antwerp for a freighter passenger was incredibly expensive (nearly 100 Euros of transit costs for 2 trips to Immigration).

The ship is a bee hive of activity today, with food replenishment underway, as well as cargo operations and other activites. I've been watching what I'm going to be eating for the next month or so, as it is loaded. I have language guides or phrase books for most of the places I will visit. I only have maps and tourist guides for Belgium and Japan. I also have some electronic information and images stored on my laptop. I thought there might be some travel guides in the ship's lounge. The books in the lounge get redistributed in rough weather. After lunch today, I straightened up the books, and found nothing. Fortunately, I am able to email home for more internet tourist information.

Guten Morgen. Wie geht es Ihnen? Tut mir leid. Ich verstehe klein Deutsch. Tomorrow, the first German passenger is scheduled to board. We are scheduled to depart Monday on a fairly long leg.

Day 36 Elbe River

Thursday, visibility 2 miles, foggy. Saw some sea birds. The tops of the whitecaps are blowing off in spray. Last night and this morning weren't too rough, but the swells caused considerable roll. Secured almost everything well before I went to bed, which was a good decision. Heard things crashing in other cabins. I forgot to move the plastic plant to the floor, but that takes care of itself. Square 1 gallon water bottles behave much better than any size round bottle, which will tip and roll back and forth. The swells in the North Sea are typically closer together than in the Atlantic, with high amplitude. In the Atlantic, the rolls were about 8 seconds apart. In the North Sea, they were 6 seconds apart. There is time at night to figure out things like this. From the 6th deck, it is difficult to acurately judge the height of the swells. The shower was challenging this morning. Staying vertical and drying require special care. The tray under the sink mirror has a 1inch metal lip. During the night, everything in the tray fell over, but stayed inside the metal lip.

The ship slowed and took on a pilot at noon. We have entered the Elbe estuary, which is still very wide. The roll has stopped. I can see land on both sides. We should arrive at the Hamburg dock in the early evening. Meal conversations are often interesting. Almost everyone has an opinion about the election. Status of snacks brought from home. Ann's special trail mix; Cashews, almonds, dried cherries: less than a cup. Most of the soynuts. 1pk Whole wheat crackers with fake cheddar cheese. Several pieces of delightful pear candy from Yonezawa. 10 mini salted nut rolls, I think I'm covered until Asia. Other Belgian dark chocolate, 2 bottles of Merlot from the Slop Chest, and 9 gallons of water for coffee, Nescafe instant regular and decaf.

Day 35 Departed Antwerp pm

Wednesday, Mittwoch in Deutsch. The day started with the promise of sun. There was some pink in the east, and pink contrails across some blue sky. Partly cloudy morning changing to cloudy and rainy. The ship was moving at 1430 local time. It is good to be moving again. 6 hours down the Schelde River, 16 hours at sea, 7 hours up the Elbe River to Hamburg. Will toot the horn going by HQ to let the owner know another ship has made it home safely. We left the Shanghai behind at the dock in Antwerp. The variety of seagoing ships and canal boats in the Antwerp harbor seems endless.

Just learned that the count of new German passengers joining us in Hamburg is up to 3. The engine and ship sound and vibration patterns are familiar now. Looking forward to the roll of the North Sea later tonight. Sometimes the North Sea is rough. I noticed the cargo on deck now is very securely attached.

The slop chest is open tonight, so it is time to replenishish my stores for the coming week. The crew is kind and helpful. Chicken and stir-fry noodles tonight for supper.

Day 34 Antwerp

Tuesday, cloudy and rainy. Today, a car took me to Immigration to get my Belgium exit stamp. My cost for the car was 55 Euros. While freighter cruises generally have a lower cost per day than passenger cruises, ground transportation costs are higher, because freighters dock far away from city centers, and immigration procedures may be less convenient. A few minutes ago, I saw a floating barge crane come by, carrying a large dock crane. The barge crane was the biggest I have ever seen, like something you might see on the Discovery Channel. I got a picture of the dock crane being lowered onto the dock, but not the barge crane. Another ship was in the way.

The Belgian dark chocolate was ok last night. I have 3 bars. At one square per night, they will last a month, until I can get some Asian jungle dark chocolate in Jakarta. Testing begins tonight for a new bottle of French bordeaux. I learned today that Belgium has a difficult climate for growing grapes, too cold and damp. There are some efforts at local wine making, however.

