San Francisco
Well, I did write an entry this morning, but it seems to have vanished. The summary was grr to US immigration for insisting upon seeing all 2,500 people face to face before we could get off... and I really don't envy the Moslems on board. Though apparently things have relented, in that last time we entered the US, 5 months ago, officers sailed with us from the previous port and interrogated each of the Pakistanis for an hour. Or so I'm told.
In fairness, given the task the Americans had set themselves, they did it fairly quickly by sending seven officers rather than the one or two that we've apparently had in the past. Though it's slightly disconcerting to see strange men with guns wandering around the crew mess...
Having got off the ship at about 1045 after much queueing, I got on a streetcar and went off shopping. Then I got back to Pier 41 and got a ferry to Alcatraz, where I spent an interesting few hours. Back ashore as the fog rolled in, bought a watch, then went off on an evening tour. Which was pretty (lights of SF from an island in the Bay).
ANd now I'm back, wanting to go to bed (I'm knackered, probably due in part to the fact that I've eaten a slice of pizza, a chocolate bar, and a bread roll since 0830 this morning), but wanting more to stay up to see us leave at midnight and sail under the Golden Gate bridge...
Oh, and I intend to win the Tackyest Gift Award with my rotating-cable-car-music-box =8-)
posted by Simon Tuesday, January 28, 2003
Acapulco
One more fact about the Panama Canal - the charge to P&O for us to go through was just over $200,000!
So, Acapulco... well, it has a very long beach. And not a lot else. I went ashore to see what I could see, got bored and came back. THen I got on a tour for the afternoon, so I saw the famous divers. Which was impressive. And I saw the view from the Chapel of Peace at the top fo the mountain on the other side of the bay. And I had lots of "john wayne lived here once" commentry. Which is not interesting...!
Next stop San Francisco, which excites me. I just booked a trip to Alcatraz online. Otherwise I shall play it by ear. Maybe go and buy a guidebook. The day is curtailed a little as apparently US Immigration often take hours to grant the crew shore leave, so we might not get off until the afternoon. I guess they're scared because we have moslems on board...
posted by Simon Friday, January 24, 2003
Some more facts about the canal that I found out during the day:
At any one time there were up to 40,000 people working on building it. Including, at one point, 40% of the males of Barbados! Nobody is quite sure how many died in the process, as deaths of black workers weren't always recorded. But there is one 9-mile strech which is supposed to have cost 500 lives per mile.
We cleared the canal a while ago, and we're now sitting stationary off Panama City, in the Pacific. I *think* this is because there is a medical evacuation going on, based on putting 2 and 2 together. Which is not that unusual, and after the heat of today..... (it was VERY hot. And humid. Well, we were in the middle of a tropical rainforest...)
Persoanlly, I'm knackered. Days that peak at 34 degrees C tend to have that effect on me...
If anybody happened to capture Aurora going through Miraflores locks on teh webcam (from the link in my last post), could they let me know? It's unlikely, but....
posted by Simon Monday, January 20, 2003
Gatun Lake, Panama Canal
This is very strange to think about. I'm on a 76,000 ton ship, floating in fresh water in the middle of a continent, 85 feet above sea level! And what's more, I'm in the middle of a dense tropical rain forest. I was up at 0600 this morning to see us arrive at the first locks (which was too late to see our first entry into the canal, but there we go...), and to my surprise heard the sounds of a rainforest at dawn all around. We cleared the first locks in a couple of hours (a VERY tight fit), and we're now slowly making our way across the large Gatun Lake. The lake is artificial, thanks to the damming of a river that I can't remember the name of (looks up: Chagres), and is used as the resevoir for the locks. The lake has to supply enough water for locks the size of Aurora... apparently getting us up to this level used something like 15 million gallons of fresh water, which is now in the Atlantic.
I never thought I'd see so many passengers up at six in the morning....
