Aladdin's adventure in Cape Town, South Africa

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P lease give me a few days off before I start work again. I promise, there will soon be new adventures from the 7 seas. But first a few days to relax and having a good time.

The " Knight of the turntable " is back in town. And there will be a few beers before my flight to Sweden. But as mentioned before: Sue should have been here with me.

We left the ship behind at 1930 21st of May. It was Friday night and there were good prospects for a fun night on town. The crew signing on the ship told me that there should be plenty pubs down at the marina.

Our agent had arranged a hotel room for me (the company pays) and we arrived to the hotel at 8 o'clock after a quick visit to the immigration.

When I came to my room I had a beer and I relaxed a little before my shower. I came down in the hotel bar at 9 o'clock and I had a new beer in my hand before sitting down. There was a guy from Scotland in the bar and we started to talk about this and that.

We were joined by a guy from Australia and he ordered a round of beer for us.
I don't like this " buying rounds " stuff, you�re stuck in the bar buying rounds. I had a meeting with Bosun at midnight. He should come to the hotel bar after his watch and I had promised to check out the city for good places.

The time went by and at midnight 30 Bosun arrived to the bar and we were still sitting there. Well, we had a few more and we left our friend behind. According to the bar tender the Bossa Nova just outside the hotel should be a nice disco.

Hmm, they didn't let me in wearing my summer pants. I found it strange when we could see half naked girls at the entrance. Girls wearing a small top and mini skirts are allowed but a pair of "good looking" short pants were not allowed inside. Well, they want to avoid the riots when the girls catch sight of the handsome Swede in hot pants.

We took a taxi to the water front only to find everything closed. We returned to the city centre and we found a nice club with good music. Don't ask me about the time I returned to the hotel but I had not slept for long when they called from the reception.
- Do you think you can leave earlier for your tour?
- What tour? HEY! It's 9 o'clock in the morning!! I said.
Well, it turned out that I and Bosun had ordered a tour to Cape Point for 16:30.
Hmm, I spent a few hours in bed drinking water. We're talking hang over force 9,6 here.

I took a look in my valet and I calculated the costs for yesterday to about 500 Scooby Doo $. Cheap!! But soon I found out that I had spent 700 Scooby Doo $. Still cheap! Well, later on I found out that I had signed bills in the bar for much more Scooby Doo $ and then it hadn't been so cheap, well never mind, we had a good time. Even though we had a good time it didn't made me feel better.

I must admit that I was happy that Suewasn't there right then. I was just staying in my bed feeling terrible. I could not fall asleep again so I took a shower and I took a taxi to the cable car station at the Table Mountain.

I didn't had much time to see the sights in Cape Town as mentioned before, but you can be sure of that nothing reached Mach 2,3 around here, except maybe my hangover.

Views from Table Mountain

On the way up to Table mountain

Lions head and Robben Island.

Beaches.

Lions head and Robben Island and a bit of Cape Town.

More mountains

Table bay and port of Cape Town.

Ship approaching Cape Town

I bought an 80 Scooby Doo $ ticket to the cable car and I entered the cable car and we leftfor the mountain top. As soon as we left the station the floor started to revolve. I don't like heights so I felt bad already leaving the ground, well, actually I felt bad already in the elevator up to the car. But I'm not sure if it was the height or hangover.

Now imagine how I felt with my hangover, add the height and the revolving floor. It was just to hold on to something sturdy. I was very relieved when I felt the ground under my feet again.

At the top cable car station there was a cocktail bar. I was happy and I thought that a beer would be nice. I was looking around without finding the bar.
- Hello!! There is a sign saying Cocktail bar, where is the bar?
- It's closed.
Lucky me.

I could catch sight of a house and a sign saying restaurant. Finally a cold beer, but it was asouvenir shop and next to the shop was a " self service " restaurant. Self service is not what I was looking for, when I'm on a restaurant there should be service.

I never liked those places where people are running around with trays and stuff. I prefer a menu and a waiter. Otherwise it's better to eat at home. I had been lucky with the weather. Sunshine and blue sky so I could enjoy the view from the mountain top.It would not have been so nice coming up in the middle of a cloud.

