7 August 2000
We left home on Tuesday 1 August. The in-laws took us to the airport, and the beginnings of an arduous journey began. First our flight to JHB was delayed by half an hour. This in itself would not have been a big thing. But we had to collect our air tickets and passports at the JHB airport. And of course this all takes time. We only had 2 hours to get this all sorted out, and were hoping that there would be no problems. But of course there always are problems. After the half hour delay we boarded our plane and flew to JHB with no unusual events. On arrival there was a gentleman waiting for us with our passports (with our Australian visas in them), a great and pleasant surprise. So Gavin took the passports and proceeded to the Singapore airlines desk to get our connecting tickets. The "seaman" helper stayed with me and we waited for all the baggage. Surprised again as all of it came off the roundabout fairly quickly. We then made our way to the international departures. Horrors of horrors, no tickets. They had not been issued. So Gav phoned the office and they said that they would sort it out. By now we had one hour till take off. I went and had some coffee with Leeanne and Gave and the helper tried to sort out. Eventually, after much waiting, we had our tickets. So it was a rushed good-bye to Leeanne, and through the gates to the plane. Of course we weren't able to book any special seats, and got what we were given.

The flight to Singapore was 12 hours long and we crossed 6 time lines. So we left JHB at 14h00 and arrived in Singapore at 06h00 on Wednesday morning. The actual flight was uneventful, I didn't sleep much and watched three movies. On arrival in Singapore we went to a reservations desk and found an hotel to go to. We had a 15 hour layover in Singapore and we both wanted to shower and sleep. We went to the Meridian (8 km from the airport). There was meant to be a shuttle (free), but after waiting 30 minutes for it we decided to take a taxi. We got to the hotel, showered and had some breakfast. We then slept until midday. Now it was sightseeing time. We took a bus to the nearest train station and caught a train to the city. We got off the train at City Hall station and began to walk, Gavin wanted to walk down Orchard Street. Apparently this is the street with all the good shops on it. It was very hot, both of us in track suit pants were boiling in the equatorial heat. I was also hungry, so we stopped off at a McDonald's and had some lunch. On leaving we were caught in a monsoon downpour. We ran to the nearest shelter - a bus stop. And sat waiting for the endless rain to stop. After a while we decided to get a taxi to a market (undercover). So we took a taxi to the "peoples market." We had to pay an extra 70 cents for the taxi because all cars that enter the very centre of the city have a toll to pay. Most get out and walk, but it was pouring.

Our first stop at the market (peoples place) was a photographic shop. Both of us being interested in digital cameras. Of course the sales man was dead keen to sell something and we were just trying to get an idea of what we were looking at as well as general prices. We tried to get out of the shop and the salesman began shouting that he couldn't sell us anything unless we bargained with him. So we began the bargaining process, after much number punching, and disagreeing we got a camera for half the original asking price. We are both very pleased with our purchase. We then decided to see what the other shops had to offer. Mostly the usual things, suitcases, clothes, shoes, etc. We bought Gavin a pair of slops for the ship. He says that they are very nice, and for $8 (Singapore dollars) we couldn't really go wrong. Of course we can't help ourselves but price our new camera and were happy to see that we got what we think is a good deal. The other purchase we did make was a cordless phone. We have been looking for one for ages at home, but always too expensive, so now we have one, just hope it is going to work.

We then left the market and began walking back to Orchard street, taking pics of everything on the way - with our new camera. So my navigation skills were put to the test, but we did manage to get there eventually, lucky I had found a map of the city in the hotel. When we got to Orchard street we decided it was getting late and should really make our way back to the hotel. So down into the bowels of the city to the trains we went. Of course it was now rush hour and the trains packed. The trip to our station (Tampines) was uneventful. After getting off the train we made a quick stop at the spotlight embroidery shop and bought a few things. Embroidery thread here is only 50 Singapore cents a skein. This is about half the price to what it is at home.

We then walked to the bus station, well timed, as our bus had just pulled up. So we ran to the bus, put our dollar twenty into the slot and sat down. We think we were rather lucky as the next bus would have meant a 30 minute wait. We got back to our hotel room, had another shower, packed up and checked out. We took the hotel shuttle to the airport and went into the waiting lounge. Gavin had been raving about this fantastic airport, but it turned out to be nothing special. So we agreed he must have been there a long time ago, and it was better then than any other airport. We did discover that there is a hotel within the airport where we could have slept. We wonder why the girl at the info desk did not tell us this. Anyway I had a very nice time seeing a bit of the city.

Our plane for Brisbane left at 21h00 and by now the jet lag had hit both of us with its full intensity. We were both dead on our feet. We boarded the plane and were very pleased to see the seat next to me empty - yay a bit of space. The hostesses seemed to take an age to get the supper and drinks thing finished with. But finally the lights were switched off, and we tried to sleep a bit. I did get about 2 hours sleep and watched another movie. By the time we got to Brisbane, I was very pleased to get off the plane. We arrived at 06h00. We had to dump the nuts we had because customs is so fussy about what comes into Australia. I also declared all my Dr. Beare medicine. When they asked to see it, they seemed satisfied and let us through with no problem. I think that we could have snuck the nuts in cos no attention was paid to anything other than the medicine I had declared. We had a four hour wait until the next plane to Gladstone. Most of the time spent walking around the airport and sleeping on benches. We would have liked to shower, and there were showers. But no towels, so no shower. We eventually were called to board our vomit comet at 10h30. It seems as if lots of expense corners are cut here, Gav and I were chuckling wondering if we were going to even have an air hostess or if the pilot would switch on auto pilot while he handed out the peanuts. The Australians are also very fussy about what gets brought into the country and we thought it might be a good idea to have a cattle dip at the door of the plane, everyone has to go through it and the pilot stands at the top with his forked stick to push our heads into the water so none of the bugs survive the dipping - heehhheee.

