Spring Break!

One day till Spring Break 2006!!!

Location Update as of 2/26/06 noon local time (9 hours ahead of EST):
Latitude: 23 degrees, 6.4 minutes D
Longitude: 52 degrees, 58.5 minutes E
Average Speed: 15.48 knots
Distance to Mauritius: 309 NM
Sea Depth: 4628 m, 15, 179.84 ft
Sea Temp: 27 C, 80.6 F
Air Temp: 28 C, 82.4 F
Easterly winds blowing at 15 knots. Partly Cloudy.
Moderate Seas, wave height: 1.5 m, 4-6 ft.

Well, here we are, one day away from Spring Break ’06. I wonder how many people spring break in Mauritius? I’m just kidding. We are only there for three short days, but it should be a good time. For such a tiny island (1/2 the size of Rhode Island!), it is packed with 1.2 million people! The Dutch first inhabited the island in the 1400s as a port stop in route to the East Indies. The Dutch gave it up and the French took it over for the same reason… about 100 years after that, the British took it over for yet again, the same reason. Mauritius came out of British rule in the early 20th century. The island is mostly made up of Indo-Mauritiuans because when the French and Brits inhabited it, slavery was on the decline, however, indentured servants (a paid laborer who signs a lengthy contract; has the option to resign once expired) from India were on the rise. At one point there were 220,000 indentured servants and only 60,000 official citizens. The island is filled with floral and fauna, but of course, there were several indigenous creatures that were destroyed when the island was colonized; most notably, the Dodo Bird. Rats, deer, pigs, and monkeys were brought onto the island and have to this day severely disrupted the delicate island ecosystem. Since the colonization, more than 70% of the island natural inhabitants (plants and animals) have gone extinct.

Enough with the depressing historical shit. On with the fun. I forgot to officially introduce you all to the Indian Ocean – I’d like to do so. Indian Ocean, please meet the blog readers…thank you. It is the smallest and warmest of all the oceans. It is also the most enclosed ocean with the most free flowing currents. Unlike the Atlantic and Pacific whose currents are regular and predictable, the India Ocean’s currents adjust with the Monsoon season. So, it all depends on the weather…and of course we know that is far from predictable. The color is also different. The Atlantic was a beautiful aquamarine blue, and when churned up it lightened to a brighter cobalt. As for the Indian, it is much greener. I had expected it to be clearer as well, but it is just as dark in the depths out here. What’s interesting is the definite color difference between the two abutting oceans. Even the smell of the air is slightly different.

Sunsets of course, are just as beautiful and the reflection is just as strong as the sun falls below the line of the sea. Last night at dinner the sunset was so beautiful, I gave it a standing ovation and asked it to come back for an encore…to my great disappointment, it didn’t. I got lots of nasty looks from people who were trying to serenely enjoy the setting of the sun. It’s not like we don’t have about 40 other days to do the same thing! However, I was sure glad to see it this morning as it warmed the humid air and brought blue into the gray morning sky. Anywho.

You know something, we’ve been at sea since the 21st when we left Cape Town, and it really doesn’t feel like we’ve been sailing that long at all! Time goes by without even realizing it on this ship. Of course since we are constantly losing hours and hours of our life because we are traveling east…perhaps that’s part of the reason the times goes so quickly.

Rehearsals for the show are in full swing. We are doing so each day and the show seems to be coming along. I have to be off-book by March 5th…so we’ll see how that goes. My Global Studies exam this morning was much better than expected. Everyone was thrilled when it was over this morning; the general mood amongst the students of the ship went from nervous, annoyed, and tired to jovial and carefree once we were all done.

We dock tomorrow morning at 0800ish…hopefully there is not a fog repeat of South Africa. As for plans on the pea of an island, I’m going scuba diving on the first day (hopefully. Dad, it’s supposed to be some of the best in the world because the entire island is surrounded by a massive coral reef!), beach, island exploration, beach, and an SAS trip called Volcanic Island (did I mention the beach?). It is a tour of the entire island and it goes through the national forest and really touches on a lot of stuff I wanted to do. Amazingly, Mauritius is made from a volcano and it has a neighboring island that is still erupting to this day. Don’t worry though; she is done erupting, so I’ll be fine. A lot of students rented huge villas and condos and ocean houses, I opted out of doing so because I wanted to be able to “house-hop!” I figure that’s much better than being tied down to one house for the three days.

Well, I’ve got a structured afternoon, I already did my sunning, classes were finished at 11, so I’ve got Yoga, reading, rehearsal, and a Logistical and Cultural Pre-Port. Till next time!

Sailing and Such

Sailing. Sunning. Smiling.

Location update as of noon local time (8 hours ahead of EST):
Latitude: 31 degrees, 22.2 minutes S
Longitude: 034 degrees, 26.9 minutes E
Average Speed: 16.7 knots
Distance to Mauritius: 1414 NM
Sea Depth: 2505 M, 8216 feet
Sea Temp: 26 C, 78.8 F
Air Temp: 27 C, 80.6 F
Winds from the Northeast at 20 knots. Moderate Swell, long. Rough seas, scattered clouds.
Wave Height: 3 M, 10 ft

Why hello there. Well, lost yet another hour of sleep last night, so now the ship is 8 hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time. It makes for easy conversions when I have my computer and iPod clock still set to EST time, all I do is add the 8 and you get a military time answer…which is what we use onboard, so its quite easy.

You know, even though we’ve only been to three ports, the hardest thing to do is get back into the grove of this thing we have to do on board called school. Classes can be such a downer when you’ve just come back from Safari or the Wine Lands or Cage Shark Diving (chose not to do it). But what makes it great is that there are an endless amount of stories to be heard and shared, both in class and out. I feel like I forget about half the stuff I did but then someone will say something that triggers a memory...and boom, a smile comes back to my face just thinking of what it was like. Especially all the conversations I shared with the local folk in Cape Town, Kariega and beyond. Of which, I think will mean the most in the long run when you remember a lesson taught or a thought shared with someone that lives on the other side of the world.

For the past two days in Global Studies we have been exploring a few exciting things. One of them is something that dates back to the beginning of time when man first began navigating the sea. A very dangerous and daring act to embark in, it took the lives of hundreds of sailors. Frankly, if I saw it happening and it was everything I have pictured it to be, I just might join it…PIRACY!!!!!!!!!!!! The problem is, modern piracy is not an entertaining matter. We all know about the pirate attack that happened off the coast of Somalia in October or November I think it was. Now, that was a rare occasion because today’s pirates do not tend to go after large passenger ships. They prefer the big tankers or fishing vessels with small crews but lots of money in the safe. Why would ships like this have money in their safes, you might ask? Well, payroll for one, and second, which costs a lot more than payroll would be port fees. Our ship paid about $10,000 in port fees while in South Africa. So you can imagine why piracy might be enticing duty for someone willing to pillage and destroy for the risky rewards that come.

Now this is where it gets exciting. As far as where pirates like to attack, well, well, well. Mom, don’t get nervous. Here’s a bit of a list for you: the eastern and western coasts of Africa, all of the Indian Ocean (where I am right now!), the south China Sea (by Hong Kong), and the Caribbean (got out of there safely!). However, the most common and regularly pirated region in all of the seas is the Strait of Malacca. Now, if you can look at a map, and know the countries that I’m going to on this Voyage of Discovery, you might realize that we have to navigate our way through this narrow and long (621 miles long, and at its most narrow point, 1.5 miles wide) strait from Myanmar to Vietnam. It just so happens that the Strait of Malacca happens to be the busiest sea lane in the world and anywhere from 200 to 600 ships pass through there on a daily basis. What makes it easier for pirates, is that it is a narrow and busy region, ships are traveling at a much slower rate and there are lots of inlets and little hidden bays that pirates can hang out in until they are ready to pounce. The three countries that share the strait, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Singapore are responsible for protecting the region; however, there is poor communication between the countries and there have been disputes over who does what and where.

In today’s world you could categorize pirates into three categories. The Individual Entrepreneur – a family operation or small group doing it to get by. There are the Gang Pirates, who are much more organized and are the type we think of when we watch “Pirates of the Caribbean,” and most put the pirates off the coast of Somalia in this category. They are much more organized, sophisticated, and experienced at sea battle. Then there are the type of pirates that governments fear most, Political Pirates, or Terrorist related pirates. The good thing is that most ships are equipped with a variety of equipment to ward off and defend themselves in case of an unlikely attack by pirates. As far as our ship goes, the MV Explorer, we have speed; we are the fastest passenger cruising ship in the sea. Second, we have fire hoses. I know this might sound childish, but when you have pirates climbing up the side of your ship, a powerful stream of water will knock the back to the sea. They are also useful for when there is a small ship approaching yours; a hose could easily capsize a small boat with a powerful blast of water. Also, when we are traversing these dangerous waters, there are crew members stationed all over the ship keeping their eyes peeled for unwanted sailors, there will be even more stationed when we are heading down the Strait of Malacca…stop worrying Mother. This makes the journey all the more exciting!