It was time to go back again and the ride down wasn't much better than the ride up and it was very nice to step out on the road again.

I found a taxi and he drove me to the water front. I wanted to buy some CDs.

Cape Town water front

Cape Town water front

Clock tower

Clock tower

Cape Town

Before leaving for the Table Mountain I paid for our tour and I asked them that we wanted to go in a car with a CD player.
- We don't have any cars with CD players. But we will arrange something.
So I had to go buy some CDs for the tour and I wanted some breakfast as well.

The taxi driver dropped me at a shopping mall and I went to a restaurant. I ordered tea and sandwich. I got a pot of Earl Grey tea, I must say that I like drinking tea in Cape Town. They served tea in a pot on all the places I had tea. I just hate it when they come with a cup hot water and a tea bag.

I went to the record shop when I was ready with my breakfast. I bought some South African Hip Hop and after that I took a walk around the water front. I meet our Filipino crew and our Cadet there as well.

All the restaurants and pubs were full of tourists. The water front was crowded with people and I wasn't very comfortable with my hangover and all the people.
I returned to my hotel and my bed.

At arrival to the hotel they told me that they had a car with CD player.
- Very good, I said.
I made arrangements with the restaurant for a pick nick bag to be ready at 1600. I went to my bed with a big bottle of water and at 1530 I took a shower and I went down to the At 4 o'clock they came from the tour company and we drove off to the port. We had someproblem finding the oil jetty but after asking for the direction we found the ship. I asked the AB on watch to call Bosun.

We left Cape Town bound for Cape Point and Cape of Good Hope. I felt like throwing up all the way, my hangover was with me all the way. We arrived to the gate to Cape Point quarter past five. They had closed at 5 o'clock. Hmm, well, I managed to get a picture of South Africa's national flowerbefore leaving. At least something we got out of our tour to Cape of Good Hope.

The whole thing was turning in to a fiasco and on top of that my hangover force 9,8. I had arranged a pick nickbasket at the hotel and we had prepared us self for an adventure.

And believe me, to arrange the darn pick nick basket was no joke early morning with a rampant hangover. Of course, the prepared everything for me in the hotel kitchen, but I had to give instructions via the phone from my bed.

Gate to Cape of Good Hope was closed so we took pictures outside the gate instead

Gate to Cape of Good Hope was closed so we took pictures outside the gate instead

On the way back we stopped in Simon's Town for dinner. We gave up on the pick nick, it's better to sit at a nice restaurant with service. I ordered a steak and Bosun ordered a pizza.The restaurant was nicely located at the beach and it was a nice place even though the steak left more than a little to wish for.

Bosun could not finish his pizza and the waiter asked if he wanted a box for the left over. Of course, we didn't want any doggy bag making fools out of ourselves carrying around a doggy bag. It was enough with the darn pick-nick basket.

Bosun had coffee and I had hot chocolate before we left for Cape Town. He had to be back aboard M/T Prospero to go on watch at 8 o'clock. I had to choose between my bed and a nice pub. It's nice with holiday, especially when you are paid. I got a few pictures of the sunset and we were off.

Sunset over Simon's Town. Picture taken outside the restaurant

We took Chapman's peak drive on the way back to Cape Town. I don't know, but the driver told us it was a famous road along the mountain. It was dark on our drive but it was nice to be on the way back to the bed. Our guide played some club music for us.
- Here we have the widest beach in Cape Town, our guide said.
Then it was longest beach and shortest beach mixed with:
- To the right the houses cost 25 millions.
- To the left the condos cost 15-27 millions.
It was like going around with a real estate agent. I choose to go to bed when I came back to the hotel, I was sure I couldn't handle the flight to Sweden with a bad hangover.

Flee market in Cape Town

Flee market in Cape Town

Sunday morning and I went to the flea market to buy some souvenirs to Sue. She wanted me to buy some souvenirs for her. They would pick me up at 1300 at the hotel for airport transportation so I had a few hours to kill.

I was walking around looking for something nice. I bought a second hand book for my flight and some other stuff.