Our trip to Gladstone was only an hour and a half, we arrived and were overjoyed to find the ship delayed. So we went to a motel for two nights. We arrived in Gladstone at midday on Wednesday 3 August. Our motel (The Rusty Anchor) was very basic, but clean and had a BED. We showered and collapsed into bed, both of us slept until 5pm. We then got up and had some supper. We walked around the small town for a while, everything closed. By 9pm we were in bed again and slept until 8am the next morning. Feeling much better we had breakfast and went exploring. We decided to hire a car and see what Queensland had to offer. Nothing much, but seeing the countryside was interesting. We drove down the sunshine coast (as it is called) and our first stop was Tannum Sands. The beach is very much like Durban (yellow sand), we had our costumes but did not swim. We then drove further south and stopped at Miriam Vale. Absolutely nothing here. By now it was already getting late so we had to begin heading home, we decided to make one stop at Turkey Beach first. Gav took a wrong turn and when we arrived at Turkey Beach it was a lake, we thought we were "turkey's" trying to find the beach. But discovered our navigational error. We eventually found the beach and again, nothing to see, we bought some sandwiches for lunch. Then drove back to Gladstone. We arrived back at about 5pm. Had supper and relaxed in the room. We took the car back early morning on Sat 5 Aug. The ship was due in at midday, so we walked around town, then packed our things and waited for the agent to fetch us. The ship docked at 1pm. We had to spend two nights in the owner's cabin as the old chief was only going home on Monday morning. I was really itching to get to our cabin and finally unpack our stuff.

8 August 2000
Yesterday morning and we have to go to immigration cos our visa has expired, no problems though. We left Gladstone at lunch time and I finally got to unpack. Of course I didn't think the cabin was up to scratch and had lots of cleaning to do. On the positive side this is the nicest cabin I have ever had. We have a tiny bedroom. Off that is a small lobby/kitchenette with fridge, kettle, toaster, coffee machine and a basin. The bathroom (with a bath) leads off this lobby as does the lounge. Gavin has a separate office which is off the lounge. Normally his office is part of the lounge. All of this is rather spacious. Gav says the engine room is terrible and the ship is generally run down. There is also a table tennis table and a pool on board.

9 August 2000
Well I have now settled in to the ship. Our cabin is clean and we are on our way to Singapore for bunkers. So far the weather is good and should be for a while yet. Not really much news to tell at the moment. Gav is busy cleaning the scuppers in our bathroom as the water all bubbles up when we shower and the stench is something terrible. I am glad I don't have to do it, I might be sick at the sight of the stuff that comes out.

12 August 2000
Well my first Saturday on the ship. And my first time in the South Pacific. It is really beautiful here and the islands we pass look really nice. We are having a braai tonight. I am looking forward to it. Today we went past the first of many islands. There are many active volcanoes here too. We went past one that was smoking today. At first I thought that it was just a cloud, but after a closer look it was really smoking. Luckily we got a picture of it. Another interesting thing I saw today was a shoal of fish feeding. I looked out the port hole and saw a circle of choppy water in this absolutely flat, dam like sea. I went up to the bridge and the mate told me it was feeding fish. It was difficult to see the fish, but they were jumping and thrashing about and churning the water up. Later in the afternoon we also saw the spray of what I think was a whale, but I was wondering about a whale being here where the water is so warm. Anyway if it was a whale it is the first I have seen from a ship.

13 August 2000
Today has been a really lazy Sunday. Gav decided to fill the pool. So I had my first swim. The pool is outside, but it is right next to the funnel of the ship. There is an intake fan for the engine room right above the pool so it is very noisy. Far too noisy to lie there and relax, I need a snorkel to get away from the noise or waterproof earmuffs. Ah well at least I can have a quick dip now and again. It is rather nice cos it is salt water so almost like swimming in the sea.

14 August 2000
Monday and my cleaning day. So the cabin got a thorough clean. I scrubbed the bathroom from deck to deck head, but still can't get rid of the smell it has. I am at my wits end on how to get rid of the wee smell. Gavin even took the side of the bath off and I cleaned under the bath too. At least I now know it is spotless although still smelling. I also got all the cables for the TV, video and stereo sorted out, so now the cabin is more how I want it, and home for the next four months or so. I must say it is very comfortable and quite big compared to the others I have had.

17 August 2000
Can you believe that we have been away from home for more than two weeks already. Gav just told me that we went past Timbuktu last night. When I was a kid I always thought Timbuktu was an imaginary place, so I am sad we went past at night and I didn't get to see it for myself. This morning we went past Sipadaan and Jolo Islands. I thought about the SA couple being held hostage. According to the news they might be released tomorrow. I hope so, they have been there for so long now.

19 August 2000
Fire drill again today, we are now well and truly into the ship routine. It has been very hot, but raining all the time too, real monsoon weather. The sea has been rough, and I am so grateful to be on this big ship cos we hardly even feel it, not even rolling. The excitement of the day was two of the crew going to the bow of the ship to tie the anchors more securely. The sea is pounding into the ship and the captain is worried the anchors might get lost. So we had to turn the ship around so the weather was coming from behind and the bosun and Os went to do the job. I saw one big spray hitting them and hoped that they were holding on tight. It is so easy to get washed over in this kind of weather. So once that job was done it was back to the hum drum of the day. No one can go on deck at the moment so the crew are all painting and cleaning the accommodation at the moment.

