CopperDAM Blog:An Uncommon Journey's TrainThrough The Copper CanyonWith Return Via Holland America's MV OOSTERDAMBy Peter Knego

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CopperDAM Blog, Part One: El Paso to Mazatlan


Cabin 24, Hotel Villa Mexicana, Creel, Mexico. Photo and copyright Peter Knego 2007.

October 31, 2007: I begin this blog from the village of Creel, nestled in the rocky alpine terrain of Mexico’s Sierra Madre, approximately one mile above sea level. I am very comfortably reposed in a spacious and quaint log cabin-style bungalow at the Villa Mexicana Hotel, having just finished lunch with the Uncommon Journeys tour group. Shortly, we will board a remodeled school bus to visit a Tarahumara Indian settlement. This is day three of a twelve night package tour that began in El Paso, Texas, meandering south via coach and train through the Copper Canyon to Mazatlan, capped off with a leisurely Pacific coastal passage to San Diego, California on board Holland America Line's MV OOSTERDAM.

Day ONE




Hotel Camino Real, El Paso, TX. Photo and copyright Peter Knego 2007.

I arrived in El Paso two nights ago, on October 29, 2007. It was clear from the vast sprawl of lights that this Tex/Mex border town was no sleepy hollow. A large Lone Star was emblazoned on the face of a nearby mountainside, looming above clusters of industrial chimneys and their respective plumes of eerily lit smoke. An ironic pairing of Queen’s “Fat Bottomed Girls” and the Kinks’ “Lola” was my random introductory soundtrack as the shuttle sped along the highway to the Camino Real Hotel.

Too late for the Uncommon Journey’s buffet dinner, I did manage to say a quick hello to Barbara Abegglen and Jean Dunphy, the two seasoned and savvy tour guides who would be escorting a combined group of eighty plus on this coach-train-ship adventure.

It is always nice when your historic 1912-built hotel has a towering Tiffany glass skylight and even better when there is a choice between coconut lime or warm vanilla sugar soap in the rooms. After an authentic Mexican dinner in a local restaurant and a quick workout in the hotel’s gym, the warm vanilla sugar won me over. “Lala-lalala-LO-la!” and soon, I was off to sleep, pampered in plush percale and a mini mountain of pillows.

Day TWO



Tiffany skylight over the Dome Bar, Camino Real Hotel, El Paso, TX. Photo and copyright Peter Knego 2007.

October 30, 2007: I was up at 7:00 for the buffet breakfast (included in the Uncommon Journeys package), a quick photo study of the hotel’s stunning Dome Bar and a short, brisk walk down one of the adjacent streets. At 9:00, it was time to join the cue at the coach, which would take us on the first leg of our trip. Our guide, Jean Dunphy, was joined by local guide, Rodrigo Santa Maria, who would enlighten us with a great deal of information about the Chihuahua and Copper Canyon regions.



And the journey begins. Jean Dunphy (far left) guides us onto our coach. Photo and copyright Peter Knego 2007.



Northbound train in Chihuahua Desert. Photo and copyright Peter Knego 2007.

Soon, we were crossing the Rio Grande (which, despite its name, is a concrete-encased creek) and into Mexico. At the border station, we had to disembark and press a button on a gadget that resembles a pedestrian crossing sign (a rare, random red signal entails a bag search in the name of Mexican homeland security). After an hour or so, we were all back on the bus, heading south on a brilliantly sunny morning through Ciudad Juarez and into the vast Chihuahua Desert, the largest in North America.

There was a lunch stop (included) about a third of the way to the city of Chihuahua and a short rest stop some two thirds of the way. After about four and a half hours, we arrived in Chihuahua, which is known best, perhaps for three things: Pancho Villa (the legendary resident who died there), Anthony Quinn (the “Zorba The Greek” star who was born there), and its eponymous, bony little dogs.

I was particularly impressed with just how seemingly prosperous and well laid out the city is. In certain respects, it reminded me of an arid San Jose, Costa Rica.



A mural depicting Pancho Villa at the Pancho Villa House. Photo and copyright Peter Knego 2007.



The bullet-riddled car in which Pancho Villa was assassinated. Photo and copyright Peter Knego 2007.



Gobierno's Eagle, Chihuahua State Capitol. Photo and copyright Peter Knego 2007.



Aye, Chihuahua (!) With Metropolitan Cathedral. Photo and copyright Peter Knego 2007.

We enjoyed a tour of the Pancho Villa House (really home to one of his wives, and now a museum dedicated to his exploits) and the State Capitol building (Palacio de Gobierno) with its impressive three stories of courtyard murals depicting the history of Mexico. From the Capitol, many of us walked along a promenade to the Metropolitan Cathedral, passing a number of high-end stores and some very camera shy Tarahumaras in their folkloric garb. We arrived at the comfortable Sicomoro Hotel (where I was pleasantly shocked to find WiFi access in my room) in time for some rest before happy hour and dinner (included).

Day THREE


El Chepe Embarkation. Photo and copyright Peter Knego 2007.

October 31, 2007: The 4:00 AM wake up call was painful but necessary. This would be a very rich but tightly scheduled day. I joined the group in the lobby shortly before our 5:00 AM departure for the train station, where we boarded the 6:00 “dawn” train to Creel. At first, it seemed to poke along, rumbling past the station and around the perimeter of Chihuahua.



Trainshadow, Trainshadow... Photo and copyright Peter Knego 2007.



Vestibule view enroute to Creel. Photo and copyright Peter Knego 2007.

The train headed in a southerly direction and up a long, gentle grade through pastures, Mennonite farmland, and quaint villages. As it’s long shadow gradually shrank away, soaring hawks, grazing cattle and fields of maize went by. When we went to the dining car for breakfast (included) at 8:40, the train had picked up speed and was now hurtling over trestles and around bends, diesel smoke and whistle bellowing like a calamitous Cruella DeVille. Not yet seasoned in this mode of travel, I earned my “train legs” by standing in the ‘tween car platform, getting wind whipped, tossed and rattled.

