From The Land Of Fire To The Waters Of Hell
Our last post left us at the point of boarding the ferry from Sao Felipe on Fogo for a 4-hour crossing back to Praia, our enthusiasm a little dampened by the sight of a moody Atlantic threatening a less than joyful journey. The ferry has no outside deck, we have no choice but to take our seats indoors.
“I don’t like that boat”, our host had said as we were checking out of our room, “on days like today it’s a horrible journey and people can get sick”.
If that isn’t enough, the girl at one of the ticket checks at the port gives a disturbing little chuckle as she says “bon voyage”. This is already lacking in the feelgood factor department.
But nothing, absolutely nothing, prepares us for the hell that the next four hours becomes. By the time we’re thirty minutes into the journey, the island ferry has turned into the Vomit Comet, with multiple passengers falling ill with only an eighth of the crossing complete. The next few hours are terrible; the boat is filled with the sound of people vomiting into bags and the sight of staff running with mops and paper towels to clean up where someone missed the bag altogether.
Several passengers are so ill that they retch and retch until they weep in distress, unable to cope any longer. But there is nothing anyone can do, it’s not like they can stop the boat and let the most distressed ones off. The torture goes on. And on. I can see into the staff area from my seat: in the last hour of the nightmare, one staff member slumps on to a table and falls fast asleep, so exhausted is he by all he has had to deal with. The horrible scenes fill the whole journey and even as we dock at Praia there is barely a let up in the dreadful sounds of seasickness all around us. Remarkably, and with a large piece of good fortune, I don’t once feel ill, even with all that is going on around me, and I am one of very few passengers who make it through to Praia unscathed. Michaela, sadly, is not so lucky.
Mercifully, the wind which has caused the damage must be blowing in the right direction; we dock at Praia almost thirty minutes early. Small mercy maybe, but mercy nonetheless, and we’ll take it.
It’s by a considerable margin the worst boat journey we’ve ever endured. I think it’ll be a while before we take on four hours of Atlantic voyage again.
38 Comments
Suzanne@PictureRetirement
On the bright side, you arrived. Poor Michaela. I feel your pain. A few years ago, we boarded the Yankee Freedom (about the same size as your ferry) at Key West and took it to the Dry Tortugas National Park. Thankfully, I had read the warnings of previous passengers and came prepared with Dramamine, which worked for both of us. Lots of passengers were not so lucky and the scene was as chaotic as you described. Fortunately, the rough part only lasted 20 minutes of the two hour ride. I cannot imagine enduring hours of this kind of torture. I hope your destination is worth it. Ours was, and I would happily do it again.
Phil & Michaela
We did indeed arrive, never been so pleased to end a journey. 4 horrible hours that we don’t ever want to repeat!
normareadtalktalknet
Well I ticked the like button but not much to like, what a horrendous 4hours, thank goodness you recovered quickly and put it behind you as you always do .. all part of the travel ‘bug’ I suppose, if you’ll pardon the pun .. happier times to come I’m sure
Phil & Michaela
The only thing which would have made it even worse would have been if both of us has suffered. Apart from that one small ray of light it was most likely our worst travel experience so far.
Lynette d'Arty-Cross
My stomach is very stable and motion sickness is not something that will hit me. Like you, I’ve been in the situation where most people around me became sick. One time I was a passenger on a two masted schooner sailing from San Juan to BVI; it was extremely rough and even the crew was sick. Pretty nasty.
Phil & Michaela
Ugh, it’s not an experience that any of us want to repeat, is it!
Terrie
Geesh. Im so sorry and identify. I am assuming yiu don’t have to go back that way? How awful. I wonder how the crew does it. Xxoo
Phil & Michaela
Hi Terrie, no, thankfully this was the return journey so there won’t be a repeat. It was horrific – but then you always said you wanted to read the “dark side” of our travels, didn’t you! 😂
Heyjude
Best not ride on the Scillonian then (better known as the Sick Bucket or Sickallonian)
“But the king of all Kernow badges is making it to St Mary’s in a storm as hundreds of people vomit around you, wishing you’d never been born, cursing there was ever a place called Tresco and who actually really cares about going to see its flipping Abbey Gardens.”
