"Writing and travel broaden your ass if not your mind" Ernest Hemingway
The spring equinox of the new millennium started off with a real different splash - 50 days on a German freighter, the "Dagmar Maersk". My odyssey began in Newark, NJ and ended in Long Beach, CA fifty days later. The Dagmar, a 940 ft state of the art container ship, cruised at 27 mph, fast enough to water ski behind. The senior officers were East German and the other crew members were Russian, Lithuanian, Filipino and Kiribati Islanders. I was the only passenger and American on board.
We departed Newark at 0600 for Norfolk VA on March 21 followed by Charleston SC, Algeciras Spain, Gioia Tauro Italy, the Suez Canal, Jeddah Saudi Arabia, Salalah Oman, Singapore, Hong Kong, Kaohsiung Taiwan, and Yokohama Japan and concluded at Long Beach CA on May 8. Most ports were the same throughout the world, deep water entry to accommodate the 45 ft draft along with numerous gatling cranes and acres of concrete slab used for handling and storing the many boxes. These boxes were termed by some to be the "heart of the global economy". Forty feet long by eight feet wide by eight and one half feet high. They hold up to 60 tons of goods and can be loaded on or off in a minute or two. The Dagmar had the capacity to transport over 2000 of them at one time. For the most part the loading was completed in eight or ten hours. After operations were final in Long Beach the Dagmar reversed its way back to Newark, following a similar course and was thus termed the "pendulum route".
Regrettably, shore leave was limited, however entering and leaving the many harbors provided some nice opportunities for photographs. My gear consisted of a 35mm Pentax, a 28 - 210mm zoom lens, 1000mm fixed aperture lens, tripod, flash unit, an Olympus point and shoot that fits easily in my pocket and a dozen or so rolls of film. The superstructure of the ship, especially at the bridge provided an excellent bird eye view of the many harbors and operations.
The only truly rough weather encountered was while crossing the Atlantic - a couple nights of rocking and rolling which required my placing one foot on the deck to keep from falling off the berth. The rain in Spain was also outside the plain when we arrived in Algeciras. Gibraltar looks just like it does on the Prudential ads. We spent a day there then departed for Gioia Tauro Italy which is right on the toe of the boot. Gioia Tauro is a central pick up and delivery port for central Europe and not much else. A lot of freight comes and goes but no picturesque town or harbor. Passing between Italy and Sicily was another story. Ferries ran between the two with nice homes on either side. Weather was clear and the sunshine nicely brought out the "Italian" - buildings with white walls and red roof tiles, sandy beaches and colorful tropical foliage.
It was another two day run to Port Said and our passage through the Suez Canal. We waited about six hours for authorization and a pilot to guide us through. The west side was nicely developed with attractive architecture and surroundings, the east was like a desert down to the water. The canal was just that - a canal, a trench. Small fishing boats with oars and sails were abundant along with an occasional ferry crossing. For the most part it was single file through the canal except on the southern end where construction was in process to widen it.
An unusual situation was encountered in Jeddah - all photography, shore leave, liquor and pornographic material were strictly off limits. Cameras, liquor and you know what were secured in a storage locker with a special seal placed across the locker opening to assure that the door was not opened during the time we were in port. The ship was subject to search and any violators were dealt with to the max. The city itself looked big and prosperous with a large lighted fountain that looked lovely as we approached the city shortly before midnight.
Warm temperatures and humidity were part of our lives from Salalah, Singapore and Hong Kong. Both glasses and camera lenses fogged up as soon as stepping from the air conditioned indoors. Singapore's Brani freight terminal was one of the largest and located within an easy walk of a huge shopping mall located on World Trade Centre waterfront. "Convivia 2000" billed as the "1st World Beer Festival" was in full swing, so along with Oriental items for sale there was a variety of international brews and entertainment associated with such an event. The standard of living appeared high and everything was very clean and upbeat. Shore leave was limited to one night which was sad as there was a lot left unseen.
