International maritime signal flags - Number pennants

Zero and One








Two and Three








Four and Five








Six and Seven








Eight and Nine

International maritime signal flags - Numbers

OK, here is the deal - numbers can be shown on flags or on pennants. The 'allied' flags are square like the letter flags but there are also number pennants which are closer to triangular and have more than a passing similarity to bunting when used.

Anyway, here are the numbers zero to nine in flags, the pennants will follow.

Zero

One

Two

Three

Four

Five

Six

Seven

Eight

Nine

International maritime signal flags - Z

I require a tug.

When made by fishing vessels operating in close proximity on the fishing grounds it means: "I am shooting nets".

With one or more numerals, time (UTC). (The first two denote hours and the rest minutes.)

(Origin of the phrase 'Zulu Time'.)

International maritime signal flags - Y

I am dragging my anchor.

International maritime signal flags - X

Stop carrying out your intentions and watch for my signals.

Maybe it is me - but this one seems a little bossy.

International maritime signal flags - W

I require medical assistance.

International maritime signal flags - V

I require assistance.

With one or more numerals, speed in kilometres per hour.

International maritime signal flags - U

You are running into danger.

International maritime signal flags - T

Keep clear of me; I am engaged in pair trawling. With four numerals, local time. (The first two denote hours and the rest minutes.)

International maritime signal flags - S

I am operating astern propulsion. With one or more numerals, speed in knots.

International maritime signal flags - R

The way is off my ship. With one or more numerals, distance in nautical miles.

I am not sure I understand what this one really means, I can't quite make sence of it. YET.

International maritime signal flags - Q

My vessel is "healthy" and I request free pratique.

Yes, I did have to go and check up what pratique is. "Pratique is the license given to a ship to enter port on assurance from the captain to convince the authorities that he/she is free from contageous disease."

International maritime signal flags - P

The Blue Peter.


In harbor: All persons should report on board as the vessel is about to proceed to sea.


At sea: It may be used by fishing vessels to mean: "My nets have come fast upon an obstruction".

International maritime signal flags - O

Man overboard (often attached to the man overboard pole on boats).

Also the flag used for semophore.

International maritime signal flags - N

Negative.

Hmmmm, now isnt that description short and sweet.

International maritime signal flags - M

My vessel is stopped and making no way through the water.

International maritime signal flags - L

In harbor: The ship is under quarantine.

At sea: You should stop your vessel instantly. With four numerals, latitude. (The first two denote degrees and the rest minutes.)

International maritime signal flags - K

I wish to communicate with you.

With one numeral, I wish to communicate with you by; 1) Morse signalling by hand-flags or arms; 2) Loud hailer (megaphone); 3) Morse signalling lamp; 4) Sound signals.

International maritime signal flags - J

I am on fire and have dangerous cargo on board: keep well clear of me, or I am leaking dangerous cargo.

International maritime signal flags - I

I am altering my course to port.

International maritime signal flags - H

I have a pilot on board.

International maritime signal flags - G

I require a pilot.


When made by fishing vessels operating in close proximity on the fishing grounds it means: "I am hauling nets".


With four or five numerals, longitude. (The last two numerals denote minutes and the rest degrees.)

International maritime signal flags - F

I am disabled; communicate with me.

International maritime signal flags - E

I am altering my course to starboard.

International maritime signal flags - D

Keep clear of me; I am maneuvering with difficulty.

With two, four, or six numerals, date.

I guess this make it D for Date

International maritime signal flags - C

Affirmative.

With three numerals, course.

I guess this make it C for Confirmed

International maritime signal flags - B

I am taking in, or discharging, or carrying dangerous goods.

Originally used by Royal Navy specifically for military explosives.

I guess this makes it B for Bomb

International maritime signal flags - A

So, what does 'A' stand for in the International maritime signal flags ?

I have a diver down; keep well clear at slow speed. With three numerals, azimuth or bearing.

I guess this makes it A for Azimuth. Can someone tell me what an azimuth is?

My thoughts - Podcasts and Spanish classes

Last Wednesday on the way home for work I stopped off on the way home from work and enrolled in a course called “Spanish for holidays” at my local adult learning college. The lesson is two hours of a Saturday morning, and the course is only three weeks long – so the £10.40 price tag seems more than reasonable as is the effect this course has on my busy social life!

Well, today I had my first Spanish lesson. I have done a couple of courses there this year – so I was rather blasé about my timings and consequently I found myself running late and indeed I crawled into the class five minutes late.

We started learning simple conversational ‘bits’ this week - hello, good bye, how are you, my name is, where do you live and how old are you. Of course before we started doing this we spent some time looking at the pronunciation of various letters, and also the pronunciation of numbers… it is a little bit difficult telling people our age without knowing some numbers. We have only got up to twenty so far but I believe we will get to 50 at some point over the next couple of weeks!

The teacher of the class is a very nice lady called Mary Jesus, who speaks really great Spanish – which isn’t surprising because I think it is her native language! The only thing that disappointed me about the course was the fact that the room next door was the music room, and when we returned from our short coffee break the drum class started in the next room – and hearing a teacher – and maintaining concentration under such noisy circumstances is next to impossible!!

I don’t think I am really going to pick up enough Spanish in five and a half hours to make me feel comfortable when travelling – but at least it is a starting point for me.