Around 11:00 AM (it was another remarkably moderate but bright, sunny day), the grasslands gave way to chaparral, apple orchards and, eventually, pine forests.



Train of Light. Photo and copyright Peter Knego 2007.

At one point, the railway reached its peak point of 8,071 feet, passing the little town of San Juanito, the highest village in Mexico. We were nearing the former logging town of Creel, named after the Philadelphia-born governor of Chihuahua who enabled construction of the railway, the shortest trade route from Kansas City to the Pacific (and ultimately the Orient). The railway, itself, took 89 years to build and was not completed until 1961. The 415 mile route from Chihuahua to Topolobampo includes 36 major bridges and 87 tunnels.



Downtown Creel. Photo and copyright Peter Knego 2007.

Upon arrival at rustic Creel, our coach and its driver, Juan, were waiting at the station to whisk us off to the Hotel Villa Mexicana.



Lake Arareco. Photo and copyright Peter Knego 2007.



Reservation clothesline. Photo and copyright Peter Knego 2007.



Tarahumara woman and cross. Photo and copyright Peter Knego 2007.



Creel cattle. Photo and copyright Peter Knego 2007.

I was a bit lagged and considered not going on the afternoon tour of Creel (pondering a nap or an aimless swing on a neighboring porch). Our mode of transport was a converted school bus, the largest vehicle capable of traversing the mountainous, dirt roads. We drove past magnificent rock formations (an elephant, frogs, Easter Island type faces, etc.) to the mirror-like Lake Arareco, and into a Tarahumara reservation.



Tara-cotta. Photo and copyright Peter Knego 2007.

These gentle people have remained basically unchanged for nearly ten thousand years, maintaining a population of 40,000 that is scattered about the Chihuahua Sierra. Most live in caves or huts made of rocks and mud and the women wear colorful, folkloric garb that includes billowing, pleated skirts and scarves. They have maintained their traditional pottery and weaving skills, creating objects of art that are highly sought after by tourists, providing the Tarahumara with a source of much-needed income.



San Ignacio Cathedral. Photo and copyright Peter Knego 2007.

Our Creel tour included a stop at a local reservation where we were able to see the 1745 built San Ignacio Cathedral. We were welcomed at the adjacent school yard where the gentle, shy Tarahumara children must have found us a curious lot. While there, a volunteer worker, Leopoldine Ganser, explained to us the difficulties the children face with poor sanitation, disease, and poverty. Leopoldine and her organization, Inciativa Oesterreich-Mexico, are seeking ways to raise money, ideas, and resources to help support the children and are not affiliated with any type of church or sect. For more information, go to: www.talentoycorazon.org.



Cabin 24, Hotel Villa Mexicana. Photo and copyright Peter Knego 2007.

Upon our return to the hotel, many of us watched a video on the Tarahumara before spending some social time at happy hour and dinner (included). As much as I would have loved to linger over a margarita with newfound friends under the orange and black Halloween banners, I was spent, so ambled off to my spacious cabin for a dream-filled sleep.

Day FOUR

November 1, 2007: I awoke just in time to shower and stumble out to the lodge to get coffee and buffet breakfast (included) before it was cleared away at 9:00 AM.

Our groups converged at the train station at 11:00 for the two hour ride to Copper Canyon. Although due at 11:15, the train arrived at 11:45, rewarding our patience with a dramatic whistle salute.

The weather conditions were simply perfect, once more, with the temperature hovering around 75 degrees with a slight breeze, no humidity, and ever-fresh air.



Exiting El Chepe at Divisadero. Photo and copyright Peter Knego 2007.



Divisadero view. Photo and copyright Peter Knego 2007.

The train journey was as bumpy as it was thrilling. Once again, I staked out the “‘tween car” vestibule area, flinging myself from left to right as the engine towed its line of passenger cars around the edge of the mountains overlooking Creel, in a complete loop over itself and through the thick pine and manzanita forests, into tunnels and through channels of rock. Fleeting glances of the distant canyon prompted some “oohs” and “aahs” but the first real chance to soak it all in came at Divisadero, where we had a fifteen minute stop (and the other part of our group disembarked). Here, Tarahumara vendors lined the stepped path down to the observation point and the cantilevered, 1934-built Hotel Cabañas Divisadero Barrancas.

I had just enough time to test my vertiginal limits and take some photos from the rim of Urique Canyon, one of five majestic gorges that form Copper Canyon. I cannot emphasize enough how photos just do not do the vastness and majesty of this canyon justice. The shadows, jagged rocks, and multi-hued igneous strata form a super-canvas of nature’s work that is humbling and, for me (especially when looking over the ledge), a mixture of thrilling and terrifying.

We continued our short train ride to the Posada Barrancas Mirador stop where another school bus awaited to transport us up a rugged road to the Posada Mirador Hotel, a terra cotta structure built into an east-facing slope of the Urique. Rows of balconied rooms with spectacular views (including a dramatic sunrise for early-starters) give this and the rival Divisadero claim to two of the most spectacular hotel settings in the world.



Dining room view at the Mirador. Photo and copyright Peter Knego 2007.



Hotel Posada Barrancas Mirador. Photo and copyright Peter Knego 2007.

Following lunch, I wandered off along the rocky trails near the rim of the canyon, keeping away from the ledge to avoid wobbly legs.



Manzanita sunset. Photo and copyright Peter Knego 2007.

I meandered long enough to catch the sun setting over a grove of manzanitas. Aside from the occasional vulture, a painted lady butterfly and a few gnats, there was very little wild life to be seen.

Back at the Posada Barrancas Mirador, I indulged in some delicious popcorn and a Modelo beer or two with friends during Hora Feliz. From there, it was off to dinner, where I consumed a mound of delicious guacamole and some chili and cheese covered corn tortillas, all served family style.

Day FIVE



Tarahumara dancing demo. Photo and copyright Peter Knego 2007.