Four days later we arrived in Hong Kong with enough time to take a taxi downtown and walk around. In Singapore most of the people I talked with knew English, such was not the case in Hong Kong, at least not the taxi driver. After a slight verbal struggle I was finally able to communicate to him that if he were to be paid we needed a bank. Mission accomplished and everyone was happy. Shore leave was again limited and it would have been nice to have taken a tour of the city, but at least I can say I was there.
In Kaohsiung, Taiwan we were fortunate to have a nice dock space with a view of ships arriving and departing. All kinds; fishing junks, pleasure and commercial craft, pilot, tugs, old and new and from all parts of the world. Again, shore leave was limited. The weather became cooler and I was able to take a tour of the engine room while in port . Big, like a small gymnasium, sophisticated with all its computerized controls and powerful with 58,600 horse power. In addition to the main engine propelling the ship, there were other systems for heating and air conditioning, desalinization of sea water and generating electricity. There was also a complete machine shop and three engineers to keep everything going.
We arrived in Yokohama, Japan three days later for our final and one of the shorter stops before Long Beach. At this point I was ready for the home. Yokohama was clean and modern with newer equipment and dockage facilities. After eight hours we left and began the eight day run to the west coast.
The ship was only four years old so everything had a freshness to it. Each crew member had his private state room and lavatory facilities. There were also lounges with refrigerator, stereo, television, dvd/tape facilities along with a small library. Food was adequate- German cuisine with a few modifications - pork and chicken (commercial cuts), a variety of fresh fish, schnitzel, a lot of chopped cabbage, fresh fruit and soup. Saturday noon was a ritual of hearty soup and fresh baked French bread. There was also a outside barbecue on Easter Sunday with a variety of grill items. Healthful and for the most part tasty. There was always a variety of cold cuts and cheese for sandwiches as an alternative.
A morning ritual I enjoyed was a walk around the main deck, especially the bow where there was just the sound and smell of the sea. I brought a small GPS system with me and was able to get accurate readings of latitude and longitude along with speed and miles from home and to the various destinations. A portable FM and short wave radio was another entertaining item and helped to provide information about other lives and conditions around the world. The crew but were always friendly and courteous. English was the common language but limited. People are people. Photos of families look much like family shots taken in the states and wives are always spending too much money.
The spring equinox of the new millennium started off with a real different splash - 50 days on a German freighter, the "Dagmar Maersk". My odyssey began in Newark, NJ and ended in Long Beach, CA fifty days later. The Dagmar, a 940 ft state of the art container ship, cruised at 27 mph, fast enough to water ski behind. The senior officers were East German and the other crew members were Russian, Lithuanian, Filipino and Kiribati Islanders. I was the only passenger and American on board.
We departed Newark at 0600 for Norfolk VA on March 21 followed by Charleston SC, Algeciras Spain, Gioia Tauro Italy, the Suez Canal, Jeddah Saudi Arabia, Salalah Oman, Singapore, Hong Kong, Kaohsiung Taiwan, and Yokohama Japan and concluded at Long Beach CA on May 8. Most ports were the same throughout the world, deep water entry to accommodate the 45 ft draft along with numerous gatling cranes and acres of concrete slab used for handling and storing the many boxes. These boxes were termed by some to be the "heart of the global economy". Forty feet long by eight feet wide by eight and one half feet high. They hold up to 60 tons of goods and can be loaded on or off in a minute or two. The Dagmar had the capacity to transport over 2000 of them at one time. For the most part the loading was completed in eight or ten hours. After operations were final in Long Beach the Dagmar reversed its way back to Newark, following a similar course and was thus termed the "pendulum route".
Regrettably, shore leave was limited, however entering and leaving the many harbors provided some nice opportunities for photographs. My gear consisted of a 35mm Pentax, a 28 - 210mm zoom lens, 1000mm fixed aperture lens, tripod, flash unit, an Olympus point and shoot that fits easily in my pocket and a dozen or so rolls of film. The superstructure of the ship, especially at the bridge provided an excellent bird eye view of the many harbors and operations.