To bring a smile to ward off those fears of pirates, I’ve got a little Pirate joke for you…
What is a Pirates favorite thing to do…..?
MATE!!!!!!!!!! HAHAHAHA.

OK, OK, sorry, I just had to throw that out there. Anyway, it is a stunning and perfect day at sea. The boat is rocking nicely, and the sun is shining brightly, I did my sunning for the day after my morning classes. I have rehearsal this afternoon and this evening, a few committee meetings tonight, and then the Faculty, Staff and Adult Passenger Social. Each sea has one and it is your chance to drink “adult beverages” with the elder members on board. Should be fun. We decided to make ours the Conversation Piece Social, so you have to either wear or bring something that your bought in port to provoke conversation and make it all the more entertaining and cultural.

Well, I’ve got to do some line reviewing! Till next time.

Cheers Mates!

Cape Town, South Africa

Well, well, well. Here we are. Get ready for story time folks; cause there is a lot to go through.

First things first, location update:
Latitude: 35 degrees, 9.4 minutes S
Longitude: 20 degrees, 21.4 minutes E
Average Speed: 15.71 knots
Distance to Mauritius: 2161 NM
Sea Depth: a shallow, 396 feet
Sea Temp: 22 C, 71.6 F
Air Temp: 21 C, 68 F
Moderate Seas with a long swell. Winds coming from the SE at 10 knots.
Swell Height: 2.5 m, 8-10 feet

My o My o My o My. I don’t even know where to begin. My brain is mush with thought as I begin to reflect and think back on the experience I so sadly walked away from. Cape Town is an amazing city. South Africa is a stunning country, filled with opportunity, adventure, poverty, and an eclectic blend of residents that call themselves South African. From the Kariega Reserve to the Stellenbosch Wine lands, and the Cape Town Waterfront to the Green Point Flee Market, there is just so much to do and 6 days was no nearly enough time. However, I got a great appetizer of what this country has to offer. Now, let’s start from the top.

Upon arrival on the great St. Valentine’s Day (which is celebrated in South Africa), we were delayed about 4 hours pulling into port because of fog. I woke up for sunrise at 0620, not knowing what to expect considering visibility was just AWFUL. However, when the sun crept its way over the mountains that line the coast of South Africa, it was a sight that will never leave your eyes. As the sun rose, the fog took on the colors of the sun with a blinding reflection off the ocean. From a roaring red to a outrageous orange, when the sun rose over the mountains, your breath was pulled right out of your body and you found yourself in a speechless awe and wonder. Truly stunning. We found out around 0700 that the Cape Town port was officially closed until later notice, so we had no idea when we were going to be getting into port. The ship ended up farting around for a while before anchoring. When the fog did clear and the sky turned cerulean blue, looking out in the water I was stunned to see so many boats and barges and tankers just patiently floating and waiting to get entrance into the fogged harbor. We ended up docking just before noon having supposed to done so by 0800. The ship was cleared and we were off into the city for about 1330.

Three of us (thankfully) ended up perusing the waterfront, poking our head into some shops, exchanging currency, and sipping on some amazing South African wine at a little café. The waterfront in just nearly three years old and everything there is really brand new. There is a MASSIVE mall, and tons and tons of restaurants. Not to mention the countless boat tours, shark cage diving boats, parasailing, deep-sea fishing and sun set catamaran cruises. It was a bustling waterway and the land right away there was just as busy. After some amazing wine and cheese, it was off to the theater for me.

At 1830 our bus took off for the ARTSCAPE Theater. It is an amazing facility, of which we received a backstage tour and then some. They have four theaters in this venue, a small blackbox (300 seats), a typical theater (about 800 seats) in which touring shows preformed, a studio and rehearsal theater, and an amazing 1200 seat Opera House. The production I went to see was called Umoja. It was the story of South Africa put on by amazing performers. There were always 40-60 people on stage at all times and there voices could have filled a theater triple the size. Music, dance, and constant costume changes made this show a site for the eyes. And, more so, it was the history of the country, so there was an educational aspect as well. But one sec, jump back before the show. After our tour, we were treated to some delicious wine and cheese. Cheeses I’ve never had, seen, or heard of before that filled the mouth with flavors undescribable to the mind. I was in constant aw of the flavors of the wines mixed with the amazing texture and taste cow and goat cheeses. Ok, so I digress…back to the show. From tribal rituals to government portrays, and church services to schoolyards, every facet of life was touched upon. At the end of the show, a typical two-act performance, the audience had no hesitation to show their appreciation and flew to their feet. It was a glorious and uplifting performance. As far as the rest of the audience, it seemed there were people of every ethnic background and all seemed to be regular theatergoers. All and all it was a pleasurable and pleasing experience that shined the light of African Theater on me.

After the show, we headed back to the boat and rounded up a crew to find a place to go on the town. We all ended up at this place called Cool Runnings, which was on Long Street. Long Street is THE place to be when it comes to night life. In a way I regret going to Cool Runnings, as great as it was, it was basically only SAS people there. Funny story: after being there for a bit, there was a food vendor across the street that was cooking up some amazing food. From the smell and line I could tell it had to be something for the taste buds. I made my way over there and got to the front of the line and said to the lady who was covered in grease, with sweat pouring down her face, “I’ll take anything, as long as there is no meat.” She gave me a confused look and said, “No meat?!” I said, “Yes, anything, just no meat.” She failed to understand me and went on to the next customer…I was a bit bothered because I was quite hungry, but at the same time thought it was quite comical because of her lack of understanding for “No meat.” And it’s not that there was not stuff without meat, I saw it there’ I just had no idea what anything was, so I just thought I’d leave it up to her. O well.

The next morning we headed back into town to further explore that great city of Cape Town. We found our was to Green Market Square where Monday – Friday, vendors from SA set up shop and sell all sorts of goods from all over Africa. Artwork, Jewelry, Home Décor, Clothes and Shoes, and food and music, there was something to suit everyone. Like most places other than America in the world, bargaining was key, and made the experience all the more better and worthwhile. After a quick stop at an internet café, we headed back to the ship for dinner. The friends that I had been with all day said they were exuasted and wanted to nap. Well, for those of you that know me well, I HATE NAPPING, and rarely do so. I told them I would wake them up in a few hours when it was time to head out for another night on the town. Well, they failed to wake up so I decided that was going out alone and would hope to run into someone on my way off the ship or in town. Well, just my luck, as I was heading down the gang way there was a group of folks that I knew and I tagged along. We ended up going to this place called Momma Africa. It was a Bar/Restaurant with an amazing live band playing some authentic African Jazz.

The music was unimaginable. Three huge xylophones, all with different key widths to make different sound, along with three drummers, a sax on occasion and a jaw-dropping, ear pleasing singer that blew the doors off for hours on end. There is authenticity and originality to their sound; something about it that made it like nothing you or I had ever heard before. It brought joy to your body and forced you to smile and enjoy. Unfortunately, I could not stay for too long, just a few hours, because I had a 0330 wake up call for my Safari!

Now, run and get your safari gear, and bring on the game life. Be prepared to be shocked and I recommend wearing a diaper or two…I didn’t and learned the hard way. Let’s see. Where to begin. Well, I had to be in the cafeteria on board the ship for breakfast by 0400 because my bus to the Cape Town airport was leaving at 0430. Our flight was at 0600, and our group of 21 got to the airport only 45 minutes before our flight…I know what you thinking…O GOD, YOUR NEVER GOING TO MAKE IT!!! HA! So, we check in and by the time we do so it’s about 5 of 6. We are then rushed onto a shuttle bus and taxied to the tarmac where the plane awaits our arrival. They were holding the plane just for us. Once on board the South African Express Airways jet enroute to Port Elizabeth, it was time to fly. We literally sat down and the planes started moving.

Let me just mention that Africa, and South Africa for that matter was completely unexpected. I went not knowing what to expect at all, but even so, everything that happened and what I saw was nothing that I could have ever fathomed Regardless. As our plane took off and headed east, we soared over some stunning mountains and made our way above the clouds. About 15 minutes into the flight, the colours of the sun began to penetrate their way through the clouds and give a morning glow to dull sky. Her rays were blinding as they climbed higher and higher over the mountains. The sun burned off the fog and the skies cleared and that stunning blue was back filling the air. It was a breathtaking and stunning expirence vividly imprinted on my mind.

