The Delos Diaries: Part 31 “Delos steps on land and Lizbef hears from Paris!”
We rush to the cockpit, excitement in our bellies as we gaze at Delos’s new home- Ilhabela- ‘The Beautiful Island.’
Elizabeth Earle
Everyone is enjoying this time at sea. A lot of us aren’t ready for land just yet. I think the thing I’m going to miss the most when we near the island are the night watches.
I woke up the next day still feeling tired. I wanted to go back to sleep but Alex and Brian were in the lounge discussing a project. Sighing, I pulled back the curtain and swung my legs over the side.
I sigh as my alarm goes off under my pillow, my headphones wrapping around my neck as I fumble to switch it off before it wakes anyone else up. It’s 11:45pm and my night shift on the second day of passage is about to start. I always give myself fifteen minutes before to get myself sorted.
It’s the morning of our departure. I wake, my body burning for movement as we excitedly prepare Delos to leave Bird Rock. Yes, that’s right-we did return to that amazing place. After spending another week on Ascension Island, we decided we had no choice but to escape back to its protective rocky embrace. It’s been an incredible couple of days diving, relaxing and sunbathing, but now it’s time.
We’re off early this morning. We’re heading to an amazing dive site called Bird Rock. It’s nice to get away from the island to be honest. I love Ascension, but already I know it’s time for us to leave. We’re here for another week and we’ve got a lot more adventures to be had, but whenever I look out into the ocean, I feel a restlessness.
The morning came too soon.
The next morning on Malin was beautiful. Tucking into freshly made bread and honey, I sat in the cockpit contentedly with a cup of tea.
There have been many ways I have thought about starting this sentence. I’ve started in so many ways and in different places, scenarios, maybe at the start- maybe at the end. But I had always had in my mind to start in the middle.
The Delos Diaries: Part 19 “Napoleon, Hiking and the Delos Story.”
We’ve been in St Helena now for two weeks. It’s been a wonderful time with a lot of amazing adventures. We’ve even made some friends. On Friday, Lisa our Austrian managed to do a DJ session at the radio station. We had bought a bottle of rum for us all to share whilst we played songs, danced and laughed to our heart’s content.
We’ve been here just over a week now in St Helena. I knew when I landed here that I was always supposed to come to this place and I deeply feel that more than anything. But I am already feeling the stirrings of restlessness to be back on the ocean.
We’ve explored the land and I’ve felt a shifting of allegiance in my heart.
It’s 3am and my watch isn’t for another hour. But there’s a commotion on Delos and I’m grumbling to myself why people can’t be quieter.
Don’t they know I’m sleeping?
I then realise that there’s only one reason why the entire crew would be up at this moment.
St Helena.
I creep through the darkness, swaying with the motion of the boat as I attempt to head silently to the snack cupboard. It’s 3am, everyone is asleep and I.am.hungry.
I open the cupboard and rub my hands in glee. I pull out an oat snack bar to hear a rustling to my left.
“What are you doing?”
The Delos Diaries: Part 15 “Time Machines and Peanut Butter.”
It’s day 6 aboard Delos on our passage to St Helena. I’m getting more and more excited by the day. I don’t know whether it’s because the currency is English, the history, or the fact that a bunch of British people live there, but it’d be nice to get a taste of home- even if it is on a random island in the middle of nowhere.
“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.