Sunday April 19

The view has changed from where I am sitting typing into the computer. We have moved the ship all of 400 metres or thereabouts as we needed to fill up the tanks with fuel. Rather like going to the petrol station but a rather slower process since we have to take on about 700 tonnes of fuel. For those who hadn't been on the sail from Tenerife it was all rather exciting. It was a good opportunity to hang over the rail and chat. Some of the crew had decided to leave the ship overnight and were off by 8.15am. Others of us decided that we would move our usual Sunday morning run to Saturday morning so I was out running out 7.00am.

However I'm rushing ahead. The week was again different as Monday was a ship's holiday it being Easter Monday. It was also a holiday in Benin. A trip to Casa del Papa in the back of a 4x4 with new crew was great fun. It's a good way to meet new staff, bumping along the beach road. The weather was typically English - raining. However our spirits were not dampened as we found the sheltered part of the resort and spent time chatting over coffee. Since one of my reasons for going was to be able to swim in the pool there, I duly changed and swam, after all I would be wet anyway and actually swimming in the rain was not an unpleasant experience.

Crew are always coming and going and this week saw a crew member leave who had become a christian whilst serving on the ship. This is not as uncommon as one might think and is always a source of great joy to the other crew members.

I spent Friday morning at the eye clinic at the hospitality centre. This is a converted warehouse about 15 minutes walk from the ship. Patients are housed there overnight and this has relieved the pressure on beds in the hospital. We have the same problems of bed occupancy as the NHS! But we also see the eye patients there post operatively and so Friday saw the first patients coming for YAG laser treatment to their eyes following their cataract surgery. This treatment helps to prevent the formation of a secondary cataract. Thankfully there is an air conditioned tent up in the warehouse so the room for the laser treatment is cooler. The tent would normally sit on the dockside but this is not possible here as the dock is narrower than Monrovia and lorries rumble up and down the dock passing very close to the ship. It would simply be too dangerous hence the reason for having a tent in the hospitality centre.

And then it's Saturday again with its chores of washing and ironing. I also made with 9 dozen scones in the afternoon with some help from one of the English ladies on the ship. We are celebrating St Georges Day with tea and scones, complete with strawberry jam and cream. I have some flags and balloons to decorate the area where we shall simply have a fun time together on Thursday evening.Watch this space and if I remember to have my camera out I shall post a picture next week.