The Falkland journal continues…
Wednesday 11 May 1988, Koei Maru 30/Falkland Desire
Well I’m angry and upset. I still haven’t been picked up. I bet I end up staying at least another week. I think I’ll go bananas soon. I am getting pissed off. If I come back with the Koei Maru 30 on the 25th, I’ll have spent 6 weeks on this bathtub. What a nightmare. I want to go back to Port Stanley and I don’t want any fuss. Balls.
And as the philosophy goes – everything always works out in the end (unless you die, and if you die it doesn’t matter anyway).
I was woken by the Sencho (Captain in Japanese) at about 3pm…”Fishery Patrol”. This was good news. the Desire (a patrol ship called the Falkland Desire) had come to collect me. I spoke with them and packed quickly. In the process I forgot my chocolate cake, my casettes, my loligo and my films. What a bloody pain in the arse, but small prices to pay for freedom.
What really pisses me off though is that had I not called KSJ (the Japanese fishing company) to query my pick up date and time, I would never have been rescued. Some bloody organisation this is.
Anyway, I am on the Desire and had a wonderful mixed grill and trifle for supper, followed by a Bond movie.
I am happy.
Thursday 12 May 1988, Falkland Desire
Having slept pretty well from 8pm to 1.30am, I am now wide awake, and there is no chance of me going back to sleep, so it is letters and diary time.
The crew (apart from one or two exceptions) are almost entirely fat. Too many fried meals and not enough exercise.
Picked up Elizabeth. (Another scientist on a different vessel)
Got well tanked up in the evening. Home tomorrow.
Friday 13 May 1988, Port Stanley, Emma’s Guest House
Friday 13th – what a day to come to port! We came into Port William by 9.30am and went to Port Stanley. Jim is resigning! This is terrible news. He’ll be going at the end of this month. My only ally in this adversity. I will feel very alone once he has gone.
A plethora of letters. It’s nice – it makes all my letter writing worth it. I actually feel a bit of a plonker because I get so much more mail than anyone else. Sorry to find out that granny is so unwell – if I were a believer I would pray for her – I know that she is safe in her own faith though. It is grandpa I also worry about.
Met Phil at last and am sharing a room in ‘Emma’s’ with him – we all got well pissed in The Globe and in John’s house. The Suntory whiskey was worth opening.
I got home and read the remainder of my letters. I cried unashamedly at granny’s letter – I don’t think she’ll last much longer.
It is nice to be clean shaven after so long with my beard.
Saturday 14 May 1988, Port Stanley, Emma’s Guest House
A day of indecision, I wandered around Stanley and found Jim at Fishops (Fisheries Operations). Went to the Upland Goose for lunch with Jim, Anna and Sean.
Nothing to do, but it is quite nice.
Ended up watching Mona Lisa at Goodwyn’s and supping Tim’s Whiskey. Then went on to The Globe for a few minutes before trundling off to the Town Hall to see the C.S.E show (Combined Services Entertainment – The islanders benefitted from the shows that came to entertain the troops at Mount Pleasant air base).
It was terrible – naf, but in a corny way, quite fun.
- a compere who kept saying “no”, like they do when they tell jokes and laughing through his teeth ‘sheee’
- a dancing troop called Sassie? terrible dancers
- a corny magician, old tricks
- a dreadful female singer
- a band
They tried hard and I appreciated their effort and anyway, it was something to do.
Met a Korean man called JK. Great bloke and long-line skipper for twenty years.
Got pissed in The Rose and back at Tim’s. Watched a video.
Liverpool lost the FA Cup final to Wimbledon. Yahoo.
old news…AFC lost to Luton 3-2. I am desperate.
Natural adventures 