![\"GMDC-seal-300\"](\"https:\/\/peelbooks.com\/susanjoycejourneys\/wp-content\/uploads\/GMDC-seal-300.jpg\")
<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Trincomalee, Sri Lanka
\nJuly 1, 1975<\/p>\n
Nearing the port city of Trincomalee, our driver pointed out shops
\nand restaurants which might be of interest.<\/p>\n
\u201cOnly a short distance to the port,\u201d he said. \u201cWhat is the name of the yacht you will sail on?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cZozo,\u201d Charles told him. \u201cI\u2019m sure if you drop us at the entrance to the port we can find our way.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo problem,\u201d he said. \u201cI\u2019ll take you there. I have family who work in the port.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOh thank you! Our suitcases are heavy,\u201d I said, remembering all the books I had packed to read during the ocean crossing<\/p>\n
Entering the port, our driver asked for directions to the yacht and
\ndrove us a few hundred feet to a concrete quay. The Zozo was docked
\nalongside a Greek oil tanker. There were dozens of big tankers in the bay. The yacht looked small by comparison.<\/p>\n
We unloaded suitcases, paid our driver, and thanked him for his
\nexcellent service.<\/p>\n
\u201cI hope you enjoy your stay in Sri Lanka,\u201d he said, nodding goodbye.<\/p>\n
Charles called to Dylan and we climbed the gangplank to the boat.<\/p>\n
Dylan answered, \u201cCome on up!\u201d He squatted on deck neatly arranging
\nropes. \u201cYou made it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cA few days later than planned. We couldn\u2019t get out of India.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause of \u2018The Emergency\u2019?\u201d Dylan asked.<\/p>\n
\u201cYes. Every flight was full or delayed,\u201d Charles answered.<\/p>\n
Dylan showed us to our stateroom below and said Mia and Alon had
\ngone into the village for supplies and should return soon.<\/p>\n
\u201cAlon?\u201d I asked. \u201cMia\u2019s brother sailed with you?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes, he\u2019s a great help.\u201d Dylan answered.<\/p>\n
He showed us the bathroom and sauna, and explained the sauna and
\nother luxuries all stop working once under sail and on the open sea.<\/p>\n
We unpacked our suitcases. Charles went above to help Dylan sort
\nthe ropes. I stayed in our room and put things away in drawers. I was impressed with the abundance of drawers and the nice size closet. I hung our windbreakers and clothes, put swim suits and underwear in a drawer, and placed my new, non-slip deck shoes on the closet floor. Not one for wearing hats, I put those in a top drawer along with sun protection lotion, a deck of cards, and high powered binoculars. I jotted thoughts in my journal.<\/p>\n
Zozo? Where do I know this name from?<\/p>\n
When I heard Mia and Alon return, I joined them on deck. I was surprised to see Mia dressed in hot pants and a scanty top. Why does she dress like this when visiting foreign countries with conservative dress codes? I wondered, remembering her almost nude attire when I first met her in Cyprus. Her risqu\u00e9 manner of dress; more undressed than dressed, reminded me of the voluptuous L\u2019il Abner female comic strip characters who ran around half-naked. Men didn\u2019t seem to mind. And, it didn\u2019t seem to bother Dylan either.<\/p>\n
\u201cHi Mia,\u201d I greeted her.<\/p>\n
She smiled and said, \u201cWelcome aboard!\u201d<\/p>\n
Alon greeted me with a bright smile. A young, handsome man, he
\nlooked like a suntan lotion advertisement. Tan and fit, with perfect
\nwhite teeth.<\/p>\n
\u201cAlon, nice to see you again,\u201d I said.<\/p>\n
Mia made fresh coffee. We joined her in the galley below.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Trincomalee, Sri Lanka July 1, 1975 Nearing the port city of Trincomalee, our driver pointed out shops and restaurants which might be of interest. \u201cOnly a short distance to the port,\u201d he said. \u201cWhat is the name of the yacht you will sail on?\u201d \u201cZozo,\u201d Charles told him. \u201cI\u2019m sure if you drop us at … <\/p>\n