Nobody around at the department in fact for the first time i had to use my card to get into the building as it wasn't 9am yet. I don't mind being in an empty building, as a matter of fact i'm quite used and comfortable staying in the empty CB for whole days.
Quickly logged in and checked the mail ... tended to an online meeting over skype ... and posted three entries into the blog.
The walk back home at around 1.30pm was very hot and in fact i stopped in a local bar for a cold coke and a ham & cheese sandwich ... the locals were there as well having their lunch break.
I needed to stop by the supermarket as i made my way home ... and so off went my daily €10 ... couscous, orange squash, roller deodarant ... and gums :)
Quickly into the shower as i arrived home and decided to relax and rest during the afternoon before preparing my stuff for tonight's trip onto the vessel. Alternatively i was thinking of either going to swim at another spot or go to the whale watching charter.
Wasn't sure if it was being held and half hoped that i will get to see something when i'm out at sea. After the nice cool shower my need to go to swim diminished and as soon as i lay down on the bed to write the blog i was releaved to rest.
Around 7pm i prepared some rice and treated myself to a mini magnum ... washed the dishes and focussed on the imminent trip while tv kept me company. I had plenty of time and 10pm was the time i decided to make a slow move as i had to walk all the way to the harbour and then to where the Arquipelago was berthed which was quite a disctance from where i am usually it. Basically its on the other side of the jetty some 1 km distance.
Luggage prepared, packed all the essentials ... took no food at all not even digestives but grabbed the orange bottle from the fridge to drink along the way because even though it was dark i was feeling hot. As i cleared my room to leave it nice and neat I checked that the mobile and laptop chargers were packed while i grabbed my passport just in case the house burns down :)
All fitted nicely in the hand-luggage as prepared to wear the clothes i set especially the trainers as it wasn't really the time and location for flip-flops. The right trainer had something wrong and as soon as checked it out i realised that it was extensively torn. The trip to Monte da Guia was the last straw ... all that climbing and tracking was too much for my loyal trainers which have seen so much ... especially the bicycle accident. If i had known that they were torn i would have checked a local shop for a new pair ... or even Continente might have some :) But at this hour they had to do ... and thought to myself that this will be their final trip.
As i unloncked the front door, switched off the lights as the others were not around, i stepped outside gently to be kind to the trainers and dragged my healthy hand luggage ... only to realise that it was drizzling ... damn! Its not looking good ... especially having to walk close to 3km. I thought of a taxi but to be honest i hadn't seen one around throughout the 4 days that i have been here ... even so i had no number to call and there were no business cards one usually finds in student houses for taxis ... so i had to do the trip as planned ... well i never planned the rain and the trainers handicap.
Used the exact short-cut route i use to go to the harbour ... better stick to a track i know pretty well now ... but stopped at the first bus stop found to wait for the drizzle to stop. Few cars past by and the houses across the road had their dim lights one ... can't imagine what they were thinking when they notice a bald guy in bermudas and a hand-luggage waiting for a bus in the middle of nowhere at 10pm ... some crazy people out there.
As soon as the drizzle subsided i pursued my walk to the harbour ... past the dodgy area where a lower class of houses is noticeably crammed ... past Continente ... and down at the harbour. By this time the drizzle was on and off as if to tease me and test the dampness of my right sock ... well I persisted and started the second stretch of my journey round the sort of industrial jetty lined with massive fishing boats, sleeping cruise ships, and massive cargo ones. Some funny characters around but very safe as even a police car was going round checking the surroundings ... again ... what the hell is this guy thinking? where is he going with his hand-luggage at this hour? ... wet like a drainage rat ... and briskly walking.
I could see the Arquipelago at a distance ... all lit up ... and so my will to arrive was even greater now as the drizzle increased inversely proportion to the my distance to the ship ... as i could feel drops of rain crying off by head and even down my ankles.
As i boarded the vessel there was nobody to be seen but i quickly placed the luggage below a sheltered area and started to walk around the deck to see if someone was aboard. As i made i complere revolution past the bridge and got back at the stern I met the captain who had also just arrived. This short stubby guy, in his mid 50s, is a sweet little guy who i had already met when the Director took out for lunch. It was good that i had met the guy as he immediately recognised me and took me around. The advantage of arriving early ... and this was planned ... was that i could choose which bedroom to stay in ... but then again i thought that probably the other researchers from Lisbon must have arrived earlier by plan and came directly to the boat ... so most probably they've already set in.
'Diz iz ze kitchen ... and diz the bathroom for researchers ... here u zleep' ... sweet guy :) Well good to know where the kitchen is, nautically called the Galley, and also if I wanted water or even a coffee i could help myself. The bathroom is on the front with a good sized shower and a seperate toilet ... only thing is that they have half 'western' type doors and so if you're doing your business and someone walks in the bathroom ... can have a chat with you ... Bom Dia :)
There are two bedrooms ... one at the same level as the kitchen and bathroom with a set of bunkbeds to sleep 2, and another below deck with 2 sets of bunkbeds to sleep 4 ... and still both were free :) fantastic. So my reasoning with the captain was that since the two other guys from Lisbon will be together, makes sense they use the bottom one while i occupt the top one ... in this way we can all fit comfortably having a set of bunkbed each ... he agreed ... i moved into the top bedroom and proceeded to start emptying my hand-luggage.
Once i got inside the bedroom i immediately noticed the porthole on the top bed and smiled ... perfect ... i will sleep on top. The bottom bedroom had no windows ofcourse as it was below deck ... so all in all i made a wise decision and even a wiser decision to occupy the top bed. Each bed had a set of cupboards to stow away your stuff, as well as set of hangers.
All my stuff fitted nicely and eventually decided to shower as even though i was wet i was feeling hot and sticky. Its nice to wear some nice dry clothers and comfortable flipflops. I proceeded to set the fresh sheets on my top bed ... pillow case ... and removed the blanket & towel provided into the cupboard. I also noticed a small light and power socket at the head of the bed and i could already see me reading or writing the blog lying down in the bed next to the porthole :) ... and that's what i did ... closed the curtain as i could be seen from outside ... switched the main lights off ... switched the small lampshade on ... and finished a short story from Jeffrey Archer's 'Cat o'nine tales' which i had bought from the airport in Malta.
As soon as i heard any movement on board i swiftly jumped off the bunkbed and made way to meet the new arrivals. 6 crew members were around preparing the vessel to leave as i was looking forward to meet the other researchers. A young german guy, Markus, turned up ... whom i had already met at the department ... so he's not crew for sure. He was joining us on the trip and was obviously looking around to set in. I quietly returned to my reading as he had the captain's tour and eventually settled in one of the bunkbeds below deck.
Engines are on ... crew guys are at the ropes ... where the hell are the Lisbon guys? Off we went ... as i stood at the back of the boat hands across looking at Horta harbour as it moved away. The exit from the breakwater was not as spectacular as the one in Mgarr as it was quite dark but the freshness of the night and the thrill of adventure kept me alert and awake.
It seemed that we were on our way to Terceira island ... the crew settled down in their rooms ... the captain in the bridge ... and i returned to my reading.
As i consumed the next short story i switched off the light and set myself to sleep as the boat rocked from side to side. I had been told by others that it rocks quite a bit ... but it didn't bother me as i looked out from the porthole and could see the rushing sea :) I like!
Good night ...
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