I have over the months downloaded a number of language podcasts French, German, Italian, and even Thai! I have three Spanish language podcasts which are:

• Learn Spanish – Survival Guide
• Learn Spanish With Coffee Break Spanish
• Finally Learn Spanish – Grammar Tips And Dialogs

They are all very different and all have their respective merits but the problem with learning a language on a tape/cd/mp3/podcast is that sometimes you don’t hear exactly what is said. The natural reaction is to rewind a little and listen again. Sometimes – or in my case most of the time – when I rewind and listen again I am no surer of what I heard second time around. Third forth and fifth times are no better so I tend not to bother with that many tries anymore.

As I see it I have picked up a few words here and there from the podcasts but if Maria Jesus can correct the pronunciation of what I have picked up so far then I will stand better chance of reading back correctly once the class has finished and I am on my own with the ubiquitous podcast. More to the point it will help me understand a little better what I am hearing. So, although three lessons are not enough to get me where I want to be, they are a step in the right direction. I think that is what it is all about in life. Most things don’t get us where we want to be but if we are looking we can make steps in the right direction then we will eventually get to where we want to be – even if on the route we change where we want to be.

So, Maria Jesus, I heard something on my podcasts that sounded like “ness-is-seed-a are-you-the por favour?” I believe it is meant to mean “I need help please.” I think this is one I need to get sorted sooner rather than later – don’t you?

My thoughts - Tenerife trip - Whale and Dolphin Watching

P&O Cruises Official Website Artemis Cruise P718 - Artemis South American Odyssey Ports and Excursions - Tenerife trips - Whale and dolphin watch

I have started looking at the excursions being listed on the P & O website that tie in with my forthcoming holiday. This is partly in an attempt to keep me happy but mostly because from what I have seen there tend to be ten or so different excursions from each location. Considering that almost all locations are visited only for the day it seems to me that there has to be some tough decisions being made along the way.

I am aware the real list of excursions isn’t available until 12 weeks before the trip but those listed for previous visits have to be a good place to start – it gives an indication of what is available in the area. So, I decided to go through the last set of excursions to see what takes my fancy - I didn’t think it was a bad idea to get a head start.

As I looked through the excursions it dawned on me that there were similar excursions at a number of locations, so with ten excursions per location it seemed sensible to see what caught my attention because I believe there is going to be a huge element of juggling excursions at some point.

Anyway, the first destination we will be stopping off at is Tenerife. The comment that has been made about this location is that it is a duty free destination. It one of those places to pick up duty free. I anticipate it being a place to pick up some ‘provisions’ in an attempt to keep down the holiday costs – snacks and drinks cost on the boat so cutting down any of these expenses by buying stuff when stopping off is probably a good idea!

The other thought that crosses my mind when I think of Tenerife is the fact that one of my old testing colleagues spends an awful lot of time out in Tenerife – perhaps she will be there when I am. If that is the case it would be good to be doing a little sight seeing with someone who is English and knows about the place… that said I know I am not that lucky!

When looking at the tours I think it is worth remembering the arrival and departure times. For Tenerife we arrive at 8am and leave at 1pm. This to me means we will need to be onboard at least 30 minutes if not an hour ahead of this. So we will only have four hours in the city so activities are going to be strictly limited. I confess being ready to go ashore at 8am having already had breakfast is going to be a tough challenge – I was hoping for a nice leisurely holiday.

So, if I find that I am alone and left to my own devices in Tenerife I think I rather like the idea of the Whale and dolphin watch. “Experience the thrill of seeking out whales and dolphins in their natural habitat.” The trip is 6½ hours by coach and catamaran. The trip talks of sunbathing on the catamarans netting and drink complimentary drinks while watching what is going past. It talks of diving into crystal-clear waters of a nature reserve or snorkel with equipment provided. P&O put on a caveat that although there is never a 100% guarantee of whale or dolphin sightings, the crew are always optimistic and will make every effort for you to see some.

P&O go on to say that free time will be given in Puerto Colon after the 3-hour catamaran trip and advice of the return to boat pick up point. I wonder if we are having such a short day there that three hours on a catamaran is going to be possible with travelling time either side. Would we stand enough chances of seeing dolphins and whales if our trip was shorter? I really would like to see dolphins and whales on our trip, I suspect I will get the opportunity on a number of occasions so it wont be the end of the world if I don’t do it here, but I really would like to spend time with nature…. Perhaps even swimming WITH dolphins! The other thing this trip offered that appealed to me was the snorkelling, now I have my six mega pixel digital camera I cant help but want to use it a number of times – although perhaps the crystal clear waters might contain more interesting specimens’ in the Caribbean – who knows!!

My thoughts - Mail redirection

This is what the post office have to say about setting up mail redirection: How do I set up a Redirection?

1. All you need to do is fill in a redirection form, available from your local Post Office™.
2. You can pay by cash or cheque (with a guarantee card).
3. And you'll also need two forms of original ID: one of each from the list on your application form dated within the last six months (for bills, statements etc.)
4. ID for each different surname at the same address
5. Next, just pop it in the post along with your payments and ID - using the Freepost envelope provided.
6. We accept joint cheques and ID, as long as both surnames are shown clearly.
   

Don't forget: If everyone on the form has the same surname, we only need to see ID from the main applicant

1. Everyone who wants their mail redirected must sign the aplication form
2. Children under 16 need their forms signed by their parent or guardian
3. Make copies of all your ID before sending the originals to us. We'll return the originals to you in ten working days
4. We'll write to confirm when your redirection will start

How long does it take to set up?
Normally five working days from receipt of your application, as long as we receive your fully completed form, along with your ID and payment. We won't accept applications without valid ID for each surname.