20 August 2000
Today we had a bar lunch and a karaoke day. I am far too inhibited to sing but enjoyed listening to the others. We are arriving in Singapore tomorrow afternoon for bunkers. We will be taking bunkers at anchor and so I am really hoping that some bum boats come to the ship. At least then I can shop on the deck. So we will be leaving Singapore at about midnight if all goes smoothly and entering the Malacca Straits.

21 August 2000
We arrived in Singapore at about 4pm. Unfortunately we were anchored too far from the harbour and so no bum boats selling there wares. While we were arriving in Singapore a telex from Greece arrived saying that there would be an audit while in Singapore. What a shocker. Anyway all seems to have gone smoothly. Gav says at least now it is over and he doesn't have to worry about having one in Greece.

23 August 2000
We finally left Singapore at about 3am. Gav only came to bed at 6am. I had tried to stay up but gave up at about 2:30 in the morning. So Gav was really tired and slept until about 10am. Today I went to the galley and baked a lemon meringue pie and some scones. I had to improvise a bit as there are no biscuits to make a base. It really is best with a biscuit base, anyway the scones were nice. We are now through the Malacca Straits. So far the weather has been very hot and calm, but is picking up now. We are rolling a bit, but nothing too uncomfortable. The captain says that this is the first time the ship has rolled since he has been here. It is very hot and according to Gavin it is going to get even hotter. Apparently the Red Sea and Suez are boiling hot. We arrive there on 6 September I think.

28 August 2000
Still sailing along. We have now passed Sri Lanka. It is still raining on and off, the beginnings of the monsoon in this area I think. We have not been having good weather. Rather frustrating because it means going outside is very unpleasant. After sitting inside for days, Gavin and I both need to just get some fresh air. Not really any other news at the moment. Gavin has been complaining about the mattress and he decided we were going to discard it and sleep on a board. I VERY reluctantly agreed to try, although I was not looking forward to sleeping on a plank. Anyway night one was horrendous and I got up at 01h30 and went to the couch. I was so numb and sore I couldn't take it anymore. Gav says he had the best night sleep. Anyway I said I couldn't sleep on the plank. I have now taken the foam cushions from couches in the spare cabins and have put them on the bed. We have had one night on them and they seem much better for me - Gav isn't complaining so he must be happy too. I hope that we can get a decent mattress soon.

31 August 2000
We have now been here for nearly a month already, time seems to be going rather quickly. We are now nearing the horn of Africa. Apparently a ship was attacked in the Adriatic Gulf about two weeks ago so we have had warnings about pirate attacks as we turn around the horn and head towards the Suez. I have now finished my cross-stitch blanket and have started knitting a jersey for myself. The wind is howling and so the sea is pounding onto the bow of the ship and a huge spray is soaking the deck. This of course means going on the deck is treacherous and so no walking for a while. According to the captain we will have this wind for the next two days.

There has been a slight change of plans for where the ship is going. We are not going to Greece anymore. So after Israel we will head straight to Tubarao (Brazil) and get our cargo for Al Jubail (Saudi Arabia). I think the cargo is iron ore.

3 September 2000
Today has been a really lazy Sunday. Gav decided to fill the pool. So I had my first swim. The pool is outside, but it is right next to the funnel of the ship. There is an intake fan for the engine room right above the pool so it is very noisy. Far too noisy to lie there and relax, I need a snorkel to get away from the noise or waterproof earmuffs. Well at least I can have a quick dip now and again. It is rather nice it is salt water so almost like swimming in the sea.

4 September 2000
And another Monday rolls around. We are now in the red sea and it is very very hot. We went through the gap between the Aden Gulf and the Red Sea in the early hours of this morning. There have been lots of pirate warning around so we have to be careful. We are meant to arrive at the beginning of the ditch (Suez) on Wednesday at 1 am. The captain is hoping to get there before midnight so we can go through the Suez with the 6 am convoy. If we are later than midnight then we have to anchor for the day and wait for the following 6 am convoy. I am hoping for the anchorage so everyone gets to sleep. If we make the midnight call then Gav will only have about 3 hours sleep before we get ready to leave again.

It looks as if our stop in Greece has been canceled. So at the moment we are going to two ports in Israel (Hadera and Ashkelon or Ashdon, hasn't been confirmed which yet) and then we will have to take stores and bunkers in Greece or Gibraltar (also not decided yet). This will be at anchor so no going ashore for me. Then once we have replenished the fuel and food then it is on to Tubarao (Brazil) in ballast (i.e. filled with water and no cargo). Then from Brazil to Saudi Arabia via the Cape. We don't know after that but are really hoping for Richard's Bay where hopefully we can get off in time for Christmas.

6 September 2000
At the moment we are drifting in the Red Sea. The ship has a big hole in the front and is taking water. So Gav and others are busy trying to patch it for now, and hopefully it will get fixed later. The front of the ship takes constant pounding from the sea and this has cracked the hull and hence the leak. The reason we are stopped is so that the bow lifts up and the water stops gushing in as the crack is then above sea line. So while it is patchable they are welding a steel plate over the crack. All rather freaky in my opinion. The weather is really beautiful, but extremely hot. It is now over 40 degrees. It is so hot that even thinking makes you perspire. I don't know how anyone can live in this heat - and we think Pietermaritzburg is bad in summer. I have been using the swimming pool, but even that is hot at 35 degrees. The pool is just sea water pumped into it. I am amazed at how salty the Red Sea is. I have been wondering what the fishing is like here, surely fish don't like such hot and salty water. Anyway I can say I have had a swim in the Red Sea.