When I first took my seat on the plane, I was seated in a double with an older gentleman. I said, “Hello,” and he did the same. That was it really, he went to sleep and I started reading the magazine on the plane. Something very impressive about South African Express Airways is that the CEO is a woman, and a black woman at that. This came as a great shock considering that it was only 12 years ago that blacks were able to get every day, real jobs. Let alone become a CEO of one of the biggest and most successful corporations in South Africa. Anywho, I was stunned when the flight attendants began coming around giving out boxed breakfasts! They were fantastic! In this little box was a croissant, ham, and cheese (of which I gave away), a delicious yogurt, a fresh fruit cup, and a tasty snack bar – which I saved for later. We were also given juice, I chose the Peach, which was delicious. Once we were finished with the meal, the attendants came around again with tea and coffee!!! I was absolutely floored by this. Christ, on American flights you’ve gotta pay for some damn peanuts, let alone a full breakfast!

OK, so now, what you’ve all been waiting for. We land in Port Elizabeth, which is on the coast about 900km east of Cape Town. A bit less than 600 miles. From there we boarded a bus and were off on our hour and a half drive north to the Kariega Game Reserve. In heading there, we ended up stopping by this quaint little town, not really a village, but for literary sakes, we’ll call it that for fun. This village consisted of a row of shops on either side of the street. Say about 10 total. Of the 10 shops, 4 of them were real estate offices because just before this village is a river with some beautiful river front properties. Other shops included a local crafts place, clothing boutique, video rentals (most recent rentals from about 6 months ago in the states), a decent grocery store, and a lovely little café. It was funny; most of us bombarded this café for the bathroom and a light snack. The owners of the café, so it seemed, were the ones doing all the work. He was behind the counter doing the cooking and she was out front doing the waiting and serving. An older couple, in their fifties perhaps. She got quite frazzled when her relaxing morning was abruptly interrupted by a bunch of hungry tourists. I sat down and had a “lovely” pot of tea with a delicious scone (Kim, I am sorry to tell you, but I think I might have met your scone-match-maker). The plain scone was served with shredded cheddar cheese, butter, and jam. A perfect mid-morning snack, really. After leaving there, we headed down the road a bit further where we stopped at this picturesque beach to snap a few photos and get our first official glimpse of the Indian Ocean. I stuck my feet in and grabbed a few shots of it. It was pretty damn cold for it being the warmest ocean in the world.

Alright, alright, enough with the fluff and bullshit…on with what you want…SAFARI!!!! After driving through valleys and looking out over fields, we arrived at the Kariega Game Reserve. Again, it was a place like nothing I could have imagined or expected. As our motor coach made it’s way down and around and through the dirt road, there was a boiling energy running through our veins. The great thing about the Safari I choose was that there were only a total of 22 of us, including our tour guide. Before we even arrived at reception we were all stunned and amazed when we saw three giraffes off in the distance. Little did we know there would be multiple daily encounters with these giant, soaring creatures. When we arrived at reception, we were greeted by our two Rangers, Leonard and Terrance and were given a delicious cup of iced tea that was like no iced tea I’d ever tried before! It was a naturally sweet, exotic tasting tea that was soothing and thirst quenching. Anywho, once we checked, we boarded our game drive, all-terrain vehicles and were shuttled off to our Chalets for a quick minute. From there we went back to the main lodge where we were served our first lunch…words cannot even begin to justify and describe the taste of this delicious food, and to think we would have three more days of it! After that we had an hour to ourselves before our first 1600 game drive.

One thing, the weather of course, some might have said, was not in our favor. It was a bit cool and misting the entire time. I think it made the experience much more authentic and only added to life in the Bush. So, we boarded our fully exposed, all-terrain vehicles and were headed off into the reserve in search of game life. The vehicles were amazing. They were everything I’d expect in a Safari vehicle, and then some. Of course they were a version of a Toyota Land Cruiser. There was four rows, a front row where a driver and passenger sat. Then up a level was the second row, the third and fourth. There was no top, no windshield, just semi-soft cushioned seats with a metal bar in front of you which you will learn to hold on to…tightly, A LOT! As we begin to make our way further and further into the Bush, we were again confronted by a group of giraffes. To our amazement, our Ranger, Leonard, swerved off the road and onto the grassy terf to get a closer look. Little did we know, this would only be the beginning of what turned out to be an amazing, adventurous, and awesome expedition. After enjoying the giraffes for a bit, it was off to the Big 5 side of the reserve. Africa is know for it’s Big 5 - the Buffalo, the Elephant, the Leopard, the Lion, and the Rhino. These Big 5 are categorized together because they are Africa’s biggest and most dangerous animals to hunt. The Big 5 are kept in a different region from the giraffe’s and other animals, simply because they can maintain a health population by doing so. However, once the population of a particular species gets to high on the side with out the bulk of predatory animals, they simply move some over to where the hunters reside and bang! Nature runs its amazing course.

We first went in search of some elephants. There were only a few rules that we were told of – no yelling when we see an animal, to stay seated when you see an animal that would charge (i.e. lion, rhino, elephant, etc.), and to try to keep your flash off on your camera. Well, it just so happens that when we found the herd of elephants, about 12 females with two brand new born babies, and one adolescent male waiting for the day he can join the big boy elephants, Jeffrey got VERY excited and was just so stunned that he screamed! I really couldn’t help it, my mother would of done the exact same thing. Thankfully, my scream did not come off as a threat to these stunning and powerful creatures and they kept on doing what they were doing. They began to walk in a line, mostly single file, two-by-two when it was a younger one walking with mom. But the little babies, that were born just a few weeks before we got there, stayed very close to their moms and to the matriarch of the herd. They walked between their legs and stayed in close link with their powerful and protective mom’s and aunts. We followed them for about a half and hour, and decided to change our direction in search of something a bit more dangerous.

We traversed our way up mountainsides and through the depths of the valleys. Once we had crossed the main valley, we were in search of the Lady Lions, lionesses to be precise. There are two of them. Our trusty Ranger was truly a genius and made the trip one hundred million times better. We stopped so he could stand up and look through his binoculars to the other side of the mountain across the valley in search of the two ladies. He knew they would be resting for two reasons – 1. Lion’s sleep about 20 hours a day, and 2. They had just killed a wildebeest the day before. His well-trained and keen eyes spotted them on the other side of the valley, resting together, perhaps waiting to be hungry again. Back we went down the steep mountainside, through the valley and back up the other side. The terrain these vehicles could cross was amazing, there was nothing holding up back and we had a driver with guts of glory which made it all the better. As we made our way up the other side of the slope, we had to be sure to keep good sharp eyes in case we just happen to stumble across them. Of course we didn’t and it was our trusty ranger that spotted them and magically created a course to let us view them. They were just beautiful animals. Peacefully resting, you’d think you could just run up and pet them! I wanted to. Thankfully this time I didn’t’ scream and we were able to watch them for about 20 minutes in a peaceful, resting manor. One of the main reasons you don’t want to stand up in the vehicle when you see a lion is because they will pinpoint you as their target and threat. Not because of the reason’s you’d think though. Hunters in the Bush are all color blind (expect for the cheeta), therefore, when we were parked there admiring their beauty and taking photos, all the lions saw was sort of a blob of color, nothing that really stood out and gave them a reason to attack. Its also the reason that lions still need to fight for survival, because to our eyes a zebra may stand out like a sore thumbs, however, to the color-blind lion or leopard, its quite different. You see, in the Bush – there is a reason for everything. Nothing in nature is done for aesthetic purposes or because it can be. There are reason’s zebra’s are black and white stripes, there are reasons why a giraffe has big brown spots with a light tan outline around them. There are reasons why the springbok has groves in its antlers, and there are reasons why trees are poisonous. All of which I can talk about with you later, but I’m sure your eyes are getting tired already from reading this so far. So, we’ll keep to the exciting essentials. Anyway, after that we headed back to the lodge for dinner – which again was absolutely amazing. I can’t even remember the specifics of the food each day, but there was a different vegetable soup with each lunch and dinner – from butternut to spinach, and carrot to corn. The flavours of this food were out of this world…well, out of the American world, because I was in Africa! HAHA!

That night we were all exhausted from being up since 0330, so it was an early to bed because we had an early wake up call…a 0600 game drive to see how the animals came alive in the morning. We started in search of the white Rhino that are on the reserve, but didn’t try to hard because there were other plans for the morning. We made our way into the main valley where the Kariega River flowed through, and on our way there we got up close and personal with a few herds of zebra, a bunch of wildebeest, blesbuck, springbuck, giraffes, and of course the famous Blue-balled monkey. When I say blue balls, I mean it. The testicles on the male monkey were bright, electric, neon-80s BRIGHT BLUE! It’s where their name comes from. When the Dutch first discovered this creature that is what they named it after, the Dutch name being Vervet Monkey – in English – Blue Balled Monkey!