I don't like shopping and I went back to my hotel as soon as I found what I wanted. I spent afew hours in bed and I went down to the reception at 1 o'clock. My driver arrived and we left for the airport.

On the way to the airport we passed a huge township. Those townships are suburbs formerly officially designated for black occupation by apartheid legislation. Well, it's pretty much the same today, without the legislation. But you can be sure all the ANC politicians are living in nice houses and driving expensive cars and eating well every day.

I would be ashamed to represent a country with suburbs like that. They had a black bishop getting money from Sweden for ANC during the apartheid. He built a nice house for himself and his family. He lived like a king while the people lived in poverty. I call them a-holes.

A Township at Cape Town airport.

A Township at Cape Town airport.

At arrival to the airport I checked in and I had time for a pot of tea before boarding my flight at 15:10. Nice to be on the way back to Sweden.

We left Cape Town and we landed in Johannesburg around 18:00. They told us that we had to wait onboard and that it would take 1 hour.

Leaving Cape Town International airport.

Leaving Cape Town International airport.

The flight was full!! What the Yoo!!When I checked in I asked if the flight was full.
- No! There are plenty seats available.
- Good! Can you check me in on 3 seats, a full row so I can sleep, I asked.

I always ask for aisle seat when I check in, especially in tourist class. I have long legs so I need to stick them out in the aisle. Well, anyway, he told me that he checked me in on seat 42C and 42B. I realised that he meant the Cape Town - Johannesburg flight. If I'm flying to Frankfurt I'm interested in the Johannesburg - Frankfurt leg and not the 1h 45m flight between Cape Town and Johannesburg. And of course, from Johannesburg to Frankfurt it was full.

We left Johannesburg, I think it was 19:30. I was sitting next to a girl from the South African national team in some sport. The whole plane was full of them.
At the window was a guy from Austria, but he had been living in South Africa for 40 years.

The Austrian guy was reading the SüdDeutche Zeitungen. He asked the girl where they were going. They were going to Brussels for a tournament.

The Austrian guy told her stuff about Europe and there was a big map in his newspaper. He showed her the map and asked if she knew in what country St. Petersburg was situated.
- In Africa? She said.
No the capital is Moscow he said and showed Moscow on the map.
- No, I don't know.
- Do you know in what country Rome is in? He asked while pointing out Rome on the Map.
- No, I don't, she said.
He pointed at Frankfurt and asked if she knew in what country Frankfurt was in.
- In Brussels, she said.
Good thinking, they were on the way to Brussels. But Brussels is no country. And this was a girl, maybe 16 - 20 years old.
- But you know in what country Athens is in?
- No, she said.
- They will have the summer Olympics this year, he tried.
Keep in mind that he was pointing out each city on a map over Europe.
- Sidney!! She replayed.
I could not help myself but I started giggling and I had to press my pillow against my face.Yeah, I know, it's not a nice thing to eavesdropping but I could not help hearing. There is not that much space flying coach. He continued asking about European cities while I was pressing my pillow against my face.
She didn't know in what country Helsinki and Stockholm was the capital and when he asked about Oslo he got the answer:
- England.
He pointed at Paris and he got the answer:
- That's in Los Angeles, she said.
I could not help it, I wasn't prepared. I burst out in laughter, no, it was more like I was screaming and crying of laughter. It was embarrassing, all the passengers turned around looking at me. I could not stop laughing.

It was not very nice of me, but I could not help it. Please understand me, but this was a girl 16-20 years old, and our Austrian friend was using a map over Europe including the Mediterranean and a bit of North Africa.
But I was soon to stop laughing.

- This is your Captain speaking.........
It's strange, and I have thought of it many times on airplanes. They build airplanes for billions but they put 5$ loudspeakers in the plane and it's impossible to hear what they are saying.
But I could hear that they could not retract the landing gear. I thought the airplane was very shaky at take off, but as you knew I was busy with geography.
In normal cases the plane shakes a little at take off until you hear the bang when the landing gears are retracted.