Watched a hold being loaded this afternoon with plywood crates of filtration equipment for Ho Chi Minh City. A computer program generates the load plan by crate, and for each hold, and for what will be loaded on top. The overall load must be balanced fore to aft, and port to starboard. The top to bottom weight distribution is also important. Then there is fuel weight, which changes over the course of a long trip. Virtually all modern ships have a large bulb on the bow, which is below water at sea. I have some pictures. It is empty. The sole purpose is to help the ship move through the water with less hydralic drag.

I hear the Dow was down to 8400 and gas at home is 1.74 a gallon. I saw a sign in Antwerp for 1 Euro a liter, also down from previous highs.

Day 33 Antwerp

Monday, cloudy, but no rain. Cabin temp is 65 F. Phoned home last night. I will miss the lefse this holiday.

The cargo transfer yesterday and today has been done by huge cranes from the dock. Two were drivable, with 54 rubber tires. One was on rails. They are taller than the ship, and move quickly and precisely. Watching from the bridge, I instinctively stepped back from the window, when one load came zooming by. Otherwise, it was another quiet day in port.

I wrote and read. Spent a few minutes in the German phrase book. Freut mich, Sie kennen zu lernen. The wine research continues. I began the first bottle of French Bordeaux last night. Wasn't anything to write home about, but it was better than 2 buck chuck. Tonight, I will start the research on Belgian dark chocolate. The cook loaned me a Time magazine with the Senate and House results. It is almost time to dine again, so over and out.

Day 32 Antwerp

Sunday, very foggy and hazy this morning. Now that the maintenance work is completed, the ship has been turned around and shifted to another berth for cargo operations. We are next to the Rickmers Shanghai, the ship for which I was originally ticketed. I received additional tentative itinerary information this morning. With more passengers joining us soon, some of my excellent access privileges will be a little more limited. Met the new electrical engineer at dinner last night. Assisted with a small translation task for a friend from Japan.

Day 31 Antwerp

Saturday, overcast, damp all day. 13 deg C. I'm told this is typical weather for this time of year. One month is gone already, three remaining. The departing electrician left me 5 books. He was returning to his family in Romania. We talked about energy efficient houses and energy conservation. He was friendly, and his English was good. After breakfast, the steward vacuumed my carpet and washed my walls. New linen and towels yesterday. Maintenance work continues on one of the 4 cranes. This crane can lift 325 metric tons. Up to half the lift is sometimes provided by shifting ballast. The work is interesting. Watched a new wire cable, too big around to wrap a hand, being threaded through all the pulleys. Cargo ops resume when the crane work is finished. We could leave late Tuesday. The present plan is to spend 4 days in Hamburg.

Day 30 Antwerp

Friday.
The previous 2 days turned pleasantly sunny in the afternoon. Today
remained rainy all day.

After breakfast and checkout, I stopped at a pharmacy to buy some seasickness medicine in case I need it.

I wanted to see the Central Rail Station. It has been described as a cathedral. The outside is undergoing some renovation, but the inside is expansive and impressive and busy. So much marble.

Afterward, I walked through the diamond center, looking for the Diamond Museum. Never found it, but the street was very interesting. There were many well-fed men in black, with black hats and beards, scurrying about.

My last objective before returning to the ship was to get 2 bottles of red wine, so that the research may continue. I think red wine does not travel well by freighter, so the local wine has been a treat. I found no liquor stores. Had a hard time finding a supermarket until I remembered that in some cities, food markets are located in the basements of department stores or shopping malls.

One side of an aisle was red, the other white. I bought some decaf, 3 bars of dark chocolate, an apple, two bottles of wine. The checkout clerk winked at me and wished me a happy weekend. I think perhaps the wine will last longer than the weekend.

My taxi experience was not stellar, but I had been warned.

Back on the ship, I think the crew is gaining some confidence in my ability to find my way back.

The periodic maintenance on the ship continues. We will be here a few more days.

Day 29 Antwerp

Thursday, written on Friday. The room was nice. At first, I missed the roll of the ship. There was a bathtub. I thought about using it, but settled for showers.

After complimentary breakfast, I set off for MuHKA, the contemporary art museum. Noticed the domes of the old Government building on the way.

Some of the contemporary art was too avant garde for me, but I ended up spending 2 hours there. I enjoyed the photo images of several artists on the second floor. Most of them were part of a group show called The Order of Things. I particularly liked Theatrum Orbis Terrarum by Marjolijn Dijkman, and Hans Eijkelblooms photos. Each of his many frames contained 9 to 15 snaps of people with a common characteristic. Examples were men with beer bellies, blond young ladies, couples, men in blue dress shirts, people wearing plaid or stripes or a common color.

