So we are now anchored in the entrance to the canal. The pilot has just radioed  to inform us of an hour + delay and it’s easy to see why. I’m counting at least 14 big vessels in front of us.  It’s a traffic jam on the Caribbean. It’s sort of funny that except in port I’ve seen almost no other ships on the water the last 8 days and now suddenly they are everywhere 

I can tell Captain Nelson is annoyed. We got here early and now we have to wait. Time is money ! 

Perhaps I’ll head back to bed for a little nap ! 

Almost there. The pilot comes on board at 8 am and we will enter the canal. Having read the oath between two seas I’m really thrilled to see the actual structure and appreciate the United Nations of mechanical minds that created a true engineering miracle in the jungle.  However, I wii probably reflect more on the literally thousands of people who died building it. The primary labor force were from the Bahamas and West Indies The price was high. They estimate the death toll at 500 dead per mile between the French effort and the US completion. And most of those were from the West Indies 

I’ll think of true heroes like Dr Gorgas (above) who demanded that US Government focus on mosquito eradication and prevention programs despite the naboobs in Washington who denied the science dismissing the link between the mosquito and Malaria and Yellow fever. Some things haven’t changed 

Okay Grandad here we go !! 

Being Alone

 It’s mostly great being the only passenger.  I get up each morning have coffee with the guys. I walk around the deck 5 times which equals a mile then choose where I will hang out for the morning.  

They set up a chair on the bridge balcony and one at the tip of the bow (my favorite ..very titanic ) and one in the bridge itself.  

Ive got a lot of time so I’ve been listening to music I haven’t played in years. I’ve forgotten how soulful Rod Stewart is when he isn’t being sexy . I challenge anyone to listen to his version of Waltzing Matilda or Sailing and not get a bit choked up …

Civil Wars, Arcade Fire, Manic Street Preachers,The Verve,Beatles , Beautiful Day, The Who , Prince, Kinks ….albums I haven’t listened to in years suddenly have re merged as fresh and interesting as ever . I had forgotten how much fun Erasure and The Pet Shop Boys were until they became serious …I have now replayed all of Bowie about 12 times …time to do what we want and enjoy is so valuable .  

I read and watch for dolphins and do some writing then it’s lunch time. Everyone tends to linger at lunch and shares stories except for “The Lithuanian ” who eats then disappears . More on him later 

In the afternoon I do another four laps then it’s nap time. I sometimes watch a movie or a tv show on my DVD player 

Then around 4 I saunter to the bridge and hang out. If it’s not too windy I sit outside As we were catching the edge of Jose I hunkered down in the bridge pretending I wasn’t freaked out. All I can say is I would have hated to go through the eye of a storm.   It would be great if there was one or two other passengers to carlt had up with but fir limited time only lol.  I’m enjoying this being alone 🤓

I have a lot of time to read and have been plowing through the books on my kindle 

Mostly Mysteries and Biographies .  I wanted to know something about the history of the Panama Canal before I actually went through it so I downloaded 

I’ve read his history of John Adams and Truman and this is equally absorbing.  500 people died for each mile of the Canal.  If you like history pick it up 

Okay the main part of the storm was three hundred miles away and yet the seas were really rough. Swells were occasionally coming over the bow where I sit each day and my cabin was rocking and rolling.  

I kept thinking how glad I was not to be in a real storm if this was just the edge. I actually have a fear of storms on water so this played into it. I remember seeing “The Perfect Storm ” and having nightmares for weeks of those huge waves consuming George Clooney s valiant little fishing boat.    

The Ukrainian first mate told me the story of being caught in a typhoon off the coast of china once and how the boat was tipping so much that they lost almost all the containers on the top of the stack. It seemed unbelievable that a ship of this size could be so affected but we all know Mother Nature is crazy sometimes. I’m grateful that I missed all that.   Good news is we are now headed toward the western Caribbean and smooth water and that the southern pacific this time of year is quite calm ! 

Atlantic Smile Car Service 

So In order to get from the port in Charleston to downtown you need a taxi. Supposedly the port agent can arrange it but as if yet these people seem few and far between. So,  the next best thing is to go to the Seaman’s Mission and call one. Almost every major port has a Seaman’s Mission.  Located right by the docks it’s a quasi religious organization that serves as a support place for the crews of freighters. They have computers and coffee and religious pamphlets and some have bars …I haven’t quite worked that out . Most importantly they have lists of taxi services that have taxis to the port …that was how I got the name for the Atlantic Smile Taxi.  

I was picked up in a very nice navigator by a woman who told me she was Russian but had lived in NY until six years ago when she relocated to Charleston. She kept telling me “good money ” in Charleston 

Somewhere between the dock and the city she started telling me about the recent storms. I was actually checking e mail so I wasn’t really paying attention to her until she said something about Pompeii and the Florida Keys.  

