April 20

There is nothing permanent except change.

~Unknown

The majestic Concordia sailed out of Port Said, ready to escape the clinging sands of Egypt. We took with us a large export of sickness; Egypt’s sharp reminder that once visited it is not quickly forgotten. Luckily for us, it was the usual collection of the shits and giggles, which passes through quickly. We shall reach Greece cleaned out and ready to go. Perhaps it was Egypt’s blessing in some sick way Perhaps we shall never know. A quick recollection upon our adventures through the lands of Egypt reveals the temples of the past, and the graves of forever. Beautiful walls adorned with age old stories, perfect statues revealing the lost details of kingly faces, impossible obelisks revealing the poems of yore; the history was there for our indulgence. A quick stroll through a tomb presented detailed visions of long-ago, the long tale of the Pharaoh’s life there for our enjoyment. It is great that the Egyptians were so careful in recording their history for us to study and understand… What would the world do with the huge pyramids and no explanation I really enjoyed Egypt; its history fulfilling my every question, and its land garnishing my pictures with its beauty. The people were a tad annoying, as they all decided it was their life goal to woo our women and hassle our ears with their measly trinkets. It seemed everyone was out to screw us, and it made many of us uncomfortable. I think that the one downfall of Egypt is that it has fertilized the tourist culture too much, which retracted from the actual items of interest. Also, it seemed that the Egyptian men were not brought up to respect women as many of them offered to “buy” our women or went as far as touching certain members of the crew in crowds. However we tried to alleviate this, it was impossible to eradicate. I doubt I would ever return to Egypt unless I had a goal of some kind, as its beauty does not offset the rudeness of its people.

April 21

He who can laugh at himself will always be happy, for he will always be amused.

Unknown

Wow. I am not sure where to start; or where to finish. In essence, I have little to talk about. This unfortunate circumstance has been caused by the absolute shortness of this sail. It’s surprising to think that tomorrow I will step foot on Grecian soil. It’s more amazing to realize that just 2 days ago I left Egypt. This sail made me realize one thing, namely, how much I love and value my time at sea. I revel in the peacefulness of sea-life. I find that I am more productive, and have time to think about myself. I believe that the sea allows one to grow, and realize ones full potential. This is furthered by the Class-Afloat program which carefully prods us in the right direction when we deviate from our true course. Not to say Class-Afloat forces you in the direction it wants you to go, rather it helps you discover your goals and encourages you to pursue them. Its funny how a short sail can teach someone so many things. What is more interesting What do I love more My thoughts or my feelings I just realized that I could have spent this entire entry talking about my horrible time being sick over the last couple of days, but no. It just doesn’t matter in the grand scheme of things. Earth day is tomorrow (22nd), do something nice for the environment or it might hurt you… Oh, and one last thing. I encourage all of you to read Jason’s (A true friend of mine) short story. It will teach you things that you never thought of learning through its beautifully detailed writing, and suspenseful plot. I shall ask if I could publish it on this website for your reading pleasure.