Two artists who will remain nameless, sucked in the director with this stuff. One had a large room with condoms hanging from the ceiling. Each contained one or more objects, mostly vegetables. The second had a pitch black room with recorded sound playing. Maybe a bulb was burned out, but I don't think so. I know I could make displays like that, but I don't even want to.

On one of the upper floors, Fekovic, the artist who prefers to be called Documentarista, made a video of the sheepdog of another artist, Heyboer,
who died at 81. Heyboer lived in a large building in the Netherlands with 4 wives and their 17 dogs. His 5th wife lives across the street. I'm not making that up.

Walked to the Maritime Museum. It is located in the old city castle, along the River Schelde. It was mostly about Emigration to America, and wartime events. The old ship models and artifacts were interesting,
as well as the models of the emmigrant ships.

I walked through the old market square and past the cathedral. Stopped for a snack before returning to the hotel for an Aleve and a decaf.

Continued to research the red wine with, and after supper.

Day 28 Afternoon in Antwerp

Wednesday, part 2. Written on Friday. So, after immigration, I went to Antwerp city center, near the Central train station. I had Euro-coffee at McDonalds, and studied my book. I had a Thomas Cook book on Belgium, which was helpful. When I came out, I noticed a hotel next door. Got a room for 2 night. I was pretty sure how to get to the Fine Art Museum, but I asked the hotel lady to confirm. She said it was a 15 or 20 minute walk. I think she had longer legs than me, because it took me more than 20 minutes. The collection was excellent in both its content and condition. The Museum claims the worlds largest collection of Rubens. I also saw restoration and cleaning work in progress. I'll name a small sample of others: van Eyck, Metsijs, Titiaan, de Vos, Braekeleer, Uden, van Cleve, Beuckelaer, Jordaens, van Dyck. The marble sculptures were excellent. The exhibitions were ok. Some of the later artists were ok. I liked Janssens, Wouters, Berghe-Lady in purple dress playing piano, Ensor-Rower, Modiglianai, Delavaux. There was one large section devoted to nudes.

There were many late 19th century and later artists I won't name. Sorry, slashes in canvas don't count. I walked more slowly back to the hotel, passing the triangle park. I had a small evening meal and Aleve, before sampling the red wine.

Day 28 Antwerp!

Wednesday, horizon, sunny.
Yesterday, we docked about 1500. This port is huge and busy. Went
though a lock big enough to hold 4 ocean going ships. Many windmills
around, not the old Dutch kind, but the big new 3 blade jobs.

There are often special rules for passengers on freighters.
Tomorrow, the company will send a car for me to take me to
immigration. The car costs 20 Euros. Before we sail, I have to make
the same trip to get an exit stamp.

There are 2 possibilities I am considering right now. I could go to
Paris and try to get into the Louve. Plan B is to find a cheap hotel
in Antwerp and spend 3 days on Flemish art, and sampling Belgian red
wine, which the captain tells me is good. Uhh. Should know after my
next discussion with the captain.

My Bride tells me that she can track my travels by my charges. By
the way, international charging is not always as straight forward as
one might think. Foreign travel is a whole lot easier if you call
your credit card company in advance, and tell them where you will be
charging, and when. My list was long. The customer service person
kept saying, Is that it?

I finished GUNS, GERMS, and STEEL by Jared Diamond, a professor of
geography, which is always a topic of interest to travelers. I have
started his newer book COLLAPSE, How societies choose to fail or
succeed.

Day 27 Schelde River

Tuesday, 9 deg C, partly cloudy, showers. We anchored in a big ship parking lot last night about 2200. Weighed anchor at 0530 this morning. A local pilot has been steering since. Had a very smooth night and trip up the river. The water is a different color from the navy blue of the ocean. It looks shallower and greener. Saw some stars early this morning for the first time in days. I was hungrier this morning and ate more for breakfast. There are many more ships now, moving in line like a string of pack animals. There is a similar line in the opposite direction. The lines meander, always staying in the part of the river which is deep enough. We passed through a part of the Netherlands. This morning about 0900, when we entered the mouth of the river, some of the land behind the levees was lower than the water level. Should be at the Antwerp dock in early afternoon.

I may be off the air for a few days, depending on travel options in Antwerp. We may be here 7 or 8 days, before departure for Hamburg.

Day 26 English Channel

Monday, foggy, much gentler sea. Since 0200, the rolls have only been 5 degrees. 12 C. Some wind and swells from starboard aft. I recorded a video of the wind blowing off the tops of the whitecaps to spray. The rain has washed all the salt off my starboard window. Sunday must be pizza night, which is wonderful. Last night, I was given a non-slip pad. I use it on part of my desk top so my lamp and coffee cup and glass don't slide any more. I still keep almost everything else in drawers. I continue to see these white sea birds with black wing tips which can be pointed down. Erns? There are other ships now! Most are slower. There were 5 visible at the same time on the X and S band radars. Because of the fog, not all are visible with the naked eye.

