Class Afloat 2002-2003
First Semester:
http://www.sitesalive.com/cal/private/02f/icalessay.html
Second Semester:
http://www.sitesalive.com/cal/private/03s/icaljournal.html
August 15th-19th 2002
Gdynia Poland:
After making my way from London to Poland with my family I finally made it to Gdansk to board the Concordia. After the initial fears of leaving home and family the excitement of the year ahead got the better of me and I started to look forward to the challenges ahead. I was assigned to the front starboard Cabin, and met my new roommate Devon Brooks from Vancouver and the following day Mia Moheeka from Texas.
In the few days following this before we set sail we had to learn everything from knots to sail names and safety procedures, not to mention getting to know the crew.
http://www.sitesalive.com/cal/public/02f/bios/cal02fbios.html
August 21st-23rd 2002
Visby Sweden
The first sail left many of my new crew members looking 'green' and wondering why they signed up for the adventure ahead of them, it would take most of them a few weeks to find their sea legs. Luckily I was born with sea legs and felt at ease straight away. After two and half days of sailing we arrived at our first port Visby in Sweden.
As a school we toured the Viking museum and explored the under ground caves by bike. Free time was spent getting to know one another and wondering the streets of Visby. Typical stereotype the locals all seemed to be tall, blonde and very friendly.
August 25th-28th 2002
Tallinn estonia
Tallinn architecture was not what I had imagined at all. Colourful streets of blue and pink buildings like we saw in Visby yet still had a medieval feel. As a school we went to the Canadian embassy and toured the building. We met with an Estonian youth group who performed a folk dance us after which we took a 6 hour bus ride to an old mining village. Once at the mining village we took a tour through the mines before boarding the bus to beautiful old estate where we had dinner.
The sail to Russia left many students still trying to find their sea legs and adjusting to life at sea. With class, galley, ship duties along with night watch (8-10 pm) I was struggling to catch up on sleep. The first few weeks I was still having little moments of doubt and wondered if I would every stop missing home. Every new port I arrived at my sense of adventure grew and although I still missed home my confidence of undertaking the adventure by myself grew.
August 30th- September 4th 2002
St. Petersburg, Russia
Sailing into St. Petersburg I was surprised the city appear to be old and rundown. The water appeared to be brown there was garbage everywhere, yet the architecture was impressive. Everywhere you looked you could see a gold domes and colourful roofs.
The ship docked in an industrial harbour, but it took a long time before anyone was able to leave the ship. Russia was the first port where the customs officers made each member of the crew personally present their passport to clear immigration.
The first day in Russia was free time to explore and get a feel for the city. The following days were filled with organised tours and outings.
On September 1st a few male students from a local naval school came and toured the Concordia. The boys all appeared to be quite taken with the female students aboard. The following day Class Afloat students put on their reds (worn on any informal outing) and attended a the naval military school opening event, an hour out of St. Petersburg in a town called Kronchadt. After the ceremony we were taken around by the students who explained their daily routine. One of the boys took a liking to me and gave me his military uniform to keep as a souvenir. I kept the main shirt but gave other pieces away to my class mates to keep as souvenirs.
Driving through the villages I couldn't get over the beauty of the architecture. I have never seen so many churches in one city! One of my favourite sites was the Hermitage museum / Winter Palace. The tour guide was excellent the museum is vast. The museum is filled with many famous art pieces, but the most impressive aspect for me was the building itself - it was stunning. I couldn't help being jealous of the members of the royal family who used to live there.
September 3rd we boarded another tour bus and travelled to Peterhof Palace and Garden. The place was Peter the Great's summer home, the gardens were filled with beautiful fountains and marble statues.
September 5th - 8th 2002
Helsinki Finland
The boat was greeted by my friend Tara Yip-Bannicq's sister, which reminded me of my family making me realise that I was only a few ports away from a chance to see my family. Helsinki was very clean but found everything very expensive. We had a few spare days to wonder the city but the majority of the trip was spent on organised school tours of the sites.