For more info, and a webcam of Miraflores Locks (we'll be there in a few hours), see http://www.pancanal.com/eng/index.html
posted by Simon Monday, January 20, 2003
Curaco
A very Dutch island, with all sorts of other influences ranging from Venezuela (nearer than most of the rest of the carribean islands) to the slave trade. Actually in the town is... well. A very large oil refinery. And an aquarium a taxi ride away, which I didn't get to. Apparently it's amazing, and one of the best in the world. Some pax are spending the day swimming with sharks.
I wandered around the town today, didn't buy a very nice watch cos it was too expensive, and when just about to return to the ship discovered the maritime museum, where I ended up spending a fascinating 2.5 hrs. So, a good day.
posted by Simon Saturday, January 18, 2003
Carribean Sea
Between St. Lucia and Curaco. Spent the mornign on the beach in St. Lucia yesterday. It was really nice, and the most relaxing time I've had in ages. Later, I realised why - I'd gone to the beach with three people who had boyfriends elsewhere. So everybody could just be genuine, without worries about whether anyone's flirting etc... It's not normally an issue with me, but with ship culture it was lovely to be able to talk to somebody without them assuming that you're trying to get them into bed.
posted by Simon Friday, January 17, 2003
Not-quite-so-mid-Atlantic
A day away from Barbados in fact. What's to say... we've on our fifth day at sea. Today I have been scheduled to do *1 hour* of work. Hmm. I will of course do more, as I'm using this time of not being scheduled on many shows to catch up on maintainence and relax. I've had a couple of really nice philosophical discussions at sunset on deck with a random passenger. Which was unexpected and nice. No, it's not romantic. Actually this last week has been the first time I've really been up to watch sunsets - normally I'm working then...
posted by Simon Tuesday, January 14, 2003
Mid-Atlantic
Mid North Atlantic, that is. Not South Atlantic as I was informed by an elderly passenger who was convinced that since we'd left Madeira we must be in the South Seas.
Well, what's happening... With little of my own work to do today, I went and spent yesterday afternoon helping the youth crew clean their ball pool with a scary-looking machine with lots of water and air hoses and stuff. Which was fun :-)
posted by Simon Friday, January 10, 2003
Atlantic, Just left Madeira
Well, we're a few days into the world cruise now. It's kinda exciting, adn at the same time scary, to know that we won't be back until April. Today was Madeira, the third time I've been there but also teh last place to use Euros for about 2.5 months until we reach Greece. Now we have five sea days while we cross to the Carribean, and then a few days there before we go through to the Pacific - which will be a first for me. After the last cruise, which was quite young, it's noticable how old the passengers are on this one. There are 14 children on board, as opposed to 200 odd on teh last cruise, and 8 youth crew!
posted by Simon Thursday, January 09, 2003
"In patriarchal society, the ways to win women, so it is said, are through beauty, accomplishment, and money. Beauty is short-lived and never reliable. So some males make art and literature and philosophy, and perhaps gain a fortune. Other males discover that fortune alone is enough. The two strike pre-emptively against each other by suppressing literature, art, and philosophy; or by suppressing those who have aquired fortunes. Some men and some women stand aside, amused or above it all or just sickened by it, or try to change the rules.
Most, male or female, can't rise above the game and are eager to partake of the glorious, if tainted results.
In the end, all the camps fall back in exhaustion, but the battle is never over."
-Greg Bear, 'Slant'
posted by Simon Friday, January 03, 2003
Atlantic, off Santa Miguel (Azores)
We've just left Ponta Delgada, in the Azores. There were five days at sea to get here, half a day here, and three sea days to go. And we had drills this morning, so the lucky ones among us managed all of 90 mins ashore... still, it was good to get off the ship.
I've just been standing on the top deck with a force 6 howling around my ears, staring at the island shrouded in cloud and shafts of sunlight, and reflecting that some of the most beautiful things I experience are things that I could never capture on film. Wow.
posted by Simon Friday, January 03, 2003