How long does it last?
You can have your mail redirected to a temporary or permanent new address for up to two years.

What happens if something goes wrong?
You may be entitled to a goodwill payment if something goes wrong but you need to make your complaint within one month of the incident

So, this is worth exploring to save ending up with a pile of post sticking out of the door, but great care has to be taken over the setting up in time for holiday. I must make sure that my passport and drivers liscence are not the items required because - in all fairness I cant afford to lose these items just before a three month holiday.

I must sneek to the post office and find out about the specifics of Mail redirection. I am happy to flash my passport to local staff - but I wouldnt trust Royal Mail with anything so important - and certainly not when time is critical! If you had read my other blog you would know just how much I hate the postal service - it gives me that sick feeling way too often.

My thoughts - What am I taking

P&O Cruises Official Website Any questions

OK - to save you going off to look at the page here is briefly what it says: What should I pack?

1. Don't forget those essential extras, specifically if you have a favourite brand of sun-cream or pair of sunglasses.
2. For hotter climes it would also be advisable to pack some insect repellent to help avoid irritating insect bites. If you are taking any personal medication, please ensure you bring sufficient to last the duration of the cruise.
3. Dressing gowns are only provided in suite accommodation. Towels are provided for the bathroom. For the swimming pool, towels are provided at the poolside.
4. Also, don't forget your camera!
5. However, in the event that you do forget anything, our on board shops are very well stocked with 'ordinary everyday' goods.

The secret of packing for a P&O Cruises holiday is "keep it simple".

1. By day, casual shirts, shorts and beachwear are ideal.
2. For going ashore and walking on deck, flat comfortable shoes are a must.
3. You’ll also need a lightweight jacket or coat for cool evenings and occasional showers.
4. Don’t forget sun protection cream, a sun hat and sunglasses – the sun is much stronger at sea!
5. A spare pair of glasses and an ample supply of any medicines you’re taking are a good idea.
6. Although cruising isn’t nearly as formal as it once was, people still love to dress up and we have a variety of Formal, Informal and Smart Casual evenings.
7. On formal evenings, for ladies this is the opportunity to wear something glamorous and dressy such as a formal evening or cocktail outfit. For men a dinner jacket or tuxedo are the norm, otherwise a suit and tie is fine.
8. On Informal evenings many gentlemen will feel comfortable with a jacket and tie, others will be pleased to know that smart shirts that do not require a tie and can be worn with a linen jacket or blazer-style jacket are also in order. For ladies the options range from tailored trousers to cocktail dresses, while for Smart Casual evenings stylish resort or leisurewear is ideal, eg open-necked shirt and long trousers for men (jackets are most definitely not required), casual separates or dresses for ladies. We would request that sportswear, eg trainers and track suits are not worn.
9. Bring your brightest clothes for our Tropical evening. Don’t worry if you do forget something as our shops on board carry a wide range of leisure wear and formal clothing. As a guide there are normally four Formal evenings, four Informal evenings and six Smart Casual evenings on a two week cruise. However, in extremely hot temperatures these suggested dress codes may be relaxed. For example, for Arcadia and Oceana’s Caribbean seasons, there will be four Formal nights and ten Smart Casual nights.

So, what can one assume on a 12 week cruise which covers equator to pole (with a strong equator bias) I will work on 8 weeks being equivilent to the caribbean season and 4 weeks on a more traditional split of formal to informal.

So for the cooler climate I look to double the figures provided in point 9. This gives me 8 formal, 8 informal, 12 casual. For the warmer climate times I have to quadruple the figures. 16 formal 40 smart casual. I make this the following likely breakdown of dinnerware required

• 24 Formal
• 8 Informal
• 52 Smart casual

I sure hope the boat doesnt just have a laundry but also a dry cleaning facility. I do not think many Tuxedos would take being washed and i know my posh dresses are dry clean only!!

P&O directions

I have looked around the P&O website for days when you add the odd hours together here and there - but today was the first time I have seen road directions. I wonder if they appear periodically before a cruise commences - I have seen a couple of ships heading back towards the UK.

Anyway here is what P&O says about directions:

Car Travel

Below are directions into Southampton using the M3 and M27 (eastbound) routes from the M3.

1. Exit the M3 at Junction 14 and join the M27 for Poole.
2. Exit the M27 at junction 3 and join the M271, heading towards Totton.
3. At the roundabout at the end of the M271 take the exit towards Southampton (A3024 - Mountbatten Way).
4. Turn off the A3024 where signs direct you to Dock Gate 10 and Ocean Village.
5. At the first set of traffic lights (opposite the Novotel Hotel) turn right into Southern Road.
6. After the security gatehouse, turn right at the roundabout, proceed approximately 250-300 metres, taking your next left. Public car parking is available taking your next left approximately 200 metres on the left.

The website also has a section "From the M27 (Eastbound)" but that is just the above directions without Step 1. Guess it isnt rocket science to miss that step

For all other routes, please use the AA RouteFinder link provided below.

Web link: The AA Routefinder
Web link: Google map showing where to find Dock Gate 10

I hope this is going to prove helpful nearer the time! At least now i will always have the directions should they disappear again from the web

My thoughts - Manaus, destination for birthday weekend

The P&O website has loads to say about Manaus:

"New York was built on granite, London on clay. But Manaus was built on rubber. As the furthest navigable port on the Amazon, some 1,000 miles from the ocean, the city sprang up as a centre for rubber exports from the Brazilian plantations and became a focal point for trade.
Taking its name from the Manaos Indians who inhabited the region, the city became a huge boomtown at the end of the 19th century, as more and more rubber was harvested from the surrounding rain forest.