At low speed streamlining is not that important but when the plane gaining speed the fuselage needs to be streamlined. We could not reach cruising altitude and it was very noisy and shaky.
They had return to Johannesburg and to jettison all the fuel before landing.
Hmm, my shitometer was on a full force 10.
- If they can't retract the landing gear, can they get them out in full extent again? Are the landing gear half way in?
There were many questions on my mind. I don't know if it came with my age, but I have been, not scared, but uncomfortable with landings and take-off's the last few years. Maybe it's because I'm scared not to see Sue again.

I don't know, but it's no fun bouncing down the runway in a Jumbo jet. I had a flight to a small

airfield in the north of Sweden a few years ago. It was a small airplane and we were bouncing down the runway. You expect that with a small airplane, and it was fun doing it back then. I was young and handsome and " sudden death " was nothing you thought about back then. And backthen I was always flying with my entertainment center and the stewardesses were busy bringing beer to my seat. Yo! It was party and a good time all the way.

But last time I was landing in Funky Town it was easy not to laugh while we were bouncing down the runway in a full Jumbo jet. My worst landing so far and I was not looking forward to our return and landing in Johannesburg.
It turned out Ok and at 2130 we were back at the terminal. They told us that it was a bolt that was broken.
- We will find out if we have the spare part here in Johannesburg.
After a while they told us that they had found the spare part and that it will take 1 hour to repair the landing gear. After 1 hour we were still waiting and after 2 hours there were no news. They had filled up the plane with new jet fuel while we were waiting onboard the plane.

Now they had another problem. The crew are allowed to work 15 or 16 hours, or something like that. we don't want a sleeping pilot when landing in Frankfurt. We were running out of time, but we managed to leave Johannesburg at midnight.

I had almost spent 9 hours on the plane when we left Johannesburg so I was a little disappointed. I had been hoping for a hotel bed.

Passing the Swiss alps.

It was a terrible flight. When arriving to Frankfurt at 10 o'clock I had spent almost 18 hours on the plane.
Before arrival the girl wanted to take pictures of us.
- Do you mind? She asked.

At arrival I had to find a new connection flight. I was lucky, there was aflight 12:15 to Gothenburg. It was nice to land at Landvetter in Gothenburg at 2 o'clock. I got my luggage and I was off to find a taxi. I arrived to my hotel in Sweden at 3 o'clock, 26 hours after leaving my hotel in Cape Town.

Our friend signed off a ship in Singapore and he was to arrive to Gothenburg at 12:00 30th of May . His car was at a workshop in Kalmar and he wanted the car in Gothenburg when he arrived.

We had to bring it to Gothenburg before he arrived. We took the early morning train from Gothenburg to Kalmar. The train left 06:50 29th of May , Saturday morning and I expected us to be, almost alone on the train. The train was almost full, or our car anyway.

It was a 4 hour raid through the Swedish summer landscape and we arrived to Kalmar just before 11 o'clock. I had planned to stay in Kalmar but at arrival to Kalmar I changed my mind, not very much exciting was happening in that town so I was going back to Go:teborg with my friend when he returned with the car. And it will be nice to pick up our friend at the airport tomorrow.

Kalmar is a very small town and a small town tends to drive me up the walls after a few days. I decided to go back to Gothenburg withmy friend. And the weather was nice and we were soon in a party mood.
- Let's have a beer when we return to Gothenburg, I said.

We took bus # 401 to the workshop at the outskirts of Kalmar. We paid the bill and we left the workshop behind with smoking and screaming tyres.

It will be nice to leave Kalmar behind, but we stopped at a sandwich shop for a snack. A little snack turned in to a HUGE snack as we ordered a sandwich layer cake.
- You're having a party? The girl asked us
- No, cut it in 2 pieces and we want tea with the cake.

She was chocked, he thought we would bring the cake home for a party. I could not finish my piece, but my friend's plate was empty when we left.

Sandwich layer cake

My friend still eating and I'm outside taking pictures

Exiting news in Kalmar

Foocking nice to leave Kalmar behind and I didn't regret my decision to go back to Go:teborg

We arrived to Gothenburg just before 6 o'clock and we were to tired to go and drink beer, we had been up since 0545. And we had to wake up early on Sunday in order to be at the airport12:00 to pick up our friend.