Tarahumara "Game Boys". Photo and copyright Peter Knego 2007.



Tarahumara "Game Girls". Photo and copyright Peter Knego 2007.

November 2, 2007: After a good night’s sleep at the nearby Ranchero Hotel (by the train station), I grabbed my luggage and gear and hiked up to the "PBM" for breakfast. Outside, on yet another perfectly balmy morning, the local Tarahumaras gave a demonstration of their tribal dances and showed us how they play their unique ball game, involving a stick and a wooden ball that can only be thrown with the feet.



Endless chasm through wobbly ankles and grate. Photo and copyright Peter Knego 2007.



A vision in vertigo: your correspondent. Photo by Jean Dunphy, copyright Peter Knego 2007.

The group gathered outside the hotel at 11:00 for a school bus ride through the canyon back country. We first visited a lookout station with a grated steel and glass platform. Frustrated, I finally wobbled out to the edge draped around fearless Jean, a bit embarrassed but positively thrilled to peer down a couple hundred feet to the tree tops between my tennis shoes.



Barbara Drottow. Photo and copyright Peter Knego 2007.

There are some wonderful people on this journey and here is one that has won my heart: Barbara Drottow, a spry lady of 72, who came to Los Angeles the year I was born. We bonded on that and our common affliction with vertigo right away. She has shared some amazing things with us, including her history as a Holocaust survivor. She never misses a beat, has a delightful sense of humor and enough energy to light a kibbutz.



Rodri-"goat"! Photo and copyright Peter Knego 2007.

Rodrigo led some of us down a trail to a place called Balancing Rock. As we stood at the edge of the canyon, he walked over to a promontory and hopped up the pinkish rocks, not minding the 800 foot chasm inches away on either side. My gut turned and my hands shook as I tried to photograph the feat.



Life on the edge. Photo and copyright Peter Knego 2007.

We hiked a bit further to another promontory where a Tarahumara lady sat with her little baby, weaving baskets. Apparently she scales the cliff face via a stepped trail and a long wooden ladder and sits in the same spot every day, offering her handiwork for sale.


The Uncommon "Reds" at the rim, much to the disinterest of a Tarahumara woman. Photo and copyright Peter Knego 2007.

Our next stop was the Divisadero Hotel where we enjoyed lunch and time to shop at the vendors. I stood at the rim, watching as an occasional vulture or cardinal glided by. At times it was dead quiet, aside from a slight rumble of wind in the ear.



Cemetery colors. Photo and copyright Peter Knego 2007.



Unadorned but not forgotten. Photo and copyright Peter Knego 2007.

On our return to the Posada hotel, Rodri-"goat” arranged with our school bus driver, Pancho, for a quick visit to a local cemetery where the graves were decorated with bright flowers and mementoes. Today was Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) and it was time to celebrate the deceased. It was not your average tourist experience, being welcomed on hallowed ground during such a spiritual occasion. I noticed the revelers around one grave were not mourning so much as remembering and praying for their late loved one.



View from Posada Barrancas Mirador. Photo and copyright Peter Knego 2007.

Tonight, I would be staying in room 81 at the Posadas. Once I settled in, I decided to just stay put and watch the shadows spread across the canyon as I worked on this blog. Eventually, the entire canyon was in darkness, blending into a purplish black with the sky. The stars flickered on, revealing the great constellations and the brightest Mars I have ever seen. Off in the canyon, a single Tarahumara fire burned. Moths and a large owl flashed by the balcony, caught in the glow of the porch lights.

I lingered so long in solitary serenity that I missed most of Hora Feliz with my “Uncommon” compadres. After dinner, there was more time to stare into the abyss. Did I hear drums and tribal chanting mixed in with the echoing of crickets in the canyon? At 1:00 AM, many of the Tarahumara would ascend from the canyon crevices and head to the cemeteries to celebrate.

Day SIX



Dawn with Venus. Photo and copyright Peter Knego 2007.



Sunrise. Photo and copyright Peter Knego 2007.

November 3, 2007: Insomnia worked in my favor as I was up at 5:30 to document sunrise over the canyon. First, a violet band appeared in the darkness, then as the stars faded, the violet imploded into cadmium and ochre until finally, a tiara of brilliant gold announced the arrival of the sun behind the most distant ridge. As the roosters crowed back and forth, I thought I might lay back down and catch an hour or two of sleep, but being situated directly under the dining room pretty much put an end to that.



Yellow Tarahumara dress. Photo and copyright Peter Knego 2007.



Tarahumara children. Photo and copyright Peter Knego 2007.



Social strata. Photo and copyright Peter Knego 2007.



Lichen butterfly. Photo and copyright Peter Knego 2007.

Following breakfast, I walked down the path adjacent to the hotel and into the canyon to visit a small Tarahumara settlement. I felt a bit intrusive with the cameras but have been assured that these people are used to being photographed in exchange for all the benefits the local tourism brings them. Nonetheless, my cameras felt awkward as I clicked at the gentle, shy children, a colorful clothesline, a curious cow, and the stone dwellings in the recess of the rock cliff.



Photo and copyright Peter Knego 2007.

After lunch, we boarded the Copper Canyon train for the most spectacular part of our journey. Our train had two engines and extra cars, leading us over the serpentine railway around precipices, into tunnels, over trestles past small settlements, abandoned adobes and rocky alcoves. Bouncing back and forth in the vestibules trying to capture an elusive photo or two confirmed that the railway needs to be experienced for all its beauty. The contrast of brilliant sunlight and shadows in the crevices, the jarring movement of the train and the sudden appearance of trees and chaparral provide challenges for the serious shutterbug.



Lower Copper Canyon scenery. Photo and copyright Peter Knego 2007.



Exiting tunnel from rear of train, southbound. Photo and copyright Peter Knego 2007.



Below the buttes. Photo and copyright Peter Knego 2007.

