An Interesting Departure from the USA
Posted by: Rory Wilson
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
3:00 PM MST
YES… The website lives! Matt and I are just posting this to the server. We pulled our last session together (could not find Monsters/Rockstar, had to settle for lots of coffee.) and had some fun with the finding interesting pictures for our contest in the people section.
OK, so last week, I was happily surfing along (working on things!!) and had just returned from a trip to see my son graduate, and to visit my brother in CA. Thinking that I have another week to get things ready before the BIG TRIP.
Then this arrives on my email:
Date: 06/05/2007 06:45 PM
Subject: Re: EMERGENCY - READ THIS RIGHT AWAY
So, after a flurry of email messages… Seems that the Revelle needs to have work done on the bow thruster. OH.. What is a bow thruster?? Well, when the ship needs to make a sharp turn, there is a small motor in the FRONT of the ship that pushes sideways! It’s like power steering for a ship. Well, suddenly all the schedules needed to change. And we needed to go from Thailand into Singapore, maybe...
What excitement. I had everything arranged with the British International School in Thailand to tour the ship, and to meet with students.
Well, we all did the best thing possible… thought of lots of new possibilities. I mean, wow, get to go to Singapore?? That would be cool.
It was most exciting for Will Sager and the science team from Texas A&M. They actually were already traveling to Bangkok, Thailand and did not know where and when they would actually meet the ship. Their comment was something about becoming wandering vagabonds in Southeast Asia for awhile… Now, that is the spirit of adventure! Sharon, the assistant director commented that ship schedules are always fun and since she is a writer, may be thinking of a new adventure story!!
Meanwhile, Matt was busy graduating from Harvard, and I was going on trail runs in the mountains since I will not be running around the decks of the ship too far. Maybe the captain will let me swim occasionally. Will check into that.
The awesome one was actually Julie, calmly coordinating travel from her office in Washington DC, happily moving scientists (and teachers) around the globe. That is, unless she is diving or climbing rock somewhere. Leslie is actually an avid sailor and has been in sailboats in Alaska, Texas, almost everywhere. The group there in DC is cool.
TRAVEL TOMORROW!!!!! (June 13th, no not a Friday, is Wednesday)
Leaving from Denver to fly to San Francisco, then a 20-hour flight to Seoul, South Korea… then to Phuket, Thailand. I arrive there at midnight on Thursday night… Friday morning… Ohhhh, get ready for jet lag… There is a 12-hour time difference!!
JULY
7/30 - Final day at sea: on the way into Singapore
7/26 - A Day in the Life of a Teacher at Sea
7/18 - Checking our Position (Latitude) with a Sextant
7/16 - Monsoon Blues in the Indian Ocean
7/15 - WAVES, Rough Weather, but an exciting day... WHALES
7/11 - Not the Best Day for Science at Sea
7/9 - Discoveries on the 90 East Ridge
7/5 - Closer to Home, Life Here Onboard
7/2 - Ocean Careers: Texas to Russia
JUNE
6/30 - Easy Cruising Day: Now in the Southeast Trade Winds
6/27 - We Crossed the Equator Today, Heading South.
6/21 - Night Time Fun in the Indian Ocean
6/20 - Transit Gale in the Indian Ocean
6/17 - Arrived in Phuket, Thailand (finally)
