Fun off Cyprus

After a day and a half of sailing after we left Izmir Turkey, we finally saw the island of Cyprus at about 11:00 am today. But before we could get to the turning point to head for the harbor at Limasoll, we were surprise to be buzzed by a British Royal Air Force Rescue helicopter who requested permission over the radio to drop two people aboard as part of an exercise. Since our top deck is now free of cars (they have all be driven down two or three decks in preparation to be left in Cyprus) the captain gave the go ahead. And for the next half our we were treated to the sight of a helicopter hovering right over the ship and the lowering of two men, one at a time. Once they were aboard, the heliocopter circled the ship, and then came back to pick them up, but this time both of them hanging from the same cable. I was quite a sight, and the crew was all on deck taking pictures all the time it happened.

We arrived in the Limasoll harbor an hour later, but we had to wait another two hours for Immigration to let us leave the ship. Then we walked the two miles into the center of town, where we are sending this post. We finally found some ATM machines to get some Euros from, and are now spending them in this internet cafe.

Meals on board have improved since we left Salerno, we have a larger selection of fruit and even eggs for breakfast. And today's lunch consisted of a seafood salad that had very small octupus, squid slices, and potatoes in it. Of course that was the second course that followed a pasta dish, and then it was followed by a ham & hotdog & potato stew. Where they come up with these selections is beyond us, but it is all good. And Giovani, the cook, is a really funny and expressive guy. He always comes in the dining room and speaks loudly to us in rapid Italian that he assumes we all understand. And we do seem to get what he is talking about, most of the time. Our messman (waiter) BocBoc Noly left us today to fly back to the Phillipines, and we will have a new messman for the rest of the trip.

Speaking of which includes Ashdod Israel tomorrow where we do not expect to be allowed to go ashore since Israeli immigration is very picky who gets in and who doesn't. We have been warned that we will be interoggated by them as to our political opinions, and the want to know if we know any Palestinians, etc. I am afraid my politics will not be what they are looking for.

Then it is another overnight sail to Alexandria Egypt where we will unload the hundreds of newsprint rolls we took aboard in Sweden. Then it is a two day sail back to Italy, where we might have to leave the ship inorder to get back to London to make our flight home. But that is all to be determined by how much time we make up on the way back to the north. We were 6 days behind at one time, and now are only 4 days behind. This is like a horse race, but we are not sure who wins this one.

More from Egypt,
Lynn & Linda