Counting Down

The Spirit of Melbourne (previously known as the Bahia Grande)

Ever since hearing of Freight Travel, it has been my ultimate dream to have enough time, money and freedom to climb aboard a huge container ship.  It is on “top” of being cavalier; taking chances, and traveling alone in unknown waters with people I don’t know on a not-so-glamorous cruise.  It took a long time to get ready and booked, but finally it is happening.

On Sunday March 30,  I leave the San Francisco area and on the 4^th of April I board “The Spirit of Melbourne” in Charleston, South Carolina.  On the way, there will be visits with friends and relatives and while in Atlanta I will climb Stone Mountain: then off to the adventure of my dreams. The ship will leave Charleston and go through the Panama Canal and then deposit me in Sydney, Australia. On the way, we stop at many islands including New Zealand, but depending on the amount of time the ship is there, we may or may not be able to get off the ship while they load and unload cargo. 

While in Australia, there will be plenty of time to camp with and visit friends.  I have no return ticket (how is that for having freedom?), but I plan to come home when I am tired of traveling or when my Visa expires.