Basically : the ship is "sailing" next weekend to refuel, but only just across the port. (which will take a day and a night, but kind of exciting, huh?!) However, the ship has, 1600 some pipes that bring cool water to the generators and engines, but since we are docked, and not moving, these pipes get clogged with marine growth. And although these pipes are still bringing some cool water, its not enough, or quite cool enough to crank up that engine, and keep it cool enough to have the engines running as we "sail" across the port next weekend. SOO they turned off all the generators today, in orders to take apart all this piping and clear them all out, so we would be good to go for next weekend.
However, these generators provide a lot of things for the ship. =) Including..
-electricity
-air conditioning
-our vacuum system
-water drainage
-ie: tiolets flushing
-showers draining, & sinks
-internet
So everyone was encouraged to spend the day off the ship! and thats mostly what we did. However we are right in the midst of rainy season in Benin, thus, there was a lot of concern about rain (which commonly goes on all day, and fairly heavily down-pouring) . But when we woke up this morning it was only overcast, and probably ended up being the most perfect day. The Lord tells us not to be anxious about AnYtHiNg. .. not even silly rain when we plan to be outside all day. It was cool, with no rain, so the ship didn't heat up without the AC and it all worked out wonderfully.
I spent the day out and about, a group of us went into the big tourist-y craft market. - It was very calm compared to the markets we have been going to, so it was a nice change. It was a large gated compound with almost free standing house looking shops. The grounds were all sand, with pathways between each shop, and you just sort of casually went from one to the next. My group took a taxi to the market, we proudly crammed the 7 of us, plus the driver into a 5 person car. 3 girls on 3 girls laps in the back seat, and Chris in the front seat. And then we walked the 40 minutes home. It was a nice day trip. Once we got back on the ship, we all sort of hung around, I took a long and much needed nap, and read a little.. outside in the light.
Also, both Saturdays and Sundays are not permitted for sleeping in. This is due to the fact that lunch is not served on the weekends. So if you don't want to starve during the day, you best be getting yourself out of bed between 7:30 and 9 (no, 9 is still not considered sleeping in =)) in order to make your self a sandwich and grab an apple. =) But since the blackout was today, the power was out earlier.. so we didn't even get our extra hour-weekend-breakfast-times. Instead it was normal week day breakfast from 6:30-8 and then the power went off very shortly after 8. So one less hour of "sleeping in" today =P bummer. but we all survived, and it was an experience. a lot more people were out and about the ship because the cabins were pitch black. The rest of the ship had lighting coming in through windows, and some emergency lights, so people were playing cards and having water gun flights, and playing games up on the top deck.
So, many filled and smelly toilets later... the power came back on about 13 hours after, at around 9 this evening! What an experience! A day in life.. on a blacked-out ship! =)
~lindy
No comments:
Post a Comment