As the economy thrived, the locals erected monuments to their success. The most flamboyant being the huge golden-domed Opera House, which was imported, stone by laborious stone, from Europe. At its height, it also boasted palatial mansions and a hedonistic life-style.
Nowadays, the rubber industry has died away, but the city, with its vast crumbling civic building, remains a fascinating gaudy metropolis, set amidst a sea of dense rain forest. "

This blurb makes the place sound exciting and worth visiting but what is definately worth remembering is when you view the Quickbird images of Manaus you see it is a huge city with a central business district, surrounded by residential areas surrounded by poorer residential areas. Very much like any other city. Much like London the town spreads itself along the river bank, but due to the width of the Amazon the city is entirely on one side of the river.

Am I getting excited about spending my birthday in a city like any other city? What am I expecting? What am I doing? I cant help but recall the words of my Rough Guide to South America which basically says that Brazil is one of the places in South America where you are most likely to run into trouble. Should I be spending my evening on the boat? Is the idea of spending my fortieth birthday up an ancient ruin with a bottle of local hooch no more than a pipe dream that is likely to leave me moneyless, passportless, and possibly even dead? Does doing this trip alone put me at more risk than actually travelling with someone? Is the independence of travelling alone worth the personal cost?

Which reminds me, I must get my will sorted out.

Want to add a comment?

One of my friends visited my blog asked how they and the children could leave comments on the blog. Once you know how it is really simple...

... At the end of each posting, there is a line that indicates who posted the posting. In the same line, there is a link that says "Comments," which identifies how many comments have been left.

Step 1
Click on the word "comments," and a box appears with instructions.

Step 2
Type your comment in the space provided.

Step 3
Below the space where you typed your comment, you will see a set of letters that look like they have been stretched. Type these letters into the "Word Verification" box that appears below them. This is a feature designed to stop spammers from having computers automatically leave comments on a blog.

Step 4
Choose an identity. If you have a Google or Blogger account, you can choose the first choice and identify yourself this way. Otherwise, choose "Other" or "Anonymous" . I will not be offended if you want to remain anonymous!

Step 5
Finally, click on "Publish Your Comment." (You can preview the comment before this if you want to and make changes.)

My step 1
Whenever a comment is posted, I am notified by email so that I can check over the comments. I am looking for two things:

• personal details about me that may make it possible for me to be identified. This is a concern because being away for three months it could put my home security at risk; and just as importabtly anything which may lead to personal identity as theft.
• offensive material, spam, and anything 'inappropriate'.

I do not intend to censure people - but some people find it funny to post purely for offence.

My step 2
Once I have checked over the posting it will appear on the blog.

Once comments have been left on the blog, anybody can read them by clicking the "Comments" link at the end of the posting. When there are multiple comments to a posting, they appear in the order they were made.


I will try and post these instructions again just before I sail - so - if you follow these instructions and find them confusing please let me know so I can amend them before reposting.

THAT is it! Good luck, I hope to hear from you soon.

My thoughts - Is the cruise fully booked yet?

Wow, what can I say - all the expensive cabins have been booked already!! This really doesnt bode well for the potential 'upgrade' the lady who took my deposit mentioned.

I was hoping that I might get an upgrade to a room with a balcony and have it all to myself. Alas it seems that there is a waiting list for people wanting those kind of rooms. Aah me - no chance of that upgrade it seems.

Grade . . Availability . . . Broc. price . . . Discount . . . Price you pay
Suite
AA . . . . Waitlist . . . . . £62,129 . . . . £27,959 . . . . . . . £34,170
AB . . . . Waitlist . . . . . £47,099 . . . . £21,195 . . . . . . . £25,904
AC . . . . Waitlist . . . . . £43,329 . . . . £19,499 . . . . . . . £23,830
Stateroom with balcony
CA . . . . Waitlist . . . . . £32,179 . . . . £14,481 . . . . . . . £17,698
CB . . . . Waitlist . . . . . £30,529 . . . . £13,739 . . . . . . . £16,790
CC . . . . Waitlist . . . . . £29,429 . . . . £13,244 . . . . . . . £16,185
Twin cabin with balcony
IA . . . . Waitlist . . . . . £24,229 . . . . £10,904 . . . . . . . £13,325
IB . . . . Waitlist . . . . . £23,449 . . . . £10,553 . . . . . . . £12,896
IC . . . . Waitlist . . . . . £23,249 . . . . £10,463 . . . . . . . £12,786
Outside twin cabin
KA . . . . Limited . . . . . £18,179 . . . . £8,181 . . . . . . . £9,998
KB . . . . Available . . . . . £17,879 . . . . £8,046 . . . . . . . £9,833
KC . . . . Available . . . . . £17,529 . . . . £7,888 . . . . . . . £9,641
KD . . . .Available . . . . . £17,049 . . . . £7,673 . . . . . . . £9,376
KE . . . . Available . . . . . £16,949 . . . . £7,628 . . . . . . . £9,321
KF . . . . Waitlist . . . . . £17,429 . . . . £7,844 . . . . . . . £9,585
KG . . . . Waitlist . . . . . £17,149 . . . . £7,718 . . . . . . . £9,431
MA . . . .Available . . . . . £15,999 . . . . £7,200 . . . . . . . £8,799
MB . . . .Available . . . . . £15,929 . . . . £7,168 . . . . . . . £8,761
MC . . . .Available . . . . . £15,849 . . . . £7,133 . . . . . . . £8,716
MD . . . .Limited . . . . . £15,649 . . . . £7,043 . . . . . . . £8,606
ME . . . .Waitlist . . . . . £15,349 . . . . £6,908 . . . . . . . £8,441
NA . . . .Limited . . . . . £14,929 . . . . £6,719 . . . . . . . £8,210
NB . . . .Available . . . . . £14,879 . . . . £6,696 . . . . . . . £8,183
NC . . . .Limited . . . . . £14,779 . . . . £6,651 . . . . . . . £8,128

