Another day in Durban

With each passing hour this ship is getting smaller and smaller. No doubt this has a lot to do with me not getting lost quite as much. ;) Nah... seriously though, I'm discovering that the ship really isn't that big. While quite sufficient for the purpose of a hospital, I've been told that it appears dwarfed when docked beside cruise ships.

So, this morning I was on deck 6 in the galley, today both galley crews worked together. We were all cleaning up for an inspection that should take place quite soon. I'm very well acquainted with the floor drains now and what they like to collect. yuck. Also got some great exercise going down tiny, steep, staircases and all the way down the gangway taking loads of stuff out to the dumpsters.

Anyhow, it's been a really good day. The air conditioning on a few decks, our cabin included, is back on -- a long-awaited blessing for the crew that never moved off the ship -- For the past months they've been trying not to sink the ship with their sweat... but now, well it looks like we're making up for all that time. The system works VERY WELL while the blankets on the other hand aren't keeping up with the A/C's efficiency!! My cabin is cold. Right now I'm on a deck that is hot hot hot... so, it all depends where you are. :)

This evening I attended the mandatory safety orientation to the ship... I know now exactly what I'm to do if someone falls overboard and how to try not to fall off myself.

For interest's sake -- the following is a bit of info about what type of a vessel this is...

Built differently than a regular passenger ship, the m/v Africa Mercy was first used as a rail ferry to transport train cars in Denmark. Since purchasing this ship there have been many vast renovations done in order to transform the old ferry into this incredible hospital community. Nevertheless, the basic shape of the ship remains the same. So, what's the shape? Well, in order to float as best as possibly with such heavy cargo the ship was built with a very flat base. I'm told this is unlike what you'd find underneath a passenger/cruise ship, whose primary goal is stability and calmness. Therefore the result of a having a flat base is a ship that sits sort of low in the water and won't tip over very easy. That being said, it also is a ship that "goes" with the waves, as opposed to "slicing" through them -- I'm sure it'll be an interesting ride to Sierra Leone. In such a small place, it is surprising how many things other than a hospital this ship includes... we have a library, laundry, bank, computer cafe, swimming pool, lounge, crew kitchen in addition to the galley kitchen, dining room, ship shop, academy and 126 cabins. I wish you could see it!! I'd take you for a tour... we might even not get lost this time!!