Exact

This word for word is exactly all about the first couple of stages of being a yachtie...most of yall wont get it but it's hilarious if you do.

http://theswedishafrican.wordpress.com/2014/04/20/the-four-stages-of-being-a-yachtie/

Morocco, Africa

 I officially have been to Africa!

Even though I consider myself as a worldly person and think that I've seen it all, these new countries and experiences still seem to amaze me. The culture, the people, the poverty, all were unknowing and jaw dropping.

We first took a ferry from Spain (Europe) to Spain (Africa.) Spain (Africa) is how Gibraltar is to UK. Not connected to the same country but there was about ten square miles of land on the African continent that is still part of Spain. So from Spain to Spain on the ferry then a bus from Spain, over the boarder to Morocco was only about a five minute drive but getting over the boarder was insane. Pictures were prohibited, passports, itinerary, amount of hours in the country, and where you were going was all information they needed before getting over the boarder. There were at least a thousand people waiting to get into Spain from Morocco and a line of cars a few miles long. To get into Morocco wasn't as big of a deal as getting out. I was so tempted to take a picture because it's so hard to explain, even in great detail at what the boarder looked like. I remember being little, going to Mexico and seeing all the "policia" with huge machine guns and not even being scared. Morocco...I was scared. Polica in full uniform with big bulbous hats wrapped around their chins, multiple guns, and no expression on their faces. The Mediterranean is on one side of the boarder and rolling hills with multiple guards atop staring down on all the people crossing. Cages like jail cells lined with people inside trying to get across. It was like the line to ride on the Millennium Force at Cedar Point only it was seven foot high, barbed wired, rod iron fence with no re-entry. Felt as if I had done something wrong before I even got into the country. Good way to start out the trip.

Once over the boarder we rode in the bus to a small town (don't even know the name) on the western side of the country into old town. Before we got to the old town we stopped to see camels just off the side of the road. To start, it was raining, we all got off the bus, the camel was uncovered from a tarp and got up abruptly. Everyone was snapping photos. The camel had a red and gold striped satchel/saddle on. To ride it was one euro so I was third or fourth in line waiting for my turn. A couple from our bus was on their honeymoon from Costa Rico and wanted to ride together. The guy was maybe 230lbs and she the woman was close to 170lbs. Not a small couple, they get onto the camel, woman in front and as the camel starts to get up, the weight of the couple shifts and the saddle starts to fall off to one side. The woman leans so far forward that the camel head butts her right in the nose. It is having trouble getting up and starts to freak out. The camel starts bucking up and down like a horse and the couple fall off on top of the guide then onto the concrete. The camel bucks off into the side yard of where we were and just starts eating the grass. The couple are still laying on the ground half on top of the guy that somewhat broke their fall. The woman cut up her forearm pretty bad, ripped her white t-shirt and had mud all over it. The man looked stunned of what just happened. We all were standing there wondering if we should be laughing or not after seeing everyone was alright. I was clearly opting out of being the next person to ride it. Once that whole situation was over the guide came back with another camel and just said we could get pictures with it but couldn't ride it because of the rain, didn't want anything else bad to happen. It was so smelly and I reeked of camel the rest of the day! I was able to pet it and get some good pictures just hanging out with a camel on Wednesday which in America is considered HUMP DAY, mid day of the week.

Next stop was old town markets. We walked through the markets for about an hour. The Moroccan people are all Arab Muslims. No black people as I imagined Africa being. The women all wear full hijabs, covering all parts of the body including the hair and all around the face. Only thing showing are the feet and hands. I was walking through the market with my long blonde hair hanging out and if I've ever been the center of attention before, this was 100 times worse. I almost felt as if I was going against their religion because I was walking around all the Mosques with my hair out. Throughout the market we were able to taste a few things. These men and women would sit on the sidewalk and sell their products. Some with a few olives to sell and others with live chickens and their eggs. We walked up and down the hills of Morocco, in between small corridors no wider than my arm length, dodging all the puddles and pot holes. 

I'm in love with these type of lamps. I can imagine my future house having an outdoor area with these hanging all over and a comfy area to lye down and stare at the stars. These lamps were all over morocco. For sale but I had to resist, cant really bring that back to the boat. 

This was a door to one Mosque. All are different colors but most have doors similar to this one. Muslims pray five times a day so there's literally a Mosque on every corner.

This is one of the crazy things we saw while walking through the market. Because it was raining they were trying to keep the rain out and stringing lines over one another ti be able to put tarps out. They didn't have a "normal" ladder so they needed two people to make this one work.

We had a traditional Moroccan lunch, pita bread, soup, koos koos, chicken and their known tradition after the meal is mint tea, most wonderful hot tea i've ever tasted!