Now I think about it - lets just hope that I am lucky enough not to have to share - I think that it would be even better perk. Watch this space in December for what actually happens :D

My thoughts - Two people, one cabin safe.

There are 1001 questions I am going to want to ask between now and when I get on the boat. Hopefully the staff wont get too fed up of me between now and then. I will try not to ask any SILLY questions, but a question is a question and 3 months is a long time to be unhappy with something.

Anyway here is my first enquiry:

PO Cruise enquiry
Name: johanna *******
Email: *******
Phone: *******
Comment: Artemis: A south American Odyssey. *******As a single person I am quite disappointed that charges arent per room and I have found it necessary to cabin share to make this cruise affordable. So, my concern is FAIRLY simple. How can I ensure the safety of my possessions in a shared cabin? Are there two safes in a cabin? Is there a central safe where people can leave valuables/money? MANY thanks Johanna

Anyway here is the reply to my first enquiry:

Dear Mrs *******

Thank you for your email.

I regret to advise that there is only one safe within the cabin. If you are sharing a cabin with someone, I would suggest that you discuss who would leave their belongings in the safe, as the other passenger can leave their personal items in the safe deposit boxes, which are found in Reception. I hope this information has helped to answer your enquiry and look forward to welcoming you on board soon.

Kind regards
Claire *******
P&O Cruises


I confess I am hoping that I beat my fellow traveller to the room and can claim the safe for myself. If the other person beats me to it- I am hoping that they wont be making the full trip - that way for at least some of the journey I will be on my own and I can use the fact that I will get more use out of the safe than the other person!!

I hope this isnt being sneeky - I see it as just being practical!

My thoughts - Why remove the loungers?

The Oriana is now at Vung Tau (for Ho Chi Minh City), and the staff in thier cute white uniforms with thier white matey style caps are taking the sun loungers of the deck right now.

I wonder why? Is it a party? Is it the Soviet rule? Anyone got any ideas?

Who was this Artemis?

The daughter of Leto and Zeus, and the twin of Apollo. Artemis is the goddess of the wilderness, the hunt and wild animals. Artemis was one of the Olympians and a virgin goddess. Her main vocation was to roam mountain forests and uncultivated land with her nymphs in attendance hunting for lions, panthers, hinds and stags. She was armed with a bow and arrows which were made by Hephaestus and the Cyclopes.

Being a goddess of contradictions, she was the protectress of women in labor, but it was said that the arrows of Artemis brought them sudden death while giving birth. As was her brother, Apollo, Artemis was a divinity of healing, but also brought and spread diseases such as leprosy, rabies and even gout.

She was often depicted with the crescent of the moon above her forehead and was sometimes identified with Selene (goddess of the moon).

The worship of Artemis

Artemis was worshiped in most Greek cities but only as a secondary deity. However, to the Greeks in Asia Minor (modern day Turkey) she was a prominent deity. In Ephesus, a principal city of Asia Minor, a great temple was built in her honor, which became one of the "Seven Wonders of the Ancient World". But at Ephesus she was worshiped mainly as a fertility goddess, and was identified with Cybele the mother goddess of eastern lands. The cult statues of the Ephesian Artemis differ greatly from those of mainland Greece, whereas she is depicted as a huntress with her bow and arrows. Those found at Ephesus show her in the eastern style, standing erect with numerous nodes on her chest. There have been many theories as to what they represent. Some say they are breasts, others that they are bulls testes which were sacrificed to her. Which is the true interpretation remains uncertain, but each represent fertility.

There were festivals in honor of Artemis, such as the Brauronia, which was held in Brauron; and the festival of Artemis Orthia, held at Sparta, when young Spartan boys would try to steal cheeses from the altar. As they tried they would be whipped, the meaning of Orthia and the nature of the ritual whipping has been lost and there is no logical explanation or translation. Among the epithets given to Artemis are: Potnia Theron(mistress of wild animals) this title was mentioned by the great poet Homer; Kourotrophos (nurse of youth's); Locheia (helper in childbirth); Agrotera (huntress); and Cynthia (taken from her birthplace on Mount Cynthus on Delos).

When young girls reached puberty they were initiated into her cult, but when they decided to marry, which Artemis was not against, they were asked to lay in front of the altar all the paraphernalia of their virginity, toys, dolls and locks of their hair, they then left the domain of the virgin goddess.

Artemis the guardian of young children and patron of women in childbirth
Artemis was born one day before her brother Apollo. Her mother gave birth to her on the island of Ortygia, then, almost immediately after her birth, she helped her mother to cross the straits over to Delos, where she then delivered Apollo. This was the beginning of her role as guardian of young children and patron of women in childbirth.