September 12th 2002
Borgholm Denmark
Just a day stop stop to refuel and a chance for everyone to do laundry (much needed!)
September 13th-16th 2002
Copenhagen Denmark
Copenhagen was the first port where we had a home stay. I was paired with a lovely girl named Christine who was a similar age and lived in Haslev. Being in a home was such a nice change and the small things like having a warm bath and being able to call home was important to me. After being away for a month is was nice to hear my parents voice and catch up on news at home.
During the 3 days in Copenhagen we toured the city and explored the country side. Being in the home of Hans Christian Andersen we toured all the sites that inspired his stories which was really interesting. In the city near the water there is a statue of the Little Mermaid and in the country side we biked along the lake that inspired the ugly duckling.
September 21st-25th 2002
Edinburgh Scotland
Seeing my cousin as the boat pulled into Edinburgh was a nice surprise, I gave him a tour of the ship before we took off to meet my parents. When I saw my mom walking down the street I was so over whelmed, I didn't realise how much I had missed my parents. My mom spoiled me with a massive care package; cookies, letters from friends at home, magazines and pictures.
I spent my time in Edinburgh exploring the city with my family. We wandered up and down the streets and visited the two castles in the city.
September 25th- October 13th
This period was the first of the long sails and took us 18 days until we arrived at the next port. During the sail the I was brought back to reality and remembered that I was still a student - it was midterm time. With the stress of midterms and no where to escape to everyone was anxious to get to the next port. To bring up morale the ship held a "Miss Concordia" pageant.
October 13th - 18th 2002
Madeira Portugal
Madeira was the first port that the ship anchored at which meant the crew had to Zodiac to and from the ship but on a positive side meant no one had to do gangway watch. Eventually dock spaced cleared up and things returned to normal.
Port activities consisted a beautiful hike in a forest following a cliff over the ocean down through a valley. Madeira is famous for its sweet wine due to the year round good climate - we visited a vineyard and purchased gifts for family. At the vineyard we saw how the grapes are collected and crushed and how heat is used to give the desired flavour.
October 19th -23th
Las Palmas Spain
During the stay in Las Palmas the ship met up with the American School. We joined their grade 11 & 12 students and all went to the mountains camping. The camp site was different from what I was used to at home, it reminded me more of a summer camp. We went rock climbing, propelling and took part in an orienteering event.
Free time in Las Palmas was spent enjoying the sites, and filling my sweet cravings with loads of ice cream!
October 29th - November 2nd 2002
Dakar Senegal
Dakar was the first eye opening experience of the trip. I was personally shocked by the amount of garbage all over the place. We were also harassed the moment we got off the boat by people trying to sell us stuff along with the odd proposal from the local men!
This was the first port that during free time we had to be in groups of at least four with one guy. Dakar is a bustling city and we saw so many people going about their day to day lives. This was another port where we had a home stay and I stayed with Iman Dijonne. I found it very educating staying with Iman as we saw the variety of wealth evident in the country.
I received a package from my brother here which once again made me miss home but equally as happy that people far away are still thinking about me. We visited some markets to get some souvenirs - these were exciting at first but the pressure people put on you to buy their items got a bit tiresome.
November 3rd-6th
Cape Verde
We arrived at the Cape Verde islands and they were lovely. I made sure I found a beach where I spent a lot of time relaxing and topping up my tan! We also went to a dance with another school there which was fun.
November 7th
Fogo Island, Cape Verde
The time to leave the relaxation of Cape Verde came round all too quick as we knew we had a long sail to Frenc Guiana. However we were happy to hear we had an extra stop at the island of Fogo.
Upon arrival it felt like we had gone back in time on this island that is dominated by a volcano. We boarded mini buses and headed into its shadow. The landscape changed almost instantly and looked like we were on the moon - volcanic dust and lots of rocks. We arrived at a village at the base of the volcano and were greeted by lots of happy children that showed us around their village which was very interesting to see. After this we had a quick stop to play in the volcanic ash and dunes.