We arrived at the river and boarded the Kariega Queen River boat for a ride upstream in hopes of viewing some of the 250 bird species that either permanently reside, or pass through on their migration trip. It was another dreary morning, poor visibility due to fog, and a steady mist, but again, it added to the experience 10-fold for me. Besides, I was prepared; I was Safari-clad out to the max. They loaned us ponchos, but I had the perfect attire and a great hat that was perfect for my expedition. After a nice ride up the river we turned around to head back to the trucks for the rest of our game drive. We went in search of some hippo, which we found, but they are so damn good at staying underwater, we didn’t get a great view. We headed back to the lodge for breakfast.

After breakfast, a few of us decided we wanted to go on a hike through the trails of Kariega. Don’t get nervous, you’re not allowed to hike on the Big 5 side of the reserve. When we told Leonard the trail we wanted to hike he said that he would come with us because that was the region where the Rhino’s had been hanging and he’d want to be with us, god for bid we round a corner and there they are. So, off we went on the SunSet trail with Leonard as our guide. Within the first 20 minutes, we rounded and corner, and I kid you not, not 15 feet in front of us was Diggler the dominant male Giraffe. He is the biggest giraffe on the reserve and he was as cool as can be. He knows that he is damn good looking and has a constant following of lady giraffes. Each time we saw him he was crowded by a female or two along with their babies that Diggler so proudly bore. WOW! It was so exciting, and thank god I had learned to control my excitement and not scream like I did with the elephants. He just stood there and let us take pictures and talk to him and enjoy his flawless spots and beauty. We continued on our way, learned about termite mounds and trees, impala and aloe. Something amazing about the massive, sometimes 5 feet tall termite mounds is that there are millions of tiny termites living and working inside there. (African termites look NOTHING like American House destroying termites) There are two main types of termites that reside in these massive ant-like hills. There is the worker termite, who like most American’s, spends all of his life working. He has a big claw on his head that helps him carry sand. Then there is the military, or defense termite. These boys come in handy when a predator is hungry and invading the house. They expel an acid that is quite bitter and nasty tasting; it can burn a tongue and even the skin if exposed to enough of it for an extended period of time. They too, do their part to help mend and constantly build the house.

After finishing the Sunset trail, three of us decided to go for another hike on the Wildebeest trail. It was a three-hour hike, probably a few miles that took us up into the back hills of the reserve. We passed by a massive herd of wildebeest, zebra that came out of nowhere, bouncing impala, and one of the most dangerous animals on the reserve…the tortoise. (Note: thick sarcasm implied) We also found a several remains to animals. A skull to a zebra, and a jawbone to an animal we couldn’t ID. At the top of this hike was the Kantaz Lookout, in which if you are not paying attention and you take a step too far, down you fall over 400 feet into the Kariega River below. It is a stunning cliff and across it you see hills, fields, and valleys with views as far as the eye can see. Truly took your breath away.

After that it was out for another game drive. We went in search of Rhino, and sure enough we found em’. It was mom and her baby, along with the dominant male on the reserve who was just hanging out until the female Rhino went into heat again...if you get my drift. They were just resting and enjoying the mist run off their leathery skin. Thankfully, mom was in a good mood and didn’t mind us admiring her and her calf; otherwise she might have charged the vehicle. After that we went back over to the Big 5 side in search of the King of the Plains, the beast of all beasts…the Male Lion. After about an hour of search and stumbling across elephant herds and passing through hoards of impala and springbuck, we found them. Two brothers. Resting. Just sleeping, enjoying themselves. They were out in the open two, unlike their lady counterparts. They were sleeping behind a bush on the open plains, using the bush to block the wind and absorb some of the mist that was yet to cease. They were in the exact same position the entire time we admired them. Each of them slowly adjusting at separate times, but one of them, just one of them giving us the yawn of a lifetime! Thankfully, I brought my trusty and quick, big lensed, traditional 35-mm camera and I was able to capture their every movement. All in all I ended up taking 12 rolls of real film and over 400 pictures on my digital. Needless to say, I have the Safari experience well documented.

Well, that about covers it. We went back for dinner that night, which was once again, amazing. The next morning we did another game drive, and ended up getting better views of the hippo, which was nice. After that it was back on the bus to head back to the airport to head back to Cape Town.

We got back into Cape Town on Saturday evening. The friends of mine that were back from their respective Safari’s and I tried getting tickets to the Rugby game that was being played 10 minutes away, but it was sold out. So we went to a sports bar and watched it from there. It’s quite the sport, and when it is one that the country goes nuts for; a sports bar can be quite the crazy place to watch it. Yet another great sporting experience. Sunday was off to the Flee Market. The Greenpoint stadium was home to a massive weekly flee market where vendors from all over South Africa came to sell their goods and give you “a very special price.” There was easily over 1,000 vendors, and we didn’t get through ½ of it in the four hours that we spent there. Unfortunalty for us, our day started later than we wanted it too because 80% of Cape Town was out of power. Why, you might ask? NO one know. Usually the government told people when they were going to turn off the power for a while, but not this time. It went on for the rest of the time we were there and the city did its best to do what it could with the limited supply of power.

Now, as for Monday…TO THE WINE LANDS WE GO! Six of us hired a driver for the day to take us about 45 minutes outside of Cape Town to the Stellenbosch Wine Lands. The biggest in South Africa, Stellenbosh is home to more than 200 vineyards. We got picked up around 0945, and didn’t’ get back until after 1800. We stopped at three vineyards and also at a Brandy factory(?). It was a day full of tasting of which an abundance of education came with it. Fine wines, great crackers, and an amazing lunch, along with understanding and acquiring a taste for a wine by-product (Brandy), it made the day truly memorable. Not to mention our wonderful driver, Mark, who was filled with the knowledge of his country and was willing to talk and talk and talk and talk.

South Africa. A place I cannot put words to, really. Poverty runs throughout, yet the wealth can be overwhelming. A country taken over by a dangerous virus, yet the 8th largest producer of wine in the world, it is a place of endless options. From the Atlantic to the Indian, and the coast to the plains, it is a place rich in culture and history. A depressing history, yes, but a place that has come so far in such a short time that it is something to speak of. The people are people who are genuinely happy and always willing to talk. The people who are accepting of life and are grateful for all that they have. It is a country and a people who are filled with hope. South Africans live their life by way of a tribal theory called Ubuntu. In fact, it is South Africa’s biggest secret, and because of it, they are one of the most successful democracies and blossoming cultures in Africa. Ubunto is a way of relating to people, a philosophy, and it allows for the individual emergence of people. Mbiti, a tribal leader of the San tribe described it by saying, “I am because we are, and since we are, therefore, I am.” A person is a person through persons. I think if more people all over the world thought this way there would be a better understanding of individual people. We are all people who have grown because of each other, and because of that, we are.

Well, I’m back at sea now, and will be until I think the 27th of February. There is still so much missing from this story in South Africa. I’m still overwhelmed with the idea of it all, as we’ve all said on board, the experience of it all might not hit for real until we get back home in the States. I hope all is well at home and the snow turns to spring buds soon. By the way, did the ground hog see his shadow?!? O and one more thing, what’s the news like now that our wonderful and warm hearted Vice President shot someone? My theory is: Dick found out his hunting buddy contributed to a Democrat and it was his way of taking him out…accidentally.

Well, I’m off to rehearsal! Cheers!

Let's Catch Up!

From sea…

Location update as of noon on February 10, 2006:
Latitude: 28 degrees 25.6 minutes S
Longitude: 007 degrees 3.7 minutes W
Average Speed: 18.25 knots
Distance to Cape Town: 1350 NM
Sea Depth: 12,136 feet
Sea Temp: 25 C, 77 F
Air Temp: Same
Calm seas with great visibility and sporadic clouds. Swell height: 1 meter

Location update as of noon February 11, 2006:
Latitude: 30 degrees, 36.5 minutes S
Longitude: 0 degrees 8.3 minutes E (WELCOME TO THE EASTERN HEMIPSHERE!!!)
Average Speed: 17.3 knots
Distance to Cape Town: 953 NM
Sea Depth: 10,046 feet
Sea Temp: 23 C, 73.4 F
Air Temp: Same
Easterly winds blowing at a light 3 knots. Low swell, wave height: 2 feet.

Location update as of noon February 12, 2006:
Latitude: 32 degrees 21.9 minutes S
Longitude: 007 degrees 34.6 minutes E
Average Speed: 16.46 knots
Distance to Cape Town: 558 NM*
Sea Depth: 16,206 feet
Sea Temp: 23 C, 73.4 F
Air Temp: 22 C, 71 F (a bit chilly if you ask me)
Winds from the SSW with a long and low swell, expected to pick up into the night…and it did.