En route, the ecosystem evolved from the craggy dryness of the upper canyon to the more tropical lushness of the lower southern canyon. Rodrigo arranged with the authorities for me to stand on the rear platform for a short portion of the trip, giving me yet another perspective from which to document the journey.



Northbound from Southbound in the Copper Canyon. Photo and copyright Peter Knego 2007.



Coffee with Barbara Abegglen in the bar car, southbound. Photo and copyright Peter Knego 2007.

We pulled aside three times to allow oncoming trains to rocket by as the locomotives exchanged whistle salutes.
Juan and our motor coach were at the El Fuerte station waiting for us when our train pulled in a little late at 7:15. The town was in a “fiest-ive” mood on this post Halloween Saturday night making access to the historic Hotel Posada del Hidalgo a logistical challenge that Juan was able to conquer.



Hotel Posada Dining Area. Photo and copyright Peter Knego 2007.

El Fuerte, located in the state of Sinaloa, was founded in 1564 as San Juan de Carpoa by Captain Don Francisco de Ibarra. It was abandoned and repopulated three times and ultimately renamed El Fuerte (The Fort). The Hotel Posada was built between 1903 and 1908 as a private residence for a man named Don Rafael Almada, who died in 1909, leaving it to wife and ultimately his heirs, who kept it a private residence until 1967. In a state of disrepair, the house was purchased by hotelier Roberto Balderrama Gomez, who restored and converted it into an hotel, preserving as much of the original Sinaloan colonial architecture as possible. The property has since expanded from 18 to 56 rooms, with the addition of neighboring properties, a swimming pool, bar, air conditioning and expanded gardens.

Our welcome dinner (incuded) featured a wonderful tortilla soup and a very fresh fish with vegetables and rice. The dessert was caramel flan-tastic!

Day SEVEN



Bald eagle at Rio Fuerte. Photo and copyright Peter Knego 2007.



Black swallowtail of El Fuerte. Photo and copyright Peter Knego 2007.

November 4, 2007: Following buffet breakfast, the majority of our group joined Rodrigo on a walking tour of town that included a stop at the El Fuerte River where swallowtail and sulphur butterflies drank bougainvillea nectar while a bald eagle watched from a barren tree on the opposite bank. {Bring DEET spray for the nasty "noseeums" and voracious mosquitos in El Fuerte -- especially when in the plaza and near the river bank.}



Snake "bites" in El Fuerte. Photo and copyright Peter Knego 2007.



Principal Church through Palacio Municipal arch. Photo and copyright Peter Knego 2007.

We continued onward to the local marketplace (where everything from sunflower seeds and rattlesnake meat were on sale) through the city square to the Palacio Municipal (built by Don Rafael Almeda between 1903 and 1907) and the Principal Church (built in the late 18th Century) before returning to the hotel to file onto the coach for the six hour drive south to Mazatlan.

I hitched up with WiFi access in the lobby of the beachfront Costa de Oro hotel in Mazatlan, following the Uncommon Journeys cocktail party. I got the majority of this blog posted and added some photos before it was time for bed.

Day EIGHT



A beach to run and swim on as seen from Mazatlan's Costa de Oro Hotel. Photo and copyright Peter Knego 2007.



When the waves get too big, there's always the pool at the Costa de Oro. Photo and copyright Peter Knego 2007.

Aah, leisure! No early morning wake-up call and no schedule to follow, other than visiting with friends and managing to eat something. A late afternoon run in the crashing waves, an attempt at bodysurfing and floating around in the pool were my physical exertions.

Surely there will be mounds of authentic guacamole and pico de gallo to consume on this last night on land in Mexico.

To be continued aboard Holland America Line's MV OOSTERDAM...

Also From Peter Knego/P.K. Productions:
On The Road To Alang DVD
The World's Passenger Fleet, VOLUME NINE DVD

Broken Blog: ANASTASIS At Alang, PART TWOby Peter Knego

Ocean Liner Fittings, Furniture and Art For Sale at MidShipCentury.com
Also From Peter Knego/P.K. Productions:
On The Road To Alang DVD
The World's Passenger Fleet, VOLUME NINE DVD



These lovely artifacts will return to Trieste to carry on the memory of one of its longest lived ships. Photo and copyright Peter Knego 2007.

September 8, 2007, ctd.: We moved onward from the tourist class foyer on aft B Deck up a wood paneled vestibule to the aft mooring area on A Deck and finally to the fantail on Upper Deck (added during the ANASTASIS incarnation). This portion of the ship had been given over to a children's deck with a wooden play station overlooking the stern. At the emergecy steering station, an empty binnacle and weathered wooden wheel remained. They have been purchased by a brilliant Trieste-based ship historian who will be bringing them back "home" with most of the remaining bridge equipment for preservation in the very near future.



Wood and glass screen with frosted imprints on aft Upper Deck. Photo and copyright Peter Knego 2007.

The aft deck housing, which originally contained the tourist class playroom, appeared to most recently have been accommodation. The wood and glass screen at its rear featured special glass, imprinted with an abstract pattern that looked like "amoebic" birds or, perhaps, butterflies.

We moved forward past the framework of an awning that once provided shade from the equatorial sun, along Upper Deck to what was originally the tourist class lido. The pool and hold had long ago vanished and the space was now a sports deck with basketball court. The bar area was largely original with its angled shelving resembling some of the fixtures that are still extant on the MS PHILIPPINES (ex AUGUSTUS).



The port promenade, facing forward. Photo and copyright Peter Knego 2007.



First class playroom screen. Photo and copyright Peter Knego 2007.

Continuing upwards, along the sheltered port promenade on Promenade Deck, then up more stairs to the Lido Deck, we visited the officers' accommodation, lounge, and mess. Much of this part of the ship was refurbished over the years with "Ikea-type" fittings. We worked our way up to Sun Deck and aft through the former first class children's playroom where a door and a screen contained the same type of frosted glass we saw in the former tourist class playroom. Apparently, Pulitzer did not discriminate between the first and tourist class bambini!



This used to be my playground? Photo and copyright Peter Knego 2007.



