Antwerp - IstanbulDAY 6

- by Ward Hulselmans

- Tuesday 26 November 2019

The Alessia now sails under the coast of Andalusia in the direction of Gibraltar. Small Portuguese fishing boats race crisscross in the distance, there are dozens of them, sometimes no more than sloops. And suddenly they are gone again, disappeared in the morning fog. We now leave the Atlantic Ocean behind us; straight ahead is the Mediterranean Sea, behind the Strait of Gibraltar that separates Europe from Africa. It makes me wonder when in the south the foothills of the Rif mountains become visible.

"Africa! My journey takes on a dimension."

The Alessia reduces speed, left and right other ships find their way in and out of the sea and on the bridge there is heavy radio traffic.In the haze the Moroccan city of Tangier is vaguely visible, behind it the mountains of the Rif remain visible for hours. In Morocco I heard for the first time 40 years ago calls to the "Jihad". Now everyone knows the word, but then someone had to explain to me that it meant the "holy Islamic war". After yet another incident around Jerusalem, the Moroccan king Hassan II called the Arab states together and I was there when the kings, the sheiks and the presidents jumped straight into their white robes and "Jihad! Jihad! Jihad!" started screaming. Their fists went up. Holy War! Death to Israel! War, war! It was bloodthirsty, terrifying, and when I think about it, I still get goose bumps from so much hatred. It never came to general Jihad, fortunately the divisions between them were too great. Years later in the Sahara I followed the Moroccan army in its desert war against the Polisario Front. Then I saw the most insane structure of my career: a stone wall four metres high, 900 kilometres through the desert...to stop the enemy. I thought about it again when Donald Trump started over his own wall. All effort for nothing.

"It's not as crowded in the Strait of Gibraltar as I expected and hoped."

After Ceuta, the African coast disappears from sight and only the tip of Spain is still visible. The Rock of Gibraltar doesn't show up and when it does, it is frankly a bit disappointing. It's isolated, a bit beyond the Strait itself, as if it doesn't really belong there. We pass it many miles away, there's fog hanging around and when the sky clears I look through the binoculars from the bridge. The famous Rock looks a bit like an alpinopet rising out of the water. A few minutes later the sensation I have been waiting for so long is over.

"It's getting colder."

The duty officer reports to the intercom: "Attention to all crew and passanger..." With every internal communication I am mentioned from the moment we leave, it gives the pleasant feeling of belonging. Tonight - that's the message - the clock is turned back another hour. I think I'll get into bed early with my book.

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- DAY 525 November 2019

preceding day

- DAY 727 November 2019

subsequent day