Tall Ship Sailing in Brazil – Part 1
We knew it would eventually happen: the transition from vacation to travel. We are currently sailing on an old-school wooden tall ship, along the coast of Brazil. Adventure: yes; luxury: not so much.
After getting her own sea-sickness under control (thanks transdermal patch), Mel quickly assumed the role of Mother to the pukers. We’re sure this has nothing to do with the fact that she could, in fact, be the mother to some of the 19 year-olds on the ship. Thanks to a Costco purchase of Dramamine, she had everyone under control mid-way through the initial 12 hour sail on the Atlantic.
The cast of characters on our ship does not disappoint. Our faves – 2 brits on their gap year after high school, who we’ve nick-named Bill and Ted (though Cheech and Chong was a close second).
We should also point out that we are not just passengers on this ship – but act as a pseudo-crew when it’s time to hoist the sails. To be honest, the whole thing is a lot of work, and I’m not sure why we don’t just have some remote control that we can use to manoeuvre the sails. Surely that exists somewhere? An Easy button perhaps?
It’s funny how the brochure neglected to mention that we would all be sleeping in the same room, in bunk beds. Thankfully, the ship only has 9 passengers this week, so the amount of noise and disgusting sounds/smells being emitted isn’t entirely unbearable. We opt to sleep on deck, under the stars, whenever we can.
The miniature bathrooms onboard are yet another interesting part of the adventure. You basically need to collect a bucket water from the sea prior to doing your business and force the flush. Mel realized after the first day on board that limiting consumption of liquids in order to minimize bathroom use is probably not a good long-term strategy.
The food onboard is surprisingly good, though we think our cook may have a weakness for pot – and not the kind that she’s cooking rice in.
All in all, we have enjoyed our first 3 days on the ship, though a shower would be a welcome luxury right now. And Mel is dying to shave her legs.
Tags: Brazil, Travel
pichemelanie
March 19th, 2008 at 11:44 am
Ahoy Mateys,
Just caught up on the Brel-ventures. It was good to see you both in your native climate of Toronto last month. Enjoy the rest of your sail.
FROOTS
PS Brendan I knew you travelled to the Greek Isles, I just didn’t know that Mel did too