Over the stern from Lido Deck. Photo and copyright Peter Knego 2007.

While on the aft Sun Deck terrace, there was time for me to linger and play with the cameras as the rest of the group took a short break near the former first class pool basin, just below. A brightly colored mural of animals was painted on the bulkheads and the wading pool was filled with discarded toys. Far off to starboard lay the listing, backlit BLUE LADY, mostly exposed by the low tide. Huge dragonflies buzzed around us, which meant my mosquito friends were most probably also hovering in the stifling air. Otherwise, I would have shed a few layers of infernal clothing.



The wheelhouse, facing starboard. Photo and copyright Peter Knego 2007.



The wheelhouse telegraph will be returned to Mercy Ships in Texas. Photo and copyright Peter Knego 2007.



Facing aft from the starboard wing. Photo and copyright Peter Knego 2007.



Dangling davits in despair. Photo and copyright Peter Knego 2007.

Our next stop was the wheelhouse with its mahogany trim, brass instrument panels, and beautiful vintage instruments. The binnacle and single inside telegraph (with fantastically canted faces) were earmarked to go back to Mercy Ships office in Texas. The steering station and two identical telegraphs on the bridge wing will go to Trieste.



More Trieste-bound navigation equipment. Photo and copyright Peter Knego 2007.



Bow to beach. Photo and copyright Peter Knego 2007.

For a ship about to be demolished, the ANASTASIS was in fine cosmetic condition. Ironically, she looked better at Alang than she did at Los Angeles two decades prior. I was so thrilled to be able to wander her decks one final time and take all the views I needed. It is such a shame that she could not be preserved but the cold reality is that ship preservation only happens once in a very, very blue moon. At least she will live on in memories and images.



The ANASTASIS' tripod mast, missing a little bit of its sheltered crow's nest but otherwise unaltered. Note the original Lloyd Triestino bead welding on the funnel. Photo and copyright Peter Knego 2007.


Face to face farewell. Photo and copyright Peter Knego 2007.

As the workers were releasing all the CO2 stored on the ship, we could not venture inside for the next hour. Everyone headed back to the stern while I continued documenting the outer deck areas and architecture. From the top of the house and its wonderful tripod mast (featured on a wide range of ships such as CARONIA, AUREOL, ORCADES and even the AUSONIA -- which is thankfully still in service as AEGEAN TWO) to the long fo'c'sle and its multi-faceted bulwarks, there was so much to capture!



The former first class Verandah Bar with its panels removed. Photo and copyright Peter Knego 2007.

When we were finally allowed to go back inside the ship, we began with the Promenade Deck (former first class) public rooms. Starting aft in the Verandah Bar, it was great to see the original "wave" etchings in the glass facing the former lido. The rest of the furnishings of any import were either long since discarded or are on their way to Texas. As I had expected, the carved paneling behind the bar was removed, leaving just the framework behind.



Burled paneling surrounded the stair recesses in the former first class Smoking Room foyer. Photo and copyright Peter Knego 2007.

Continuing forward in what was the Smoking Room Foyer, there was magnificent paneling on the bulkheads lining the twin stair recesses leading down to Upper Deck. On the port side Verandah, the bowed wooden ceiling overhang was still there, although anonymously painted over. The rest of the room had been neutered completely of its original Italian features. On the starboard side, the Verandah was filled with lifejackets and other gear. It had been given an extensive "Ikea" makeover in recent years.

The forward stairtower vestibule was a study in post-war Deco stylization with its smooth light ash and turquoise melamine surfacing, multifaceted ceiling recesses and the unaltered stairtower railing, with its inset glass panels (framed in anodized aluminum/brass) and moulded mahogany caprailing.



The forward lounge, facing port. Photo and copyright Peter Knego 2007.

The elliptical (forward) Lounge was the most breathtaking of all the ship's spaces with its extra ceiling height, burled wood pillars, and honey-colored maple shutters. Water or excessive sun had warped the burled veneer on the ceiling, the exquisite Murano glass sconces were removed in Monrovia and the room was filled with debris. An abandoned brass plaque given to the ship by the Rotary Club was leaning on one pillar but knowing the price of brass these days, I did not inquire about it.



An iconic stairtower, facing port/aft from Upper Deck level. Photo and copyright Peter Knego 2007.



The former First Class Vestibule, facing starboard. Photo and copyright Peter Knego 2007.

We head down the stairtower, our steps echoing through its chambers of linoleum and melamine, past the Upper Deck landing and down to A Deck. A framework of brass and glass bulkheads and doors at the foot of the stairs appeared to have been retrofitted to meet 1997 SOLAS regulations, as I do not recall this feature from past images and visits. Save for a glimmer of daylight from the shell door port holes, the lobby was now in perpetual darkness. The reception area was disheveled, filled with non-essential paperwork and scattered items left behind. Two huge circular ceiling lamps were the only notable remnants in this once very stylish space, now completely stripped of its art panels, sculpture, and furnishings.



Port A Deck passage, facing aft. Photo and copyright Peter Knego 2007.

Port and starboard passages led past former suites and offices to the forward (ex first class) dining room. Original bowed glass display cabinets, more rich wood veneers and enduring marbelized linoleum decking were savored one last time. None of it will be discarded (except, perhaps, the linoleum) but it will be broken down for its various components and recycled.



The former first class dining room, facing forward from port. Photo and copyright Peter Knego 2007.

Another truly superb Pulitzer space, the forward dining room was stripped of its art. Subtle (for instance, the sculpted table bases and the framework around the portholes) and not so subtle (gold tilework in the alcove behind the captain's table) elements of its original grandeur remained. The angular wooden ceiling formations were uniquely 1950s and reminiscent of much of the "Googie" architecture that flourished after the war. Beautiful "polka dot" mirrors still lined the inboard bulkheads surrounding the funnel casing. The private dining room on the forward starboard side had been ransacked and stripped of its painted panels and gorgeous "sun face" ceiling fixture.



