ENTRIES FULL LOG Safaga,  Egypt 5/22/00 Israel 4/12/00 Red Sea Rising 4/12/00 A Trip to Cairo 3/28/00 Safaga to Port Suez 3/26-28/00 Safaga, Egypt 3/22/00 Red Sea Rising 3/14/00 To Safaga 3/13/00 Ethiopia 3/6-10/00 Djibouti 3/3-13/00 Arrival in Djibouti 3/4/00  Birthday 2/25/00 Boat Cooking 2/23/00  Bear off!, bear off! 2/29/00 "No speak English" 2/27/00 Arabian Sea 2/23/00 Bananas! 4/17-18/00 Valentine's 2/16/00 Leg to Djibouti 2/15/00 Laguna Beach 2/8/00 Maldives 2/5/00 Island of Male 1/28/00 More Sri Lanka 1/26/00 Impressions 1/21/00 Sandra Dale Cook 1/15/00 ©SEAGEM.COM

SEA GEM LOG February 15, 2000 LEG TO DJIBOUTI This will be our last opportunity to send material to the web site before we head off to Djibouti.  The leg to Djibouti is 2,000 miles and the one with many warnings about pirates.  That is the reason we are going in convoy.  The boats will group according to speed and have agreed to stay close enough to remain in VHF range. We received an e-mail yesterday from John Ellis, Millennium Odyssey coordinator, that we would have French Navy support during this passage. Since yesterday was Valentine's Day many of the fleet members decided to get together for dinner and a celebration.  Club Med was contacted and they rejected our request for reservations.  They are a strange resort, rejecting customers when there is really no reason.  Their rejection was the best thing that could have happened for we ended up going across the bay by launch to the KURUMBA VILLAGE RESORT for the most beautiful Valentine's festivity you can imagine.  There was course after course of  delicious food presented on elaborately decorated buffet tables.  The whole beach dining area was decorated with lights and flowers, candles and sculptures.  The staff was large and friendly and we were treated royally.  The decorations made with palm fronds were works of art as were the flower arrangements.  Our group had a table on the beach where the crystal clear water lapped gently on the shore as we ate our dinner looking out through especially created Valentine decorations toward where our boats were anchored several miles away. After dinner we danced  barefooted on the terrace to the live music of an excellent island band. All in all it was an excellent Valentine's celebration.  When you are traveling like we are there are always surprises awaiting.  From the Sea Gem . . . with two red roses on the salon table.  Until later . . .