Spain

Barcelona is an absolutely beautiful city! I’m not big on art or architecture but the architecture in Barcelona is intriguing and eye catching. Balconies on almost every building, fancy details and accents everywhere you look, gigantic gothic cathedrals, stately, regal museums and government buildings and the Gaudi buildings are indescribable! I had never heard of the Spanish-Catalan architect – Antoni Gaudi – until I came to Barcelona but his work is amazing! He designed everything from houses, cathedrals and parks. My three favorite – Park Guell, Sagrada Familia, and Casa Batllo. It’s too difficult to describe in words what his work looks like. The best I can do is say it’s a cross between a Dr. Suess vision and something you would imagine in a fairytale. Look him up on the internet – I promise you won’t be disappointed. I’m sorry I don’t have pictures to share – the internet is just too slow for me to post pictures.

I actually didn’t do a whole lot in Barcelona. It’s super expensive – I think we all had sticker shock coming to our first European country (boy is the USD in the dumper compared to the Euro!). I rode the tourist bus, visited Park Guell, toured Poble Espanyol (a mock Spanish village), walked La Rambla (the main drag) and the surrounding quaint, stone-paved roads and alleyways. I drank a lot of sangria and ate a lot of paella and chocolate churros. It was not a port for crazy adventures or travel but all in all it was a good week.

I have to say though that the biggest highlight of the week for me didn’t have anything to do with Spain. The highlight of my week actually took place on a pay phone outside of the port. Yup. That’s because on Wednesday, March 26 at 10:39am EDT (3:39pm Barcelona time) my nephew, Zachary, was born!

I knew my sister’s due date was while we were in Spain but I thought the chances of her actually having the baby while I was in port (and I could easy get to a phone) would be slim to none (I just don’t have that kind of luck and who delivers on their actual due date anyway??). Turned out I did have that kind of luck! Not only did she have him while I was in port, but she had to have a scheduled C-section so I got to call just before she went in for the delivery and I talked to my mom just after she saw him for the first time. It was excellent – it made it feel like I wasn’t so far away. I was really sad about the prospect of missing the entire event – if we had been sailing I might not have known about the birth until after it was long over. It was nice to feel somewhat a part of things even though I am halfway around the world.

Mom and baby are both doing well. I talked to Becky on the 27th and I heard Zachary over the phone – that was crazy and made it feel more real to me (they really DO have a baby). They should get out of the hospital today or tomorrow. And I’ll be home in just 24 days to meet Zachary!

Only two more days before we arrive in Turkey…

I'm Tired

It’s been 204 days since I first boarded the ship in Athens. While the last 7 months have definitely had HUGE ups and downs, right now during this home stretch I’m feeling more tired than anything else.

I’m tired of internet that is slower than dial up

I’m tired of no weekends

I’m tired of not being able to call people whenever I want

I’m tired of email being my only avenue of communication for long stretches

I’m tired of not being able to wear my pajamas out of my cabin (without feeling silly or running into the Dean)

I’m tired of never being able to have a lazy day

I’m tired of my social life and my travel time being inextricably intertwined with work

I’m tired of working a job that is 24-7 that I can never totally get time away from

I’m tired of hand washing my clothes

I’m tired of no radio and no TV to distract me once in awhile

I’m tired of having to type every little thing I want to tell or share with people from home

I’m tired of eating the same food every day

I’m tired of no orange juice or good coffee

I’m tired of the clothes I brought

I’m tired of having so few clothing options

I’m tired of not having any friends that I can truly vent to about work because I work with them all!

I’m tired of never having time to research and plan out my time in each country we visit

I’m tired of having to give up some of my days in port to work

I’m tired of not being able to cook what I feel like eating

It’s been quite a ride but I’ll be ready for April 19th to be here!

Cape Verde

With only 12 hours in port I don’t have a whole lot to report about Saint Vincent Island in Cape Verde. I spent the morning on a tour of Mandelo (the main town on the island) and surrounding area. We walked the streets, visited a fish market and vegetable market, had snacks and listened to local music at a restaurant and drove up to the look out point on Mount Verde. I spent the afternoon and early evening hanging out with friends from the ship – eating good food and just relaxing at two different local restaurants.

Saint Vincent (and all the other islands that make up Cape Verde) is a volcanic island that so rarely gets rain that the entire island is dry and barren. I’ve never been to an island that is so…well…brown and desert-like. I know understand why we couldn’t find a travel guide for Cape Verde – I don’t think it would be on the top of anyone’s list of tourist destinations.

Even though it wasn’t the prettiest island I had ever seen it did have a comfortable, small town feel and the people were very friendly and helpful. In many ways the culture reminded me of Brazil. Not too surprising because, like Brazil, Cape Verde was originally a Portuguese colony.

It was a brief stay but a much needed break from sea travel. We just finished a 10 day leg and now we have 5 days until Spain (I miss counted the days in my last posting – it’s 5 not 6 days to Barcelona).

For those who celebrate – have a Happy Easter!