I had slept most of the time from Kalmar. We were in a party mood when we left and we were going to meet some friends in Go:teborg. But after the sandwich layer cake I felt asleep and I never recovered to FULL party mood again.

I was glad that we skipped the beer drinking when I woke up on Sunday morning. We left the apartment around 10 o'clock in the morning and we took the car to a car wash. We wanted the car to look good when we picked up our friend at the airport.

Arriving to Landvetter Airport

He arrived 30th of May with the 12:05 flight from Copenhagen in a good mood. He had spent many hours in the air, Singapore - London - Copenhagen - Gothenburg, so he was happy when hearrived. 1 of his suitcases was missing but they will send it to his apartment, if they manage to find the darn suitcase.

We loaded his stuff in the car and we drove back to Gothenburg.

There was a Metallica concert in the evening and our friend wanted us to join him. But he had to go by himself, we don't like Metallica.

Monday 31st of May and we left Gothenburg at 10 o'clock for Kalmar. My friend had to do an exam in school and this time I stayed in Kalmar. My friend will be back in Kalmar next Monday for a new exam and then I will return to Gothenburg with him.

My friend study for his exam on the balcony

He was soon growing tired of his books so he started to beat his rug

Beating the rug became boring and we left for exciting DOWN TOWN Kalmar

And we ended up at a bakery/ coffee shop

Plenty to chose from at the bakery/ coffee shop

And we were soon at a Chinese Restaurant

My friend left Kalmar for Go:teborg when he was ready with his exam and I had to spend a fewdays all by lonesome in Kalmar before I was to return again for more exams. And believe me, foock all is happening in Kalmar and my friend had been gone for a few hours only when I regreted that I hadn't followed hit back to Go:teborg.

Before signing on M/T Prospero I ordered a new passport and I needed to pick up my new passport at the police station. They are only open until 15:00 and I left the apartment at 13:30. I had time for my oatmeal surprise and tea before leaving.

I took a walk to the police station in the afternoon 3rd of June . It was nice weather and I enjoyed the walk. It's nice during the spring with all the flowers and the light green leaves on the trees. My favourite time of the year. After the police station I walked through the park on my way to the library.
At the library I surf the I-net for a while before eating my lunch. At the library there is a coffee shop and they have a salads buffet. I never miss a chance to eat a lean cuisine and it makes you feel better after the meal as well. Plenty vitamins.

Views from Kalmar

Kalmar Water tower

Kalmar prison

Kalmar Railway station

Kalmar

Kalmar

It is a beautiful time of the year

This is the house wer my friend lives in Kalmar

On my way back to the apartment I bought some Swedish summer potatoes, first for this year. When I got back I boiled them with fresh dill, yummy!! I think I will do the same tomorrow.

Friday 4th of June and I was ready for some rambling. I should meet the guy that was Cadet on Vinga Helena with me. We meet at the coffee shop on the library for salads buffet. We meet just after 3 o'clock and after that I went to the library and scanned my new passport and GMDSS certificate.
Before going back to my friend's apartment I bought some more potatoes. Yesterday it was 24:95 Swedish Scooby Doo money per kilo and today it was 14:95/kg. In a week or 2 it's down to 2 Scooby dollars per kg.

On a sightseeing boat in Kalmar
The day passes by and it was Sunday again, I had an appointment with the Cadet from Vinga

Kalmar fire department.

Kalmar fire department.

Helena. He's not a Cadet on Vinga Helena any more, but I will refer to him as the Cadet. He have 1 more year in the navigation school before he's a full-fledged Deck Officer.

I should meet him in the marina outside the navigation school at 1500. When I arrived there was a fire alarm sounding from the school and soon the fire department arrived with screaming and smoking tires. Smoke divers came out from the trucks. But it was false alarm. I could not see any smoke anyway.

Our Cadet will run the sightseeing boat in Kalmar during the summer. He and a friend have borrowed the boat from Kalmar city for the summer, well, they have rented the boat but Kalmar city pays the rent.
He had invited some of his classmates as well and we

were ready to go around 1530. I had time to buy a Ramlösa before departure.