7 September 2000
We should be arriving at the beginnings of the Suez at midday tomorrow. So we will anchor until 6 am the next morning and go through with the convoy. I am really looking forward to the experience. Apparently all the hawkers will be there, in their bum boats, when we anchor. They will open up shop on deck and probably stay with us through to the other end of the Suez. I assume they then catch the next ship back down to the other side again. So for me it is shopping, shopping, shopping - yehh haa.

8 September 2000
We arrived at the beginning of the Suez and were anchored by about 2pm. Before we had even had stopped the "business" men were there. The first one I saw was on the bridge. He came to the wing door and started asking the Captain something. Rob nearly had a fit and yelled at him to go away and then sent one of the crew to chase him away. These hawkers were allowed on the ship but only on the deck and not in the accommodation. What they do is drive their speedboats to the side of the ship and then hook a ladder onto the railings, they then climb up onto the ship and steal everything they can lay their hands on.

I stood on the bridge wing to see what they had to sell. As it turned out only an imitation silver necklace for which they wanted $5. I didn't go down because these men are real dregs and harass you silly. The men on the boats behave like they have never seen a woman before and hoot and wave - and leer. So I avoid them as much as possible. I was rather disappointed cos I thought that there would be a lot more hawkers. Apparently there are more on the Port Said side of the Suez.

At about 5pm a boat with goods to buy arrived. They unpacked all their goods, laid out on blankets, onto the deck. They had leather jackets (camel and giraffe leather), some of those old fashioned poufs, really poor quality carpets (worse than OK bazaars), some copper wall plates, tools, leather and wood boxes and some other nick nacks. Nothing that really interested me. None of the things were of good quality and most made in Taiwan. So there is no point in buying a leather box in Egypt that is actually made in Taiwan.

9 September 2000
Today we went up the Suez Canal. One hours notice was at 05h00, but the pilot only arrived at 06h30. So we began our journey. We were near the back of the convoy because we were one of the slower ships. We had a tug escort us all the way as we are a very big ship and if we need help a tug is there to give us a push in the right direction. Before we go into the canal we have to have two Suez boats hanging on the sides of the ship. So the two small cranes on each side of the ship had a small wooden boat hanging on the outside (above the water) of the ship. This seems a bit silly to me. The boats are meant for us if we have to abandon the ship. But these boats are so rickety and old they are probably more unsafe than swimming to shore. When I went to breakfast I discovered that there was a hawker setting out all his goods in the alley way. I decided to go and have a look at what he had later in the day. When I did go and see I discovered that he had the same things as the other hawkers from yesterday. I did buy two T-shirts and a brass wall plate. I think I paid too much because he accepted my bargaining price too easily. I got five dollars off his price. I thought of getting two more plates, but when I went down again he was gone. Gav says they probably came with the Suez boats and packed up when they thought no one was going to buy anything more. Oh well, I suppose one plate is enough anyway.

I was surprised to find that the Canal is not straight - as I imagined it to be. This of course means we have to go really slowly to maneuver around the bends. The Canal is not very wide, probably only 500m across. The current was against us so we go about half a knot slower than the convoy coming south. The water is permanently flowing from the Mediterranean into the Red Sea. There were a few towns along the way. All on the port side. On the Starboard side of the ship was the Sinai Desert, (I even saw a sand storm) and occasionally a burnt out wreckage from the 7 day war. There was also a monument (a bayonet made out of concrete) to commemorate this war. It was rather strange to see greenery on the one side of the canal and desert (sand, sand and more sand) on the other side. Right at the beginning of the canal there was also a monument that I think was probably for the building of the Suez.

Six hours into our journey we came to a big lake. All the south bound ships were anchored here waiting for us to go past. As soon as we were past they carried on with their journey. There is only one convoy north per day. And two south. The second south bound convoy goes at night. The reason this happens is because that convoy is with the current and so goes much faster than the north bound convoy. We passed Sadat's holiday home and lots of mosques.

At about 18h00 we came to the end of our journey. The Suez boats were lowered (without us stopping) and untied. The irony of it is one of them had to be towed to the harbour - some safety device that would have been for us. The pilots also got off here, we chugged along until we were in deeper water and then speeded up for the 12 hour voyage to Hadera (arrival time 8 am tomorrow morning).

12 September 2000
We arrived in Hadera yesterday before lunch. The pilot seemed to take an age to get us alongside (about 4 hours). We are at a berth that is more like being at anchor. There is a long quay that comes out to sea and we are tied up at the end of it. It is probably about 5 km long. We did not go ashore yesterday, being Sunday we thought most things would be closed. I am hoping to go later today. Gav is trying to come too, but as yet I don't know if he is coming.

We did go ashore today, the taxi took us to a mall, the same things all malls have. But it was nice to walk around. We did find a market, and bought some fruit. We are sailing for Ashdod tonight at about 10pm.

13 September 2000
We are now in Ashdod. We arrived here early this morning. But only came alongside this afternoon. Tonight we will go ashore and see what is here. We got a telex tonight saying that a new captain and chief will be coming to the ship and we will be coming home from Greece. No explanation as to why.

