DtoA: The time has come to find the horizon!

This is what I call my 'driveway' - the docks I walk every day to get to the boat!

We decided two days ago that it was time to leave. Everything was organized and we were ready to go. We had officially checked out of the country too. It was a bit of a rush and a hasty exit but soon we were motoring out of DOSC, leaving behind a small group of people waving us off. We literally were sailing towards the stars - it was beautiful. Our exit was short-lived however. Our autopilot stopped working along with some new electrical issues. So with heavy hearts we turned around and made our way back to Dubai. We arrived at 2am and all headed straight to bed. I think the excitement had turned to despair and had taken all our energy. 

The next morning we woke up and all had a mission - we were going to get this boat ready to leave the next day. When you arrive at a port, you are allowed a 48 hr window to restock your boat or fix any issues, without the requirement of a visa. Due to the fact that we had checked out, our arrival back to DOSC meant that we had now begun the 48 hr window. So we had two days and counting...

Straight away we got on the phone and organised for technicians to get down to the boat to get everything fixed asap. For the other crew members, it wasn't too much of a worry as they could check back into the country at a moment's notice due to their passports. I, having a South African passport, require a pre-arranged visa for Dubai. This can take anything from 2 - 4 days and I didn't have the time. Therefore, we had to get the issues fixed and then get a move on. 

All the technicians were absolute stars. Coming at a moment's notice, leaving other jobs to attend to ours. We had the Satellite system fixed and working again, within hours. The autopilot was done by the end of day one too. All that was left was to fix the hydraulic arm for the steering and the air-conditioning unit. These were to be completed by day two, which is today. All should be done and fitted by the early evening and then once again, we will set sail and hopefully not have to return. 

20th April 2017 - Day of Departure from Dubai, UAE to Sydney, Australia! (Hopefully!)

Whilst we have had the extra time here, I have had the chance to make friends with a gorgeous cat and found some interesting things on the boats. I have also met some amazing people who live on the boats full time. Fascinating and inspiring how people live so minimalistically. 

Meet Cat - gorgeous little cat at DOSC

This boat had the Turkish eye of protection on board - I like this idea and should I have a boat one day, then I am putting one on my boat! 

That is all for now! Hopefully the next time I blog, I will be sitting in Kochin, India.

DtoA: Final Preparations...

Early morning shot of the Dubai shores before sunrise

The day to set sail has been creeping ever so slowly forward... The longer we stay, the more we seem to find to fix or buy. Some of the things that were left to do, was the shopping. We broke this down into items that lasted a long time (long-life) and items that didn't. We have now stocked up on all the items like toilet paper (yup essential!), water (only a trolley load), batteries, medicine and other food items like crackers, which do not have a short lifespan.

One thing about shopping is actually surviving it. I really do not enjoy the painless task of winding up and down aisles asking "Shall we get this?" "OK, how many?" for each item on the list. Of course, however, we survive the process. Not sooner have we bought everything, there is the task of getting it to the boat and then packing it within the boat. That is a challenge as everyone thinks things should go where they think and then when you attempt to pack all 6 cans of beans into a cupboard, only 5 fit and you are tempted to serve beans for dinner or throw the whole lot overboard. But of course, this didn't only happen with beans. Not even the toilet rolls fitted in the cupboards and no-one likes a squashed toilet roll.

Once the packing was finally done and everything had a home (and sometimes a second home), we settled into the evening. The evenings in the Middle East are lovely. The air cools, there is a slight breeze and the sunsets are spectacular. Even more so when the sun sets behind the boats.

Sunset at DOSC

Walking back from the restaurant which is around a 200m walk, my slops (flip-flops) decided they were going to break. Beyond fixing. Anyone who knows me, knows that I have very small feet and I like to use one pair of slops at a time. With this pair breaking on me, this meant the rest of the walk was barefoot (not a problem) and of course the realization that I would need to shop for new ones. So off I go. I can't be without slops and we were leaving soon, so no time to waste. 

We decided to make an evening of it and have dinner at the Mall of Emirates. Once there, we made our way directly to the sport shops so I could look for a particular brand I liked. I am not a fan of plastic slops, as they never last. So I wanted a nice leather pair or something similar. After failing at a local shoe shop, we found Adidas. I walked straight in, found the shoes, tried a pair on and that was it. Before buying them however, I did do a quick check at Go Sports and they didn't have any slops to begin with. So back to Adidas, found my size, put them on there and then and I was very happy with my new slops. I can highly recommend the brand - Adidas Parley. They are very comfortable (and blue!) and I wear them every day.