Day 25 Atlantic Ocean, still

Sunday. My arrival expectations yesterday were 1 day premature. There are clouds or fog to the water on the horizon. Early, it is clear and sunny above, changing to partly cloudy. Definitely white caps and spray today, with moderate swells. The roll meter shows a max of 20 degrees to each side. Objects slide around, even in the dining room and on the bridge. Heard a crash from the galley. My cabin has everything secured now, and I remember to latch doors and drawers. A shipmate remarked this morning that he hand to take his water bottle to bed with him to keep if from rolling or sliding around. I decide not to walk the deck today. No ships. Saw more of the small white birds. Had my weekend breakfast of 1 egg, 1 piece of bacon, toast and coffee. Lunch was soup with added rice, sometimes salad. Time for an apple and a coffee now, at 1500. Dinner was great last night; meatballs, stir-fried celery, rice, spring rolls. Recorded some video of the rolls. Made my weekly call home. I'm a little overbudget on minutes, but will be having some days where I can't or won't connect. At 1600, we are south of Ireland. Swells are up to 5 meters now. Should be out of this in another 10 hours. One more time change tonight, so we will be 1 hour ahead of GMT, 7 hours ahead of CST. Most of western Europe is on this new time zone.

Day 24 Atlantic Ocean

Saturday at first light, the sky and water are battleship gray. The rest of the day is partly sunny. The wind is from the northeast. There is some spray from the top of the whitecaps, so this is probably Beaufort 5. I am not able to read as much when we have this much roll. Saw dolphins from the bridge this morning. I have only seen one other ship since Philadelphia.

We had another time zone change last night, and are on GMT, 6 hours ahead of CST. Last night after dark, I was watching the wake, and listening to music on the ipod, when the 'Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald' came up. The predominant swell is from the northwest, and causes the ship to yaw. When you are dancing, yaw is the twist part of 'Twist and Shout'. The swell hits the back of the ship first, moving it. As the swell moves down the side of the ship, it straightens the ship out again. So the wake looks like a corkscrew, and disappears in another length of the ship. I stowed almost everything in drawers or the closet. The fake plant is on the floor, where it appears happier, and doesn't fall down. The cabin looks un-lived-in now. We had some pretty good rolls last night, but my cabin was quiet.

We had drills again this morning. Today, I received pyrotek training; flares and the line shooter. Afterwards, I did a small load of laundry. From the roll meter, I see the maximum roll as of midday was 16 degrees either way. At the current rate, we will make Antwerp late Sunday. The pre-Europe party will not be held this evening, because of the swells. The low is to the northwest. Winds will shift to the northwest. Higher swells are forecast. If things go well, we will enter the shelter of the English Channel after midnight. DOUBLE BLOG ENTRIES If I lose the satellite connection during transmission, the whole entry is automatically re-sent on the following upload. As of yesterday, the existing double entries have been deleted for me. I am not able to do deletes from here.

Day 23 Atlantic Ocean

Friday morning, the horizon is cloudy all the way around. Some blue is visible above. The sea is mostly calm in the morning, with a few crests breaking. There are long, low swells from more than one direction, beating together. Sometimes they cancel each other, and sometimes they are additive, giving us a moderate roll. Roll today was 14 degrees max either way. Roll was a little more last night. Last evening, while I was working on my laptop, my coffee cup and glass were sliding back and forth on my desk top with the occasional stronger rolls. For the night, I put most stuff away, or on the floor. The artificial plant came down overnight.

Had a dream about poisonous snakes in Roxbury Park. The impact of my toe kicking the bed border woke me. In the serial dream, I used the city machine with its 9 banks of mowers to clean out the park. Slept well after that until breakfast. Sometimes, the aroma of breakfast from the ventilation system wakes me. We had another time zone change last night, and are on Azores time now, 1 hour before GMT. Yesterday afternoon, I walked 2 laps around the upper main deck. The sea and salt relentlessly attack the structure. On a working ship, the main time to chip and paint is at sea, weather permitting. I step carefully. Got permission for and received a very excellent engine room tour. Clean and bright. Had to wear ear protection. The slop chest is open for the 3rd time. I don't need anything this time. We are headed for a low near Europe. Higher swells are forecast for the early morning hours. The breaking wave crests have changed to white caps. I will eat light tonight. I hear that there will be 2 German passengers joining the ship in Hamburg, and an American in Singapore.