14 September 2000
Well Ashdod does not seem to have much to offer. Just a big mall, where everything seems expensive. We had coffee at a restaurant and then got a taxi back to the ship. Tonight we walked ashore again and found a bit of night life, it only begins at 9pm. We sat at an outside cafe and had some coffee. Nice just to get away from the ship for a while. Tomorrow I am going touring, can't wait.

15 September 2000
Today I went on a tour of Jerusalem and Bethlehem. Gavin did not come as he felt he wouldn't have enjoyed it, and worried about the ship too much. We were meant to be sailing at 6pm so the tour was going to be rushed. As it turned out the ship did not sail. The work was not finished and it was Sabbath (Friday) so all work stops at noon and only begins again on Saturday night.

We left the ship at 7 am to go to the holy city. It is only about 60 km away, but took about an hour to get there. First we went to Bethlehem. Of course the first thing the driver did was take us to a shop. So we were all caught by buying too expensive curios. Oh well, at least I have some things to remember it by. I bought a wall plate, a gold cross (one big cross and four small ones in the corners of the big cross), representing the five wounds Christ had from being nailed to the cross), and a candle (well, 33 very thin candles wrapped in one. Representing Christ's age when he was crucified). We also had a panoramic view of Bethlehem (means House of Bread in Hebrew). In the distance, over the mountains is the Dead Sea. At the top of the hill is the Nativity Church topped by the Star of David. And at the bottom of the hill is where the shepherds first saw the star and where Mary and Joseph traveled from to the Inn.

First we were taken to the Nativity Church. This is where Christ was born. The Basilica (bigger than a Church but smaller than a Cathedral) is shared by the Roman Catholics, Greek Orthodox and the Armenians. So they all have mass a few times a day, but in succession. While we were there the Armenians were saying mass. The door into the Basilica is very small and you have to bend to get in, this is a way of showing respect because you have to bow as you go in. The Grotto of the Nativity is directly below the main alter. It is here that the manger is found. So I actually got to see exactly where Jesus was born. We couldn't really have a good look because of the mass happening in the Grotto, but at least I saw it. After this we were taken to the Catholic section of the Basilica, this is called St. Catherine's. The tomb of St. Jerome is in this section. He translated the Bible into English. (Took 30 years and was completed in 415.) The graves of the innocent children are also here - the first born that Herod had killed.

After this we all got into the bus and were taken to Jerusalem. We first stopped on a hill to get a view of the entire city. The most easily recognizable site is the Dome of the Rock (a huge gold dome). This is where the Wailing wall is and where it is said that Abraham sacrificed one of his sons. We went into old city, the Jewish Quarter through Damascus Gate. The streets are very narrow and there are millions of shops selling curios along the way. Much of this city is being restored, so we were able to see the layers of the three cities that have existed here. We were taken directly to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. It is here where Christ was crucified and buried. Unfortunately we did not get to see all the stations of the cross - much as I would have liked to.

As you walk into this Church you come across the Anointing Stone. This is were Jesus was laid when he was taken off the cross. Of course there are thousands of people all trying to get as close a possible, but I did get to touch it. We then went to the alter where Jesus was crucified. Underneath the alter is the rock the cross was stood on. There were so many people here that I couldn't get right to the alter. We then went to see Christ's tomb. This is in the same church but in a grotto (cave). We had to que here for about 20 minutes. The grotto is very small and only 2 can go in at a time. All the time we were in the que people were saying the rosary. I finally got to the front and into the grotto. The first room is called the Chapel of the Angel and is it is believed that this is where the Angel was sitting when the women came to anoint Christ's body on the Sunday and found it was gone. The second room is where the tomb is, and the last station of the cross. All I can say is WOW.

After seeing this we went into another small shop, I got a rosary and a book with pictures of Jerusalem. We then went back to the bus and went to the Wailing wall. I had to go to the women's side and all the others to the men's. They all had to put a little hat on. I was not really that impressed with this. It is just a huge wall made of big stones, where people put messages and their wish lists. But I think others were impressed to be there. I had been told not to wear shorts and to have a sleeved shirt and bring a scarf, or I wouldn't be allowed in. Well I never wore the scarf and no one made me cover my head. It was very crowded here as it was a Friday and so the Jews and the Moslems were celebrating their Sabbath. One of the crew disappeared and we had to wait an hour for him to finally come back. I was really cross that he was so selfish, and probably caused us not to see as much as we could.

After the wailing wall we went to Mount Olive and the garden of Gethsemane. I saw the rock of agony (where Jesus sweated blood for us) and the garden where he was betrayed and arrested. Mary, her parents and Joseph are buried here. Finally we went to the top of Mount Olive and had one last look at Jerusalem before heading back to the ship. This is definitely a place that needs a week to see everything, a day is just not enough. I had a wonderful time and wish Gav had been there to see it all too.

17 September 2000
We left Ashdod today, early this morning. A pity because now we don't get any TV signal and so I can't watch the Olympics anymore. So you will have to let me know what happens. I saw the highlights of the opening ceremony and it really looked good. I missed the actual ceremony because I was on the tour in Jerusalem, a good reason I think. Yesterday (Saturday) we spent the day at the beach. We really plastered the cream on, so didn't get too burnt. Most of the time was spent in the water, it is so warm it is like bathing. The waves are very small, so we just floated around. We had a really lovely day and it felt as if we were on holiday. In the evening we went to a big car carrier ship, owned by the Grimaldi lines. What a beautifully clean and new ship. It would be lovely to go on such a ship, we got the address and will see what happens.

Things seem to change by the day here. We are not going to Greece anymore. So next we stop in Gibraltar for bunkers and then on to Brazil. But things could change at anytime.