*1 Nautical Mile = 4,394 feet, or 8\10 of a mile

The ship is finally back to rocking. It has been dead calm for the past week or so and it has felt like we are not even on the ocean. Thankfully, we are back to some good ol’ ocean motion.

Well, first allow me to apologize for the time it has taken me to post a new blog. I promise to make this one doubly good. I have been absolutely exhausted and just could not bring myself to write. I thought about it a lot and even made several attempts, but just couldn’t do it. Get excited though, because a lot has happened since we last chatted. From the Bridge Tour to a Kick-Ass 80s Dance Party, these past few days leading up to Cape Town have been quite nice.

We’ll start with the logistical information. As far as this ship is concerned and its environmental practices while at sea, we go far and beyond what is required for vessels over 400 tons. It was amazing to learn what the ship does below the decks of passenger occupation: from an incinerator to a giant food processor, and a bacteria eating fungus that purifies and cleans our human excrement to a massive fridge to store all the bad food…we are just loaded with extras. As great as it was to learn about the environmental practices of the ship, it was also horribly depressing. I called the event educationally depressing. Mainly because I found out what our fuel consumption per days is. Granted, it all depends on speed however; if you take our average overall speed and say that it is maybe 18-20 knots…we are burning 100 metric tons of fuel per day. Now, the cost you might be thinking? Again, depending on where you get it, fuel for the ship can run anywhere from $280-$450 per ton. If the ship were to use all four of its engines (engine number depends on speed) and run at full speed, 28-29 knots, it would burn almost 200 metric tons of fuel a day. So, figure it cost about $35,000 a day…on fuel alone. Hey, at least I know where I my tuition went!

The ship also has a reverse osmosis processor. Another words, it takes ocean water and converts it into fresh water for drinking, showering, and washing. There are two of these machines and while at sea they only need to use one of them to make what we consume per day: about 250 cubic meters. When using both machines, it can create double that…obviously. In addition to the fresh water maker, there are also 8 storage tanks for fresh water that get used while in port, however, they are always full while we are underway for weight and stabilization purposes…which leads me to my next point.

One of the things about traveling long distances at sea is that the weight of the ship is going to change dramatically. From fuel usage, to food consumption, there is going to be a serious change in the way the ship moves through the water when this happens. That is where Ballast Tanks come in handy. There are three of them, one right in the Bow (front) and one on each side, port and starboard, just forward of center. (If that makes sense) Now as we go and loose initial weight, these tanks draw in ocean water to stabilize the ship and keep the ship’s draft (how much the ship sits in the water) at a safe depth. These tanks are also a part of the stabilization unit that helps make the ship not so rocky. Now, consider this. We leave Salvador and fill our Ballast tanks part way. When drawing in this water we take in an entire ecosystem of life that can live and go on in these tanks (when I say ecosystem, I mean hundreds of thousands of little bits of plankton: mini plants and animals). Usually, once you get to your next port you would dump the tanks, expelling the ecosystem in a completely different part of the ocean, introducing foreign species into the environment. Come August 2006, the IMO (International Maritime Organization) is setting the ground work for filling Ballast tanks and perhaps after two days of travel, emptying them and refilling, repeating this process as you cross whatever body of water you are doing, therefore not dragging these ecosystems all the way across the ocean. Thankfully, our ship already does this.

The Bridge Tour was very interesting. However, to my disappointment, there was no big classic steering wheel that we all see in our minds when we think of driving a ship. It was a tiny little wheel, not even 12 inches across. It was more of an absorbing atmosphere than it was anything else. There are at least two or three of every piece of electronic and technical machinery on board, just in case something goes wrong with one, there are one or two more to back it up. From depth finders to GPS, we are overstocked and ready for anything. Interesting tid bit: when the ship goes up and down, front to back, that is called pitching. When the ship sways side to side, that is called rolling. You would always prefer to pitch rather than roll, and when in a big waved environment, you want to reduce your speed, and try to have the waves come from behind, pushing the boat forward therefore not creating as much strain and pound on the hull (underside, front). Because remember, this ship is made of steel, and too much pounding down onto the ocean will create a massive hole in the ship. HA. HA.

All right, enough of the technical crap, on with the good, juicy stuff.

So, the ‘Rock the Bizz-oat’ Dance club decided to throw a P-A-R-T-Y. From a city boy, born and raised in South Detroit to Billy Jean and Jesse’s Girl , everyone and their mom was there. And When the Lights Go Down on the City, it was Footloose when I Fought the Law Time After Time. The Smooth Operator made it easy because I Want to Break Free and Baby Baby, She’s Got the Look. Can you Guess what era this party was from?!?!?! Never in a million years did I expect more than half the ship population to indulge on this exciting opportunity. I know I didn’t hesitate in creating the most hideous, tacky, yet tastefully 80s ensemble. We’ll start from the bottom up. My sneakers (blue and orange), with heinous, chunky red leg warmers, electric aqua blue boxer briefs with a pair of tiny, short blue, pink, yellow, white, and orange stripe boxers over them (my neighbors). A lime green t-shirt cut midriff, no sleeves and the neck line cut out. To top it all off, a white headband and red armbands on each arm… You know where the gym is anyone? It was the greatest outfit I have ever come up with while being incredibly unprepared for an event like this. It was really disgusting to see what kind of gear people had with them on board, from full body spandex suits to distasteful fanny packs, and socks with pumps to karate kid costumes. It was definitely the best night on the ship so far. The only thing was, the dance party was in the Union where there is not a ton of room for 500 + people to be dancing…so you couldn’t really dance and move much. I was also quite perturbed by the fact that the guys got screwed when it came to the best costume competition. They just didn’t call us out. It was ridiculous and there was a major uproar about it. Anywho, it was an amazing party and you will truly die when I find a damn way to put pictures up…hoping to in Cape Town, hoping to.

As for everything else, I’m less than 24 hours from Cape Town, South Africa – about 22 if you want to get specific. It is going to be an amazing trip. From a bustling Waterfront to the Winelands, and Green Market Square to Table Mountain, it is an eclectic European and African melting pot that is overflowing with activity. It is the oldest city in South Africa, officially settled by the Dutch in 1652, though the Portuguese, English and Spanish had been using it as a stoop over and trade stop for almost a 100 years before then. With Explorers like Vasco Da Gamma and Bartolomeu Dias, the Cape was commonly explored in the early 1500s. King Joao III of Portugal named it the Cape of Good Hope. He named it this believing that its successful navigation would bring riches of India within Portugal’s reach at last. It was a dangerous and scary area, known for its massive storms that would engulf sailors and ships. In 1647 the Dutch Ship Haarlem, ran aground in Table Bay. After being stranded for more than a year, the sailors made friends with the natives and decided to make it a permanent stop for traders and merchants sailing around the horn of the great continent of Africa. As with all colonization and settlement, there was massive amounts of native deaths to the Khoi and San people who had inhabited the region for thousands of years before these vicious Europeans arrived on their soil. Jump to modern day…well, the 50s to 90s while under apartheid rule, it was the rise of the Great Nelson Madella that helped save this amazing country. Captured in 1962, and imprisoned in 1964, he spent 26 years in jail for his country, telling his people he was prepared to die. Madella entered the ANC (Afrikan (not a spelling error, it’s a nationality) National Congress) in the 50s, helping to develop the Freedom Charter for South Africa that begins with familiar words: “We The People…” In 1984 there was a democratically elected ANC that lead to the end of apartheid rule. Mandella was released from Robben Island in 1990.

As for my itinerary: We arrive on the 14th, tomorrow. I’ll be spending the first day perusing my way around the city and then heading to the theater for a night of wine and cheese and a typical UMOJA African performance. As for Wednesday, maybe an afternoon trip to the Winelands via the South African train system. I leave at 0430 on Thursday morning for Kariega Reserve to spend three days and two nights on Safari. I think, I do think that that will be quite a good time. I return on Saturday evening, who knows what might happen then. As for Sunday, we are thinking of making that our adventurous day, though still not sure what: shark diving, sky diving, abseiling, or hang gliding. Sunday evening, depending on what happened earlier in the week, we might head out to a Wine Estate and spend the night at a B&B (painfully cheap) and wake up to a day full of delicious wine tasting. We leave on Monday the 21st at 2300…so, again, I think, I do think it will be a good time


Well, I’ve got to begin my day. Reading, sunbathing, and back deck Yoga at 1430.

Till next time. Ciao.

Today's Talk

And so we meet again…

Location update as of 2/9/2006 noon time:
Latitude: 25 degrees 36 minutes S
Longitude: 014 degrees 35 minutes W
Average Speed: 18.48 knots
Distance to Cape Town: 1,788 NM
Sea Depth: 9,987 Feet
Water Temp: 26 C, 78.8 F
Air Temp: 25 C, 77 F
Winds coming steady and strong from the East at 17 knots.
Moderate seas with average swells. Swell height: 6-7 feet.