Day 22 Atlantic Ocean

Thursday, daylight came a little earlier, as we work our way east through this time zone. 14 degrees C. Light rain last night and this morning washed some of the salt from my side window. The sun peeked through the clouds briefly this morning. We passed through the Grand Banks overnight, and continue to make good time. The sea is still pleasant, although last night the maximum roll was 9 degrees starboard, 11 port. In the dark of the night, I counted seconds between rolls. The cycle is 8 seconds. As I look out from the bridge this morning, I can see this small, lower frequency swell from the port fore quarter. The ship has a steady roll, and a slight pitch today. There are almost white caps. A few wave crests break, for the first time since Philadelphia. Perhaps, Beaufort Scale 3. The wake disappears sooner when the water is not as smooth. This is incredibly fine weather for this time of the year in the North Atlantic. Sometimes, I see the same yellow-green floating sea plants, even larger clumps. I saw these off Florida. This afternoon, I saw small flocks of small birds floating next to these clumps, and finding things to eat in them.

Paul, last night we had duck. I am still full. Juice choices this morning were pineapple or tomato. The label read 'Jus de Tomato', and I was thinking 'just the tomato', but of course it is juice of tomato. Meals are offered for 1 hour, to accomodate people going on and coming off watch. I have created a playlist on the ipod. In the privacy of my cabin, I can sing along, and no one complains.

I was given limited permission to walk the main upper deck. Last night after supper, I made the loop. The distance from the accommodation structure to the bow is almost 2 football fields. At the bow, I go up one level to the fo'c's'l', to cross over to the other side. One loop is almost a quarter mile. Fo'c's'l' I love this word. It can have 0, 3, or 4 apostrophes. The early English sailors corrupted the word forecastle to focsl. Another example is bosun for boatswain. No one even bothers with the apostrophes anymore on some of these words. The focsl is the place where the anchor and mooring cables and winches are. There is a similar place for aft mooring gear. The main deck and focsl are very dangerous during cargo and mooring operations, and I am happy to stay out of the way and inside, at those times.

Day 21 Atlantic Ocean

Wednesday, cloudy horizon, some clear sky above.
While there was some roll overnight, today the sea and the sailing is
smooth and we make good time. When the sea is so smooth, the ship's
wake is visible much further behind us.

We are south of Newfoundland, near the Grand Banks. Morning comes later
as we move further north. It was still dark at 0730.

I wonder if a house or a bed could be constructed with a gentle roll.

Today marks the end of the third week already. Time flies. Nibbles
from home may last another 3 weeks.

Actually saw another ship this morning. It was a fishing trawler or
factory.

Paul asked about the food.
This is not a French restaurant, thankfully. Food is plentify, and
prepared to satisfy European and Asian preferences. I ask for smaller
portions, and skip courses.

Our 2 tables each contain a large lazy susan, with meal appropriate
condiments, bread, fruit, yogurt, water, and extras. At breakfast, it
also contains milk and juice. At the other 2 meals, it contains my kind
of salad, soup, perhaps oven warm bread, or warm macaroons, other
pleasant surprises. Soup at noon today was wonton soup.

Breakfast is cold cerial, eggs to order, bacon or ham or sausage, toast,
juice, fruit, coffee or tea.

The main course for the noon and evening meals has been beef, pork,
veal, chicken, or fish, plus a vegetable. There is a choice of
starches; potato, or steamed rice, perhaps fried rice, or rice prepared
other ways. The protein at noon today was tilapia. We have also had
spaghetti and meatballs, hamburgers, fried noodles, beets, sweet and
sour cabbage, steak, and other good things I don't remember. There may
be a dessert or ice cream. Coffee or tea.

Day 20 Atlantic Ocean

Tuesday, 16 degrees C, visible sunrise.

Last night, my slop chest order was delivered; 12 gallons of water, 3
bottles of Merlot, 3 bottles of Cabernet.

Early morning, there was a low cloud cover. Now, mid-afternoon, since
mid-morning, the sky has been blue and the sun is bright.

The sea is quite smooth, perhaps Beaufort scale 1: Scaly ripples, no
foam crests. Walking outside on the Pilot Deck is easy and pleasant.

Speed is good. We are going straight across to Europe, not the great
circle route, which would take us further north. This is to avoid any
possible bad weather that is common further north, this time of year.

The great circle route is the shortest surface path between any 2
surface points. It is defined by an imaginary plane passing through
those 2 surface points and the center for the earth. It does not
consider the jet stream, currents, winds, or weather.