We left the marina and the navigation school behind. First point of interest was Kalmar's best beach just outside the marina. Hmm, I suspect it's the only one.

Kalmar's best beach according to our guide.

My Ramlösa was finished before we reached the beach. After the beach we passed under a bridge and we entered a small lake or a bay.

Ready to go.

It was very shallow water so a sharp look out was required to avoid grounding the boat. It would

MAX HEADROOM 1m.

Kalmar prison

have been embarrassing with the boat full of future Deck officers.

We passed under one more bridge and we were in the moat, or I think it is a moat. A few hundreds

year ago there was a city-wall and a moat surrounding the city. The wall is gone, but it's possible to see traces of the wall, e.g. we passed a gate in the old wall on our tour.

Gate to the old city.

I think it's the only preserved gate left in the city wall. Hmm, there is something looking as an old gate close to the marina, but I'm not sure

what it is. But if you really want to know I'm sure you can find information at Kalmar tourist office.

All the bridges are very low. It's not possible to pass under the last bridge unless the water level is very low. My friend told me that they only managed to come under the bridge 2 times last summer.

Well, I don't know if it was because of low water or if the boat was heavy loaded. I think it must have been the low water, I had only been eating salad and potatoes the last few days. But as mentioned before, it's very shallow water and if we are too heavy we will be grounded, so loading the boat is no good way to try to come under the last bridge.

Heavy or not, we had to go down on the floor while

All passengers down on the floor.

All passengers down on the floor.

passing under the bridge. It was pretty exciting and I was just hopping that we would manage to pass under the bridge. It would be nice to get stuck under the bridge. After 2 weeks under the bridge it would be easy not to laugh.

After passing the last bridge we could see Kalmar castle. The 13th-century Kalmar Castle has served as fortress, distillery, granary, and prison and now houses the county museum.

Kalmar castle.

Kalmar castle.

Kalmar castle.

Coming back with the tour boat

When we returned to the marina we were hungry after all the excitement. Me and my friend took a walk to the restaurant in the marina. Closed on Sundays!! What the Yoo!!
We tried Hansson�s krog across the street.
- Must be open with all the signs and stuff they have out, I said.
Closed on Sundays. What is this? I understand if they are closed on Monday afternoon. Now the marina was full of German and Danish yachts and plenty people walking around in the marina.

We walked to the city center and we found a restaurant, I think the restaurant was named Strul. We had a nice dinner and the waitress was very nice. Recommended place.

When I returned home I checked my e-mail. 1 offer as a Chief Officer on a 40 000 DWT chemical tanker in a Dutch management company. 8200$/ month on the first trip. There was 1 offer from Dubai as Chief Officer on a chemical tanker as well. Tour of duty 4 months and I don't think I can take it.
Sue will not be happy that's for sure.

When I went to the super market on Monday afternoon the potato was 7:50/kg and I expect to get a small Japanese car with the potatoes when I get a kg next week.

Well, everything has to come to an end and it was time to leave Kalmar. It started to getdangerous around here for an apparently single stud.

My friend did his last exam on Friday morning 11th of June and we returned to Gothenburg with the 13:00 train to Gothenburg.

I had spent almost 2 weeks in Kalmar waiting for job. I had to turn down 4 jobs as Chief Officer. 4 companies were looking for a Chief Officer that could sign on in July. I didn't want to wait until July so I turned down the offer. I take the chance for an open position before July, I hope I can find a job.

Now you understand why I'm pissed off at Donsötank whenthey gave me a 2 days notice. If I knew there would have been a chance to find a new position for June.

I meet my friend in Kalmar city at 1130, he was waiting for me at the bus stop close to his school. He had just finished his last exam for this semester. It was 1 and a half hour before our train should leave for Gothenburg.

We went to a Thai restaurant for our lunch and when we were stuffed it was time to go to the train station. We had to wait at the train station for about 20 minutes before it was time for departure. While waiting we meet a guy waiting for the train to Linköping, he was up for more waiting.
- Is this the train to Linköping? He asked and pointed at the train on track 2 next to us.
- No it's the train leaving NOW from track 1, I said.
He was running after the train waving, but in vain. There is another train leaving in a few hours.

