Location: Mediterranean and Atlantic Ocean
Being asleep when your ship pulls into the port may be the closest feeling to time travel that I have experiencedthis morning at about 6 a.m. I completed my last boat check, plotting our position, checking the engine room, and doing a final deck check before attempting to catch a few more hours of sleep before arrival. By the time I awoke at 11:45, everyone was already on deck, ready to man the fenders and throw our dock lines. Waking up somewhere and not remembering the journey is strange, although not too unlike sleeping in the car. After docking in Cartagena, we ate a delicious lunch prepared by our only French shipmate, Victoria, and in true fashion, she cooked quiche Loraine. It was great to vary up our menu a bit. Earlier in the week, we had taken it upon ourselves to clean and re-inventory all the food storage areas. So much of this boat is hidden below the floorboards, and it can be really deceiving. Every bottom bunk has storage below it, as well as the floors in our rooms, seats in the galley, and the hallway walkways. Everyone helped out by clearing all the cans and assorted foods out of the rooms, counting them, cleaning the areas, and then restocking them. It turned out to be a bit more of a project than I think we had anticipated. After our cleaning efforts, we were free to roam the city, pick up snacks, and get internet. It’s time to take a warm shower and crank out some homework on solid groundhasta manana.