Breakfast this morning was my usual toast and coffee, plus a grapefruit
half. For the midday meal, most days I have a little salad and soup
over a scoop of rice, skipping the main course.

As I read and write on the bridge after breakfast, I can see no other
ships or smoke in any direction. A single small bird flies by.

I have my laptop configured to display 3 times now; CST, local, and
Greenwich Mean Time.

We'll be in Antwerp several days. I may take a side trip to Paris.
Going to need some extra Euros for that, I think.

Again, there is a time zone change tonight.

Day 19 Atlantic Ocean

Monday started overcast, turning to partly sunny. 12 degrees C.

No sunset last night or sunrise this morning. I'm starting to get red
sky withdrawal, or maybe it is red wine withdrawal.

After a minor loading complication, we finally escaped Philadelphia
after 0200 this morning. For most river channels and harbors, a local
pilot comes aboard. The pilot was with us until around 0800. The safe
navigation channel is marked by buoys and on charts, and extends a good
distance into the ocean.

The ship turned northeast around noon. The sailing was smooth in the
river channel, and is still smooth here at sea. There are no whitecaps, so
far today.

My bride asked me about the 'slop chest'. While many ships, like this
one, are new and modern and safe, some of the language of the sea goes
back to the days of sailing ships. I'll list a few examples below, but
allow me one aside. When I was in the Navy 40 years ago, some of the
old chief petty officers claimed to long for the days of 'wooden ships
and iron men'.

Master: The ship's master is the captain.
Port means a safe place to discharge or take on cargo or passengers.
You may be familiar with the expressions, 'a girl in every port' and
'any port in a storm'.
Port also means an opening, like a port hole or window.
Port (side) means the left side.
Starboard is the right side.
Fore is the front.
Aft is the back.
'Two points abaft the port beam' means 2 compass points behind straight
left from the front of the ship.
Naut: Even with wide use of the metric system, nautical miles are still
used and understood. A speed of 1 naut is 1 nautical mile per hour. A
nautical mile is slightly longer than an english mile.
Poop deck: Usually the first deck above the main deck.
And finally, Slop Chest: There is no 7-11 on a working freighter. The
Master controls a small store of duty free items, referred to as the 'slop
chest'. These items are only available on certain days, in international
waters. At the Master's discretion, passengers and crew may purchase
tobacco, soft drinks, beer, liquor, wine, chocolate, and select other items.
My request today is for 18 liters of mineral water and some red wine.

It occurred to me this morning that standing at the front window of the
bridge is far far better than riding a freight train.

We cross another time zone tonight.

Day 18 Philadelphia 5

Sunday
There was no sunset last night. Skies became overcast mid-afternoon.

Because of clouds on the horizon, I saw no sun until 8:30 this morning.
The temperature is brisk, 6 degrees C. That's about 43 F. With the
colder weather, there has been an abrupt change in the color of the
hardwoods.

I stay out of the way and under the radar, so I am granted bridge
privileges most of the time. The bridge has become my morning sun room.
I go there after breakfast to look at the charts, check position and
bearing, to see what is going on, and to read or write. There are raised
chairs on either side. One is only for the captain. I sit on the
opposite side of the bridge with my binoculars. There is a sill for my
coffee cup, book, and notebook.

We are still at the dock. I watched the loading of the 2 large armatures
from rail cars this morning. Very slow and careful. Two more slightly
smaller armatures appeared on a 100 ton semi trailer. Other large metal
items are being loaded, and another large crate. It is not just a matter
of loading items into a hold, or onto the deck. Items are chained or
otherwise braced and secured so they will not shift at sea.

May leave Philadelphia late this afternoon. I am ready.

Paid my monthly slop chest charge for October to the Captain this
morning. $8.00. The November charge will be higher.

Day 17 Philadelphia 4

Saturday. Yet another clear mild day.
Today, there are high, thin sirus clouds.

Last night again, the red sunset behind the downtown skyline was beautiful.
It reminded me of the gloaming at Subic Bay in the Philippines. There was a
mountain on the penninsula across the bay, to the northwest. The large bay
extended further north. Spectacular and extended sunsets were frequent. It
was not unusual to see every color of the rainbow in the sky, and reflected on
the waters of the bay.

Overnight, the ship repositioned slightly, a little further west along the
pier. We may depart at or after midnight.