November 22nd
French Guiana
We sat outside the port of French Guiana for two days awaiting approval to land. I didnt mind as our position allowed us a great view of the jungle and all the sights and sounds that go with it. The boat was moving around quite a lot due to the swell of the river.
We had seen a lot of impressive architecture on this trip but French Guiana was impressive for its environment. We canoed through rivers with thick rainforest either side of us. It captured our imagination what was watching us or beneath the boat. It was also very quiet and relaxing and we truly felt in the middle of nowhere.
Other experiences included eating some new and tasty fruits, swimming in the rivers, face painting with fruit juices and visiting local villages.
The motor broke on the boat allowing us an extra nights stay. This allowed us a tour of the space centre and longer beach time.
First Semester:
http://www.sitesalive.com/cal/private/02f/icalessay.html
Second Semester:
http://www.sitesalive.com/cal/private/03s/icaljournal.html
August 15th-19th 2002
Gdynia Poland:
After making my way from London to Poland with my family I finally made it to Gdansk to board the Concordia. After the initial fears of leaving home and family the excitement of the year ahead got the better of me and I started to look forward to the challenges ahead. I was assigned to the front starboard Cabin, and met my new roommate Devon Brooks from Vancouver and the following day Mia Moheeka from Texas.
In the few days following this before we set sail we had to learn everything from knots to sail names and safety procedures, not to mention getting to know the crew.
http://www.sitesalive.com/cal/public/02f/bios/cal02fbios.html
August 21st-23rd 2002
Visby Sweden
The first sail left many of my new crew members looking 'green' and wondering why they signed up for the adventure ahead of them, it would take most of them a few weeks to find their sea legs. Luckily I was born with sea legs and felt at ease straight away. After two and half days of sailing we arrived at our first port Visby in Sweden.
As a school we toured the Viking museum and explored the under ground caves by bike. Free time was spent getting to know one another and wondering the streets of Visby. Typical stereotype the locals all seemed to be tall, blonde and very friendly.
August 25th-28th 2002
Tallinn estonia
Tallinn architecture was not what I had imagined at all. Colourful streets of blue and pink buildings like we saw in Visby yet still had a medieval feel. As a school we went to the Canadian embassy and toured the building. We met with an Estonian youth group who performed a folk dance us after which we took a 6 hour bus ride to an old mining village. Once at the mining village we took a tour through the mines before boarding the bus to beautiful old estate where we had dinner.
The sail to Russia left many students still trying to find their sea legs and adjusting to life at sea. With class, galley, ship duties along with night watch (8-10 pm) I was struggling to catch up on sleep. The first few weeks I was still having little moments of doubt and wondered if I would every stop missing home. Every new port I arrived at my sense of adventure grew and although I still missed home my confidence of undertaking the adventure by myself grew.
August 30th- September 4th 2002
St. Petersburg, Russia
Sailing into St. Petersburg I was surprised the city appear to be old and rundown. The water appeared to be brown there was garbage everywhere, yet the architecture was impressive. Everywhere you looked you could see a gold domes and colourful roofs.
The ship docked in an industrial harbour, but it took a long time before anyone was able to leave the ship. Russia was the first port where the customs officers made each member of the crew personally present their passport to clear immigration.
The first day in Russia was free time to explore and get a feel for the city. The following days were filled with organised tours and outings.
On September 1st a few male students from a local naval school came and toured the Concordia. The boys all appeared to be quite taken with the female students aboard. The following day Class Afloat students put on their reds (worn on any informal outing) and attended a the naval military school opening event, an hour out of St. Petersburg in a town called Kronchadt. After the ceremony we were taken around by the students who explained their daily routine. One of the boys took a liking to me and gave me his military uniform to keep as a souvenir. I kept the main shirt but gave other pieces away to my class mates to keep as souvenirs.
Driving through the villages I couldn't get over the beauty of the architecture. I have never seen so many churches in one city! One of my favourite sites was the Hermitage museum / Winter Palace. The tour guide was excellent the museum is vast. The museum is filled with many famous art pieces, but the most impressive aspect for me was the building itself - it was stunning. I couldn't help being jealous of the members of the royal family who used to live there.
