Sailing along the Skeleton Coast of Namibia!
“And… Princess of the week is…!”
We’re all sitting around the table, tapping our fingers excitedly against the wood as Mr Brady pulls a name from the pot.
To be Princess of the week is to get the crew to do whatever you please and whenever. You can use the power with dignity, or abuse it.
“Elizabeth!”
The sun is beaming down on me on Delos as I sit with Alex and Brady on the back. I’m feeling very much at peace today, and relieved.
It’s a new day.
We’re having a mini lie in on Delos. I don’t know why but I haven’t been sleeping too well. My nights have been filled with unpleasant dreams and I can’t seem to snap out of it. I yawn as I finish my tea and wave Karin and Brian off as they head out in Maggie to explore.
We leave the Skeleton Coast with a sense of relief. I don’t even look back at the place, knowing that I will never miss that land of bones.
The morning comes and Brian is excited about another day of exploring.
“Ok, guys, there’s this dune we have to climb- it’s about a 3km walk there and then we climb the dune. So it’s probably about an hour and a half there and an hour and a half back. What you reckon?”
I look down at the thing that has just crunched beneath my feet and take a step back quickly.
“Bones…” I mutter in astonishment. The white skull beneath my foot stares back at me accusingly, the deep black holes where eyes once were sunk deeper into the sand beneath my footprint.
“It’s only seven thirty,” Alex said cheerfully. “We’ve got loads of time.”
Surrounded by music and dancing people in Luderitz, I wasn’t ready to go back to Delos right now. Brady had just returned from dropping off Lisa, Karin and Brian to the boat and was ready for a couple of drinks at the Cray Fish Festival.
It’s cold, it’s dark and the blanket I’ve wrapped around my legs keeps slipping off in some way or other. I’m trying to keep my eyes open whilst making sure I’m checking radar and making sure we stay on course.
