For Bear

July, 2008

I had just arrived in Alexandria, Egypt on behalf of the Summer 2008 "Semester at Sea" Voyage. Standing before the Great Pyramids of Giza had been a childhood dream of mine (which I accomplished during my three-day stay), but this story is not about that. This story is about sandboarding in the Sahara desert, and nearly not making it out alive.

We were instructed to never venture far from the ship’s port during the last day in each country. Despite the warnings (which made perfect sense to most sensible people), my friends and I booked a sandboarding trip with the Sahara Adventure Company. An old, leathery-skinned guy picked us up at 8am from our ship, and we began a four-hour caravan into the desert. Our ride was a beat-up 1990 Land Cruiser that had seen better days. Hours of travel took us through small, shanty-villages as well as an active Egyptian military base. Finally, we arrived at our destination: a series of three giant sand dunes in the middle of nowhere.

Our leathery adventure guide, Mike, stopped the car and prepared the equipment: a cooler filled with water bottles, three custom-made wooden sandboards, bars of wax, and one custom-made trike that, despite its simplicity of design, would simply take too long to describe with my allotted space. We waxed up the boards and headed to the top of dune #1.

Reaching the top of the 80-foot dune was both exhausting and enthralling. Never had I seen sky so blue, sharply contrasted by the horizon of golden sand. I anticipated success before my first sandboarding attempt. Years of surfing and snowboarding had to give me some kind of advantage, right?

Wrong. I went down on my face instantly. You might think falling in the sand is not so bad.

Wrong. Feels more like falling on pavement.

The fall served as a big-time motivator for not falling again (you learn pretty quickly when severe pain is the consequence). My group had enough energy for about ten runs total. It was the experience of a lifetime, and we were exhausted.

On the way back to civilization, we discovered exactly why such trips should never be planned for the last day in port. Our Land Cruiser was stuck in the sand, and did not appear to be getting out. Only a few hours remained before our ship was schedule to depart for Dubrovnik, with our without us. At that moment, a thought even worse than missing the ship came to me – what if we were stranded in the Sahara Desert?

Sure, I’d seen my share of Man vs. Wild episodes before that moment, but nothing could prepare me for being stranded in the Sahara. After an hour of forcing the car free with every muscle in our bodies, we were back on track. The MV Explorer was just moments away from leaving without us. Miraculously, I made it back to my cabin for a continued voyage to Croatia. The adventure continued…

Fond Farewell to the MV Explorer

Hey everyone-

Just wanted to say thank you for putting up with my emails throughout the summer. I probably went on plenty of rants and endless tangents, but it certainly kept me busy while at sea. I had the time of my life, and coming home has been an interesting transition.


So, thats it.
Love you all
Mark

GOLDENEYE

When we left Dubrovnik a few days ago, I was fully content that my summer adventure had come to an end. I was exhausted from travel, and my wallet has never been thinner. The restless spirit that I once possessed in the beginning of the voyage was certainly ready for down time. So I boarded the MV Explorer that evening and watched the Dalmatian Coast fade away. "Mission accomplished," or whatever euphemism fits best.

Right now we are refueling just 50 yards from the coast of Gibraltar. A little history lesson:

a British dependency near the southern tip of the Iberian penninsula, at the eastern end of the Strait of Gibraltar; pop. 28,000. Occupying a site of great strategic importance, Gibraltar consists of a fortified town and a military base at the foot of a rocky headland called the Rock of Gibraltar. Britain captured it during the War of the Spanish Succession in 1704 and is responsible for its defense, external affairs, and internal security.

My restlessness is back, with an urge to explore that has never been greater. With only 5-6 hours to spend refueling, the Explorer's company was not allowed to leave the boat. Instead, I sat with my iPod on the lower deck and ate my newly purchased tortilla chips, wondering how great it would be to swim to shore. Although the coast is largely populated with refueling tankers and industry, the Explorer is floating in front of a little beach town. The occasion sea-doo passed in front of me, and I wanted to throw my bag of chips at each one of them.

I am spoiled, but come on! A day to wander the coastal mountains of Gibraltar? I'll have to stop by next time.

