Friday, October 31, 2008

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.

Thursday, October 30, 2008

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.

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

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.

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

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.

Monday, October 27, 2008

Day 12, Atlantic Ocean, northbound

I'm pretty sure today in Monday.
The unloading was successfully completed in time to depart last night.
The ship left West Palm Beach late last night.

I woke at 0215 local time. The aft spotlights were not on, and the
night was moonless, but clear. I could see the glow on the horizon of
the city far behind us. My side window faces away from the coast, and I
checked for stars. I am glad I brought a star guide. I decided to find
it at first light to double check the names.

Orion, the hunter, is visible with its nebulas. Most people have heard
of 2 of its stars, Rigel and Betelgeuse. Orion is inside what some
people call the winter hexagon, because it is visible in early evening
in the south winter sky. The bright corner stars are Capella,
Aldebaran, Rigel, Sirius, and Procyon. The 6th corner is the 2
brightest stars of Gemini, Castor and Pollux. If you have ever watched
Star Trek or Star Wars, you have heard most of these names. I tried my
driving glasses, but the binocurs worked far better.

I woke again at 0530. Orion has moved, but now I can see the big dipper
to the northeast. Polaris, the North Star, is out of my line of vision,
because our bearing is north. At lunch, I learn that the bridge
officers use Polaris to resynchronize the navigation system on clear
nights.

At 0730, I can see the full sunrise. The sky remains blue and clear, at
least into the afternoon. The seas are kind to us today. On the bridge
in the morning, I do not see another ship in any direction. At 0800, we
are off Jacksonville.

Today I am reading 'Guns, Germs, and Steel', an anthopology book. This
is another one pounder, but I will bring this one home.

Sunday, October 26, 2008

Day 11, Dockside West Palm Beach

Last night the ship tied up dockside at 1935.

The ship did not roll last night. There was a gentle rain, all night
long.

My side is away from our dock. The next pier on my side has about 500
containers. Most are lined up neatly in rows, with space between each
row, so a special lifter with long legs can pick them up.

The area outside the gate is reputed to be a very bad neighborhood.
Ship's crew are not permitted to leave the ship here. I can go ashore
if I wish. I was cautioned to only travel by taxi here. I opted to
stay on the ship.

The activity is intense. I watched for a while from the bridge today.
Most holds were open. I saw no containers move. The term 'heavy lift'
is used: large castings, large wooden crates. Further west, I can see a
large transformer on a special trailer with 64 tires and 8 axels. Not
sure if it is coming or going, but it is BIG.

Finished reading Dante's 'Inferno' a few minutes ago. The Zappulla
translation is easy to read. One might draw the conclusion that most of
the people in hell are Italians. I thought the punishment described for
senators who accept lobbyist contributions was appropriate. The book
has 134 cantos (chapters) of verse, varying in length from 114 to 159
lines. Enough! It will leave my cabin tonight. Thankfully, I did not
buy the two sequels. I'd have to be incredibly bored to read them.
This ends my journey through Italian classics.

Saturday, October 25, 2008

Day 10, At anchor WPB

Edgar found a corkscrew for me last night, and I tried the merlot.
Watched parts of two different movies, which had scenes of Antwerp.

Can see the coastal lights. At anchor, the ship has an easy roll from
side to side.

Saturday. Partly sunny.
Had my weekly breakfast treat of 1 egg scrambled, meat and coffee.
Only had a little of salad and a sandwich for lunch. Part of the
adventure of travel is trying foods that you normally don't eat:
cauliflower, breaded and deep fried cauliflower, beef, desserts, pickled
onions and tiny tentacled parts. Today, there was lamb and kiwi fruit.
I declined the lamb.

Placed my thumbprint on my new picture ID.

Wrote and read today. A sudoku or two.

Laid on a deck chair on the Pilot Deck, for part of the afternoon.

At 1800 local, we weigh anchor and head for the dock.