The former tourist class dining room, facing aft from port. Photo and copyright Peter Knego 2007.

As we continued through the galley to the aft (ex tourist class) dining room, we felt the ship shudder. At first, it sounded like breaking had commenced but that was clearly not possible. We later realized it was the tide intermittently lifting the stern.

Mercy Ships removed all the original art panels on this dining room's forward bulkheads but the mahogany paneling and cabinetry remained.



The Library, originally the tourist class Card Room, facing aft. Photo and copyright Peter Knego 2007.

I had forgotten about the exquisite Library on the port side, aft of the second dining room. Its wooden shelves and reading tables (with the same stylized bases seen in the forward dining room) were just marvelous. On the starboard side, the Card Room was less original but did have two beautiful harlequin-patterned wood cabinets. At some point, the card room and library were "switched", if the original Lloyd Triestino deck plans are accurate.

The aftermost space (the former tourist class lounge) was broken up into what appears to have been a hospital waiting room surrounded by medical offices and operating theaters. We stepped back out onto the mooring deck from there and worked our way up to our "station" on the fantail. I gulped down a liter or two of water and requested permission to return to many of the interior spaces to get further images while everyone ate lunch.

But first, Mr. Ullas Pandit, the breaker's foreman, wanted to show Kaushal and me his inventory of the ship's fittings. It was an absolutely astonishing list of everything on board, categorized by deck. On each of some forty pages were hundreds of items with their measurements, material composition, and quantities. Page by page, he read to us what was there. I tried to excuse myself to continue documenting but Kaushal reprimanded me. Although unintended, my actions were disrespectful and rude.

Mr. Pandit left Orissa, one of India's poorest regions, over a decade ago to find work at a time when Alang was on the rise. Prior to joining Mr. Ashit, he was with the Crown Steel yard (breakers of RIPA -- ex OXFORDSHIRE, FAIRSTAR and APOLLO -- ex EMPRESS OF CANADA, MARDI GRAS). He remembered being so impressed with RIPA at a time when few large passenger ships had come to Alang.

It's been an incredible learning experience for me to put names and faces to some of the skilled, tireless, and kind people in this less than kind, overwhelming place.



The engine room, facing forward. Photo and copyright Peter Knego 2007.



Orders from above? Photo and copyright Peter Knego 2007.

I was allowed to retrace many of my steps to get more footage for the next hour or so, returning from my sojourn for more water and to swallow a protein bar before we all headed down to the machinery spaces. Kaushal needed to have a look at some of the condensers and I wanted to check the various panels and gauges. Until we reached the tops of the cylinders underneath the skylight cavern, our only illumination was a dim flashlight and my camcorder's accessory light. I held its infrared screen in front of us (taping, of course!) to help avoid any unexpected obstacles. The platforms and railings were covered in oil and grease, apparently from the final surge as ANASTASIS beached at full speed.



The shoes say it all. Photo and copyright Peter Knego 2007.

When we emerged, the tender boat was alongside but the sea conditions were too rough for a safe return, so we awaited from our station on the fantail. Of course, I fought my demons to sit still, hating to waste any opportunity to further document or explore but Kaushal insisted I had done enough.

At first, the wind and darkening skies were refreshing. The marooned BLUE LADY was now barely visible, having been blurred out by a monsoonal cel that was heading toward us. A year ago I was standing on her afterdecks watching similar weather.

I wondered what the past year had done to the former FRANCE's already mold and mildew-infested innards...

Soon, our shelter was permeated by diagonal pelting.



A former first class cabin on port A Deck, facing forward. Photo and copyright Peter Knego 2007.

As we waited by the shell doors on B Deck for the rain and wind to subside (the weather changes by the minute in Alang), I had a chance to inspect some of the cabins. Many of those on forward A Deck had incredible bed frames and cabinetry that I had missed during my first exploration. How wonderful it would have been to be on the chic little VICTORIA as she head to Asia!



Our floating chariot awaits.... Photo and copyright Peter Knego 2007.

Finally, Mr.Pandit gave us the go-ahead to disembark. With water below, the ladder did not seem so intimidating. I followed Kaushal and Bhagwan, holding tight to the ladder as Mr. Pandit repeated softly, "God bless you. Safe travels! Go slowly, one step at a time." How unlike past experiences, where people were shouting and literally climbing over me during my descent...

Our mini-monsoon returned for an encore as the boat walloped the side of ANASTASIS. Runoff water from the gutters was pouring down on us as I secured my cameras under layers of plastic. Finally, the sea calmed enough for us to pull away and circle the ship. Mr. Pandit waved as we head toward the stern and around the port side.



Our boatman. Photo and copyright Peter Knego 2007.

The sun was starting to emerge as our little tender bounced through the unprotected chop. I manned the cameras and held tight. Behind our assured-looking boatman, ANASTASIS looked as regal as ever, as though she were ready for her next mission.

Disembarking at Alang entails a balancing act and good timing once the craft beaches. You have to position yourself and jump off the bow a second before the waves ebb, and run. A slight delay means getting deluged by an incoming roller, which is exactly what happened to me. At least most of the morning mud was washed off!



Hat of gold at the end of the rainbow. Photo and copyright Peter Knego 2007.

After we clambered up the beach, Kaushal shouted, "Look!" I turned around as the brilliant sun cast a glow over the surf. Although the cameras were safely stowed, I dragged them back out for a final view of the ANASTASIS in a milk chocolate sea, a rainbow off her starboard side. It was a perfect way to remember her, still glorious, intact, and enhanced by the heavens.

In the next couple of days, Mr. Ashwin would bring a revered Hindu priest on board with him to bless the ship before the actual dismantling was to begin.



Photo and copyright Peter Knego 2007.



Blue Jay way. Photo and copyright Peter Knego 2007.


