Thu 24.05.12:
PIL you are the BEST!! Not only did I awake to find an email granting me passage on board the MV Kota Wirawan, which leaves next Monday for Colombo, I have also been offered a place onboard a ship leaving Sri Lanka to come back to Singapore and then a third ship to Madagascar. Now I have just TWO more shipping jaunts to organise and I’m done: The Maldives and The Seychelles.
Behind the scenes while I was on board the Mell Sembawang last month, Dino, Mandy and my Mum were working tirelessly to try to get me on a ship from Hong Kong to Colombo. Once it became clear that Hong Kong was a dead end and that I intended to head down to Singapore, Dino put me onto a mate of a mate of his, Philip. He had been looking for a ship that could help me out. This week he was out of Singapore, but he had asked his friend Marcus who worked for the Baltic Exchange (kinda like Bloomsburg, but for ships) to continue to keep an eye out for anything going me way.
I met Marcus for a liquid lunch. Since my travel to Sri Lanka was now in the bag, instead of talking shipping timetables we talked life, the universe and everything. Marcus had put me onto an acquaintance of his from Australia, Justin, who is working in ship security and might a good brain to pick about safely getting around the Indian Ocean. After an incredibly long lunch (Thanks Marcus!!), I headed down to Little India to meet with Justin for a couple of drinks on his balcony with his kiwi mate. Since I had already had a few, instead of talking ship security we talked life, the universe and everything. Around 7pm, I jumped the MRT down to Clarke Quay – a swanky bar area of downtown Singapore – there I would meet John, a British guy Justin described as ‘an old pirate’ who might be good for giving me the latest on the old Somali pirate situation. However, by this point I was three sheets to the wind and so instead we talked… oh you know the rest.
Around 11pm (a think) John needed to get going and I was left jabbering away to some poor souls who had the misfortune to sit opposite me. About ten minutes later, John returned with a gift. ‘You must be missing this’ he said before slapping a portion of chips down on the table. Proper British fish n’ chips and a carton of curry sauce. Apparently, there was a British guy living here in Singapore who missed his old chippy so much he set up his own – and DAMN it was good. Thanks, John!!
It was the most unhealthy power-up of all time.