24 September 2000
We are now on our way to Brazil. We arrived in Gibraltar for bunkers yesterday morning. This is the closest I have been to the rock and of course took some pictures. On the one side of the rock there are concrete slabs running down the rock. The captain told me that these were for water catchment. The reason they were built is when the British and Spanish were not on good terms the Spanish cut the British rock off from Spain. So they had no water and had to make a plan. Apparently they still use them. It looks like a nice place to live. We had a British pilot and he said he and his family had been there for a year and it is very nice. I think that there much lots of British living there, there is even a navy base.

The captain went home today. A pity cos he is a nice guy to sail with. While on the bridge today he explained how the water on the sides of the ship can tell you how the ship is moving. When we are going into a port or anchoring we go really slowly and sometimes backwards. When the instruction to go astern is given, the water behind the ship swirls. As the ship begins to change direction from going forward to backwards this churning water moves up the hull. When this water reaches the bridge wing the ship is stationary and when it reaches the middle of the ship we are moving backwards. Apparently this swirling water also pulls the ship sideways, on this ship it is to the starboard side. So a good captain should know which way his ship will be pulled and steer accordingly.

We spent the whole day at anchor. Bunkers finished at 8pm but the stores boat had still not arrived and so we had to wait for that. The stores boat arrives at 9pm. But we only left at 1am because the captain had decided to deballast two tanks. This was still in process and if we hit bad weather with half empty tanks the sloshing water could cause lots of structural damage. So we had to wait for the tanks to be emptied properly.

28 September 2000
No news really. We are now in the Atlantic and due to arrive in Tubarao on 6 October. At the moment the company is looking at a cargo from Richard's Bay to somewhere in Spain (coal) after we have delivered the iron ore from Brazil to Saudi Arabia. We are really hoping that this does happen. Hopefully then we can get off in Richard's Bay and save on my air ticket home.

29 September 2000
Bad news - the captain is sick. He has very high blood pressure and is vomiting blood. Apparently there is blood coming out his other end too. It has been decided that he probably has a perforated ulcer. One of the worst things on a ship is for someone to get sick. There is no doctor until we get to Brazil and that is five days away. The captain is in bed and only allowed water and milk for now. Later he will get food. The ships doctor was called on the radio and this is what he suggested. So we are all hoping that this doesn't get any worse.

1 October 2000
Well it seems as if the captain is a little better. He is eating but says he still feels dizzy. He doesn't seem keen of seeing a doctor in Brazil. But we think it is imperative. We can't have someone dying on us mid ocean. So we might be getting yet another captain if this one is sent home. All the same the ship is running fine. The mate and 2nd mate made sure all the month end accounts were done and all the month end paper work has been sent off to the office. It makes you wonder what a captain is really needed for if the ship can work without him. But I suppose he is meant to take the responsibility if anything goes wrong.

We went over the equator at 16h00 today. So we are now in the southern hemisphere again. We are due to arrive in Tubarao in the evening of the 5th. I am hoping to anchor for a while (this gives us more sea time before Richard's Bay).

4 October 2000
Well the excitement of the day is that we have landed the captain for emergency medical attention. He was still really sick, and after much phoning to Greece and Gav trying to get them to understand how ill the man was, it was decided to alter course and head for Cape Reciefe. We arrived here at 4am this morning. A boat came out to fetch the captain and take him to hospital. The captain was lowered to the boat in a plastic stretcher. I don't think he would have managed the pilot ladder. We were not allowed to sail without a captain (laws for Isle of Man flagged ships) and so a temporary captain had to be found. Fortunately the agent knew of a retired master living in Rio De Janeiro. So we had to wait for Captain Gonzales to arrive. He eventually arrived at one in the morning. He seems like a nice man (62 and a strange looking little brown man). I wonder how much he is getting paid for his few days with us? We have heard that the sick captain had a his exploratory operation this morning as soon as he arrived in the hospital. He has an ulcer and is going home (3 months rest). I had to go to his cabin and pack his things up so that they can go ashore for him. This is the first time I have been into the captains cabin.

6 October 2000
v We arrived in Tubarao today. And the new captain has joined, I hope we don't have to send him home too. Captain Gonzales is going home tomorrow. I am sad we are here for such a short time, it is always such a rush to get everything done. It is even worse here cos Gavin is doing the Captain's job as well as his own. The nice thing about this is he is ordering all the stores (so we get to choose what fruit and veg we want). I have also had free range on the e-mail so have sent letters to everyone. Gavin is also having to do all the immigration and port authority things too. Of course the mate is trying to help too, and I am the local typist at the moment. Not that I mind, it keeps me busy.

We went out for supper tonight with the Brazilian captain. We went to a fish restaurant and had a sort of prawn and lobster stew. It was a bit salty, but still nice to get away from the ship. The restaurant that we went to was on the beach front. Just a big room with steel roller doors, fairly basic, but full of local feeling. After this restaurant we walked along the road for a while and decided to go into another eatery. This one was far more larney. There was even a pianist playing. Far nicer than where we ate, a pity we didn't find it before the other one. So we had some wine. Gav and Gonzales had some fried cheese and I had some ice-cream. Then Gav and Gonzales had Amarula liqueur (all the way from SA in a small Brazilian restaurant). By now it was late and so we decided to head back to the ship. It was 1pm before we got to bed.