After the meal, we took an hour bus ride to the city of Tangier. This city reminded me of Brazil. Everyone and everything was on top of each other. Houses on top of houses, slums, people everywhere like the streets of New York City. High rise buildings like a regular city and then a slum right across the street. Every person we passed was trying to sell me something or begging for money and these people wouldn't just ask once but I swear there was one man that maybe walked a mile with us trying to sell me a leather camel toy probably only really worth 50 cents. He started out saying it was 40 euros then went down to 25 then once I literally told him to get the hell away from me he said, "ok ok for free" in very broken english. These people were desperate just to tell one thing a day to be able to eat. 

I couldn't get a good enough photo of the slums but this is just a small little picture of what it sorta looked like. The big buildings were behind us and then this was houses on top of houses. Everyone hanging there clothes out on lines to dry and people out on there porches just watching the people and traffic go by. Hard to explain and put everything into perspective when you haven't seen it when your own eyes. It was so amazing. So glad I can now say I've been to Africa. Hoping I can explore other countries of Africa another day. Onto the next country.

Rumor is that we are leaving Gib in a few days maybe a week then to France.

Peace&Love

when yachties get bored...

the boat right next to us in port did this rendition of backstreet boys music video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-UQU2OrtLW8&app=desktop

Maps

Read about Gib:

                                                                    Gibraltar

Lower part of the picture is Gib, I ran across the runway and the other side is Spain

http://aviacaonobrasilenomundo.blogspot.com.br/2012/03/olhem-isso-gibraltar-airport.html - This website is in a different language but has some pretty cool pictures.

In my previous blog I talked about the floating hotel (cruise ship)

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2379095/Gibraltars-Sunborn-Yacht-Hotel-Five-star-floating-hotel-189-rooms-ballroom.html

Ran to Spain

I recon many people can't check this off their "I've done that!" list...

Early morning run to SPAIN and back.

Second day in Gibraltar, my runs turn more into an exploration than an actual workout, well at least that's what it seems. I seem to want to wake up earlier and earlier every morning just to have more time to run around and see what exciting things I can find. First day still getting my land legs back, I was able to see all the local bars, restaurants and the big casino right next to the boat. There also is an old cruise ship that has turned into a floating hotel. You are probably thinking cruise ships are already floating hotels but this one is actually bolted down onto land. It's still a large ship in the water but it has two huge beams on the aft connected to the dock. It's open for business and people actually stay on it. Run just like a hotel, rooms for rent, small cafes, five star dinning, and gift shops, it's just the boat doesn't move anymore. 

After exploring the basics the first day, I was able to have an idea of where I wanted to run to next. I was told that just over yonder, across the runway was Spain. Our boat is literally docked right next to the airport runway. Gib only has one runway for it's entire airport. Mostly all small planes but yesterday I actually saw some pretty good sized jets coming in. One side of this runway is Gibraltar, United Kingdom and the other is Santa Margarita, Spain. Our boat is on the UK side so I decided to run to Spain this morning.

Today we get our new deckie! We all talk about him like it's a new shiny toy!

Tomorrow we are planning to go to Morocco, Africa!

Portugal

So even though we are safe on land for now, we have a 6am departure tomorrow morning (May 13, 2014.) We dodged the evil storm while in port but now we have another four day trek to Spain.

Today we got a day off after a long trip of working every day. Because we came into port to miss the storm, we still got some of the storm, nothing horrible but a solid two days of rain. A dull, english like rain and skies, just a drizzle rain but needless to say we used our day off to our advantage. Six of the crew rented a car and went to explore the island. Our boat is at the southern most part of the island, so we went more into town then up the western side to an old volcano. We are in the biggest "city" on the island which is about equal to the size of Carmel (if you are from Indiana) and the smaller towns were maybe 900 people if you were lucky. Probably smaller than Elwood. ;) We went to about three or four of these sleepy towns. Not much happening on a random tuesday around lunch time. Church bells ringing, cows mooing and little midget ladies walking around in rain boots carrying small flowers in a wheelbarrow. We had lunch at a cafe/bar/grocery/restaurant/gas station. It was everything in one, but the only place in town to eat and someone told us it had amazing food....that was a lie. I haven't had one good meal since we got on land. Last night for dinner we went for drinks before and all of us were drunk so we just chose whatever restaurants pictures looked the best and sat down. I ordered a risotto and roast beef melody, it came out looking like a St. Patrick's Day meal. Risotto the color of a leprechaun...we only ate it because we all were starving and intoxicated. Thinking we were going to be sharing the toilet for the next few hours, we had an early night (as if there was anything else to really do.) So after exploring all of this small town we drove up and down these volcanos, winding roads with lush bushes, trees, rolling hills and the greenest grass you can imagine.