Friday, October 24, 2008

Day 9, Atlantic Ocean

At sea, at night, the wake and the stack are lighted. The company logo
and flag are painted on the side of the stack. Not sure why the wake is
lighted, but I like to watch it. The foam from the ship moving
through the water and the turbulence from the screw gradually fade away
behind the ship. There are also fading circles of foam on either side
of the wake from the big splashes when the bow cuts a swell.

We made the first time zone change last night. The ship's clocks are
all changed from the Bridge. The change happens slowly, over several
hours. There was some discussion about this at the dinner table last
night. It was suggested that people who circle the globe on an
eastbound ship live an extra day. I think it is more correct to say
that we experience an additional sunset and sunrise over the course of
the trip. I asked if crew members were paid an extra day, and the
answer was 'no'.

We had drills again this morning. After the roll call at the general
alarm drill, we did the life boat drill again. After that, the crew had
another training exercise. My emergency duties are anything the Chief
Mate assigns to me, and he has always assigned me to go to the Bridge
and drink coffee. The real result is that he knows where I am, and I am
out of the way, in a safe place. I noticed this morning that there is
also a basketball basket on the deck where we muster.

Today, we came around the Florida Peninsula, through the Bay of Florida,
into the Atlantic Ocean. The sailing has been smoother today. I think
the swells are further apart. We are scheduled to drop anchor around 6 pm
local at West Palm Beach.

I remember few words of Tagalog from my Navy days, and many that I
remember, I do not find in the phrase book.

Thursday, October 23, 2008

Day 8, Crossing the Caribbean

Last night, I watched New Orleans get smaller and smaller through my aft
port (window). I took a few night pictures of the city and the French
Quarter from the Pilot Deck.

Discovered the elliptical exercise machine in the Recreation Room. I'm
pretty sure it doesn't get much use. Maybe I won't have to do those
pushups after all. There was also a set of drums. I believe there is a
party scheduled for the last night in port in the US.

Cleared the river channel during the night. The gulf is not as smooth
as the river channel. Doors, cabinets, and other things creak or rattle,
unless properly secured.

Thursday. It is cloudy all around, with patches of blue above. Had
thunder early. There were a few light showers during the morning. The
air is so clean, and the sky is so blue. Turned to overcast by early
afternoon, and then to fog. I remember days at a time like this crossing
the Pacific in 1968.

The swells look to be 3 to 6 feet, and as is often the case at sea,
come from more than one direction. Had an unexpected twinge of nausea
and clamminess before breakfast. Took half of a Dramamine with my
vitamins, and then went down to breakfast. There are 2 tables in the
officers' mess. The Master(Captain), Chief Mate, Chief Engineer, and 2nd
Engineer sit at one table. The Electrician, 2nd Mate, and 3rd Mate sit
with me at the other table, when watches and duties permit. The mates
stand 4 hour watches, twice a day, on the Bridge, operating the ship, but
also have other duties.

I spent over 2 hours on the Bridge this morning. This is at the
Captain's discretion, by passenger. When the ship is sailing at full
speed, the wind whips up and over the Pilot Deck. The Bridge obviously
provides shelter from the wind and the weather.

They took my picture in the afternoon for a ship's photo ID. That's
probably a good sign.

Saw only 3 other ships this morning. It is far less congested here.
When a ship approaches from the opposite direction, seems like it passes
from horizon to horizon in only 20 minutes. The ships and barges I have
seen so far have had a very wide variety of shapes and configurations.
One of the ships I saw today had its bridge and superstructure on the
very front of the ship, with only the stacks on the aft.

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Leaving New Orleans today

Day 7 Wednesday, sunny, changing to overcast.
Today is weekly cleaning day. The steward changes my towels and linens. I
bought paper towels yesterday, and have the cleanest windows, clean enough
for pictures or viewing with the binoculars.

The 2 adjacent ships have left, one last night, one this morning.