I was surprised when Kaushal pulled to the side of the road during our drive back to Bhavnagar. A lone blue jay sat atop an electrical wire. "Please take a photo of that for me," he asked. {Mr. K, if you ever read this, this shot's for you!}



My Indian family, from left to right: Bhagwan, Mrs. Trivedi, Malvika, and Kaushal. Not shown is Mr. Trivedi. Photo and copyright Peter Knego 2007.

Dinner that night with Kaushal's wonderful family would be even more jubilant than usual. Although exhausted, I was buoyed from a successful day of documenting. I really needed to see the ANASTASIS that final time and all the planning and effort had paid off. Malvika and Mrs. Trivedi's authentic Gujarati cooking is an art and his family is a joy to laugh and be with. I have been very fortunate to have their hospitality, encouragement and support.



Blue tanker to BLUE LADY. Photo and copyright Peter Knego 2007.



Well weathered after a week in Alang. Photo by Kaushal Trivedi, copyright P.K. Productions 2007.

September 9 -- 15, 2007: On Tuesday, September 12, the Indian Supreme Court gave its ruling, allowing for the breaking of BLUE LADY. While it was no surprise, it was deeply sobering. So much history has come to an end in this place and she was the most renowned symbol of it all.

The following day, Kaushal and I revisited Alang to inspect some engine parts from a tanker. The yard was near the BLUE LADY's plot and the foreman was kind enough to allow me a quick photo. As we stood facing her, I was struck by a very vivid memory of standing on top of her forward funnel while she was anchored off St. Thomas. Perhaps it was triggered by my most recent duel with ANASTASIS-induced acrophobia? In any case, the SOVEREIGN OF THE SEAS was not pulling off in the distance and I was not about to climb down to our still very original cabin to clean up for dinner in the then NORWAY's Windward dining room. About the only thing in common with that August 1995 day was the ship, the heat and humidity.



My bovine femme fatale. Photo and copyright Peter Knego 2007.

On our way back to Bhavnagar, we visited a couple of traders skipped the previous week. I encountered a vivacious cow, who actually stopped and posed for me before she and her girlfriend continued their lively stroll down the road.



The Nilambaugh Palace, an oasis of calm in the midst of chaos. Photo and copyright Peter Knego 2007.



A Nilambaugh corner. Photo and copyright Peter Knego 2007.



Green swallotwail spirit in the gardens of Nilambaugh. Photo and copyright Peter Knego 2007.


Worn by a summer of non-stop travel, the unrelenting heat, and weary of that buggery chikungunya-carrying mosquito, I opted to spend my "down time" at the hotel, the Nilambaugh Palace. One particularly fine morning, I wandered around the former raj's home to capture its mystique and beauty. Its grounds are visited by peacocks and exotic butterflies and it is truly a sanctuary from the hustle, bustle, and "dustle" just beyond the gates.



Man with stick on the road to worship. Photo and copyright Peter Knego 2007.



Twilight temple. Photo and copyright Peter Knego 2007.



Prayers for Ganesha. Photo and copyright Peter Knego 2007.



My final Indian en-cow-nter! Photo by Kaushal Trivedi, copyright P.K. Productions 2007.

One evening, Kaushal and Malvika took me with them to a remote temple in the hills half way between Bhavnagar and Alang. It was an honor to share the experience with them. I was made to feel very welcome while visiting a spectacular new temple in Bhavnagar as celebrations were being held for the popular Hindi deity, Ganesha.

After five trips to Alang, it's mysteries are still unfolding. These visits have been the most challenging and provocative experiences of my lifetime.

Dedicated with gratitude and appreciation to Kaushal and his family

NEW From Peter Knego/P.K. Productions:
2008 Faces Of Luzzati Desk Calendar
2008 Passenger Ships Desk Calendar
Also From Peter Knego/P.K. Productions:
On The Road To Alang DVD
The World's Passenger Fleet, VOLUME NINE DVD

Broken Blog: ANASTASIS At Alang,PART ONEby Peter Knego

Ocean Liner Fittings, Furniture and Art For Sale at MidShipCentury.com
Also From Peter Knego/P.K. Productions:
On The Road To Alang DVD
The World's Passenger Fleet, VOLUME NINE DVD


ANASTASIS was built for Lloyd Triestino as the VICTORIA for Italy to Asia liner service in 1953. Peter Knego collection.

September 7, 2007: I awoke at 3:00 AM, uncertain after some three days of traveling, just where I was. My deep, aching sleep had come to a sudden end, as though a neon switch had been turned on in my brain. A week prior, I was ending a ten day circuit of Aegean paradise on two classic ships, the BLUE MONARCH and AEGEAN TWO. Four days prior, I left my home near Los Angeles for this more solemn adventure, enduring two and a half days of cramped flying via the charmless and cynical hubs of Gatwick and Heathrow and the free-for-all chaos of Mumbai.

The whirring of fans above my hard bed, an itchy, hot wool blanket at war with the icy chill of the air conditioning unit and the kink in my neck from the flat, unyielding pillows would be my portals to consciousness for the next nine days. My heart raced and sank when I realized I was back in Bhavnagar, the gateway to Alang. I turned on the lights, took a deep breath, and summoned my wits for the mission that lay ahead.



My gilded confines in Bhavnagar. Photo and copyright Peter Knego 2007.

After stretching out on the polished marble floor and crawling back into bed, I resisted the temptation to turn on the television and its endless loop of CNN, Indian soap operas and Bollywood videos. I dug out a small, glossy pamplet entitled "Powers Of The Mind" by Swami Vivekananda, given to me by my friend and agent, Kaushal Trivedi, hoping to reinvigorate my dormant spirituality while a monsoonal deluge splattered in the darkness outside.




Through the windscreen to the streets of Bhavnagar. Photo and copyright Peter Knego 2007.