7 October 2000
We left Tubarao today. I went ashore this morning for a short while. Gav did not come with as he had to stay on the ship and try to help the new captain get things sorted out. I got a lift to town with the agent. We first stopped off at the airport to drop off the temporary Brazilian captain. Then the driver took me to a shopping mall in Vitoria (20 minutes from the berth). I arranged for him to fetch me at 11h30. This meant I only had one and a half hours to have a look around. I had told Gav I would be back before lunch because the ship was sailing at 3pm. The time was short because the shops only opened at 10am. Oh well enough time just to have a look around. As usual a mall is a mall is a mall. I had $40 to buy something for the engine room. Gav had sold some scrap cables in Suez. I ended up getting a snackwich machine and a coffee machine. I did not think that things were all that expensive here. But I only bought some perfume (made in Brazil) because nothing else caught my fancy.

I would far rather have gone to the local market, but after the temp captain telling stories of being mugged and attacked I was too scared to walk around on my own in the streets. I'm sure it probably would have been okay, but one never knows. The beaches looked lovely and it would have been nice to be here for a little longer so Gav and I could have gone to the beach for a day. It seems as if volleyball is very big here. The beaches are full of marked out courts. I think Vitoria could be very beautiful (quite hilly), but it is really very stark with no nice buildings. Very run down and poor looking - third world I suppose.

9 October 2000
We have been rolling since we left Brazil, the weather must be really bad, cos it takes a lot to get this ship rolling. Today Gav is trying to help the captain sort out all the accounts, and teach him how to use the computer. This is hard enough under normal circumstances, but even worse when there is a language barrier.

We should be off Cape Town on 18 October and in Saudi Arabia on 2 November. I think it is about 10 to discharge the iron ore, and then we are hoping for Richard's Bay to load coal for Spain. If all this works out we should be in Richard's Bay on about 26 November. I am wondering though when the fore peak cracks are going to be fixed. They can't be left forever. Gav said he hopes that the welding job that has been done holds. But then again if it doesn't maybe we could dock in CT to repair a hole in the hull (wishful thinking).

12 October 2000
No news really. We have been rolling our way to Cape Town. The weather seems to be clearing now. It is surprisingly cool, the sea water temperature is only 18 degrees, and the wind is chilly. I am surprised, I expected it to be equator hot until just before Cape Town. Only 6 days till we get there. All the crew except the bosun are getting off. No doubt they are preparing a big send off party. Gav will be pleased to see the back of some of the engine crew. Hopefully the replacements are a little better than the ones here now.

18 October 2000
We are arriving off Cape Town this afternoon. Can't wait to get there. Nothing has happened on the rest of the crossing of the Atlantic. This morning I watched a huge school of dolphins racing the ship and playing in our waves. I could watch them all day, they are so playful and squeal and dance in the water all around the ship - what fun they seem to be having. It is a beautiful warm and calm day. I cannot believe that the cape seas are so flat.

20 October 2000
We went past Kaysers beach today. I was really hoping to be able to see the house and all the familiar marks, but the weather is really foul. The wind is howling and the sea is rough. Visibility is really bad and we cannot even see the beach let alone houses. No other news really. The new crew is settling in. Our cook is much better than the old one. Just hope he keeps it up.

25 October 2000
We are now nearing the end of the Mozambique channel. It is getting really hot outside now. Our speed is not good as we have a really strong current against us. But other than this the weather is beautiful with pond like clear blue water. When we are in sea like this I always wish for it to always be this good. I think it will be like this all the way to Saudi Arabia now. We should arrive there on 5 November. With only about 4 days discharge. One of these days being at anchor because the ship is too deep in the water to go into the harbour. So barges will come to us at anchor to discharge enough of the iron ore to make the ship less deep in the water and so high enough to go into the port. I think Gav said we will discharge 60 000 tons at anchor. And the other 100 000 alongside.

31 October 2000
I started a 2000 piece puzzle a just before arriving in Cape Town. It is now nearly finished - boy it has been really hard. The jersey that I have been knitting is also nearly finished. Only one sleeve to knit and the hood, and the neck edge. Can't wait to finish it. We haven't heard if Gav will be getting off in Richard's Bay. At the moment we are just assuming, but who knows what will happen. All the same I will definitely get off there.

It is nearly supper time (17h50 now) and Gav still hasn't come from the engine room. They are busy fixing a leaking sea water pipe. So who knows when he will be up. Might have to go and get "take aways" for supper. Gav has filled the pool again. So I have been enjoying a swim everyday. Unfortunately the pool is far too small to swim lengths for exercise, but lovely all the same to paddle around in. I have to wear prestick ear plugs in my ears because there is a fan right above to pool and makes it very noisy. I wonder why they designed it like that. Probably never even thought about it when they were building the ship.

3 November 2000
We are in the Persian Gulf now and arriving at the anchorage tomorrow. It is very hot here. It is already 32°C by 8 am. I was really hoping that it would not be so hot so if we do go ashore it is not unbearable. No such luck. We have gone passed Oman and United Arab Emirates already. Some of the Filo's are meant to be going home from here, but we still haven't had any confirmation from the office. How they expect the captain to sort out emigration, etc. is beyond me. The more I see of this company the more amazed I am by their total disregard for the crew on their ships or for the upkeep of the ships. Gav says that he has sent countless requests for spare or telling them something needs fixing and he is just ignored. He was cross yesterday because a message came from the office asking why we still had ballast on the ship. Gav replied that the pumps aren't working properly. They then said as far as they know the pumps are perfect, so Gav dug up the message he sent nearly 4 months ago saying they were broken and sent it again. They obviously don't take any notice of what is going on. All they are interested in, it seems, is that the ship moves.

