Keeping the Peace

Today is a low-key day here on the ship.  I'm unable to leave the ship today because I am on duty in case of any emergencies.  This is my third day of 24 hour duty and I only have two more to go.  I will also have five nights I'll have to be on the ship in port to deal with any students who may come back to the ship overserved.   It's a small price to pay for getting to sail around the world.

This afternoon there is a whopping 47 people on board.  I'd say it's quiet but they are doing maintenance on the ship and it sounds like they are trying to construct a new ship outside.  Of course that didn't stop me from laying out by the pool and getting some sun this afternoon.  You can't beat sunshine and mid-90s on February 13th. 

It's interesting being on the ship when most everyone else is gone.  The highlight of my day today was when I watched them unload a bunch of garbage from our ship.  It sounds mundane but this is Vietnam and they do things differently here apparently.  What looked like two small fishing boats pulled up next to our ship and over the next few hours they slowly collected our garbage and then motored off down the river.  Where to I have no idea but it was cool to watch. 

It's crazy that there is a whole world going on every day on this ship that I just never see.  The crew are always working hard to get things done and make our trip the best experience possible and I try and thank them as much as possible.  They are the salt of the earth.