-Mark

Mark at Sea

Full days at sea: 2
Days left before USA: 10

Over the course of the summer, the MV Explorer has docked in Norway, Russia, Denmark, Belgium, Italy, Egypt, Greece, and Croatia. We arrived in each port around 6am, which means that I would wake up to breakfast with a view of a foreign country. So strange to think that Virginia is the next port of call. It's easy to grow comfortable with this lifestyle, but the return home is well needed.

I am pooped and nearly penniless (the two seem to go hand-in-hand). I spent my last 200 Kuna (Croatian currency - about 40 dollars) on cereal, granola, MILK!, orange juice, and tortilla chips for the 12 day journey home. There are so many little things I look forward to back home, but until then, I plan on enjoying the last of my time with friends onboard.

We are still in the Med, and the weather is great. Seas are calm (but for how long?), sun is shining, classes are almost over, and I have vowed to start getting back into shape. Two months of Euro-travel have certainly taken a toll on Mark's body.

I get home on the 22nd of August, and classes do not start until Sep 25. What to do? Tom Petty at the Verizon, and Styx at the Taste of Newport ("All the women in the fac-tor-E). Of course, I must get money first. Then find a place to live in Westwood. Then figure out UCLA. Yeahhh...

Can't wait to see everybody!
Cheers
Mark

In Cairo, In Cairo

TURN OF EVENTS
Two nights ago, a bomb exploded in a busy shopping street in Istanbul, killing at least 15 and injuring over 100 others. This occurred while the ship was already well on her way to Turkey, and immediate concern swept all passengers. Personally I did not feel safe going to Istanbul anymore - it was the largest attack they've witnessed in five years. Long story short, ISE has deemed the port to be too dangerous and the MV Explorer has turned around. But where do we go now?

ALEXANDRIA, EGYPT
In less than 24 hours, I will be in Africa. Sure I'm a bit bummed on not seeing Istanbul (former Constantinople), but hey, I have a feeling this will make up for it. Traveling to Egypt has been a dream of mine for as long as I can remember. I am already signed up for a day trip in which I will be riding camels through a desert resort, taking a jeep safari through the pyramids of Giza, and waltzing through Cairo. Cairo! I promise to bring you all Egyptian trinkets from the bazaar. Can't express how excited I am!

Love
Mark


(ps - recap of Italy will be too long for blog. Look for email)

Found

There are few times in my life where stop to think "can it really get better than this?" Its nearing midnight, and I asked myself this very question a few hours ago. Choosing Semester at Sea was quite possibly the best decision of my life, and I think everyone deserves a shot at traveling with the MV Explorer sometime in their lives. I cannot wait to see you all in a month!

Look for a great summary of Italy in a few days. I am still trying to digest it all, and it tastes good. Damn good. Like fresh cheese and fine wine.

Love
Mark

Lost at Sea

Right now I have never wanted to see California more - its been more than a month on the ship, and my brain has been going 1000 mph since we started. Right now I'm just physically and mentally exhausted, and would love a change in pace. I'm in this "funk" most likely because we have midterms on the ship right now, and nothin' puts me in a funk like school in summatime. Fat Albert & The Gang know what I'm talkin' about. Anyway - I have no reason for such thoughts because I will have a full month at home once this is all over. I will be sleeping the entire time!

We have been trailing down the coast of Portugal for the past day - no sight of land, but in approximately 1 hour we will pass through the Straight of Gibraltar, thus squeezing through Spain and Morocco and entering the Med! I have been dreaming about this for some time now, and I can't wait until we arrive in Italy.

It's incredibly difficult to cram Italy down to 4 days, for obvious reasons. You have Pompeii and the Amalfi Coast to the south of our port, and to the north lies Rome, Florence, Venice, Milan, and dozens of world-famous coastline (not to mention the picaresque islands off the coast). So far I plan on spending the first 2 days in Rome (because... you have to go to Rome, right?), then the 2nd half of my stay is uncertain. Who knows. Maybe Florence, maybe some coastal stuff, but in any case I aim to have a good time.

Lat 53.7N
Long 3.2W
Speed 23.2 knots

update from later in the night -
We passed through Gibraltar, and it was perhaps one of the coolest things I've ever seen. Stood on the back deck and saw Africa on one side (Morocco) and Europe on the other (Spain). I could taste the salt blowing from the Mediterranean - we have finally made it!