The town compared to the country side was completely opposite. Very European looking city and the way I picture Scotland in the countryside. John is Scottish and he said it was very similar.

This photo is just one of the many narrow and european streets.

The town to the left is where we had lunch, 5 euros for a burger and fries while all the boys had steak. The lake was created by a volcano, it was raining and cold but was still beautiful. Wish I could have seen it on a sunny day. 

The same town as the one I explain above. Everything the exact same. Houses all had a front door and two small windows on the front of the house, orange tiled roof and made with a white stucco. One church, one store, one post office, one bank and I'm sure everyone knew everyone. We all were getting stared at every move we made because they knew we weren't from around here. 

This was the second volcano on the eastern side of the island. The volcano is 15,000 years old. Once again pretty but we were up in the clouds and it was drizzling rain, a nice sunny day I could have sat up there forever. 

Tonights our last meal on land for another four or five days and we can't be bothered to have another shitty meal so we are all going to Burger King. Don't worry I ran again to make sure this 1,000 calorie burger and fries won't weight me down too much. I can't remember the last time I had Burger King and I'm thinking thats a good think so will treat myself with a dessert as well! 

Peace&Love

Photos

My Iphoto hasn't been working in my past few blogs and now that I'm in Europe it decided to function so here's a few photos you've missed...

 

So as soon as I returned to Fort Lauderdale, I was greeted by Dave in a cute little minivan and this big bouquet of flowers. At this point in the day we had been planning on meeting up for about 6 hours and everything we had been planning kept getting pushed back or messed up for some reason. He knew I was getting upset and worried I wasn't going to be able to see him. So as soon as he jumps out of the car he has these in front of his face! As if JUST seeing him wouldn't have made everything better...

This was our little motel we rented for the weekend. Looks straight out of the 70's but was such a cute little place. Had a kitchenette in it and all. He woke up and made breakfast in bed and we watched the morning news.

This is just outside Portugal. I bet we saw over 25 dolphins during our entire crossing but they were having fun racing our boat. This was leaning over the bow (very front) of the boat. 

We made it back on land!!! Most of the crew in Sao Miguel, Portugal out at 3am when we arrived in port for a celebratory beer!

Provisioning in Portugal markets with cabbage the size of my head...maybe bigger

Mid-Atlantic blog

It's official, I am in the very center of the Atlantic Ocean and I'm on the internet posting a blog...

The world we live in never ceases to amaze me. The wifi on the boat right now is actually working better than it did in port of Fort Lauderdale. We have been cruising now for nine days and we have another six to go. This has been a trip from hell but we have had two solid days of calm seas and no vomit. The next two days are said to be calm as well, then getting closer to land the swell is intended to pick up and we will not be working it will be so bad. 20 knots of wind on the nose. I'm dreading that day the waves start but I know just around the corner we will be in Spain and it will all be over. Proud to say I've done an Atlantic crossing but I more than likely will never volunteer to take part in another one.

I've just came inside from lounging on the party deck and finished reading another few chapters in my book "A House In The Sky," while I watched dolphins jump a few feet out of the water outside our wake. Seems like a scene in a movie when I put it that way but this trip hasn't been much of anything like a movie. I'm actually tired of laying in bed; having nothing to do but hold on for dear life and wonder if my stomach is upset because of the waves or because I'm hungry. Until yesterday I was eating about a half a meal a day. Wasn't able to keep much down at all. The chef doesn't get sea sick at all so he is always up in the galley cooking up lamb chops, steak the size of my head, salmon, etc. If you can only imagine being sea sick and then getting a nice whiff of salmon while laying in bed on your backwards roller coaster, the smell only seemed to make it 100 times worse.

Before leaving for the trip across the pond, the chef had to provision for all the meat we would use to get over here and maybe the first couple of charters which cost $15,000. So we are having to cut down some of our supply while in the middle of the ocean. Tonight we are having sushi and over Cinco De Mayo we had "Nacho Night." As much as we all are getting sick of each other and not being able to get away when tensions are high, we still try and make the nights fun to be able to get through this god awfully long trip.

We have an idea on a charter we may get pretty soon after arriving to Europe. Mariah Carey's music producer...Who knows if it's actually someone "famous" but would be cool to say someone cool has been on my yacht and to actually meet them. I'm sure Europe is going to be a whole different ball game and I'm just going to be in shock when it comes to some of the stuff that goes on. I was told from one of my crew members that he got to witness (from another boat nearby) a 200 person party with a laser show at anchor off the coast of Corsica. Just imagining that and being able to be a complete creep, get out the binoculars and see what's going on on another big boat near by will be awesome. I'm sure I'll be able to write stories for days once I arrive and the season starts up.

