// Game Over//

So 3 months of life changing experiences in Europe have come to and end and I’m now back home, feeling like a big fish in a small pond. Like a Tuna or a Dorado in the fountain of my garden. Things have changed back here in Cape Town, yet somehow it still feels the same. 3 months seem like a life time ago and yesterday all at once. I do however have plans to carry on my travels. Contrary to popular belief; the world is not a small place but our minds are. I am out to change that in myself. So hopefully I’m off to Gibraltar in October to meet up with the boat I just left, then head with them to Morocco and then the Caribbean. And then who knows. There are thoughts of hitch hiking through Central and South America at some point. There are thoughts of artist residencies in foreign lands. There are thoughts of even thoughts of starting a backpackers. Time wil tell. 

I learnt more in the last 3 months about myself and the world than I ever would have dreamed and I strongly recommend anyone confused to throw themselves into a deep ocean and just try swimming. You’ll hit some islands - some paradise and some hell - but you will stay afloat. 

// Job Done / Another Fish Caught / Barcelona//

So the owner of the boat got off yesterday after a week of sailing around Palma. We decided to leave first thing after he left due to some crazy weather heading our way, and it takes around 18 hours sailing back get back to Barcelona. We managed to catch another fish, which a then sleeping Mike jumped out of bed to real in early sunset to reel in. DORADO!!! AKA Mahi Mahi. And a pretty big one at that! The skipper says it’s the biggest he’s seen in the Mediterranean, which is pretty cool. We actually had 2 out of the 3 of the lines go and the other fish got away. Needless to say we had some amazing fish for dinner. And probably will be for the next few days again!

So! Now we’re back in Barca; in the boat yard. Some things went a bit pair shaped on the way back and the main generator kind of blew up slightly but all was good. Except it’s going to be one hell of a thing to fix before they have to leave. Until then I’m still on the boat helping out, mostly cleaning. But we’ll hopefully get some more sailing in before I get off it.

AND THEN I COME BACK HOME!!! Flight is booked for 14 September and I arrive on the 15th. Pretty amped to see you people back home but I hopefully won’t be around for too long! haha. 

The crew.

And as I received a lot of feedback from mates back home telling me I’m looking a little thin, I ate the whole thing raw.

// More from the Boat//

I’m over typing so I’ll just say here are some pictures from the job. Life is good. Good food, good people, good weather, good movies, good guitar jams, good Palma.

// From The Beach To Barcelona//

I arrived in Barcelona this evening after getting back from the beach yesterday and making some last minute arrangements. The work dries up in Palma over August and I have some connections to do some stuff over here in terms of work. Also really amped to check out this city. I think this is one place I could live in for a while. So I’m staying with Jemma until probably around the end of August or beginning of September and then heading back to Palma to try find some more work. That’s the plan now but who knows where I’ll be tomorrow!!! Mark is heading to Boom festival and Mike is heading to America to work so we all separating again which is always interesting!

We had the car again yesterday so we went out to find a beach with volcanic ash-mud you rub all over yourself. We ended up getting a bit lost and then on a pretty rad but heavy hike mission to find anything we could swim in, which lasted over an hour or so and involved some pretty mad cliffs! We settled for this cool place on some rocks. Franki and another chick that came with us did manage to find some mud in the end. Not sure if it was volcanic or not! But the place was epic. I had to look after my new tat which is right at the bottom of all the photos from the day. Good day, great day.

This is where we spent the day. Down on these rocks:

Mark’s make-shift spear-fishing rod. Not so lucky.

AND THEN THIS IS MY NEW TAT I DID ON MYSELF. Still deciding what to do in the scroll. So stoked.

// The Crack Den//

Just some photos from where I was staying in Palma, nick-named the crack den. I’ll leave that to your imagination.

view from the balcony right and then left at night:

My Room:

// NEW OLD CAMERA//

So I busted out today and invested in a decent camera, second hand, with some of the money I’ve made here so far. These are the first photos I’ve taken with it at Portals beach again this afternoon. It’s a Canon 1000D, which is pretty solid. I’m so stoked. YOH.

// Portals Beach – View From the Top//

// Majorca Rat Trap Bowl Photos//

This place is the shit. The BMXer and guy behind the photos of myself is Wayne Reiche. Rips it. I took the photos of Wayne.

// Mount Gay Rum//

// Spenx on the Decks Meets Valquest//

Mark and I had some more day work yesterday and today on a boat called Valquest. Do yourself a favour and check out how these high rollers actually live on these things. The images below are some of mine and then the rest are from another site (HERE).

This:

// Dock Walking In Palma//

// I’m On A Boat//

These are just a few images from the boat I’ve been working on the last 5 days; La Cattiva. Was super lucky to get a job on my third day of dock walking on Monday and I’ve been grafting from 8am to 6pm since. Manual labour. YOH. This is the most I think I’ve ever worked out in my life. But it has sorted out my thoughts in a big way. The money will sustain me here for quite some time while I carry on the search for more work! It’s a really good start.

Duties included a LOT of scrubbing, chamois-ing, polishing and even cleaning the mast, which is crazy high, in a harness. ∆