Artemis the Chaste

Being associated with chastity, Artemis at an early asked her father, the great god Zeus, to grant her eternal virginity. Also, all her companions were virgins. Artemis was very protective of her purity, and gave grave punishment to any man who attempted to dishonor her in any form.

Actaeonwhile out hunting, accidentally came upon Artemis bathing naked in a secluded pool. Seeing them in all their naked beauty, the stunned Actaeon stopped and gazed at them, but when Artemis saw him ogling them, she transformed him into a stag. Then, incensed with disgust, she set his own hounds upon him. They chased and killed what they thought was another stag, but it was their master.

Artemis and Orion

There are a number of tales of the death of Orion(a giant and a great hunter) one involving Artemis. It is said that he tried to rape the virgin goddess, so killed him with her bow and arrows. Another says she conjured up a scorpion which killed Orion and his dog. Orion became a constellation in the night sky, and his dog became Sirius, the dog star. Yet another version says it was the scorpion which stung him and was transformed into the constellation with Orion, the later being Scorpio.

Artemis and the Battle of Troy

Artemis was very possessive. She would show her wrath on anyone who disobeyed her wishes, especially against her sacred animals. Even the great hero Agamemnon came upon the wrath of Artemis, when he killed a stag in her sacred grove. His punishment came when his ships were becalmed, while he made his way to besiege Troy. With no winds to sail his ships he was told by the seer Calchas that the only way Artemis would bring back the winds was for him to sacrifice his daughter Iphigenia. Some versions say he did sacrifice Iphigenia, others that Artemis exchanged a deer in her place, and took Iphigenia to the land of the Tauri (the Crimea) as a priestess, to prepare strangers for sacrifice to Artemis.

My thoughts - Thank goodness it isnt a live webstream

I have been getting more and more excited over my holiday as the days have gone by. Considering I only booked the holiday just over a week ago I think I will become absolutely annoying to my friends well before I actually board the ship.

Anyway, I have just been chatting to Deb and I sent her a link to the P&O website. While I was talking to her she managed to find a way of looking inside my cabin.

Can you believe it - from the website you can tour ANY room. Wow. The room looks very nice check out P611 for yourself! P&O Cruises Official Website Virtual Tour

How great to see your room before you get onboard!

My thoughts - Transport accessability

Having agreed to spend £10,000 on a cruise you would hope that the extras don’t keep on piling up... but they do. Right now, I want to talk about travel costs.

I have been forced to give up my privacy or to pay double the costs to join the cruise in the first place but this is where the problems only begin. I confess that even now I am angered by the cruise liners discrimination about single people (and will look into that later - trust me) but that only seems to be the tip of the iceberg (Hmm. Iceberg, cruise-liner. Antarctic, global warming. Let’s not go there)

The best thing about traveling on a cruise liner is the luggage limit. P&O allow you to take as much luggage as you like (as long as it fits in the cabin) but they ask that no single item of luggage exceeds 30 kilos. I have to say that apart from the fact it is impossible to establish how much fits in a cabin without actually going inside one that that is a FANTASTIC piece of news. Lets face it a three month cruise which covers everything from the arctic circle to the equator means an extensive variety of clothing; that has to be made even more difficult by the fact that you need casual wear, smart wear and formal wear – not to mention swim wear. Ooh lets not forget three months worth of medication and ‘personal bits’!

So, what do I envisage taking on this trip? One large suitcase, possibly a rucksack with my laptop in it, and one or two other large holdall of clothes and personal effects. I guess that’s a lot of luggage, but I am a girlie, and do need to dress for a wide selection of conditions! So, with a potential of 4 items of luggage the logistics of actually getting to the Artemis becomes a significant challenge. A rucksack can be carried on your back but I know from experience that even two pieces of luggage can be a real nightmare to travel with.

So, how do I get to the Artemis?

Route 1
Cab to local underground station and travel to Waterloo having changed at Embankment station.
Mainline train from Waterloo station to Southampton.
Cab from Southampton Station to P&O Departure lounge.

Route 2
Cab to local underground station and travel to Victoria station.
Manhandle luggage from Victoria station to Victoria coach station.
Take P&O coach to P&O Departure lounge.

Route 3
Cab to local underground station and travel to Victoria station.
Manhandle luggage from Victoria station to Victoria coach station.
Take any coach to Southampton
Take cab from Southampton coach drop off point to P&O Departure lounge.

Route 4
Drive down to P&O Departure lounge
Park in P&O approved car park.
CPS - Parking Services

Route 5
Find a friend willing to drive down and see me off.

Do you realise that it would cost £415 to use their car park for a 84 night cruise? You spend £10,000 on a holiday and they want a further £415 to park locally. Why do they not offer a courtesy minibus from the station? Is this just an attempt to take MORE money from my pocket? I think it probably is.

I confess that route 5 is my favoured route, but its a fair old journey for someone, so I rather than as I decided to look into parking. It is a great blessing for me that while I have been looking into this quagmire Jan, a dear friend, has offered to drive me there - and bring me back! My friends ARE my greatest blessing.

P&O Cruises Official Website | Artemis Cruise P718 - Artemis South American Odyssey Ports and Excursions

P&O Cruises Official Website Artemis Cruise P718 - Artemis South American Odyssey Ports and Excursions


Up until now I have written my thoughts down quite happily. I have asked a number of questions that were open for answers and discussion, I have asked which could easily have been taken as rhetorical; but now I ask a question for which I truly want an answer.

