Sunday, February 15, 2009

Day 124 Galveston, TX

Sunday, overcast until 1400, then sunny. Galveston was a short stop, only for unloading and crane inspection. The ship tied up around 0400 and departed at 1800. The hatch covers are almost bare of cargo. Today was out first time off the ship since day 98 in Japan. We walked through the gate around 0900. We walked about a mile and a half, past 2 cruise ships, to 'The Strand', a historic business area. After coffee at a Starbucks, where George got a connection and updated his blog, we walked to see the 1877 iron barque sailing ship, Elissa. Afterwards, we ate lunch at a restaurant called Fisherman's Wharf, with a view of the barque. While we were eating, a man climbed up a mast and out on an arm, standing on the rat line, like the old sailors did. He was doing some tensioning maintenance work. I had an excellent shrimp caesar salad and a glass of red wine. Two cruise ships arrived after our ship arrived and left before our ship did. There was a passenger turnover. We walked past the long lines of waiting people. When we got back to the Jakarta, there were no long lines. There were no lines at all. There are large birds around with a big beaks. They crash into the water for food. Also saw a single dolphin.

The picture today is a series of historic high water marks here in Galveston. The blue mark is from September 2008. Nine bricks above that is the mark for 1900. Our ship will cross the Gulf of Mexico tonight and begin the 10 hour trip up the Mississippi channel to New Orleans. I expect to dock after dark.