“You know there were a lot of gays and prostitues in Pompeii and in Key West the same thing ” she said 

“And?” I said 

” it’s not a coincidence”. She continued ” god is punishing them for their immorality These people are dirty and being punished” 
You know you hear about people like this and usually it’s some crazy politician trying to get attention or some nut job but here I realized was just a normal everyday homophobic piece of @$&&. 

In these situations which have been luckily few my mind races through all nasty pointed things I could say in return and I was so tempted. However , anything I said wouldn’t change her or suddenly convert her to some rationale human being. Logic of course meant nothing to her. Asking her to explain other natural disasters where there were no “prostitutes or homosexuals” no doubt it would just be some other group she hated fault So I calmly did what I felt I could. 

” I’m sorry can you pull over …now. She pulled over and I got out and said “goodbye”  she spouted all sorts of things at me in Russian and she drove away. I just couldn’t be bothered with her or bother telling her what I thought. What was the point 

I’ve spent my life hearing bullshit like this and worse from ignorant like her but also from well meaning colleagues acquaintances and employers …I once had a secretary who was Muslim who said to me ” you know my religion teaches us that people like you should be taken to the top of a mountain and thrown off..but you’re so nice it’s hard to understand it “. People said go to HR butgoing to HR wouldn’t have changed her view but maybe working with me might. I’ve reached the age where I just don’t have to take it ….and of course now I have my own sense of value and I have Uber 

10 minutes later I was in a car headed into Charleston I had an amazing lunch and nice walk around town and took an uber back to the dock 

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The Captain said that since  I’m the only passenger and since I seem fit ( little does he know) I should feel free to roam the ship wherever I want as long as the seas are calm. Apparently many of their passengers are more advanced in years .   During loading and off loading the bridge is deserted so I went up there in the late evening and it was deserted. I was very impressed how ” Star Trekky” it was. I nosed around looking at the navigational screens and the maps all laid out. I was so tempted to grab the helm and play with the buttons but decided I didn’t want to get thrown off the ship in Charkeston . It’s amazing how much freedom they let me have to roam the ship. From the bridge to the engine room it’s pretty much up to me where I hang out 



So they serve three meals a day in the officers Mess and endless tea and coffee on the bridge during the day. Oskar is our chef and what he lacks in fine dining he makes up in quantity. Every meal starts with a soup or stew then comes a meat course usually beef or pork… we had fish today and I was so grateful not to have to eat another slab of meat and I love red meat ! There is usually one token vegetable …often overcooked and always fresh fruit for desert which I ask for an extra helping of. I’ve started eating only 1 and 1/2 meals a day as it’s so heavy. I get that these guys have to actually work hard while i swan around the ship taking pictures so we have very different caloric needs.   I find myself dreaming about fresh fruit and vegetables and maybe a pizza and ice cream.  If only I could have a pint of Cherry Garcia ! 

One day we were eating a pork chip when Oskar announced he had made a special meal just for the Captain. Fish Head Soup.  Yum. Glad I missed it but I did find the Captain eating the eyes sort of fascinating 

We sit in the same seat every night.  Rolf the Chief Engineering Office sits to my right and Captain Nelson sits across from me next to him sits the Ukrainian first officer who has told me his name ten times and I have no idea what he is saying. It sounds like Ben so I just go with that but slur it so it sounds sort of like his name.   I hope. On my left sits the Lithuanian second engineer. He has yet to say a word. The first night it was just he and I at dinner and he didn’t speak. Even when I introduced myself he just kept eating his fish stew. I felt a moment of panic. Will I spend the next 4 weeks in silence. Luckily it turns out he doesn’t speak to anyone including his boss and the captain. So, now at dinner everyone is quite friendly and chatty and ” The Lithuanian” as I call him eats and then leaves. It’s a bit odd but clearly everyone is used to it and no one seems to notice   

Lunch is the biggest meal of the day so I skip breakfast and prepare for the massive amounts of protein to come 

If I could just have more broccoli  

Above Rolf and the Captain and Fish a rarity 

Just arrived.  Very strange being cut off from world completely for 4 days. Good practice for the two weeks starting on 23 I’ll be incommunicado as we cross the Pacific.

Amazing day here.  Beautiful with a nice cool breeze 

Anyhow a few posts from last weeks travel   Enjoy and send feedback!  

So..that’s it until we hit Colombia in 5 days.  I’ll be back with lots more and hopefully find WiFi !!!    I really appreciate your comments and feedback.  It makes me feel a bit less alone😇   Not sure of our exact route. It depends on the weather and Jose !  Why not follow the blog ?