And yes I have. And no I wasn’t ill, but I was able to go up on deck where my children later found me (I abandoned them down below). I am a notoriously bad sailor – my sympathies are with Michaela.
Phil & Michaela
Oh if only we’d had an open deck to go on, that would have been a bit better. Oh Jude it was awful, really. I’m still slightly amazed that I was one of the “survivors”!
Heyjude
I can imagine. It was the other people being ill that sent me up on deck otherwise I wouldn’t have managed. Sitting there in the rain desperately trying to keep focused on the horizon.
Phil & Michaela
I’m still not quite sure how I managed to “survive”.
restlessjo
Poor Michaela. It sounds gross!
Phil & Michaela
It was bloody horrible!!
Monkey's Tale
Glad I’d already eaten when I read this 😊
Helen Devries
It sounds absolutely dreadful…and the worst is not being able to get away from all those stricken around you.
Phil & Michaela
Torture….. but it’s over…
grandmisadventures
If nothing else, that title deserves a book deal attached to it. What a terrible boat ride and being stuck there for hours!
Phil & Michaela
So, so horrible….
Toonsarah
Oh this sounds truly awful! Even if the sea hadn’t made me sick (and I’m usually OK though perhaps have never experienced waves quite this bad) I feel sure the sight and sound of everyone else being so would have finished me off. I’m amazed you came through unscathed Phil, and feel terrible for Michaela who didn’t! You must have been so thankful to finally dock. I’m not sure quite why I ticked the ‘like’ button, except that I always enjoy your posts so much (if enjoy is the right word on this occasion) that I couldn’t really leave one UNliked!
Phil & Michaela
😄 ha ha…..but ugh yeah, Michaela is now describing it as her worst ever travel experience. I have no idea how I got through it, I know that I don’t get motion sickness but yep the “other things” surely tested it!
Travels Through My Lens
OMG; how incredibly horrible. You’re fortunate you didn’t get sick; however, poor Michaela.
Phil & Michaela
It was just awful but I suppose in the end it gave us another story to tell. Then again, I think we’d be happy to have missed out on that particular tale!
Lookoom
I suppose it must be quite frequent between the islands, by sea or by air, it must be difficult to escape the bad weather from time to time. It would be great to have a reliable source of weather forecasts and to be able to make short-term travel decisions.
leightontravels
Sweet lord what an unadulterated nightmare. Glad you arrived safe and sound and hope that you won’t have to experience an ordeal like this ever again.
Phil & Michaela
Comments echoed! It was just beyond awful….Michaela now calling it her worst travel experience ever.
Latitudeadjustmentblog@gmail.com
What a miserable experience. We are former sailers so we can imagine that site!
Phil & Michaela
Just…plain….awful…..
wetanddustyroads
That crossing sounds like my worst nightmare! I would definitely have been the one crying (while asking for a ton of bags)!
Phil & Michaela
It was indeed a nightmare, that’s the right word. As I’ve said to others, Michaela is calling it her worst ever travel experience!
Alison
As you describe the voyage from hell, made worse by the smell also. Hope Michaela recovers quickly. Lucky you have a cast iron stomach
Phil & Michaela
It was beyond awful. Shan’t be doing that again!
Alison
We’ve had similar experiences in Thailand and even Anthony thought we would drown with the waves going right over the top of the open deck ..he only told me when we got off though 😭
Phil & Michaela
Horrible, especially with having to stay inside
Jenny
If it was hell and you weren’t seasick, then I’m very sorry for Michaela. I would have been trying to swim back to shore after about a minute, seasickness plagues me.
Phil & Michaela
It was, to say the least, a very unpleasant few hours. Thank you for commenting Jenny
WanderingCanadians
Sounds like a rough ferry crossing. I’m typically fine with choppy waters, but the sight or smell of other people vomiting would push me over the edge.
Phil & Michaela
It…..was……awful…..!