California was in the midst of another drought that had to be broken. I was good at redirecting the weather angels. If only they would hear the pleas of desperation.
Landing in Sydney was very strange for me. It was raining and cold. I had no warmth whatsoever. The druggies were busy undermining society,. This was all was too much for this old weather beaten sailor.
Landing in Sydney was very strange for me. It was raining and cold. I had no warmth whatsoever. The druggies were busy undermining society,. This was all was too much for this old weather beaten sailor.
North to the tropics was the next move by rail. Ah, the luxury of rail.Who is paying for this anyway? I was not a wealthy sort. An airline ticket to Aussie land for 700 plus taxes was not out of the question.
Might as well stay for three months since the visa is free for the asking. Next stop Brisbane then Cairns just to see the Great Barrier Reef, live and in color. The poor reef is dying to live. The tourists are killing the biggest living organism on Earth.
There are parts of her doing quite good as long as she is well managed. Of all things she has to put up with is the tourists covered in suntan oil! The oils and chemicals are responsible for the reef death like nothing else.
Might as well stay for three months since the visa is free for the asking. Next stop Brisbane then Cairns just to see the Great Barrier Reef, live and in color. The poor reef is dying to live. The tourists are killing the biggest living organism on Earth.
There are parts of her doing quite good as long as she is well managed. Of all things she has to put up with is the tourists covered in suntan oil! The oils and chemicals are responsible for the reef death like nothing else.
In Australia, much of beach industry puts insecticide in the suntan mix. Would you just stop?
Things were taking a turn for the better. A ship headed north was looking for an experienced hand. My dance card finally came up. I rode the train north as far as possible. Then hitched a ride with some very nice folks until I came to Darwin.
I immediately hit it off with the Skipper and his wife. They immediately liked me. I signed the papers and turned my passport over to the skipper.
My first chore was changing the masthead light. You cannot go to sea without all the lights working. Just buying the white bulb was a costly affair. The crew of Geriatrics hoisted me in Bosen's chair. This is tricky as you are depending on novice hands. Every slip of the rope took my breath away.
Charlie Tuna fell doing the same replacement at night in Honolulu. Broke his back. The man lay there on the deck until Security found him the next morning. He is now wheelchair bound.
We soon were on our way with absolutely no wind in our sails. Motoring was hard on the crew. This was to be the norm for the whole journey. I jumped ship in Dili because of this was the best thing to do. I befriended a guy who took me to Ataro Island offshore of Dilli. This was my only adventure in Indonesia. The soldiers had killed 200 in the cemetery during the Sukarnos reign of terror. I was jumpy as a rabbit on Easter Sunday in fear of the soldiers cruising in the UN provided white SUV's. These were peacekeepers living the life of luxury in these air conditioned vehicles.
We caught the ferry to Ataro Island delivering sacks of rice provided by the government. The mayor of Dilli was on the same boat overseeing the distribution of rice we asked for. The politics are distressful and filled with intrigue.