The river current is visible. There are often interesting ships of barge
tows going by on the river. Twelve and 15 barges at a time are common.
This afternoon, the riggers on the wharf were still welding the large
transformers from Korea to the rail cars. Each is over 100 tons. Other
cargo is being loaded on the ship today.

At last: Finished reading 'Decameron'. I am inclined to throw it over
board. Started reading it in Italy in April. Instead, I will leave it in
the ship's library. This lightens my load by a pound. Next is Dante's
'Inferno', another Italian classic of the middle ages. It is only 1/3
pound, and will only take me a few days. It will not be coming home
either. Wrote a short story about some students, making the best of
having 'Decameron' on their reading list.

Alak pula is red wine, I think. I will discover if that is correct when
we are in international waters, and the Captain's 'Slop Chest' is open.

Pulled away from the dock about 6:30 pm on the way to West Palm Beach.

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

New Orleans

The ship's calendars are in the European style. The first day of the week
is Monday. I'm pretty sure today is Tuesday.

Lite breakfast. Left the ship at 10 am. It is sunny and warm. Most
harbor ports are not located in areas convenient for tourism. The taxi
to the mall was $26.

A few toiletries, AAA batteries, tea. Ear bud for the iPod. A foam pad
for the bed. On return, the port gate guard knew exactly what the foam
pad was for. Said he had seen many foam pads come through the gate.
Well, it is not the same as the sleep number bed, but it is very
comfortable now.

Lunch was Kingston shrimp and red wine at Serrano's Salsa Company.
Second taxi was to the French Quarter. Hasn't changed much since my
prior visits in 1965 and 1966, except I didn't have any law enforcement
encounters this time. Much is unchanging. St. Louis Cathedral, the
chicory cafe along the levee and the art on the St. Louis Square fence. I
would say the quality of the art has suffered. I already have enough tee
shirts, but I did take a few interesting pictures.

When I got back, the barge crane crew and the stevedores were just
transferring a second hugh transformer onto a special rail car.

Checked in with the Master and the Chief Mate.

No supper tonight. Maybe some fresh fruit later on

The red-red sun has just burned its way down through the haze on the
western horizon. Time for a movie.

Monday, October 20, 2008

Arrived in New Orleans, early evening

During the night, the ship crossed the Gulf of Mexico, into a head wind.
Today is the 3rd sunny day.

In the waters south of New Orleans, there are many oil platforms.
Watched a helicopter land on a platform close to the ship. The local
channel pilots earn their money here. The path to the mouth of the
breakwater is not straight forward. Transit of the channel takes all day,
more than 10 hours. Birds!

The colors of the channel buoys bring back a phrase I learned in Navy
boot camp: "RED, RIGHT, RETURNING." The other side is green.

The narrow strip of land on either side is low and covered with salt
marsh grasses. The land on either side of the channel gradually widens.
After noon, there are some trees.

There are some empty, idle ships.10/20/2008 18:47 PM

Lunch was boiled beef and boiled vegetables. I could not finish my
serving, and decided to take a nap. Maybe I'll start doing a few situps
or pushups. Tomorrow. There are many oil refineries, but it no longer
smells bad.

Passed the French Quarter and Downtown. Arrived at dock after 6pm.

Supper was a pork chop, with veggies and rice. There were fresh baked
macaroons. I had 2. I'm going to have to cut down to 2 meals a day.

The sun was very red. I watched it disappear.

Sunday, October 19, 2008

Under way!

It is another pleasant, sunny day in Houston. Breakfast was 1 egg
scrambled, 1 piece of bacon, 2 toasts, coffee. Usually, I only have
toast and coffee.

In the dining room, I am learning a few words of Polish, Romanian, and
Tagalog.

I am the only passenger. Everyone is friendly and helpful.

We began going down the Houston Ship Channel about 9 am. I spent a lot
of the day on the Pilot Deck or Navigation Deck with camera and
binoculars. There were many interesting ships and other harbor sights.
Not doing so well on the reading today.