The only truly rough weather encountered was while crossing the Atlantic - a couple nights of rocking and rolling which required my placing one foot on the deck to keep from falling off the berth. The rain in Spain was also outside the plain when we arrived in Algeciras. Gibraltar looks just like it does on the Prudential ads. We spent a day there then departed for Gioia Tauro Italy which is right on the toe of the boot. Gioia Tauro is a central pick up and delivery port for central Europe and not much else. A lot of freight comes and goes but no picturesque town or harbor. Passing between Italy and Sicily was another story. Ferries ran between the two with nice homes on either side. Weather was clear and the sunshine nicely brought out the "Italian" - buildings with white walls and red roof tiles, sandy beaches and colorful tropical foliage.
It was another two day run to Port Said and our passage through the Suez Canal. We waited about six hours for authorization and a pilot to guide us through. The west side was nicely developed with attractive architecture and surroundings, the east was like a desert down to the water. The canal was just that - a canal, a trench. Small fishing boats with oars and sails were abundant along with an occasional ferry crossing. For the most part it was single file through the canal except on the southern end where construction was in process to widen it.
An unusual situation was encountered in Jeddah - all photography, shore leave, liquor and pornographic material were strictly off limits. Cameras, liquor and you know what were secured in a storage locker with a special seal placed across the locker opening to assure that the door was not opened during the time we were in port. The ship was subject to search and any violators were dealt with to the max. The city itself looked big and prosperous with a large lighted fountain that looked lovely as we approached the city shortly before midnight.
Warm temperatures and humidity were part of our lives from Salalah, Singapore and Hong Kong. Both glasses and camera lenses fogged up as soon as stepping from the air conditioned indoors. Singapore's Brani freight terminal was one of the largest and located within an easy walk of a huge shopping mall located on World Trade Centre waterfront. "Convivia 2000" billed as the "1st World Beer Festival" was in full swing, so along with Oriental items for sale there was a variety of international brews and entertainment associated with such an event. The standard of living appeared high and everything was very clean and upbeat. Shore leave was limited to one night which was sad as there was a lot left unseen.
Four days later we arrived in Hong Kong with enough time to take a taxi downtown and walk around. In Singapore most of the people I talked with knew English, such was not the case in Hong Kong, at least not the taxi driver. After a slight verbal struggle I was finally able to communicate to him that if he were to be paid we needed a bank. Mission accomplished and everyone was happy. Shore leave was again limited and it would have been nice to have taken a tour of the city, but at least I can say I was there.
In Kaohsiung, Taiwan we were fortunate to have a nice dock space with a view of ships arriving and departing. All kinds; fishing junks, pleasure and commercial craft, pilot, tugs, old and new and from all parts of the world. Again, shore leave was limited. The weather became cooler and I was able to take a tour of the engine room while in port . Big, like a small gymnasium, sophisticated with all its computerized controls and powerful with 58,600 horse power. In addition to the main engine propelling the ship, there were other systems for heating and air conditioning, desalinization of sea water and generating electricity. There was also a complete machine shop and three engineers to keep everything going.
We arrived in Yokohama, Japan three days later for our final and one of the shorter stops before Long Beach. At this point I was ready for the home. Yokohama was clean and modern with newer equipment and dockage facilities. After eight hours we left and began the eight day run to the west coast.
The ship was only four years old so everything had a freshness to it. Each crew member had his private state room and lavatory facilities. There were also lounges with refrigerator, stereo, television, dvd/tape facilities along with a small library. Food was adequate- German cuisine with a few modifications - pork and chicken (commercial cuts), a variety of fresh fish, schnitzel, a lot of chopped cabbage, fresh fruit and soup. Saturday noon was a ritual of hearty soup and fresh baked French bread. There was also a outside barbecue on Easter Sunday with a variety of grill items. Healthful and for the most part tasty. There was always a variety of cold cuts and cheese for sandwiches as an alternative.
A morning ritual I enjoyed was a walk around the main deck, especially the bow where there was just the sound and smell of the sea. I brought a small GPS system with me and was able to get accurate readings of latitude and longitude along with speed and miles from home and to the various destinations. A portable FM and short wave radio was another entertaining item and helped to provide information about other lives and conditions around the world. The crew but were always friendly and courteous. English was the common language but limited. People are people. Photos of families look much like family shots taken in the states and wives are always spending too much money.
Published by Travltips Magazine and the Photographic Society of America, May 2001
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