Day 159
Trip Start
Sep 14, 2006
1
138
169
Trip End
??? ??, 2007
Where I stayed
Singapore, Singapore
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
By the heading you'll have realised I spent the whole of today on board without the boat actually going anywhere! Through my cabin window I watched container after container be lifted out of the boat to reveal huge sub-surface cargo areas I didn't think would have existed. Then, in the afternoon, I watched similar containers being hauled back into the boat. The scale of everything is simply massive. So many huge containers, so many big lorries running around with containers on board and huge boats to take them away.
I had my first dining experience on board too. Last night I noticed meal times on the Officers Mess Room door. Breakfast 7.30am, Lunch 11.30am (yes, early isn't it), Dinner at 6pm. I arrived on time and some of the Russian officers were sat down eating. It was really quiet in there and I didn't feel like starting conversation since I hadn't a clue if they spoke English or maybe more appropriately wanted to speak English! They didn't even speak to each other much. I was brought some very nice eggs and bacon by Chris, the Philippino 2nd cook. I can't remember what each meal was through the week but it was always good, lunch had three courses usually and there was always plenty. In fact, I ate heaps of good grub during the week. That coupled with my relative sedentary state has left me worrying I've put on a pile of weight.
In my room I had some books, my Sony psp, and my ipod. That was the extent of my entertainment of the week so I got stuck into Ben Elton's The First Casualty. An entertaining whodunit set in Flanders and Ypres during World War 1.
I have to admit to being frustrated at not departing today. Given that there was an eight hour delay on boarding I was thinking they'd be getting a move on!
