The Diamante had reached one of the villages and the kitchen woman had time to look for the passengers that had not shown up for breakfast, so  basically she came looking for me. I was awake but not feeling ready to get up but the kitchen woman convinced me to change my mind and have breakfast. I walked downstairs and into the kitchen/dining area, which was brand new like actually the whole ship. The kitchen/dining area was of modern design with similar quality furniture someone would have in his private home. I was impressed and so were the majority of the passengers. The breakfast was equally good, different fruits, egg sandwich, ham and cheese sandwich, cake, cereals, coffee, milk and juice.

I understood why my friends were still at one of the tables, not because they had been waiting for me, because the breakfast was very, very good. I joined their table and was amazed about the amount of food my friends were able to eat. Their plates were more than full and the food was built up to a small little mountain and seemed to never get empty; they actually had 3 plates each, one for the fruits, one for the bread and another spare one for the dog. I was glad the kitchen woman had made the effort to pick me up, I was hungry and the egg sandwich was very, very good, so I had 2.

I spent all morning working from my hammock; the ship had plug stations close to the hammocks and I had placed myself right underneath the ventilator and one of the plug stations. My neighbor was David from Almeria, then an Argentinian backpacker, next a French backpacker and finally a Brazilian backpacker. David made friends with everybody, he was an open, excited and intellectual person, well organized and well dressed, well-spoken and clean and when he was not in an intense conversation with one of the backpackers or my friends he lay next to me in his hammock reading a book.

We all met again for lunch in the kitchen/diner at the same table and had some delicious rice, pasta, feijao with a chicken/sausage mix with onions, tomatoes, olives and green pepper and a side salad. The plates of my friends had been mountain high this morning for breakfast and had gotten even a bit higher now for lunch. They had never left the impression on me that they had been starving before we met and they were of normal height and weight but I could not believe the amount they managed to eat, Bon appetite.

Back to work, back to my hammock, the third floor was only half-full anyway but now I had all the space around me for myself, my Gringo neighbors were all spread around the ship having intense conversations. Only the upcoming dinner mad me close down the computer, leave my hammock, and notice that we were probably going to have a nice sunset. The ship had entered into one of the side arms, narrow, calm and very green. The sun started to set, a very nice sunset and very nice impressions before I walked down to the kitchen/diner and back to the Gringo table, delicious rice, pasta, feijao with ground meat with onions and green pepper. I was still full from lunch and had to fight to finish my plate.

The lower deck and especially the part in the front of the ship close to where my friends had parked their vans had become kind of the meeting point for all Gringos’ after dinner and that is where we all met and talked until total darkness. I still wanted to work a bit, sat down in my hammock but then lay down and listened to a house music mix from my friend Albert. (joe-do-notting)

For a small understanding of the days travel, I have included a Google Earth map. The red pins mark the locations I have stopped and taken pictures. At the bottom of the page you will find a link for all the pictures I have taken. The link will open in a Google+ Album. At the top right of this Google+ Album you will find the button for a Slideshow.

Please click on map to enlarge!!!

See map and distances / Siehe Karte und Entfernungen / Ver mapa e distâncias / Ver mapa y distancias

Please click on “View Album” to see pictures!!! The link will open in a Google+ Album. At the top left of the Google+ Album you will find the bottom for a Slideshow.