Laundry
I need to take a picture of the washing machines. Some ships have tried top-
loaders, but they fail at sea. While the roll of the ship probably helps the
washing, it causes the drum of a top-loader to hit the side of the machine and
stop. These tumble washers have 9 pre-programmed wash processes, with
different temperatures, and some with 2 wash cycles. On the top of the
machine is a lid, with 3 channels. Soap can be placed in the first 2, for
each of the 2 wash cycles. The 3rd is for conditioner. I don't think my
clothes have ever seen conditioner, and there may not be any on the ship.
Afterwards, I asked about the ECO button on the washers. Pressing it saves
more water.

Walking on the dock.
The activity on the dock is sometimes intense. I had a flashback of working
on the flight deck of an aircraft carrier. One difference was that here I
didn't have to be concerned about being sucked into a jet intake. There are
trucks, trains, forklifts, and other vehicles moving around briskly. It is
necessary to stay sharp and look frequently in all 6 directions. On the
freighter, and close to the ship, there may be crane loads above. Walking
under a suspended load can be fatal. I don't do it. At the same time, it is
necessary to watch the ground. There may be train rails, debris, traffic
barriers to trip over. Like the carrier deck, it is more hazardous at night.

My friend Dave has reminded me that today is the anniversary of 'The Perfect
Storm'. Dave kindly loaned me his ipod with 12,000 songs and 86 movies. It
has been a great suppliment to my reading and writing. Thanks, Dave.

Day 16 Philadelphia 3

Friday.
Clear and sunny and warmer.

Today is the day of the week when I get fresh sheets and towels, and
throw rugs. The mattress is covered with a regular sheet. The bed
cover, in the European style, is a duvet. About the third day, I was
also given a 'winter' blanket of wool.

After my first few visits to Japan, I began leaving my shoes at the
door. I have adopted a similar practice followed by many of the crew,
of leaving my shoes in the passageway. The passageway and stair floors
are covered with a green, rubbery material, with a pattern of raised
round spots for traction. The cabin floors are covered with carpet.
Mine is a dark blue-gray-black.

The lines of sight are such that I can see the downtown Philadelphia
skyline when I am sitting on the stool.

Finished laundry. Had to split it into 2 loads. The steward loaned me
a clothes line, so I have trousers and shirts and tee shirts hanging all
over my room. It is time to flip everything over. I don't think this
would work well at sea.

We had been playing tag with a sister ship, but it left early today.

Cargo work continues. We are slightly delayed for a minor repair.
Could leave sometime tomorrow, possibly early.

The Delaware River is obviously still tidal this far up, because at
midday, the water is flowing upstream.

While there is often interesting traffic on the river, it is not nearly
as busy as the Mississippi River in New Orleans.

I'm going to go read on the bridge for a while, and watch cargo
operations.

Day 15 Philadelphia 2

Thursday
Today is sunny and clear, and cold.
A few stars were visible last night, but there is too much light
pollution here, close to the city.

Most of the cargo work must have been done yesterday, because the pace
is much slower today.

I cannot wait any longer to start laundry. I had delayed because the
dryer in the officer's laundry is still broken. There are 2 special
marine washers and 1 dryer. The washers are programmable tumble
machines. Only a half scoop of soap is required. Except during spin,
they tumble a few turns one way, stop, and tumble a few turns the other
way. There are 4 rinse cycles. During the final spin, I was sure the
washer would defy gravity and levitate, if it had not been secured to
the deck. There is not much moisture left in the clothes. So, that
load is drying in my cabin; jeans, a tee shirt, and 13 pair of black
wool-blend socks. The black wool socks were a very good choice for
shipboard life. Actually, they were my only choice.

As a young child in 1950, I remember visiting my grandmother's house.
She took in laundry, and had a Bendix tumble washer. I liked to sit and
watch the clothes go around. The TV screens at the time were about the
same size, and no more enlightening. The laundry was in color, and the TV
was not.

By mid-afternoon, it was clear that my first load of laundry would dry, so I
started a load of whites. Looks like I can get by doing 3 loads of laundry
every 2 weeks. Let's see, that's only nine more times.

I remembered a few more things about Philadelphia during the night.

The Liberty Bell was originally the Pennsylvania State House bell.
Constitution Hall was the State House. There are 3 bells. The bell in the
visitor center is a fake, and photos are not allowed. However a
concessionaire is happy to take your picture with the fake bell, for a fee.
The real Liberty Bell is in a separate building. Admission is free, and you
can take all the pictures you want. The third bell is the replacement bell in
the bell tower. It rings frequently, at least on the hour.