Anyone who knows me knows how much I like being prepared for things. My question right now is what should I be doing on my 40th birthday. I am aware that P&O don’t release their excursion list until shortly before the trip but using last trips selection of excursions I am still at a loss as to how I should be celebrating my birthday.

People who know me better will probably have the advantage, but who knows we are all full of surprises and even I might go for ‘something different.’

Perhaps it is too early to worry about it at the moment, but I would hate to not get my choice because I was too slow in picking; for almost any other day it would be less important, but I really want my birthday to be one to remember.

Do I want to spend my birthday in the middle of the Amazon drinking the local hooch? Which tours should I take?

I am confused in a way I rarely am.

My thoughts - Why am I blogging??

There is more written down in the world than can be read in a person’s lifetime. Is that a scary thought? For me the answer has to be "no," as a vast majority of the worlds texts are not worth reading. Sure, this is a judgment call, but everyone has to draw a line somewhere. Something is only worth reading if it serves a purpose, it is intelligently written, and is easily accessible. To know that there are enough books alone to meet these criteria IS awe inspiring- as a habitual student (or a person with a learning addiction – call it what you will) I feel I want to read and maybe study the best of this vast body of work. Thankfully, a three-month cruise will give me the perfect opportunity to do a lot of reading and hopefully I will learn a lot too.

The reason I am concerned about the extensive supply of ‘reading material’ is because anyone Internet literate is likely to have come across the term ‘blog’ – it is a growing phenomenon and people start new blogs every day. I started my blog yesterday and hope that this particular chapter can be closed successfully in just over a year, but what is most important to me is the fact that what I am doing is worthwhile. Hundreds of people ramble on, and while I admit to being verbose, I hope that my blog is proving worth reading. I am painfully aware that it is only day two of my blog and I already have a half a dozen posts in place. I have no intention in keeping up this intensity of postings but there is so much that I have done already about the cruise it is going to take me a while to get up to date!

I do however feel that it is about time I stated my aims for this blog they are as follows:

The blogs main aims are:
a) to keep people up to date with what I have been doing on the trip (and include a selection of the latest photos)
b) to act as a place for people to contact me - it is possible to post messages on any of my log entries
c) to act as a reference point for me on the trip with links to useful pages about each destination/embassies etc.

The blogs secondary aims are:
d) to enable people to keep a track of where I am in the world and where I am going
e) to act as a diary for myself during the run up to the trip – and therefore as a prompt of things I need to remember both before I go and while I am away
f) to act as a place for me to let of steam at the complexity of organizing such a big holiday
g) if it is informative to act as a reference point for anyone else thinking about taking a cruise - to give them cause for thought
h) if I am very lucky to act as a source of income to help finance the trip through an ad my blog (will be paid only if people click on the link)

My thoughts - The quoted cost of cruising

In general cruising is very complex when it comes to the price you pay, if there is one piece of advice I have to give is do not reply on the price you see listed – prices double and half where listings are not clear that are based on full cabin occupancy and the lead time at which you buy.

When I looked through the brochure the listed prices were from £14,049 to £60,499 depending on the standard of cabin you chose. The cruise ship 'Artemis' is the smallest of the P&O fleet so can be used to travel on inland waterways; because of this there are no inside cabins - all cabins have a window albeit obscured in some cases. How wonderful it is to be guaranteed that you can wake up in the morning and have some daylight even if the only thing you can see is the bottom of an orange coloured life boat! I recall an overnight voyage from Sheerness to Flushing (Vlissingen) in my early twenties, and can still remember the dull and dreary room which slept four that we shared - it was fortunate that the voyage was only overnight as the grey formica walls and the metal beds were more reminiscent of a prison than the prelude to a holiday. It is with this old but very fresh memory in mind that I decided not to opt for the cheapest room which has a completely obscured view - arbitrarily I selected a room standard that was between £9,000 and £10,000. While these prices are somewhat prohibitive the cruise companies offer discounts (of up to 45% off in P&O's case for early bookers.) So by looking well ahead of time the listed price is reduced from £7,726 to £33,274 (again depending on the standard of cabin you chose.)

I tried to book the cruise online as a further 5% discount could be achieved by doing so and was astounded that the price quoted was wildly different to the price that I had seen in the brochure. The website was quoting prices from £16,366 to £51,808! (It would have been over £60,000 but the top six room standards were already fully booked.) As you can imagine while I was struggling to finance the trip at the cheapest rate I knew I stood NO chance at the revised range I saw on the internet. There was no option but to take the phone in hand and speak to an operator direct. Interestingly enough unlike hotel rooms I have booked in the past the figures quoted were not for the room but per person. To achieve the low rate I had identified in the brochure I would have to agree to share a cabin with a complete stranger.

In closing of this very factual and emotionless entry I have to admit I will be returning to the thorny subject of costs as there is more to it than that which I mention here. Oddly enough though, the loss of privacy through room sharing is in my mind a cost worth paying. Sure the person may snore, dislike the TV shows I like, want the room at a different temperature, be in the bath when I am cross legged for the toilet but for the holiday with the wow factor it has to be worth it. Doesn't it?