A Wedding at Sea

March 10 was a no class day on the ship and it was also a wedding day for one of our professors and her partner. Yes, Kersten and Gianni decided at the beginning of the voyage that they wanted to tie the knot while sailing the high seas. What a great day it turned out to be for the entire community!

The entire community got in on the planning. They played wedding themed movies every night for a week leading up to the big day. There were groups of students and staff responsible for decorations, for flowers, for music, and for different pieces of the ceremony and festivities. The ceremony took place at 5pm on the back deck of the ship. It was hot and the sun was bright but everyone came out dressed to the nines. The attire was “creative formal” so there were Scottish kilts, Indian Saris, beautiful Thai and Chinese silks, African-inspired dresses, etc. It was the most colorfully dressed affair I’ve ever been to. The bride wore a brightly colored Chinese-style long dress full of oranges, reds, yellows and purples. The groom wore a beautiful orange Thai silk shirt. I know it sounds quite loud and gaudy but it wasn’t – it was tasteful and beautiful.

The captain officiated the ceremony and when he pronounced them husband and wife they blew the ship’s whistle – very cool. Our Academic Dean led a Buddhist wedding tradition (she was a Buddhist monk for awhile) of everyone tying strings around each other’s wrists to symbolize not only the couple’s union but the entire community’s connection. Next some of the Moroccan students led everyone in a dance and song that is a festive Moroccan wedding tradition. Some of the staff and students had formed a “wedding band” including guitars, violin and trumpet so they shared a song during the ceremony as well.

After the ceremony we all headed to the middle of the Lido deck for a nice dinner. The crew had carved animals out of fruits and vegetables for all of the table centerpieces. The head table had a full size watermelon carved into the shape of a cage with two love birds inside.

After dinner we headed back out to the pool deck for a toast and cake. Notes of congratulation from the bride and groom’s families were shared aloud and the couple danced their first dance. After the tossing of the bouquet off the upper most deck, we headed into the Student Center where some students shared a repeat performance of their elaborate Bollywood dance that they had put together before our stop in India and the students from Ghana repeated one of their popular dance traditions.

The students continued their festivities in the Student Center while much of the Staff migrated to the Starlight Lounge at the front of the ship for live music and good South African wine. The crew band that had performed during Crew Talent night was asked to perform and many of the crew were invited to the reception. It was so nice to be able to all celebrate together and I think the crew were honored to be asked to participate and perform.

It was a great day and fabulous way to break up this long leg up the coast of Africa. I’m glad the Kersten and Gianni wanted to share their special day with all of us on the ship.

Tomorrow we are in Cape Verde for one day (ugh…just one day) and then we have six more days to arrive in Spain on Good Friday.

A Day on the Ship

So what is a typical day on the ship for me? On a good day this is what my schedule might look like:

7:15am – Full body workout class or yoga class
8:15am – breakfast
8:45am – shower
9:15 – work – meetings and office work
12:30 – lunch
1:30 – catch some sun at the pool
3pm – work – meetings and office work
6:30pm – dinner
After dinner – do some hand washing, watch an episode of Gilmore girls, work on a blog posting, watch a movie, hang out in the staff lounge, or attend a student event. I have also been teaching a couple RAD classes in the evenings.

On a not-so-good day I don’t get any time at the pool, I have meetings over meals and sometimes work at night after dinner. Luckily this semester has been a bit more even keeled.

Above I listed a typical CLASS day for me on the ship – we also have Pre-Port Days and Post-Port days where I sit in on multiple meetings, and coordinate some of the Pre-Port and Post-Port sessions.

Just wanted to give you glimpse of what ship life is like for me.

Since I posted the “Ship Life” post I thought of a couple more unique things about ship life…

Only on a ship do I not have to drive anywhere

Only on a ship do I never have to shop for food.

Only on a ship can I have my personal space in my cabin but I can easily walk out my door and have people to socialize with and eat with.

Only on a ship can I travel around the world with my bedroom!!!

I know that those all no brainers but I think they are important to mention because I think in the real world we spend an exorbitant amount of time driving and shopping. This life seems a lot more healthy. Ironically ship life also seems a lot less isolating than the real world in many ways. In the real world people can spend whole evenings and weekends never talking to another soul if they don’t leave their house or apartment. Again, this life seems a lot more healthy.

Since my bedroom is never far away I never have to worry about forgetting something at home or forgetting to pack something. THAT is the most fabulous!!!

There are a lot of challenges living in ship world and working on a ship creates an intensity unlike any other job but overall ship life is good.


Next installment? Life in port…

South Africa

Of all the countries on this voyage that were repeats for me, Cape Town was the one I was most looking forward to and it didn’t disappoint. We had gorgeous weather – it is the end of summer down here so it was warm and sunny but not humid at all.

Cape Town is a very western city so it was an easy city to play in and it offered all the amenities we haven’t had for the last few ports. I strolled through the downtown area, went to the beach, climbed Table Mountain for a second time, visited the District Six Museum (sort of an Apartheid Museum), rode the topless bus all through the city and around the coast, watched the sea lions play in the harbor, went on an all day wine tasting tour in the winelands, and ate some yummy food.

