Luke Sierrawalker - Pacific Crest Trail Journal - 2012

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loading at Tanjung Pelepas, Malaysia

The End - Back Home by Boat

I could not find a Europe bound ship from Western Australia, but it was possible to organize a ride on the French container vessel “CMA CGM Berlioz” from Singapore, which is Perth’s closest neighbouring major city. Tiger Airways got me there (a five hour flight) for under 200 bucks, with ample 15 cm or so leg space and free 10 kg carry on baggage, which was enough for all my belongings and some additional books for the ship voyage.

The vessel left the Malaysian port of Tanjung Pelepas, just across from Singapore, on March 28 and we followed the main shipping route from Asia to Europe from there; through the Strait of Malacca, across the Indian Ocean to south of Sri Lanka, across the Arabian Sea into the Gulf of Aden, into the Red Sea and through Suez Canal to Port Said in Egypt, our first port of call. Unfortunately we got to our next port at Beirut, Lebanon, with a delay, so that I could not spend a day ashore there as had been scheduled. That is just something to be reckoned with, as everything, even the itinerary, can change on short notice. From Beirut it was just another 3 days at 20 plus knots through the Mediterranean Sea and up the Adriatic to the city and port of Trieste in northern Italy.

What do you do 2 and a half weeks on a container ship? Well, time passes by very quickly on the high seas when you are not waiting for the hours to go by, squeezed into an airplane seat. There is just time to loaf and relax, read a book on the sun deck, cool off in the pool, enjoy the vistas from the bridge, be active a bit in the gym and get some work done without disturbance; and there is the crew of usually 20 to 30 people from all around the world. Dolphins and other marine wildlife can frequently be observed, especially if you sit at the bow of the ship for a while. A very enjoyable time indeed for anyone who is just fine without being constantly entertained.

From Trieste it was a couple of hours northwestward by train to my home country of Switzerland and across the Alps, where I’m slowly trying to get my bearings right now. The settling down and working towards getting some income is conceivable at some stage.

This will most likely be the last entry in my journal. It’s been an amazing journey but I’m also looking forward now to do some productive stuff and get organized. On the other hand, I really miss the trail life, too...

I will remember so many people for their hospitality and thanks to posthler for this webpage!

Entry 46 of 46
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