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M/T Ribe Maersk
Djibouti anchorage - September 2018
From https://www.marinetraffic.com
Sunday 9th of September 2018 and I had called the Agent yesterday. He didn´t knew when I was joining. I called again at 9 o´clock this morning, all 3 numbers. Only a message in the French language. Well, I will continue waiting.
I was out to look for birds around the hotel at 6 thirty and I spotted a few Sanpipers and the Red-billed Firefinch. Darn, this little red bird is very hard to get on picture.
Looking for birds around the Acacias Hotel in Djibouti
Common Sandpiper
Thanks to birdboybowle at Birdforum for confirming my identification of this bird.
I go back to the hotel, a little disappointed with the pictures of the Red-billed firefinch. I had seen many of the Shining Sunbirds behind the hotel, but they never sat still so I could get pictures of the very beautiful bird. Well, who knows, I might be back for a second chance here.
Back at the hotel and I had my breakfast before going to my room to prepare for departure. I called the Agent at 9 but no connection on any of their numbers. I called again just before 10 and now the phone was working. The driver was on the way pick me up and I went down to the reception to wait for the car. It will be nice to get on board.
The Agent arrived and he had a 3rd Officer in the back of the car. So we will be two joining Ribe Maersk at the anchorage today.
We drove down to the port and we passed the security and then we had to stop at the immigration. Our Driver was questioned about my passport. Why had I been here for 3 days? Our driver told them that I had been her for holiday.
- Why didn´t he apply for tourist visa?
Driving to the port
Port of Djibouti
Port of Djibouti
Looking for the service boat
We´re going to Ribe Mærsk with a tug boat and I was surprised, I had expected a service launch. We could not find the tug boat and the driver took us around and we found out that the tug boats were busy assisting a ship. They expect it to take another 30 minutes and we just stood there waiting. This was at least to say poor planning.
OK, let’s take a tour around the port for some sight-seeing. The driver started to drive around and I told him that I wanted to look for birds. And I spotted a new bird, the White-eyed Gull. The White-eyed Gull is endemic to the Red Sea. So yes, I was a wee bit exciting. At a distance it looked like a Black-headed Gull, but when I came closer I discovered the white around the eyes.
Passing a mosque on our sight seeing tour
White-eyed gull
White-eyed gull
Juvenile White-eyed gull
So I was happy that the last few minutes of bird watching here in Djibouti paid of. A new bird, and on top of that, an endemic bird to the Red Sea. We were busy with the gull when we saw the tug boats coming along side and we went to board the tug boat.
Our tug boat was moored outside another tug boat so that means that we have to climb over another tug boat. No gangway and a huge gap between the jetty and the boat. Safety first is nothing they have heard about here. But when it was my turn they swung the front towards the jetty and I could climb on board as the forward of the tug was in the same level as the jetty.
We were on the tug boat waiting to leave and they told us to go inside to wait as it was very hot.
We have to climb over one tug boat to reach our tug boat
More than 50 cm in height difference
At the other tug boat
Finaly, on OUR tug boat
More than 50 cm in height difference
Our Driver
A wooden boat is leaving
A wooden boat is leaving
We leave and we´re on the bridge when we see the people ashore is screaming and pointing. I look back and my bag is in the middle of the harbour. The guy had not closed the opening in the gunwale when he came back on deck after having let go the mooring ropes. What the ducking hell! I was ducking angry!
Leave the port without closing the opening and my bag felt overboard. Lucky the bag didn´t sunk. We managed to get it on board. The bag was full of water and of course, all my electronics was destroyed. I had to empty the suitcase and all my stuff was on the poop deck. Trying to dry it as much as I could in the sunshine.
We were approaching Ribe Mærsk, we had seen her already from the port as she is not far away from shore anchored at the bunkering anchorage.
Approaching Ribe Mærsk
Approaching Ribe Mærsk
They are ready for us
Took a little extra time to get all my things on board as we had to fill up a canvas bag, and we had to do this 3 or 4 times. We were on board around 1 o´clock and yet another adventure can begin. And you can follow the adventure on board m/t Ribe Mærsk, and why change a winning concept. So just click on any month below:
OK, it has come to my knowledge that we have senior citizens visiting my web page. How hard can it be? So it's not very easy for them to see the blue coloured links to the next page.
Jiffy (also jiff)
noun [in SING.] informal a moment: we'll be back in a jiffy.
ORIGIN late 18th cent.: of unknown origin.
So as you understand, in a jiff pretty much depends on your internet.
So I put a “Next” button here and I hope that there isn't any problem to understand how to use that one. So just CLICK the “Next” button on your left hand side and you will be on the next page in a jiff!
Marunong ka mag-tagalog? Walang problema! Magpunta sa kabilang pahina pindutin ang “NEXT” button sa itaas
Faites vous parlez le français? Pas de problème! Pour arriver à la page suivante faites s'il vous plaît un déclic le bouton “Next” ci-dessus!
Haga usted dice el español? No hay problema! Ver la siguiente página sólo hacer clic el botón “Next” encima!
Farla parla l'italiano? Non problemi! Per vedere la prossima pagina lo scatto per favore giusto Il bottone “Next” sopra
Sprechen sie Deutsch! Kein problem! Wenn Sie die folgende Seite sehen wollen gerade klicken der Knopf “Next” oben!