Two port pilots came on board. Before he took over, I talked with the
pilot who navigated the 2nd half of the route. We shared some
interesting experiences about the bottom of the world.

The ship cleared the channel, into the large bay about 11 am. It was
almost 2 pm when we passed Galveston and cleared the final breakwater.
The pilots left in the pilot boat soon after.

Around 3 pm, there were drills for general alarm, abandon ship, and
fire. I went to the muster station with my life jacket, hard hat, and
immersion suit. We did the escape pod drill. Just like the dinner
table, I have an assigned seat. Because the pod is at a 45 degree
angle, we lie almost on our backs, and have a 3 way strap in. Because
of the normal ship vibrations, it was easy to visualize an Apollo
blastoff.

Now, we are crossing part of the Gulf of Mexico, on the way to New
Orleans. Found the officer's laundry machines.

Saturday, October 18, 2008

Saturday

Lost the day of the week for most of yesterday. Figured it out at
bedtime.

Today is clear and sunny.

I like my cabin. Top deck, starboard-aft corner, all 17 sq meters,
including the bath room. On my main website freighter cruise page,
there is a link to the Maris magazine. The September 2008 issue in the
archives is about this specific route. There are pictures of a cabin
like mine. Cabin 612 is the mirror image of mine.

Yesterday, the steward brought me some goodies, including instant
coffee, and an electric billie. If you have been down under, you know
what an electric billie is. Each meal menu has 5 courses. The food is
hearty and plentiful. The crew works hard and usually enjoys all 5. I
have determined that I should probably cut down to 2 if I don't want to
get fat.

Watched 8 stevedores and 2 machine operators across the channel this
morning. They loaded steel ingots from Mexico onto 2 barges.
Apparently, a lot of waiting and standing around is required, so it must
be necessary to sit down and rest frequently. When the crane operator
runs an ingot into the side of the concrete pier, the concrete gives.

I brought some small, light binoculars. Birds are plentiful. Next
time, I'll bring a sea bird book. I recognize the sea gulls, and maybe
an albatross.

Friday, October 17, 2008

A quiet day at the Houston City Docks

Repositioning occurred very smoothly last night. Slept well enough
until 8. The mattress is HARD, but nothing hurts.

After a light breakfast, I watched activity in the Port. There are
railroad tracks on both sides of the channel, always interesting for me.
There are no containers in sight. There are large storage areas with
pipes and steel stock.

Some harbors have net cams. This link is a
<a> href="http://www.kroooz-cams.com/">cruise ship cam</a>.

The next ship has a basketball basket on a higher aft deck, with a net
over the area to keep the ball on the ship. One of the windows also has
a pinup.

Because of the ship change, the itinerary changes slightly. We will stop
in New Orleans, West Palm Beach, and Philadelphia. Will probably not
stop in Genoa. There are also some changes in Asia. I am not able to
update the list on my main website.

I have 2 windows (ports) about 18" by 26". The aft window is openable.
A problem with windows on ships is that they get cloudy from the salt
spray. I found some windex in my bathroom and cleaned my windows and
the outside of the aft one. Practically sparkles!

I've finished reading 'The sixth day' of Boccaccio's 'Decameron'.

Thursday, October 16, 2008

The first day

Watched dock workers load large sheets of steel into a barge. Ask me
about this when I get back.

Dining for passengers is in the Officers' mess, assigned seating.
Breakfast at 7:30
Lunch at 12:00
Dinner at 5:30

After dinner, I received personal familiarization training. Toured
the bridge. For drills, besides my life jacket, I need to bring my
immersion suit and hard hat. Practiced strapping into my assigned seat
in the escape pod.

Immersion suit instructions:
1. Jump in with legs
2. Close foot tapes tightly
3. Pull hood over head
4. Close main and arm zippers
5. Enter water feet first

Safety and survival on this ship far surpass what I experienced on the
Antarctica cruise ship.

