Around the world in 8 1/2 months...

Well... not exactly around the world but touched a few continents except Australia and Antartica (they say there's no way I can get to Antartica unless I join an expedition to the ice shelf!)
Long long time... funny I didn't miss anything out here like I thought I would. Thought I'd miss blogging and chatting and getting online and stuff. Got there and there's no time do anything other than work, eat, talk about women, watch movies and sleep (definitely in that order!!!!). Seems like talking about women from different countries figures quite high on the list of most seafarers I've met. I must admit though that I've met VERY FEW seafarers (only about a couple hundred!)
hmmm countries I've managed to get a glimpse of from flights to sailing and flights again... a brief list....

sign-on: flights--> Mumbai-France-Rome-Italy
sailing--> Italy (Taranto) - U.S. (Norfolk) - Italy (Taranto) - Brazil (Tubarao) - Libya (Misurata) - Brazil (Tubarao) - Bulgaria (Burgas) - Brazil (Sepetiba) - China (Huangdao) - Indonesia (North Pulao Laut) - Netherland (Amsterdam)
sign-off: flights--> Amsterdam-Zurich-Dubai-Kolkatta-Mumbai

well... not much out there... not like I got to spend a whale of a time ashore, but yeah, did get a decent time at every port but Libya. Restrictions there made sure we didn't step on the berth at all. Well, almost almost all of "we" that is.

Feels funny when you're back. All your friends wanna catch up where you've been and you wanna find out what you've missed out on the last few months you've been away. But somehow when the conversation is on you seem to drift a bit... stuff like that NEVER happened before. But now things that used to seem interesting to talk about earlier are now just "ok... hmmm... i see..." you know, so-so. Not like this is the situation everytime... but it does happen more often than not.

Left to join ths ship on the night of 2nd April 2006 and got back on 19th Dec 2006. Finally hit home on 21st Dec 2006. (just hit home EXACTLY on the morning of my b'day, nice huh?) 24th Dec and I'm in Bangalore and 25th Dec evening I'm in Thiruvananthapuram. Travel hungry ain't I???

Looks like I'll have quite some updating to do as and when I get time... getting back to Goa only on 04th Jan 2007. So... if not before, until then!

Cheerio!