September 3rd we boarded another tour bus and travelled to Peterhof Palace and Garden. The place was Peter the Great's summer home, the gardens were filled with beautiful fountains and marble statues.
September 5th - 8th 2002
Helsinki Finland
The boat was greeted by my friend Tara Yip-Bannicq's sister, which reminded me of my family making me realise that I was only a few ports away from a chance to see my family. Helsinki was very clean but found everything very expensive. We had a few spare days to wonder the city but the majority of the trip was spent on organised school tours of the sites.
September 12th 2002
Borgholm Denmark
Just a day stop stop to refuel and a chance for everyone to do laundry (much needed!)
September 13th-16th 2002
Copenhagen Denmark
Copenhagen was the first port where we had a home stay. I was paired with a lovely girl named Christine who was a similar age and lived in Haslev. Being in a home was such a nice change and the small things like having a warm bath and being able to call home was important to me. After being away for a month is was nice to hear my parents voice and catch up on news at home.
During the 3 days in Copenhagen we toured the city and explored the country side. Being in the home of Hans Christian Andersen we toured all the sites that inspired his stories which was really interesting. In the city near the water there is a statue of the Little Mermaid and in the country side we biked along the lake that inspired the ugly duckling.
September 21st-25th 2002
Edinburgh Scotland
Seeing my cousin as the boat pulled into Edinburgh was a nice surprise, I gave him a tour of the ship before we took off to meet my parents. When I saw my mom walking down the street I was so over whelmed, I didn't realise how much I had missed my parents. My mom spoiled me with a massive care package; cookies, letters from friends at home, magazines and pictures.
I spent my time in Edinburgh exploring the city with my family. We wandered up and down the streets and visited the two castles in the city.
September 25th- October 13th
This period was the first of the long sails and took us 18 days until we arrived at the next port. During the sail the I was brought back to reality and remembered that I was still a student - it was midterm time. With the stress of midterms and no where to escape to everyone was anxious to get to the next port. To bring up morale the ship held a "Miss Concordia" pageant.
October 13th - 18th 2002
Madeira Portugal
Madeira was the first port that the ship anchored at which meant the crew had to Zodiac to and from the ship but on a positive side meant no one had to do gangway watch. Eventually dock spaced cleared up and things returned to normal.
Port activities consisted a beautiful hike in a forest following a cliff over the ocean down through a valley. Madeira is famous for its sweet wine due to the year round good climate - we visited a vineyard and purchased gifts for family. At the vineyard we saw how the grapes are collected and crushed and how heat is used to give the desired flavour.
October 19th -23th
Las Palmas Spain
During the stay in Las Palmas the ship met up with the American School. We joined their grade 11 & 12 students and all went to the mountains camping. The camp site was different from what I was used to at home, it reminded me more of a summer camp. We went rock climbing, propelling and took part in an orienteering event.
Free time in Las Palmas was spent enjoying the sites, and filling my sweet cravings with loads of ice cream!
October 29th - November 2nd 2002
Dakar Senegal
Dakar was the first eye opening experience of the trip. I was personally shocked by the amount of garbage all over the place. We were also harassed the moment we got off the boat by people trying to sell us stuff along with the odd proposal from the local men!
This was the first port that during free time we had to be in groups of at least four with one guy. Dakar is a bustling city and we saw so many people going about their day to day lives. This was another port where we had a home stay and I stayed with Iman Dijonne. I found it very educating staying with Iman as we saw the variety of wealth evident in the country.
I received a package from my brother here which once again made me miss home but equally as happy that people far away are still thinking about me. We visited some markets to get some souvenirs - these were exciting at first but the pressure people put on you to buy their items got a bit tiresome.
November 3rd-6th
Cape Verde
We arrived at the Cape Verde islands and they were lovely. I made sure I found a beach where I spent a lot of time relaxing and topping up my tan! We also went to a dance with another school there which was fun.
