places maybe i should have gone to

[John Gill]

#10- perhaps a listen to a Beatles track from their Rubber Soul album, In My Life, pretty much sums up the thoughts of some of us.
gilly

[John Gill]

Hi John
I think lots of us got many presents from the Girls in that place! LOL!
Oh the things we did as youngsters and still here to tell the tales!
Cheers

When the porcelain filled up with broken glass & razor blades, the comment 'What's Up Doc?' was usually self evident.

[E.Martin]

this one that has been in my mind for years talking to ex merch lads we get round to whear have you been iwent all round the world but never went to india south africa went to oz acouple of times never got to newzelandplaces maybe i should have the world is abig place weird what you come up with talking over a few beers

You never had the experience of going to Grant Road.

[j.sabourn]

#10. Ivan theres nothing more lonely than a hotel room when your by yourself. Maybe ok if you have the local bike for short spells, but still 24 hours in a day. Had a spell in Tehran for about a week after the Shah had been deposed, couldn't get out of the country, finally did and got down to Newcastle NSW to join a ship, was like getting home. JS.

[cappy]

###10 tramps were the greatest education a young man could have to see poverty in the extreme and riches beyond belief were the great education to themind of a young man .....i had relatives working as riggers and they did not have vast amounts of money we did not have a car in our st ...but on my ist trip to los a and frisco the dockies all came to work in great yankee gas guzzlers......food was so cheap 2..80 dollars to the pound .....to be in sunshine every day to get 3 good meals a day.......and for the ist time in my life to know soething that not every body else new gave you a sense of wellbeing and confidence ....i believe i have said before i would never have reached my true potential in life had i not gone to sea ......plus women at the drop of a hat ....truly a young mans paradise....what more could you want

[cappy]

You never had the experience of going to Grant Road.

######bagged off many places but going up to see grant road was enough to put me off and just the smell from the cages was enough .....only place i didnt bag off ......back to me old portugese hand pump......but for some reason found ceylon ok........best place in the world for sex japan ......arigato nippon

[Ivan Cloherty]

#10. Ivan theres nothing more lonely than a hotel room when your by yourself. Maybe ok if you have the local bike for short spells, but still 24 hours in a day. Had a spell in Tehran for about a week after the Shah had been deposed, couldn't get out of the country, finally did and got down to Newcastle NSW to join a ship, was like getting home. JS.

John, after coming ashore I probably visited more countries than I did whilst at sea, spent many a lonely night in all kinds of hotels from sumptuous to nissan huts with no facilities, as my marital status had changed when I came ashore I never rode a local bike or non local bike whilst waiting for a ship or client to appear (sometimes weeks, always in crap places). Did learn a lot about people from observation whilst waiting, some places you were not allowed to wander or explore. Corruption was widespread in most of them in one form or another, some even expecting 'kickbacks' when you were buying stuff from them, rather than trying to sell it to them. Dealt with people from Prime Minister/Ruler and Government level to dock labour level and the attitude and expectations were the same 'what's in it for me' from all of them, all before they'd done anything to warrant even a thank you. But I did see life, and although not pleasant (and also dangerous in many cases) at the time looking back I'm glad I did it, what memories would I have if worked 9 - 5 for a lifetime, probably the highlight of which would have been a fortnight on the Costa del Sol. At least all the seafarers on this site have experienced life in its raw forms

[Ivan Cloherty]

#10. Ivan theres nothing more lonely than a hotel room when your by yourself. Maybe ok if you have the local bike for short spells, but still 24 hours in a day. Had a spell in Tehran for about a week after the Shah had been deposed, couldn't get out of the country, finally did and got down to Newcastle NSW to join a ship, was like getting home. JS.

John, after coming ashore I probably visited more countries than I did whilst at sea, spent many a lonely night in all kinds of hotels from sumptuous to nissan huts with no facilities, as my marital status had changed when I came ashore I never rode a local bike or non local bike whilst waiting for a ship or client to appear (sometimes weeks, always in crap places). Did learn a lot about people from observation whilst waiting, some places you were not allowed to wander or explore. Corruption was widespread in most of them in one form or another, some even expecting 'kickbacks' when you were buying stuff from them, rather than trying to sell it to them. Dealt with people from Prime Minister/Ruler and Government level to dock labour level and the attitude and expectations were the same 'what's in it for me' from all of them, all before they'd done anything to warrant even a thank you. But I did see life, and although not pleasant (and also dangerous in many cases) at the time looking back I'm glad I did it, what memories would I have if worked 9 - 5 for a lifetime, probably the highlight of which would have been a fortnight on the Costa del Sol. At least all the seafarers on this site have experienced life in its raw forms

[John Arton]

Although C.P. was not a tramp outfit during my time with them along with time as a Port Captain, I managed to get to every country and enjoy the delights of them, that I wanted to. My one exception that I would have loved to have experienced was going through the Straits of Magellan, which one ship that I had just paid off, actually did. Also never spent any time on the west coast of South America.
There was one country that I avoided like a plague, even once turning down a ship that was going there, and that was India. I have no prejudice against Indians having sailed with Indian crew and Officers but its just that I had no wish to visit India, nor Pakistan. unfortunately I had to visit Pakistan when Port Captain and could not get out of the place fast enough. The filth and corruption in both those countries turned me against them.
Best places
British Columbia where if I had been born with any sense we would now be living in as I was offered some excellent jobs there and just loved the place but family ties on both sides stopped us from emigrating.
The places I found most fascinating was Papua New Guinea and the Indonesian Islands around the Sulawesi Sea along with Borneo and the Philippines. When I eventually gave up deep sea and went on small chemical tankers trading the Baltic down to the Medi. and all countries in between strangely enough I found that France was the best European country (after the U.K.), something that will no doubt set Brians teeth on edge.
Rgds
JA

[John Arton]

Although C.P. was not a tramp outfit during my time with them along with time as a Port Captain, I managed to get to every country and enjoy the delights of them, that I wanted to. My one exception that I would have loved to have experienced was going through the Straits of Magellan, which one ship that I had just paid off, actually did. Also never spent any time on the west coast of South America.
There was one country that I avoided like a plague, even once turning down a ship that was going there, and that was India. I have no prejudice against Indians having sailed with Indian crew and Officers but its just that I had no wish to visit India, nor Pakistan. unfortunately I had to visit Pakistan when Port Captain and could not get out of the place fast enough. The filth and corruption in both those countries turned me against them.
Best places
British Columbia where if I had been born with any sense we would now be living in as I was offered some excellent jobs there and just loved the place but family ties on both sides stopped us from emigrating.
The places I found most fascinating was Papua New Guinea and the Indonesian Islands around the Sulawesi Sea along with Borneo and the Philippines. When I eventually gave up deep sea and went on small chemical tankers trading the Baltic down to the Medi. and all countries in between strangely enough I found that France was the best European country (after the U.K.), something that will no doubt set Brians teeth on edge.
Rgds
JA