4 November 2000
We are now anchoring for discharge in Al Jubail. We are about 40 miles from shore. Another ship is coming alongside to discharge some of our cargo so that we will be light enough to go alongside. We will be going in tomorrow evening I think.

5 November 2000
We are now 40 miles outside Saudi Arabia. We are at anchor and have another ship alongside taking cargo from our holds. As soon as the Saldanha is light enough to go into the shallow harbour we will lift the anchor and go into the harbour. This should be tomorrow sometime. It is really hot here (about 35) and it is meant to be winter. I am really glad not to be one of the "towel heads" that live here.

Gav is lying on the couch looking very much like he is going to fall asleep. Just like a child falling asleep. Lying very still just big eyes looking sleepily around. Ohh now turned on to his side so it is definitely night night time. I am trying not to sleep in the afternoon so that I am not awake all night.

I am really looking forward to getting off the ship - only about 17 days left, yippee. Not really any other news on this side. I am still trying very hard to eat a little and have been walking each day around the deck. But I won't be able to walk while the ship is discharging cos it is dangerous with cargo flying around. But I will start again as soon as we leave here. Gav has also filled the pool again, and it is lovely to have a dip each day. If I really wanted to I could even get a tan. But I am not interested in getting sun burnt.

6 November 2000
We are just getting underway for the last bit to the harbour of Al Jubail. The lightening process took 36 hours. The most interesting part of it all was the other ship coming alongside us. We anchored and then the Bakra (other ship) maneuvered her way towards us. She had huge big tubes along her port side. These would eventually act as a buffer between the two ships. Using the current, wind and her engines she very slowly and carefully sidled up to us from behind. One of their crew shot (with what looked like a missile launcher) a ball attached to a rope for the first anchor rope to tie us together. In just about no time there were lots of ropes being passed between the two ships and securing them together. All of this is very dangerous. Two ships tying up to each other could be disastrous. The Bakra has cranes and grabs on board and as soon as she was secured they began taking iron ore from us and transferring it to their holds. Of course while this is happening all the ropes have to be constantly tightened or loosened, because the Bakra is getting deeper in the water and we are getting lighter. During the course of our being joined one of our ropes snapped (these ropes are as thick as my leg). This can be very dangerous. Can you imagine what damage one of these ropes can do if it whips you as it flies by. Gavin says that many have been killed by ropes that snap and then smash into a human.

Untying seemed to be far less complicated. There was a special order the ropes were loosened in, then the Bakra went dead slow ahead and edged away from us. It all seems rather simple, but quite a sight to watch.

We finished the semi discharge at anchor at 10 am this morning and have been waiting for high tide so that we can go into the port. We are now on our way into the port of Al Jubail. Gav is in the engine room and I am passing the time catching up on all letter writing, etc. It is 22h40 now, we haven't yet picked up the pilot but I am sure that this is going to happen any minute now as we are right outside the port. Gavin really doesn't like these night time jaunts as it usually means he doesn't get any sleep. We will probably only be tied up by about 3am. And then it is agents and customs to deal with. I will go to bed in a while, although I seem not to sleep well on nights like this as I don't want to miss out on anything that might be happening. Apparently we should only be here for about 3 days. After that it is to Fujarah for bunkers and then to Richard's Bay. We are due in Richard's Bay on about 23 November.

The captain told us tonight that all the Filipino's are being relieved here and are being replaced by Polish officers. Nothing official has been said so far, but if the captain says this then I am sure that is what is going to be happening. We are hoping there will be a Polish chief too. Then he can double up with Gav to Richard's Bay and then we will get off there.

10 November 2000
Well tomorrow we are leaving here sometime in the late afternoon. And then it is a short hop home. The Polish officers arrived yesterday. Gav still not sure of when he will get off.

14 November 2000
We are now well on our way to Richard's Bay. We stopped in the United Arab Emirates to get bunkers in a place called Fujairah. Of course we were at anchor so could not go ashore. We were only there for a few hours and left in the early hours of this morning. The bad news is the aircon has broken so we are cooking away here. Gavin says the compressor has seized and so we are going to cook all the way home. One of the Cape Town men is here. He flew to Fujairah and is getting off in Richard's Bay. He seems to think Gav will get off but still nothing is confirmed yet. I cannot wait to get home and am now really counting the days till we get there. At the moment our arrival day is 26 November. I think we will be at anchor for a day before we come in. But of course this is all depending on how quickly we get there.

19 November 2000
Probably our last Sunday on the ship. We went over the equator at 9am this morning. It is very very hot here. Gav, the fitter and the electrician managed to make a plan with the aircon and switched it on (low) yesterday evening. But it is still very hot. As we begin to get further south I am hoping it will get cooler. I seem to be spending most of my time in the pool as it is the coolest place to be. Yesterday the cook made a chocolate cake for me - the only smattering of celebration I had. So I think I should have a proper birthday when I get home.

We have just had a fire drill and so I am here typing away and Gavin is doing familiarization with the new Polish officers and all the crew. This means he is showing them where all the safety equipment is kept and how to use it, and making sure everyone knows what their job is in an emergency and where they must report to if an emergency arises. We also all have to know which is our seat in the lifeboat. Mine is no. 7 and Gavin is no. 23. These seats are next to each other at the aft of the life boat. My emergency station is the bridge and my job is to be available if help is needed. So in other words get to the bridge and keep out the way.

Only a few days until we get off this ship and have some time at home again - can't wait.