I think my favorite part of the week was the evening township tour that I did with two other staff members from the ship. I had been on township tours the last time I visited South Africa but the evening tour that we did was very unique. The townships are the areas outside of Cape Town where the blacks, Indians and coloreds (that’s what they call people of mixed races and it’s apparently not an offensive term) were moved to during Apartheid. Most parts of most of the townships are full of extreme poverty. Quite a huge contrast to the wealth and prosperity of the waterfront and downtown areas of Cape Town.

We visited a township called Langa – which is one of the largest black townships in the Cape Flats. Our guide – Thandis - lived in Langa so we got quite a candid view of life in the Township. First we stopped in the middle of the township where there were women preparing and selling boiled sheep’s heads. It is one of the main staples in the townships. There was a table full of sheep heads and each woman had an open fire burning so that they could heat strips of scrap metal and burn the hair off the head so as not to waste any of the meat. Next they would split the head in half and put it in a big barrel of boiling water before they would put it out to sell. There were lots of friendly people walking by chatting with us.

Next we visited one of the old, unrenovated hostels. The hostels were originally built for the men who worked in Cape Town. The women and children were sent to townships further outside the city but the men who worked in the city were each given a bed. When Apartheid ended all of those men brought their families to Langa. So instead of one man per bed it became one family per twin bed. That meant 16 families per “apartment”. The hostels are very basic – concrete walls, floors, bed frames and tables. I think there is one bathroom per apartment and one kitchen sink – some have a stove and a refrigerator. The government is in the process of renovating the hostels but it is a painfully slow process. And when they renovate a building it goes from holding 64 families to only housing 22 families. The rent also goes from 20 rand a month (about $3) to 300 rand a month (about $43). They have pretty much run out of land to build new hostels so each renovated building displaces dozens of families. So these renovations are very mixed blessings.

Next we visited a renovated hostel and had a drink of soda with the family in the apartment. They were super nice and hospitable. The woman their had the most adorable 6 month old daughter. As we got ready to leave the sun had gone down so the streets were full of people laughing, talking and hanging out. There were children running everywhere – coming up to us to hold our hands and follow us. It struck me that even though the people lived in an extremely poor conditions they had an extremely strong, vibrant, close-knit community.

Next we headed off to the most memorable part of the evening – the shanty town. During the time of Apartheid when the hostels filled up shanty towns rose up all around the outskirts of the townships. The shanties that we visited were considered formal townships because they had a row of public outhouses, a public water spout and each shack had it’s own electricity box. Each shack is built out of scrap wood and corrugated aluminum. We went to a shabeen – a pub (I use that term loosely). It was a shack with about 5 or 6 people in it (including one man rolled in a blanket on the floor sleeping). We sat down on a bench and some of the old men tried chatting with us – they were super jovial and friendly (as well as a little drunk). It was difficult to understand them and they had difficulty understanding us – their main language is Koso so their English was not as strong.

One of the women brought out a big silver bucket of frothy liquid. Turned out it was a homemade beer that was popular in the townships because it can be made in just a few days. We proceeded to pass the bucket around and each take a sip. It was kind of gross but I’m glad I got the chance to try it.

Then everyone in the shack started dancing and singing. Their voices were so soulful and beautiful. They got us up dancing with them. It was a little difficult because the shack was barely tall enough for us to stand. I always worry about tours like this feeling contrived or having a “human zoo” feel to them but I didn’t feel that way at all during our visit.

After leaving the shanty area we made a quick drive through our guide’s neighborhood to meet his son and his sister. Then we headed to our final destination – dinner with a family. We visited the house of a woman – Lorraine whose sister and mother lived with her. They lived in a shack-like house but it was much nicer than the shacks in the shanty area. They had siding on their house and it was painted and festive inside. They had three bedrooms and a full kitchen. They also had three dogs that lived out in the front of their house for protection.

The meal we had was wonderful – chicken, rice, cabbage and vegetables. Nothing fancy but quite yummy. Lorraine, Vanessa and Flora were very nice and enjoyed chatting with us. They were watching a South African awards show on TV while we were there. It was great fun to watch them guess the winners and celebrate or lament the decisions – they spoke a lot in Koso which is a fascinating language.

After Thandis dropped us back off at the waterfront area to get to the ship I was struck yet again at the huge disparity between the haves and have-nots in Cape Town. It also struck me that all of it had been created, condoned and perpetuated by a political government system. I couldn’t decide if our experience in the townships felt more surreal to me or if walking among the shops, restaurants and tourists on the waterfront felt more surreal. I do know that the visit to the township felt more like “real life” as opposed to the “Disneyworld-like isolation and blinders” that exist in the tourist parts of the city. They say that Apartheid has been gone for over 15 years but the impacts and effects of Apartheid will be around for decades and decades to come.

We are now back at sea for our longest leg – 10 days until we get to Cape Verde for one day and then back at sea for 6 more days to Barcelona. Lots of activities and events happening during this leg – Casino night, North American Intercultural night, a Drag show, Open Mic night, European Cultural night, Global Scholar lectures, language classes, Salsa classes, Capoiera classes, another RAD class AND A WEDDING! Yes, I said a wedding!! More to come on that one….