It’s funny, we have slowly decreased our speed each day and somehow it feels like we are crawling now. Odd, considering that we have only decreased speed by less than a half a knot a day.

Anyway. What a day it is. It was a bit tough getting out of bed this morning because it was the third day in a row that we lost an hour of sleep. But the great thing is, there is always time for an afternoon nap on deck 7 in the sunshine. There are adventures in tanning too, though. We were out there for about 20 minutes when we started to feel a drop or two coming from the sky. We slowly and solemnly got up and looked to the front of the ship; it was amazing. You could see the line of rain that we were heading right into. Looking up you could see the massive rain cloud that was releasing its water weight out over the Atlantic. We took cover and within ten minutes, we were through the spits of rain and the sun was back to shining. Thankfully, from there on, there were no clouds and a steady breeze blew to keep that hot sun cool.

I’m very excited about tomorrow’s schedule. I signed up for a Bridge Tour so I’ll be getting a view from the top, and also from the bottom. They (crew members) take you up to the Bridge where they navigate and drive the ship. You also get to tour the bowels of the ship. I’m hoping for a photo op with the Captain and the upper echelon of officers.. The Captain is this confident, stately man who walks around with great pride. We, as his passengers, bow down in his path and worship his steps for he is the god of the MV Explorer. What he says goes, and there is no questioning. When he walks by, voices stop or turn to a whisper and he continues on his way. Its great. I’m hoping to drill some officers with questions. I’m also going to a community college class tonight about the Environmental Practices at Sea which is being put on by the Staff Captain. Should be interesting.

We have school tomorrow then a day off. Then we are back at it until we hit Cape Town on the 14th. Hope all is well in the States.

Till next time my land-living lads and ladies.

Sun Talk

Hello there.

Sea Location as of noon on February 8, 2006:

Latitude: 22 degrees, 31 minutes S
Longitude: 021 degrees, 34 minutes W
Distance to Cape Town: 2,213 NM
Average Speed: 18.8 knots
Sea Depth: 15,235 feet
Water Temp: 27 degrees C, 80.2 degrees F
Air Temp: 26 degrees C, 78.4 degrees F
ENE Winds at 16 knots, moderate seas, average swell length.
Wave Height: 5-7 feet

So here we are, in route to Cape Town. Last night I fell asleep reading the guidebook my dear, dear friend bought me for Christmas…can’t wait. I keep hearing more and more great things about this eclectic old world city that has been infused with modern touches. From Galleries to Markets, and Beaches to Mountains…they’ve got it all. I’m contemplating a few crazy things, i.e.: Cage Shark Diving, Sky Diving, or possibly Sand Dune Boarding (believe it or not, the most dangerous of the three!). Of course, there’s no question I’m doing a tour of the vivid and serenely stunning vineyards of South Africa. I just can’t wait until February 14th. On the 16th I leave for Safari for two nights and three days. The name of the place I’m going is escaping me right now…but you’ll hear it later.

As for ship life, last night was crazy. We had to fill out all the pre-port paper work for the countries we are going to be visiting…two documents for India, four for Myanmar, one for Singapore (details on why we filled this out in a minute), one for Hong Kong and one for Japan. It was insane, mostly because people are just so damn stupid when it comes to paper work and following directions. As for why we had to fill out a form for Singapore…we are going to be anchoring and bunkering (refueling) there. We won’t be getting off the ship; however, we do get our Passport stamped!!! It really is a good idea not to let 700 college kids off the ship considering the laws of that amazing country. Just to give you an idea, gum chewing is illegal, and the fines for littering range from $1,000 to $10,000. If you ask me, I think it should be the same for littering in the US, and all over the world for that matter.

For those of you that watched the State of the Union address, I’ve heard that good ol’ W mentioned Myanmar in a bad way. As of right now, we are dead set on going there, however if the wonderful State Department does issue a statement regarding the military rogue state, it is likely that we’ll be stopping somewhere else instead (Sri Lanka? Thailand? Malaysia?). But again, there is no talk of changing our itinerary...nor does anyone want to. And so help me god, if W screws up yet another big trip in my life (Europe trip in High School)…whoops, I better be careful, he supposedly has the right to invade anyone’s personal information at any time he sees fit, regardless of the law. Well, enough politics…I’m supposed to be disconnected.

I’ve joined several clubs on board. In addition to being apart of the Production Company, I’m a member of the Caribbean Sea Social Shenanigans Committee, the FAB Committee (Floating Activities Board), the Sea Olympics Committee, and the Ambassadors Club. So as you can see, I’m keeping a busy schedule…as usual. Also, I got another script that I’m going to be doing private readings for with two other men, one of which is my Environmental Politics Professor. It is a raunchy comedy that has three characters in the military during Vietnam. I’m just about finished reading through it and it seems great. We’ll be doing that just after we leave Cape Town.

Well, I’m off for now. Enjoy your day in the States…I’ll be sure to enjoy mine at sea.


P.S. Tonight will be the third night in a row that we lose yet another hour of sleep! They are killing us with these time changes all at once! Tally ho.

Brazil, Brazil, Brazil!!!

Well, here we are, back to sailing the wide Atlantic.

Location update:
Latitude: 15 degrees, 17 minutes S
(At 15 degrees S, the sun’s rays are stronger here than anywhere else on earth)
Longitude: 035 degrees, 3 minutes W
Average Speed: 20.32 knots
Distance to South Africa: 3,094 NM
Ocean Depth: 14,805 ft (almost 3 miles)
Ocean Temp: 28 degrees C, 82.4 degrees F
Air Temp: Same
Moderate seas, swells 1-3 feet
*Our clocks advance yet another hour tonight, making the ship’s time 3 hours ahead of EST.

Well folks, now its story time. Where o where do I begin!!! I will simply start by saying that the Futbol (Soccer) game that I saw on Sunday afternoon may very well be the highlight of my entire journey…though we’ll know for sure come May. However, it was DEFINITLY the highlight of my Brazilian spree.

As for the rest of the trip: On Thursday morning I boarded a bus to travel an hour and a half to a place on the water called Praia Du Forte. I had said earlier that it was a fishing village, which is not entirely true. It was mostly devoted and able to be what it was because of the turtle sanctuary that was also there. It was a program devoted to preserving and protecting sea turtles along the 4,000 miles of Brazilian coastline. As informational as it was, I found it a bit depressing. The animals were healthy and everything was clean, however, it was their limited space that bothered me. But this group does good things and has saved hundreds of thousands of sea turtles otherwise. We spent the rest of the afternoon perusing around the town (total tourist town that it was), and ended up on the beach for a bit. The water was amazing; it felt like a cool bath, but was a hot swim. The fishing boats that filled this area were older than I am. Most looked like they wouldn’t be able to survive a typical storm. Painted in bright colors, with their paint chipping and canvas tops falling apart, it didn’t matter; it was a way of life for the residents and fishermen of the region. In fact, we saw one guy have to move his boat from one place to another. The boat was about 20-25 feet or so, and he had to maneuver it with a hand-held rudder. Man did he know how to move this boat in and about other boats that filled this little bay.

For dinner we ate at this restaurant that had a preset meal for us. We got to choose between Chicken, Beef, or Fish. I’m sure all of you can guess what I went with. Well, it was AWFUL. It might have been better if it were not cooked all the way through. It was a meaty, steak-like fish and I prefer those a bit rare. From there we moved as an American mass to a Bar/Restaurant/Live Music place called Souza for some after dinner fun. It was all outdoor and huge! Thankfully our tour guide came with us and he was able to help us order drinks because none of us spoke Portuguese and the waitress would just look at us and laugh. I was happy that the word for Vodka was no different in Portuguese. After being there for about an hour or so, one of the guys from the restaurant comes over to all of us with a stack of Sombreros and starts putting one on each of our heads! Well, I just couldn’t take it anymore; I sprung to my feet and began to dance - as did everyone else. We started a crazy Conga line and I was doing my best to pull other people form the crowd that were not with us. Well, there was this one guy who joined our line. He was a GIANT. I am not exaggerating when I say that he was at least 7 FEET TALL!!!! Once we got back to the dance floor he kept dancing with us and started asking us where we were all from. United States I said, his face went from smile to frown and he put two thumbs down and started screaming “BOOO BUSH!!!!!” I loved it, as did about 95% of the kids I was with…it was great. We hugged and took pictures together. He ended up being a French-German that lived in Sweden.