I failed to mention one artwork by the Flemish artist Peter Paul Reubens. The
title 'Promethius Bound' has always created an image in my mind of someone
headed to a place called Promethius. The painting is a large piece. In the
myth, Promethius was a minor god who gave fire to man. The major gods were so
angry, that they punished Promethius, by binding him across a large rock.
Everyday, a large eagle ate his liver, and every night, his body was
regenerated. Perhaps Reubens is a distant relative of Dante. Reubens
actually subcontracted the painting of the eagle.

Day 14 Philadelphia

Looking on my special spreadsheet, I see that Day 14 is a Wednesday.
I think I'll have to make a modification in late January, when we go
across the International Date Line.

Late last night, we entered the calm Delaware River and made the 6 hour
transit to a dock near Philadelphia.

This morning was cold. I dressed in layers. Went ashore at 1000. The
protocol is that I must notify the duty officer when I go ashore or
return. I have my own ship picture ID card now. Makes it easier to get
through port security.

I saw the Liberty Bell and Constitution Hall. It is a little different
than the Nicholas Cage movie. By luck, we had an incredible Park
Service guide and lecturer.

Afterwards, I went to the Philadelphia Museum of Art. It is quite
good. I like to see it all, and travelled through all the galleries,
over the course of the afternoon. I linger when I see something I like,
or when my hip gets too sore to stand. Bought some more Aleve later on.

I like art that I can identify the subject. There are a few exceptions.
Scribbles and paint splotches and grey paintings with a string just
don't cut it. You know what I'm talking about. The 'Greater Fool
Theory' is obviously alive and operational in art, and was until
recently in real estate.

Most of the Medieval art and Italian art is religious, because the
church was the only patron of the arts. Around 1600, the French, Dutch,
and Flemish artists began to paint ordinary people and landscapes.

I particularly like Monet, Pissarro, and Cezanne. There are many below
my radar, or not worthy on mention. Other pleasing pieces included the
works of Degas, Boudin, Dali, Renoir, Chagal, Gauguin, Picasso, Gris,
Manet, Toulouse-Lautrec, and even Mondrian. If Mondrian can sell stuff,
so can I.

There were a few American artsts that I liked; Eakins, Wyeth, Metcalf,
Garber, Homer, Chambers, Kelly.(I could do Kelly.) About half the
American gallery was furniture. American glass is not even close to
Venitian glass.

Bijay, PMA has a few items from the Malla period of Kathmandu, Nepal.

Made 2 stops before I returned to the ship. Dinner at a nice, but
expensive Italian restaurant, and a supermarket.

The view through my aft window is downtown Philadelphia. The sky tonight
is supposed to be clear.

Day 13 Atlantic Ocean, off the Outer Banks

There was a discussion at the table yesterday about politics. We still
receive standard broadcast radio, and even a person from another country
thought the presidential ads were negative and lacking substance. I don't
listen to the ads. The election is over for me. I voted before I left.

At sunset last night, the west horizon was mostly cloudly, but what I could
see suggested a red sunset. Thinking of the adage, "Red sky at night,
sailor's delight.", I thought we would have an easy night. That must only
be true if the western sky is also free of clouds, because we had a moderate
Atlantic storm.

I woke during the night to a loud crash somewhere in the cabin, and a
continuous jingle from my wardrobe. A previous passenger had left some wire
hangers. I dealt with those, but could not immediately identify the source of
the crash. I put the light on and watched. The cabinet doors under the tv do
not latch securely, and after the next hard roll to the port, they swung open
and crashed shut. I put the desk chair against them, and went back to bed. I
visualized being in the front seat of the roller coaster at Valley Fair and
enjoyed the ride for the rest of the night. There were no stars last night.

Tuesday Morning
Must be adapting to shipboard motion, because I didn't need any Dramamine last
night or this morning.

There are not so many people at breakfast this morning. After a light
breakfast, I go to the bridge for a while to watch, write, and read. The
cadet sweeps the floor and washes the windows. When he takes the dust pan out
to the wing bridge, the brisk wind carries the contents away.

At 0800 we are off the North Carolina Outer Banks, about 36 degrees north
latitude.

The temperature has dropped to 19C. Swells look to be 8 to 10 ft, off the
port quarter. The tips of the white caps break off in a spray. I remember
that is the definition for a particular number on the Beaufort scale. Check
the definition on Wikipedia, if you are interested.

When a larger swell strikes the bow, there is spray across the front 1/3 of
the ship.

When I return to my cabin, I remember to clean my own windows. The outside
of my side window is coated with salt crystals that sparkle in the sunlight.
They will remain until the next rain, unless I can figure out how to clean
them from the deck above. I should get a car windshield squeege.

Mid-day, there is more blue in the sky. Periodically during the day, I see
another ship.