We decided on curry for dinner and found this lovely Indian restaurant. A little expensive and so we made the most of it. The restaurant had a lovely atmosphere and the people were very friendly. The curries themselves were incredible. Truly worth the extra pennies and certainly made us feel nice and full once we had eaten. On their menu, there was a saying which I loved. I will share it with you:

I found this saying a great way to begin a life-changing trip. All we ever really need in life are the simple things. And yet so many of us chase the big things. I hope that this is what this trip teaches me. To embrace the simple, the easy and the good. I look forward to where this journey will take me.

DtoA: Introduction to the journey Dubai to Australia

Each time that I think about writing a blog post, I am shocked by how long it has been since the last blog post. It leads to one conclusion, in that life goes so fast. Considering that it has been about a year since I last wrote, so much has happened. Memories have been made, laughs have been had, dreams and plans created and life has ticked on. But let's jump jump straight ahead to the latest adventure...

Realising a dream is nothing short of magical and I am starting my new experience now. Two years ago, my sister and I completed BST STCW '10 courses in Dubai with the aim to sail for a few months in between studies and work. Whilst doing the course we had the pleasure of staying on the boat, Sydney. My sister, a few weeks after the course, was able to join a boat and sail around Spain and even popped in to Ibiza. She enjoyed three months of blue water and loved it. At that stage, my potential opportunity fell through (gotta love visa issues) and I put sailing aside for a while. Then, two weeks ago we get given the opportunity of a lifetime. The owner of the boat that we stayed on when in Dubai had left the UAE and was settled in Australia, without his boat. This meant that he wanted his boat in Australia and was offering for my sister and I to be crew on the boat for the delivery. This meant for the whole trip: from Dubai to Sydney. As Lolly is busy with her degree she is unable to join but because I am in between studies and can't get work on land, I am taking the opportunity and going to work at sea.

After I arrived in Dubai, I came straight to the Dubai Offshore Sailing Club (DOSC) and settled in to my new home. Being back at the boat brought back some great memories from the week spent at the boat before. I am the only one staying on the boat (until departure) and this has given me time to unpack and find my way around. There are many little compartments that require exploring as everything has it's place. Living on a boat teaches you to live minimalistically. You manage with the bare essentials and learn to conserve space. Whatever space you do have, you use it optimally to ensure that you aren't wasting. Space and 'big' items (such as excessive amounts of clothes) are luxuries. Organization is key to good boat living.

I have lots to learn but so far, everything is good. Doing the courses make a big difference as all the names and ways to do certain things comes back to you. On Tuesday, we are racing in the weekly race held at the club. This will give us an idea of how each of us works and thinks, but also getting a feel for the boat when it's performing at it's peak. For the sail to Sydney however, we won't be racing. We will make sure that we enjoy the time on the water and get the boat there safely. So to squeeze in a race is actually going to be fun. After the race, there is a social at the club and so this will be our 'farewell' although we aren't sure when exactly we are leaving yet. So far, our departure is set for Thursday. Everyone is invited to join us!

In terms of life on the boat, so far, I have been sleeping amazingly. The slight rock of the boat clearly does me well and even after only six hours, I feel refreshed and ready for the next day. Also, because the boat is not stocked with food, I find myself eating so well too. This suits me just fine as it's a chance to get healthy! I have made a friend in the form of a duck that waddles down the dock with me when I go to breakfast in the mornings. I have broken one pair of pants, four nails and had two blisters pop on my feet. This isn't so great but it is all worth it and nothing beats the feeling you get when, after a long day in the sun and organizing or cleaning the boat, you sit under the stars and listen to water move around you. You can hear gentle murmurs coming from people doing the same thing on their boats. One feels like it is a little village on water with everyone living peacefully and calmly. It has to be one of the most relaxing places to be.

Bringing back traditions...

Last night I had the pleasure of attending a house warming and a celebratory Chinese New Year party with some of my dearest lab friends.It was such a festive evening surrounded by people who have made me feel so at home here in Lausanne. 

However, with this lovely dinner I learnt something and also decided on a few things that I want for my future.  The first thing, is that it is so important to make time with your colleagues. To spend time getting to know them and their families, understanding what they are going through in their own lives, their dreams and aspirations. One might then be able to understand why they go through hard times and learn how to help them. A bonus to that is that you build a wonderful relationship with your colleagues who become friends and this raises the work environment from just work to actually having fun. 