The next day it was rise and shine for 0730 breakfast at the hotel. After that we boarded these big Jeeps that were all open on the sides with roll bars and roof. They each had 4 rows of seating including the front seat. We had a 20-minute ride to the river that we would be canoeing. Well, we were on the main road for a while and then turned off. It was then that I realized why we were traveling in these off road vehicles. We drove by shacks and villages that were in the middle of nowhere. Mules and horses roamed while residents worked in whatever that were doing, each of them lifting their heads as we drove by. At one point we all had to duck and block the limbs and braches that were making their way into our off-road trekker. I have this picture of us going down a hill (kind of like a roller coaster…haha, you think I’m kidding) and there was no more than 3 inches on each side of the vehicle. We were driving through a trench that had been carved out after years and years of erosion and had unearthed rock and dirt. Luckily, these vehicles just barely were able to pass. Soon our adventure ride ended and we came to our river/creek/stream.

I say river/creek/stream because they had not gotten any rain in a month or so, so the water level was very low and there was barely any current. We boarded our Canadian Canoes (three passenger) and headed downstream with our guide ahead of us. My team, Team Amazing as we liked to call it, did a great job of turning this leisurely canoe ride into a competitive race. We did our part to take the lead (staying behind the guide) and maintain it through some pretty tough waters. When I say tough waters I mean that if you didn’t choose the right side you were going to hit the bottom and have to work like hell to get unstuck. Or, be sure your captain is paying attention that way you don’t ride into a tree hanging out over the water. These trees created homes for spiders, birds, and bugs, bugs, and bugs...it was not something I’d want to just roam into. I was the first officer, and thankfully we had a kick-ass captain on board. Unfortunately we did not get to see any of the small anaconda’s or alligators that frequent this water way. When I say small anaconda…I mean 12-15 feet. I talked to friends that went to the Amazon and they saw anacondas of 20 plus feet!

Half way through our 6-kilometer (a bit over three miles) ride, we took a break on this serene, secluded, and stunning beach where nothing but sea and sand was in plain site for miles and miles. The southern Atlantic is amazing: shades of clear dark blue, with hints of a Caribbean green. The water was about 80 degrees and the waves were amazing. Something that astounded me about this beach was that for miles and miles and miles there was a fence made of old, dried palms leaves about 30-40 feet from the shore. In rethinking this fence, my assumption would be to prevent turtles from going too far up the beach to lay eggs and also to keep turtle egg predators off the beach (foxes). I could be way off though.

We got back in our canoes and began the last leg of our journey. This was a bit more difficult than the first stretch because it was windier and shallower throughout. Regardless, nothing could hold back Team Amazing from maintaining our lead and keeping a safe distance from those behind us. Thankfully, we finished this around 1100 or a bit before, and man it’s a good thing. That sun was getting hotter by the second.

We went back to our hotel for lunch and a bit more free time. At 1530 we got back on our bus and headed to the only castle still standing in Brazil. Built in 1551 north of Salvador, by a man named Garcia Davila. He was a good friend of the King of Portugal and because of that the king gave him this land to build and farm on. Quite the gift considering the amount of land he received. Now, when he first received this parcel, it was a fifth of the size of Brazil…so, about the size of New England along with New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. Eventually this land was subdivided and dedicated to certain people and also to certain types of farming. What made this parcel of coastal land so perfect for this castle, which by the way endured several attacks, was that it could see ships coming from the North from Europe, and from the South from Africa. Once a ship was spotted, smoke signals were sent to Salvador to alert the city of the coming sailors or invaders.

Unfortunately, only about a third of the total castle is still standing. The Chapel has been refurbished and it gets used on occasion. The original castle stood three stories high and was shaped sort of like an upside down ‘T,’ with one arm shorter than the other. After generations of occupation, the last family to live there simply abandoned this old palace and due to weather and erosion, it crumbled to the ground.

As you all know already, Friday night didn’t turn out to well. It was the night that my ATM card got eaten by a vicious HSBC machine.

As for Saturday, it was off to Barra for the beach! First we stopped at the Barra mall where there are over 350 Brazilian shops, from shoes to clothes and everything in between…it was absolutely the most overwhelming shopping experience I’ve ever been on! And I’ve been on quite a few. Something that really impressed me were the number of stores that only sold men’s clothing. Of course, this was a pleasant surprise. I did maintain some good self control and I only bought bathing suits, so that was good. I wasn’t leaving Brazil without a bathing suit to two. Something about that great coastal town, was that you could walk around in your suit (a speedo, that is) and it was no big deal, because everyone was doing it! The less you wore, the better you fit in. Brazilians are an incredibly seductive culture and it shines through in their attire. Something to note: if you do go to the beach in Brazil, don’t expect to nap. You will be constantly interrupted by Brazilians trying to sell you everything from aqua mineral to Skol (local beer), and handy crafts to sun screen.

I’ll call the rest of my trip fluff and we’ll skip to the game…and what a game it was. It was Bahia vs. Victoria. We arrived at the stadium, which was more like the Coliseum and I was in total awe. It could seat 96,000 people and by the time the game started, I have no doubt there was AT LEAST 55,000 people there, probably more. We sat all the way at the very top of the Stadium, the true nose-bleeders if you will. However, we all agreed that they were the best seats in the house because not only could you see the ENTIRE field, but you could also see the entire stadium and all the crazy Brazilian fans! Now, I had gone shopping earlier in the day for a few things and two other friends of mine, Chad and Amanda and I decided that we were going to this game clad out in Brazilian gear. I bought Brazilian warm-ups with a matching T-shirt, and my green glasses. Chad had a jersey and Brazilian warms ups and Amanda was decked out in a Brazil jersey and matching skirt…we were THE fans. You could say that we stood out because of our outfits…but it was a good thing! And here’s the thing you’ll never believe. So here we are, about 6 of us, standing in line for some Cervaja (beer). All of a sudden this lady with a cameraman and a microphone comes up to us and starts interviewing me for a Bahian news station!!! She caught me at the perfect moment: I was double fisting, and was surrounded by American friends who were doing the exact same thing. She talked to me for about five minutes and then moved on to a few others of us. They got shots of all of us lifting our glasses and screaming “Bahia!!!!” and so on and so on. I only wish I could of stayed in Brazil to see the footage. If anyone feels like finding it, the news station was called SBT…let me know if you do.

Our climb back to the top was always something. Just think for a minute, the steps are double steps so the climbing is a pain, there are people sitting all over the place, young kids running around, families of five and six with their newborns and young tots. Every type of person was at this game, from kids to cripples, and teenagers to seniors, they were all die-hard Bahia fans. One time, I was the first on in a line of four of us and this big Brazilian man didn’t move for us. I did my best to somehow say excuse me in Portuguese but of course that failed. All I did was look at him and scream, “BAHIA!!!” and it was like the parting of the Red Sea. He graciously moved aside and laughed as we all made our way back to the top.

Victoria scored the first goal and that caused quite the uproar and boooooooo in my section. I cannot even begin to explain to you the amount of energy these fans had, it was in their blood to live for Futbol and it showed. Thankfully in the second half, Bahia tied up the score, and man the crowd went wild for about five minutes…no joke. All we could do as American’s was pretend to understand what they were all saying and just scream “BAHIA!!!” and give them all thumbs up. (The Thumbs-Up is huge all over Brazil, not just at sporting events) Towards the end of the second half, a group of us decided to make our way over to the serious cheering section. It was a group of Bahians and there were about 12 drummers, 2 main leaders that put the crowd into massive chants and of course there were constantly fireworks going off. Again, words cannot express the feelings that come over you while being immersed in this crowd. They loved us, and again all we could do was give them the thumbs up and just keep screaming “BAHIA!!!!” It didn’t matter that we were American, we were cheering for their team and they loved it. Of course once the game was over I was all excited for overtime, but to my serious disappointment, there was no overtime. Supposedly they only do that for the big, big games, and this was not one of them. So a tie it was, 1 to 1.

We found our way back to the busses…and what a trip that was. It was like a massive, thick heard of cattle being moved through this stadium and out into the parking lot and wild street. The whole bus ride back to the ship, which was only about 15 minutes, all we did was chant and cheer about Bahia. The driver loved it. We safely made it back to our palace, our home, our ship - the MV Explorer with plenty of time before getting into trouble. There was energy running through all of our bodies like a wild fire. Everybody felt it; there was a buzz about the ship after this invigorating game.

Well, there you have it…five days of Brazil in a blog-nutshell.

I’m at sea now until the Valentine’s Day. We’re crossing the entire Atlantic…and yet it feels like a backyard lake now. The seas are expected to be calm until we reach Cape Town. However, once we round the horn of Africa where the Atlantic meets the Indian Ocean, we’re expecting to get tossed around a bit.

For those of you wondering about school, it’s going fine. I’m doing a presentation in my Environmental Politics class on Wednesday about my time and experiences in Brazil along with four others who did different things than I did. The show is going well, though we don’t start officially rehearsing until after Cape Town. Well, there is stuff to be done!