We still have no chief stew for right now but we have acquired a new deckie, his name is Freddie, 21, from England but grew up in Kenya and sailed on England's National team for a few years. Seems like a fun person to get to know and adding another young person will help the crew dynamic for sure! He joins when we arrive in Gib.

                                                                     (This mornings sunrise)


That's all for now -

Peace&Love

Made the Mag

This is a yachting magazine with stories on the industry and for people in the industry but I am in a photo with some of my crew on page 28

Check out the magazine though it's pretty interesting and explains more things about this industry in greater detail than I can.

Dock Walk - click the link

Bitter Sweet

Ready to check off the next bucket list item; Crossing the Atlantic ocean by boat.

Bet not many people in the world can say they have accomplished this task. I'm only four days into my 15 day excursion across the Atlantic ocean on a motor yacht. Big Eagle departed Fort Lauderdale, FL on April 28, 2014 and hasn't yet looked back.We are headed to the Gibraltar (Gib) straight. This is the only little piece of the ocean where they divide and allow water traffic to enter and exit Europe from the Western world. The first 24 hours of my trip wasn't the best. Left late out of Fort Lauderdale and wasn't able to beat the rough seas and the small storm behind us.We had rough seas for about 20 hours straight which led me straight to the crew mess sink and my eggplant parmesaun was splattered everywhere. Its hard to explain the feeling of sea sickness (like a hangover that will never go away) and not being able to do much besides lay in bed and stare at the ceiling. If you read you feel more sick, if you watch a movie the motion in the movie can make you sick, if you eat much, it will make you sick. So needless to say I think i've been in bed about 90% of the trip so far. Its hard for your body to get the fact that you are in a completely  still room where nothing around you is moving but on the outside you are getting jostled around. Your body is moving with the boat but the room is staying in the same place so your inner ear is getting really confused. It's best to be at the highest point of the boat and towards the back side to remain the most calm and my cabin is the complete opposite. I am below the water line and at the very bow of the boat. Sleeping is like riding a backwards roller coaster! Don't get me wrong I love roller coaster but not riding a consistant one for 15 days straight. 

The trip ends up being 15 days long, not stopping at all until we get to Gib, 3,600 nautical miles and three semi trucks full of fuel, aprox. 8,000 per semi, in our tanks to get across. We aren't sure what our plan is once we get there but we will more than likely be able to have a day off in Gib. Gib is the closest point of Europe to Africa and the straight is narrow enough only by a few miles wide that when you come in between the two pieces of land you have Africa on one side and Europe on the other side. If we get enough time off we are going to go to Morocco, Africa and ride camels! Gib is also known for it's stunning views and wild monkey running the streets so either way I will be content with whatever our first stop in Europe will be. 

Since the last time I blogged, we had another charter with seven kids, just cruising through the Bahamas from island to island for seven days. From there we went back to Fort Lauderdale for three days to fuel up and stock food for the crossing. The best part about being in Fort Lauderdale one last time was that I was next door to my boyfriends boat. So instead of a $25 cab ride one-way just to see him, I was able to even see him during some of our lunch breaks. It was a hard goodbye but knowing we will be back together no later than September makes me hopeful we can do this! I pretty much signed up for this anyways. Someone told me "never to fall in love in this industry, because it sucks balls being everywhere in the world expect with the person you love." I've done plenty of distance relationships and seem like I could become a pro and even get sponsored because it's my specialty but this one seems like it's going to be harder than the rest. His boat is going up to the Great Lakes and Chicago for the first month of the Med season and then crossing over. But this allows me to stay focused and save the most amount of money I can until we meet again and hopefully take a holiday together. Pooling our money together and traveling around the world together is what both our goals are for right now and we are sticking to it. Already started looking into places to go and see.

The few days I spent with Dave in Florida were one of a kind, as usual. We were able to rent a red hot Camero SS to ride top down to Miami in and just explore. Got a cute little motel with a kitchen in it, waking up to breakfast in bed. Sure does know what he's doing! 

He also knew I was having a rough day before he even saw me and brought me flowers when he came to pick me up. Couldn't have asked for a better last weekend but knowing I was leaving soon and for sure not going to be seeing him for at least two months probably even more was really tearing me apart. Such a bitter sweet moment knowing I'll be in Europe for a long amount of time which I dream about this day to come but also having someone I care for so much, being so far away. 

Wish I could upload pictures but as anyone could imagine, our wifi is weak and is taking ages to upload anything.

Pray for calm seas for me, I need all the prayers I can get just to get through this next week or so.

Peace&Love