Secondly, the dinner reminded me of the importance of dinner parties. I am not sure how often it happens with other people but with my family we host a lot of braais (barbeques) and have people around. But a dinner party, is different and equally important. Everyone sits at the table and shares a meal together. No phones and no distractions. Everyone shares a laugh and everyone gets involved in the cooking. A dinner party also gives one the opportunity to wear a slightly smarter outfit. And it is always fun wearing something a little more smart. 

Lastly, the whole experience has really made me realise how much I want a family of my own one day. To have a husband whom I can build a home with and then have beautiful children who will fill that home one day. The family who we shared the home with designed this house themselves, creating it to their ideals. That most certainly is a step in towards making a house, a home. 

An afternoon in Vevey...

Sometimes all we need are those spontaneous days - where you plan something and the complete opposite happens. Well today was a day like that. I had arranged to have dinner with a dear friend at a Sports Cafe which has become one of my favourite local hangouts. When I texted the manager to announce my arrival, he replied they had closed today. This forced us to find somewhere else to go and so we headed into Lausanne central for some food. Not exactly excited to be in the centre of Lausanne as we were quite keen to explore a bit, we managed to find a nice Turkish restaurant that served a really good burger. In Switzerland, a lot of the restaurants close on a Sunday (to promote family time at home) so finding a restaurant open is a challenge in itself. 

After lunch, my friend announced he was taking me for a drive into the vineyards, if I wanted. Of course, I wanted to see some more of Switzerland! So off we went. It was so beautiful and even though we had had rain that day, the scenery didn't fail to impress. Rolling hills with vines and the most exquisite little houses all along the lake allowed us to get lost in a little bit of the Swiss village feel. Once we had driven through some tiny alleyways and along the countryside, we headed into Vevey town centre where it is compulsory to have an afternoon coffee. This adventure is definitely a requirement for every season as the countryside bursts with colour as the seasons change. In my opinion, Vevey has a Tuscan feel with its small and winding roads. The houses have cute little coloured shutters and of course as the sun sets, there are lights everywhere making this little town magical.

Just a little entertainment between siblings...

When one lives in Switzerland, one needs to save money at every chance, as it is very expensive especially when on a student salary. I have taken some plastic spoons from the take away at work for my little room to make life a bit easier as people look at you funny when making coffee using a pen as a stirrer. A few nights ago, I used one of my trusty plastic spoons and the rest of the story between my supportive sister and I follows... 

(Just to put things into perspective - the kettle is located in the bar which is in the lobby of the hostel and it always has about 4/5 males present. I was trying to be invisible as to avoid conversation so I could get back to my room).

I have since been given a kettle. I love my kettle. 

Ever grateful for cereal

Today was a great day. I worked late on campus and got up to date with all the little notes etc. so that tomorrow brings less hassle and promising lab work. Leaving campus close to 10pm, you can't help but notice the beauty on campus when lit-up by scattered lights. It is breathtaking... Below are two pictures that I took leaving just after sunset last week. So blessed to be in such a beautiful learning environment. 

Back to my gratefulness of cereal... Rushing to the metro, I make it in good time. Then its a walk between the metro and the bus stop. Two stops on the bus and I am at my road to get home. Not tonight! Tonight the bus driver decided he wasn't stopping at my stop, even after I signaled him to stop. So we stop further down the road which wasn't just down the road but rather down the road, round the circle and up the hill. I get out, fearful he will merely carry on with us and his now 'Tour of Lausanne' bus ride. And so I begin my walk home. It takes me far longer than usual, obviously. By this time, the garage shops are closed and restaurants are empty and closing. 

To give you an indication of how far I walked (at 10pm in the snow) I will give you my stepper readings. There is a lovely app on my Samsung called S Health. And I have only recently been using it and believe it or not, I can easily do 6000 steps around the lab and getting to work and back home again. Well, today, my stepper count is at 9299. My feet have served me well today. 

I arrive at my room, very ready for a hot meal but at this stage everything is closed so no hot meal to be found. It is at this time that I peek into my kitchenette... And there, staring back at me, is my beloved box of Frosties. It is in this moment, that I am ever so grateful for my cereal as it can be enjoyed at anytime, anywhere.