Until next time.

Just a little note...

Well, it’s almost game time. What a week (almost) it has been. From canoeing down a river/stream and swimming in the Atlantic with nothing in sight but sea and sand for miles, and from basquing in the glow of the Brazilian sun at the Barra Beach (pronounced Baja) and shopping in the market place; Brazil is an amazing country.

This will be a brief post that will simply touch the surface of what happened in the past five days. For those of you waiting for the photos…I’m SO SORRY! The internet on board the ship is giving me serious problems when it comes to uploading photos…I just don’t get it. But please, I’m still hoping I’ll be able to upload them after the game tonight in a café by the ship before we have to set sail for South Africa.

Funny story, on Friday night I took a walk to the Bank to take some money out with my ATM card. I wrongly assumed that the HSBC bank would be a safe choice because they are all over the States. I put my card in the machine…and the screen went black. I got nothing, and the machine got my card. I picked up the help phone that was there and thankfully ended up with a woman that spoke a bit of English. After explaining my situation in the simplest of forms to her, she informed me that no one was available to send over to get my card back and that I could come back on Monday and it would be no problem to get it then. I kindly explained that I was leaving for AFRICA on Sunday…still, nothing. I went back on Saturday morning to check my luck one more time. I was connected with a gentleman that spoke perfect English and claimed he was going to do all he could to help me. The question I was asked several times by both was if I was an HSBC customer….I’m not. Once again, there was no one around to get my card for me. I’m sure if I was an HSBC customer, they would have had someone over there in a jippy-split second…but no. Thankfully I have an amazing bank at home that is working closely with me and mom to get a card in the mail and make it to me in South Africa.

Well, I’ve gottta run! GO BRAZIL!!!!!!!

City Exploration!

Well, well, well. What a city Salvador is. I was there not nearly a day and I have already learned so may great, funny, and valuable lessons. From knowing how to board the bus and getting told to “Fuck Off!” (Pardon me) by a 10 year old who I refused to give a dollar to, and from the Samba to the sunshine, there is a lot to know about this place!

Just to clear something up first though, my dad had asked me if I got to see the President’s State of the Union address…no, I didn’t. But one of the great things is that we have access to some great free news sites and I have been regularly checking the International Herald Tribune which has articles from all my favorite papers: The one and only New York Times, the great Washington Post, and even some Reuters and Associated Press news. So don’t you all worry, I’ve been keeping a sharp on that out-of-touch Texan freak. I, of course, was deeply saddened but not surprised by the confirmation of the man that will be responsible for destroying my future: Sam Alito, However, I was very happy to see that the Democrats stood (almost as one) to show how they felt. Well, enough politics, BACK TO BRAZIL!

Yesterday we were briefed by a Counselor Agent of Bahia to the US, Heather Marquez. She gave great insight into the political systems of Brazil as well as a broad over view of Salvador/Bahia and the country as a whole.

Once off the ship it was time for some housekeeping matters. We went directly to the post office and it was our first hurdle to leap. Let me just say first that I will never complain about the US Postal service again…talk about slow! Let’s just hope the mail gets out faster than they process customers! Once I got the stamps I needed (and man was that tough…especially since I don’t speak a word of Portuguese!), it was off to the bank. More like banks really, we hit up about five before finding one that worked and thankfully, there was an English option on the ATM.

From there it was time to explore. As for this elevator I mentioned, think of it like any other elevator (you’ll be seeing pictures at the very latest Sunday) that takes you from the bottom to the top. The ride is maybe a minute and you are brought up to the Upper City about, say maybe, 100 yards or so (I’m not to good with vertical measurement guesstimates). What amazing views from atop looking down on the lower city and out over the Atlantic!

We had no plan for the day really, it was just about absorbing and observing all this great city has to offer. We sat down in this café after much debacle over where and what to eat. The food was great. I had this sort of grilled cheese sandwich with tomato and PINAPPLE!! It was great. I local beer is also quite nice as well. From there we went to what I called the Plaza Central because I don’t really know how to say that in Port. That was when I had my first valuable lesson learned. On our walk from the café to the plaza, of course there were emaciated children roaming the streets. The problem is, as soon as you give to one of them, you are swarmed like a fresh pile of crap being surrounded by flies. I’d say the smell is pretty accurate as well. Anyway, this little laddy followed us for about 3 blocks and was constantly nagging all of us for just one dollar. Finally after repeatly saying No, no, no, I stopped and said, “Go away! You’re not getting any money!” I was stunned when he responded with the little English I’m sure he knew, “OOOOO, FUCK OFF!!” I almost died! I can be a very caring, giving, and warm hearted being, but hey, in the countries I’m going to, you can’t have that soft heart of they will suck you dry. All of my friends just stood there in amazement as I got this kid to stop bothering us.

Once in the Plaza, there were these natives doing their Dance. The name of the dance is escaping me right now, but anyway, I stopped to take a picture and one of them immediately came running up to me shaking him tambourine and holding it upside-down so I could put some money in it. I threw him the coins I had in my pocket, a whopping 20 cents of real. He looked at me with a dumbfounded look and said, “That is nothing in Brazil.” Well I almost lost it. How dare you be ungrateful for the change I’m giving you! I said, “Sorry, that’s all I’ve got. And I’m sure you don’t take credit cards, so bye!” And I just walked! Again, my friends were in hysterics.

We roamed and explored a bit more and made our way back towards the Ship. Of course we had to go through the Mercado Modalo, wow, wow, wow. I could spend an entire day there. Art work to Jewelry and any other hand made craft you can think it including clothes, shoes, and hammocks. I’ll tell you, I’ll be stocking up on gifts/souvenirs there!

Come night time, it was off to the Welcome Reception. I unfortunate don’t have time to get into it right now because I have to go and board my bus for Praia Do Forte. I’m going there for the night and will be back on Friday evening. It is a rural fishing village and turtle sanctuary a few hundred miles north of here.

Ciao!

P.S. The weather…a steamy 85-95 degrees!

Welcome to Salvador!!!

Oi (hello)! From Brazil!

Well, it’s about 0800 local time (2 hours ahead of EST) and here we are anchored off the shore Salvador, Brazil. Right now, we are awaiting our health inspection and customs approval. When I woke this morning around 0630 and made my way on deck I was stunned and surprised at what I’m calling “The Unexpected Skyline.” I never anticipated it to look like this. It is a beautiful, different looking skyline with tall, skinny buildings and a bright lower landscape clearly of the Spanish-Portuguese influence.

At around 0700 there was a rainbow over the ocean that touched both sides and you could see it clearly. I even saw some Brazilian Leprechauns swimming around the pot of gold on both sides… As soon as we get off the ship (it might not be till noon or later because there are 4 or 5 ships in front of us) I’ll be doing my best to begin to explore the city of Salvador, also known as Bahia. In this northwestern State of Brazil there is an eclectic blend of inhabitants. Two million thick with people, this city was the former capital until the middle of the 20th century when the government decided to move the Capital city to the South-Central region of the country, now known as Brasilia, to allow for population growth and promote the interior of the country. As a popular northern-coastal port, Salvador, I was told this morning, is like Tampa to Florida’s Miami. An initial stop on many South American cruise lines, the city has a unique layout.
There is an Upper and Lower city connected by a massive elevator (kind of like a NYC Subway, only it goes up and down). It costs 5Relis (about two cents) to ride this massive machine. These next facts will alarm some of you…but not to worry; it’s like any other place you go in the world…THERE IS RISK. Brazil is incredibly crime ridden and you can see someone kissing on the corner while the person walking by them is getting robbed. It happens; just as it does in NYC. With common sense and sharp eyes, most travelers have nothing to worry about. People on the ship have bothered me to no end. Yesterday someone asked whether or not it is OK to take you digital camera off the ship?!?!?! ARE YOU KIDDING ME? I felt bad for the inter-port lectures we had answering these ridiculous questions (Dr. Lillian Duarte – Brazilian Delegate in Moscow, Russia and Narra, a student at a University and resident of Salvador). Lillian and Narra reassured the crowd that even most Brazilians have digital cameras, and again, it is like ANYWHERE you go (including the US), there is risk in what you do.

Tonight I’ll be going to the Welcome Reception hosted by a Brazilian University (not sure which one). We were also informed last night that they found a SOCCER GAME!!! Sunday is the Bahia State Championship and it is the two best teams that are playing…should be quite the site (Don’t worry Mr. Richmond…I’ll talk LOTS of pictures!).

Well, I’ve got to get ready for all this! Much to do before disembarking!

P.S. There is an internet café that I’ll be visiting and once there will be uploading at least 50 pictures or so for all of your eyes to see! I’ll let you know as soon as it is up!