Our train left Kalmar at 1303 and at arrival to Emmaboda 30 minutes later we had to change

car. The car we were sitting in from Kalmar was bound for Copenhagen. In Emmaboda they connected new cars to our train and we changed cars.
- How much cash do we have? I asked.
I took everything my friend had in his pocket and went to the kiosk and bought beer for the money. I realized that we didn't got enough money to last us all the way to Gothenburg, 4 hours away.

Hiding the beer can.

I asked the ticket-collector if I could buy a ticket with my plastic card and return the ticketfor cash. It was possible to pay with plastic money when buying a ticket from the ticket-collector but not in the kiosk. In the kiosk they only accepted cash. No chance to get hold of some cash, but we had bought their last beer they had on the train. We had just enough beer to get us in a good mood and we wished we could get hold of some more.

Wine!!!! Yes we could buy wine and we bought 2 bottles of wine for our last cash. We tried again

Borås train station.

to get cash from the ticket-collector, but in vain. - You have to wait until Gothenburg, he said.
I don't think he understands but when we arrived to Borås at 1613 they said that there will be a long stop and departure was 1631. That gave me time to run in to the city and an ATM.
I returned with my pockets full of money and we

ordered more wine. Life was looking good again.

Scheduled arrival time to Gothenburg was 17:35 but we stopped just outside Gothenburg. The only info we got was:
- There is a black out at Gothenburg train station due to lightning. The maintenance team is working with the problem.

Yoo!! We were stuck 5 minutes from the station and only god knew for

Arriving to Gothenburg.

how long. But finally we started and we arrived 1 hour late. At arrival to Gothenburg we had finished all the beers on the train and there wasn't very much wine left.
We stopped at the pub on the train station for a few beers before we left the station bound for new pubs and adventures.

Rosenhill

Saturday morning, hangover force 8,3. We had pizza for lunch and then I was off for Rosenhill, the Seaman's center in Gothenburg. All the movie making for my web page had got me going and I needed to download

Rosenhill

Microsoft ® Windows Movie Maker 2.

I'm sitting with a slow dial-up connection and it will take a very long time to download the program.

They have broadband internet and computers at Rosenhill and as a sailor I can borrow a computer.

Rosenhill is one of the most well-equipped seafarers� centres of the world and is run by HKF.

When a ship is visiting the port of Gothenburg they can visit Rosenhill.

And as mentioned there is internet so the crew can send e-mail and read the

Free transportation.

latest news from home on the internet, or just surf the internet. A very good service.

It's just to call Rosenhill and crew are offered transportation to the centre and back again. The transportation is free of charge.

They have a coffee shop and you can read newspaper and

Coffee shop.

magazines while drinking your soda or tea. If your not on a diet you can have a cookie ore a sandwich to you tea.

There is a big indoor swimming pool and a sport hall. When I took my “Profiency in survival craft” certificate we used Rosenhill's swimming pool for the exercise with

Coffee shop.

the raft.

In the sport hall we can playbadminton, indoor soccer and bandy etc.

There is one bigger gravel pitch as well as twosmaller lawn fields for seven-man teams for soccer games or tournaments.

Rosenhill have a track for running and a jogging track forthose who like to run. You can also do long jump and stuff.

Rosenhill have trained staff members who coordinate and lead team events. You can also get fitness advice and individual training guidance. Hmm, that would do me and my diet good.

Soccer fields.

HKF arrange tournaments for ship crews at Rosenhill as well. Soccer,

1 of Rosenhill's crew.

badminton, golf and athletics.

It's a nice place and it's popular with the crew of the ships staying in Gothenburg.
They sell Swedish souvenirs and telephone card (popular with the Pilipino crew) at Rosenhill as well.

They have the library for Swedish ships there as well. It's just for the ship to call them and they come to the ship with new books and we send the old books back ashore with them.

Well, the lazy days were over and it was time to sign on Bro Jupiter

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