November 7th
Fogo Island, Cape Verde
The time to leave the relaxation of Cape Verde came round all too quick as we knew we had a long sail to Frenc Guiana. However we were happy to hear we had an extra stop at the island of Fogo.
Upon arrival it felt like we had gone back in time on this island that is dominated by a volcano. We boarded mini buses and headed into its shadow. The landscape changed almost instantly and looked like we were on the moon - volcanic dust and lots of rocks. We arrived at a village at the base of the volcano and were greeted by lots of happy children that showed us around their village which was very interesting to see. After this we had a quick stop to play in the volcanic ash and dunes.
November 22nd
French Guiana
We sat outside the port of French Guiana for two days awaiting approval to land. I didnt mind as our position allowed us a great view of the jungle and all the sights and sounds that go with it. The boat was moving around quite a lot due to the swell of the river.
We had seen a lot of impressive architecture on this trip but French Guiana was impressive for its environment. We canoed through rivers with thick rainforest either side of us. It captured our imagination what was watching us or beneath the boat. It was also very quiet and relaxing and we truly felt in the middle of nowhere.
Other experiences included eating some new and tasty fruits, swimming in the rivers, face painting with fruit juices and visiting local villages.
The motor broke on the boat allowing us an extra nights stay. This allowed us a tour of the space centre and longer beach time.
December 1st
Tobago
Our next stop was Tobago where once again we had to Zodiac to shore. We were lucky as we were allowed an entire free day on the beach - once again allowing me to top up my tan.
We went into the city centre but took us so long to get there we didn't have time to see and do much. We had KFC and soon realised we were running late. Devon decided to ask a random man for a lift - we spent most of the time in the back of his car praying for our lives! Luckily we were fine and paid him in deep fried chicken as a thank you.
Our next stop was Tobago where once again we had to Zodiac to shore. We were lucky as we were allowed an entire free day on the beach - once again allowing me to top up my tan.
We went into the city centre but took us so long to get there we didn't have time to see and do much. We had KFC and soon realised we were running late. Devon decided to ask a random man for a lift - we spent most of the time in the back of his car praying for our lives! Luckily we were fine and paid him in deep fried chicken as a thank you.
December 3rd
Trinidad
We met with an international school here and were met with traditional steel drums upon our arrival - stereotypical caribbean.
We went to watch a movie there and that was really interesting. It was a lot more animated than Im used to with people booing and throwing popcorn at the screen.
We got the tiki bus to the beach. Unfortunately tragedy at hit hours before as two boys had drowned in the strong waves - they still hadn't recovered one of the bodies. We were all a bit shocked but were ushered away for lunch - I had shark bate which was good. Due to the heat we went in the sea afterwards and spent hours playing in the strong waves.
We met with an international school here and were met with traditional steel drums upon our arrival - stereotypical caribbean.
We went to watch a movie there and that was really interesting. It was a lot more animated than Im used to with people booing and throwing popcorn at the screen.
We got the tiki bus to the beach. Unfortunately tragedy at hit hours before as two boys had drowned in the strong waves - they still hadn't recovered one of the bodies. We were all a bit shocked but were ushered away for lunch - I had shark bate which was good. Due to the heat we went in the sea afterwards and spent hours playing in the strong waves.
December 12th -16th
Guadeloupe
We boarded a bus and went to a picturesque waterfall. Once again it was very peaceful. We then went to a beach.
We boarded a bus and went to a picturesque waterfall. Once again it was very peaceful. We then went to a beach.
December 19th -22nd
Puerto Rico
This was the last stop before going home for Christmas. Once again thoughts of home came to all the crew. We dressed the yards for the last port of the semester and gave us all a sense of occasion. This stop involved some shopping and some even better ice cream!
This was the last stop before going home for Christmas. Once again thoughts of home came to all the crew. We dressed the yards for the last port of the semester and gave us all a sense of occasion. This stop involved some shopping and some even better ice cream!
- shopping, ice cream
- dinner with PMs family
- chill day at the resort
flew to vancouver 22nd!!!
