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June 28, 1999
Hawaii to Tarawa Voyage, Update #56
Day 56. Monday 28 June 1999 0308 GMT
Wind ESE-SE - 4 knots. Heading 120M.
Latitude: 02deg 42.312N
Longitude: 179deg 05.028W
As suspected might happen, we were taxed nearly 3 miles east last night and just less than 1 mile north by the current. Today the wind has also fallen in on the conspiracy - veering to the ESE-SE - increasing miles lost to the north. Hence our progress south in search of a favorable current heading west continues at an agonizingly slow pace. I switch on the GPS only when I really have to, as the results are usually too depressing. Sometimes it's better not to know what's really happening! Just keep grinding away Lewis. What you don't know can't hurt you.
I do confess that at times when overtaken by a slump in morale I ring the expedition 1 800# back in the US to hear familiar voices. This morning I was cheered considerably to hear the voice of Travis 'the kid' Perkins from Monterey, California - who hiked across Hawaii with us in March - leaving a message. His voice prompted me to smile at fond memories of long, sweltering daylight hours spent stumbling across broken lava fields at 6,000ft laden down with stupidly heavy rucksacks, and of freezing cold evenings lying in sleeping bags facing a roaring fire, giggling uncontrollably at the non-stop stream of verbal nonsense pouring out of Sgt. Scott 'Pineapple' Morrison's mouth. Good times. Good people. When Travis added, "he missed us", he can be sure he's speaking for the both of us.
Shirley Nice is leaving some excellent voice summaries of these web updates on 800 943 0114 (free US+Canada). Also, if you'd like to leave the odd morale booster for me to call up and tap into during these last few weeks, feel free to call and leave a message after the tone. Thanks for all your messages so far. I cannot tell you how at times they help to revitalize flagging leg muscles and a sense of hope.
Jason Lewis,
The Moksha motor
Posted on June 28, 1999 2:20 AM