Life On Board The Africa Mercy

I really am getting used to living in a tight space...as you can see...One must be neat, organized and know exactly where to find everything in the dark because most likely your bunkmate will be sleeping when your alarm goes off for work.  Most crew members are on shift-work, I'm one of the lucky ones that has a day job! (As you know, I'm none-of-the-above, so I've had to dig deep for some discipline!) The cabin has six females with one bathroom, which surprisingly hasn't been a problem; cabin mates rotate in and out anywhere from three weeks to three months, only one other person is a longer term crew like myself.

OK, maybe it's not that tidy, but it's Saturday morning!!!

Our berths are separated by curtains; thankfully no one snores!

 The area below is called Midships and it is the community gathering place.  Yes, there is a Starbucks, the only one in all of West Africa.  Eat your heart out Starbucks lovers, a Grande Carmel Macchiato is $1.75! 

Last night was ice cream night, so Midships was packed with people lined up for the frozen treat.  I can't decide whether it is like a college dorm or summer camp! 

Sometimes it is surreal when I think of the people just two decks below that are here for surgeries and the lives of poverty that they will return to.  It seems like a world away, just two decks...



Life at the bottom of the gangway!

Things are so busy on ship that I find that I don't even go outside or up to Deck 8 for a breath of air from Monday through Friday. It's strange not going outside all week, so when the weekend comes, I usually tag along with others and walk through town. Which is an experience in itself! The ship is ported at a container ship yard.

Just outside the port is a huge slum. Strangely, oceanfront property is the least desirable place to make your home because all the garbage is dumped into the ocean. I don't know if you can tell from this picture, but children are swimming in water that is contaminated with all kinds of refuse and debris. They are laughing and playing as any normal child would, the difference is that they are swimming in absolute filth.

This is trash, not shells!

This group of young men are calling out to me to “snap” them (take their picture) and are posing like tough guys for the “snap”. The truth is that they really are tough! Most are street kids that have lost both parents in the war, unemployment is above 80% and there is little hope for a future. That is the African culture of despair. As you walk down the street from the port, amidst the tin shacks; no electricity, no running water (and this is a city of 2 million) children run out to greet you with smiles and “Hello, Ow da bodi”! They are so innocent and hopeful, then you see the teenage boys with angry looks on their faces as the reality of despair sets in.

Thanks for reading this!  I'll post again soon....