I was wondering what else I might have done
to move and make more sense usefully
I could have driven my van to Turkey
or at least to Italy
if I had stayed 2 weeks in Cesme
at least I would have been on land
and kept things within my own control.
Or a cheap boat to New York
and then a hire car, if only for a week.
But a few hours in Martinique and Guadeloupe
two sea locked days in Turbo
then overnight in Costa Rica
it seems impossible not to fail in this
steered around like a blind old bear
This is a trip for those who have surrendered the use of their legs.
it makes a fetish of time
holding me impassive
holding me helpless
even over my own diet
trapped into eating by my distaste of waste.Clocks back another hour. GMT - 4, i.e. 5 hours behind home.
1500: A tropical storm with twisters! It appeared on our bow and we left it to port. We had a few spots, but 200 yards away the sea was misted with bouncing rain.
Played table tennis 3 times today with Tom. I also ran up and down ladders for half an hour. I'm feeling unfit.
2000: Watched Kalifornia - Brad Pitt and David Dukovny. No good really - Pitt doing his 'weird hillbilly' schtick and Dukovny being Fox Muldur.
Here's the sun again to ask its questions
Can this watch, camera, skin, head take this weight?
The furthest south I have ever been
By far the furthest from home
Measured out now in weeks not days
Since I pointed my red bonnet up the A39
In the cool of a Cornwall autumn morning
Now back comes the feeling
That everything before me is a test
Just to see if I will fail
On my way back to the everyday
Three weeks now and a tour of docksides
It looks like no sleep 'til Playing Place .
Up ahead
A black cloud like an arch
through which we pass to reach the tropics
A tropical arch, a rite of passage
for ships and humans to weather
who wish to see what happens next
or have no choice in the matter.
15/10/04 1800LT:
N18 31.138 W56 58.180
Speed 19.4Kn Course 230
ETA 11.42.
1130: I left lots of lunch, just to diminish the intake.
We have been told we will reach Martinique late tomorrow morning. This means we must be going faster than 20 Knots, i.e. flat out.
0730: Bad night's sleep. Endless bloody nights made longer by the perpetual winding back of the clocks.
I'm trying to cut down the amount I'm eating. The result this morning was a misunderstanding with Ivan which resulted in me not getting any fruit juice.
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