Watched movie 1 of 86 from Dave's iPod.

Tonight, the ship will reposition from dock 25 to probably dock 23. If
you use Google Earth, remember the images are sometimes 3 or more years
old.

Road trip to Houston, part 3

I slept well, and got up at 5:45 am. We were on the road by 6:30,
driving to downtown Austin first. The drive to Houston was overcast
and pleasant. Stopped for colaches half way.

After clearing security at the Houston City Docks, I drove right up
to the ship, parking along side. Jack carried my book suitcase, the
heaviest. The steward took my luggage up the other 5 decks to my
cabin.

Presented my documents to the Captain. Jack asked if he could see the
ship and was granted a visitor badge. The Captain gratiously invited
him to stay and have lunch. Lunch was salad, soup, steak, vegetables,
and fruit. Afterwards, Jack drove my truck back to Austin.

I'm mostly unpacked, and ready to read.

The port and dock area have a lot of debris, perhaps from the recent
hurricane.

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

Chilling in Austin

The ship arrived in Galveston yesterday. Over night, the ship moved from Galveston to Houston City Docks. The local agent gave me the dock information this afternoon. I looked through my folder to confirm that I have my ticket and 6 other required documents. Will depart early Thursday for Houston. Expect to board before noon. Jack will drive my truck back to Houston for storage.

Monday, October 13, 2008

Road trip to Houston, part 2

Slept in today. Was still on the road by 7am. My family members don't appreciate my singing skills, so I took full advantage of the solitude on the road. "Wichita Lineman", "The City of New Orleans", "I am just an Okie from Muskogee", songs from the musical "Oklahoma", and others echoed inside my truck. On one of the rougher concrete roads, my tremulo was incredible.

Haven't paid over $2.99 for gas. Lowest was $2.49, but that contained ethanol. Saw this sign, or similar signs, at some stations in Oklahoma and Texas, "We proudly sell gasoline with NO ethanol". Saw working oil pumps at several locations along the way in Oklahome and Texas. Saw 2 drilling rigs.

Numbers must have different meanings in the Dallas-Ft. Worth area. Apparently 60 means 80, and 70 means 90.

Arrived at Jack's house in Austin a little after 5:30 pm. Now it is time to dine and tell stories!

Sunday, October 12, 2008

Road trip to Houston, part 1

Departed MinnesOOta at 6am, in the dark. Got out ahead of the forecast snow. Clouds to the east meant it would stay dark until after 7am. Breakfast at Mcd at Medford. With the cooler temperatures, we no longer get bugs on the windshield. That quickly changed as I crossed into
Iowa.

This was my first visit to eastern Kansas. They have trees! I thought the tallest thing that grew in Kansas was sunflowers. Unfortunately, Kansas also has toll roads, including parts of I-35.

Arrived in Wichita 1/2 hour ahead of schedule and found a motel. Seems like the motel hallways often smell like the predominant local industry. Had a delightful dinner and waitress. That means it wasn't a dry county.

Friday, October 10, 2008

First Post through the satellite phone

Yesterday and today, I've been working on communication issues. While I won't have internet access, I am now able to update this blog through my satellite phone connection. Made contact with the agent in Houston. Tonight, the Rickmers Jakarta is headed north from Panama. I'll be driving south early Sunday morning. Still need to buy a few items and pack. So far, one suitcase is almost full of books.

Wednesday, October 8, 2008

Dale's Freighter Cruise

The preparation has been as much of an adventure as the trip!

The idea started about 2 years ago. Down payment, final payment, mandatory China visa, health emergency evacuation insurance, ticket, contract of carriage. Then, satellite phone, fast email, blog. I'll write more about this and the costs later.

Well, the moment of truth is here. Sunday, I will start the drive to Austin, TX. My kind high school classmate, Jack, has agreed to store my vehicle, and transport me to Houston, the start and end of my voyage.

My full adventure site is on adventure.stenseth.org.