My thoughts - Before booking the trip of a lifetime

Having chosen a cruise of 84 nights it is clear that there needs to be a fair amount of time taken off from work. Fortunately for me I had an ace or two up my sleeve when it came to the booking of annual leave from work. An 84 night cruise is the equivalent of 12 weeks; based on a 5 day week that is 60 working days and more than most peoples holiday entitlement. Fortunately for me this holiday falls over two calendar years 2007 and 2008 so holiday can be taken from either year; the number of working days is also reduced by Cristmas Day, Boxing Day, and New Years Day bank holidays - however three days is no more than a drop in the ocean of a three month trip. Some companies - including the one I work for - allow a number of unused days to be carried over into the next calendar year so for cruises split over two years with more days away in the second year (like in my case) it is possible to use one years entitlement in another year.

This is all very well and good but it is worth remembering that even split perfectly between two calendar years 60 working days holiday entitlement is the equivalent to 30 days in each year. I am not entitled to that many days annual leave myself although some managers are. Where I pulled the greatest help was my employers 'Save your holiday' scheme. Every day now for 9 years I have been banking 5 days of my entitlement, so reached 45 days 'banked' at the end of 2007. When you consider that the holiday is 57 working days (allowing for bank holidays) the number of days I am using doesn't seem so bad when you take into consideration that 45 of them are not from the 'regular' entitlement. Somehow spending 3 months away while only using 12 days annual leave makes such a long trip somewhat more achievable.

It is a shame that more companies do not opt into such schemes, and a shame that more people do not take up the offer of these extended holidays. Having such an extensive break will be something to remember for the rest of my life. With a little forward planning (or nine years in my case) it is achievable. If you cant wait that long there is always the possibility of taking unpaid leave. I believe what I am trying to say is. If you don't have the immovable ties that bind you, there is always a way of creating these opportunities - you just need to be a bit creative in how you make the opportunities. Or, patient.

My thoughts - How do you chose?

So, when you sit down to decide on where to go to have a holiday what criteria do you use? For me, this year the criteria was special. In light of the fact I have not had a holiday for so long, the fact that it is my 40th birthday and that I am definitely too large to fit into the average plane seat my criteria were somewhat different. The holiday should involve no flying, or, if flying was a necessity, it should be in a seating standard which had big seats - potentially that means traveling first class. The holiday needs to be memorable - ideally a dream holiday of mine or a holiday with a 'wow' factor in it. The holiday should involve being away for a period which included Christmas, New year, and my 40th birthday. Simple and broad criteria, there had to be something that fits the criteria.

With these criteria in mind what were my options? Without flying my options were to use a boat (cargoship, cruise liner or ferry), rail (passenger or passenger with car), or road (car, coach, 4x4). My dream holiday would have been touring Mexico, Belize Honduras, and Guatemala. I would have been able to spend my birthday in an amazing venue and celebrate it in an unusual way. A holiday with a wow factor would prohibit or any common holiday destination or a month at Butlins. Ultimately I decided there were two possibilities: resurrect my 30th birthday plan and travel first class or undertake a cruise. I obtained brochures for both. Ten years ago when I was looking for my dream 30th birthday I looked at holidays with a company in West London called Journey Latin America; back then their brochure was full of amazing treks and glossy pictures and I was relieved to see that nothing had changed when I received the new years brochure on the 2nd February. I poured over the brochures for days trying to work out what I wanted to do. Sadly, but not altogether unexpectedly, the tour had changed over the course of 10 years; in 2007 I would need to add some time to the beginning of a tour to do the missing elements of my holiday alone. Journey Latin America were very willing to help arrange this special holiday - they always have been good on the phone. In countries where it is difficult to take cars over borders and where I do not speak the native language I felt a little vulnerable at this idea and still do.

There is something appealing about flicking through the glossy pages of a holiday brochure that you do not get from a website. The bright colours of the blurb though equally vivid on-screen take on a new dimension when you can turn the pages and feel the sheen between your fingers. It may just be my personal preference but the ability to read a brochure at any time in any place has great appeal; when I read about a holiday I want all the information to be there at my fingertips and to be sure I wont miss anything crucial; it is with much regret I have to announce that despite being in love with the IT industry (for whom I work) there are distinct disadvantages to the internet. How many times has the click-click nature of the dispersed information on the web resulted in not having seen the complete set of details? Holiday brochures are always a winner with me.

Having ruled out resurrecting my dream holiday I got to my other option - a cruise. I searched online for all the different cruise liners I could recall although regrettably holidays rarely being on my personal radar I could only think of P&O, Fred Olsen, Holland Line, Easy cruise and Cunard. The web is a wonderful place for finding information I searched for each line in turn trying to find contact details to obtain brochures; looking for the contacts reduced me to two different cruise liner companies: Olsen Line and P&O, as regrettably none of the others had contact details that were easy to obtain. Both companies sent me brochures, which both landed on my doorstep on Friday 16th February.

My approach to finding my perfect holiday was a little 'unorthodox'. When presented with the two plastic wrapped catalogues I opened the P&O brochure first; this was partly because the packet was bigger, but mostly because the name P&O is known by more people than the Olsen line. As I ripped the plastic apart I pulled out the thickest of the brochures, relaxed into the sofa and started to read. The first thing I encountered in the brochure was an 84 night trip which included all the dates required and a fair number of other days too! It was with great surprise that I discovered that the places it visited included most of the countries (but not the cities) I had wanted to visit some ten years earlier. The crowning glory was that the cruise started and ended from an English port so there was no flying involved. I looked through the rest of the brochure, but despite other trips meeting all my criteria, it was still the first trip that caught my eye "Artemis: The South American Odyssey 2007".

My choice was clear!