Seven to eight hours later, following room service breakfast (a daily ritual featuring a marsala omelet, salt lassi, four bottles of water, and toast with butter) to absorb the anti-malarials and a regimen of vitamins, I was off to bustling Bhavnagar with Kaushal. First, we would stop at his office so he could conduct his regular business and then we would head out to Alang to visit the traders and possibly the beautiful ANASTASIS, whose recent arrival was the reason for my latest trek to India. It was typically hot and humid, made all the more insufferable by my long sleeved shirt (a "must" in post-monsoonal Gujarat where daytime-biting mosquitoes carry the chikungunya virus), layers of sticky sun block and dizzying DEET insect repellent, the clamor and chaos of the street traffic, and my cranky disposition.



A line-issued post card view of VICTORIA. Peter Knego collection

The ANASTASIS, until this past July, was one of the most remarkable and unaltered survivors of a now extinct era in passenger shipping. Not only was she the last Trieste-built liner, she was the last active example of the classic passenger cargo liner.

Measuring 11,696 gt with a length of 522 by 67.9 feet (159.1 by 20.7 meters), she was built as the VICTORIA for Lloyd Triestino's Italy to Hong Kong service. She carried 286 first and 181 tourist class passengers, had five cargo holds, and was driven by CRDA Fiat diesels capable of 16,100 BHP to drive twin screws at a speed of 19.5 knots. The VICTORIA was completed by the San Marco (near Trieste) yard of Cantieri Riuniti dell'Adriatico in March of 1953. She was followed in April by the nearly identical ASIA and the two were very similar to another pair of Lloyd Triestino liners, the AFRICA and EUROPA of 1952, which served on the Trieste to Cape Town run. All four ships had typically modern, sculpted Italian lines, which included sharply raked bows, lusciously curved superstructures, tripod masts, streamlined and low funnels, terraced afterdecks with a pool and lido for both classes and graciously curved cruiser spoon sterns. Their overall profiles and size were similar to the many cargo/passenger ships of the day, which included Messageries Maritimes' TAHITIEN and CALEDONIEN, LA BOURDONNAIS and FERDINAND DE LESSEPS, PIERRE LOTI and JEAN LABORDE, CAMBOGE, VIET-NAM and LAOS, Lloyd Triestino's AUSTRALIA, OCEANIA and NEPTUNIA of 1951, etc. It was the "Golden Age" of the combi-liner, and the VICTORIA and ASIA were among the most beautiful of their type ever built.

The VICTORIA had especially stylish and modern interiors, courtesy of the brilliant architect and designer, Gustavo Pulitzer-Finale. Lustrous veneers, carved panels by Marangoni depicting ancient Venice, sculptures by Mascherini, etched glass panels, midcentury modern light fixtures and furnishings, acres of linoleum and a sweeping three deck high first class stairtower with glass insets were at once Italian and cutting edge features. Both ships also boasted full air conditioning years before it became a standard feature in passenger shipping.

In 1974, with the liner service dwindling considerably, the VICTORIA was transferred to Adriatica Lines for Italy to Beirut and Mediterranean cruise service. The ASIA continued until 1975 when she was withdrawn and rebuilt as the Lebanese livestock carrier PERSIA. In 1984, she was renamed NORLEB, lasting until December of 1985, when sold for scrap at Gadani Beach, Pakistan.



ANASTASIS at Los Angeles on 20 December 1986. Photo and copyright Peter Knego 1986.

The VICTORIA was laid up in late 1977 and offered for sale. It appeared as though she would join the long list of liners going for scrap at La Spezia or Kaohsiung but a remarkable reprieve was in store for her. In 1978 the VICTORIA was purchased for her scrap value [$1 million] by Maritime Mercy Ministries, Ltd [a Maltese Corporation]. MMM Ltd is a wholly owned subsidiary of Mercy Ships, a Christian organization operating hospital ships bringing hope and healing to the worlds poorest. She was renamed ANASTASIS (which is Greek for "Rebirth Of Christ"). In 1979, the ship was moved to Elefsis (near Piraeus) for repairs that took years to complete in order to make her comply with Lloyd's Register. Two of her five holds were converted into hospital space.



The Veranda Bar, facing forward, in December of 1986. Photo and copyright Peter Knego 1986

For two and a half decades, ANASTASIS roamed the world with a volunteer staff and crew of 408, supported by charitable donations, offering medical aid, food and supplies to people in need. I had the pleasure of visiting the ship twice. On the first occasion, the Southern California Chapter of the Steamship Historical Society of America was invited on board in December of 1986 when she was undergoing a refit at Los Angeles. At that time, although she was extraordinarily beautiful, she was in need of much cosmetic repair. Her public rooms were literal time capsules of 1950s Italy and I particularly remember falling in love with the carved wood panels in her former first class Veranda Bar.



ANASTASIS at Bergen in July of 1993. Photo and copyright Peter Knego 1993.



Facing aft from the starboard bridge wing, showing the original Mercy Ship's logo on her funnel. Photo and copyright Peter Knego 1993.

While on a fjords cruise on board Costa's ENRICO COSTA (ex PROVENCE, ENRICO C), I next encountered ANASTASIS at Bergen, Norway in the summer of 1993. My companions and I aborted an afternoon of touring to visit the ship, which was by then in absolutely pristine condition. She was hosting "open houses" to raise money for her next medical mission. While some of her original furniture had been replaced (most notably, her dining room chairs had been "switched" for metallic dining chairs from Carnival's CARNIVALE), her Lloyd Triestino artwork and fittings were, for the most part, unaltered.

ANASTASIS was refitted to meet the SOLAS regulations of 1997 but would have been forced to retire with the forthcoming 2010 SOLAS regulations. When Mercy Ships took delivery of the ferry DRONNING INGRID for conversion to the hospital ship AFRICA MERCY in 1999, the end was in sight for ANASTASIS. She spent her final years in African service and rendezvoused with her replacement, the AFRICA MERCY in July of 2007 at Monrovia, Liberia. For weeks, the two ships shared neighboring berths as equipment and furnishings were transferred to the newest "MERCY" from ANASTASIS. A number of important artworks, furniture, silver, crockery and other artifacts were shipped in a container to Mercy Ships' office in Texas as the ANASTASIS made preparations for her final voyage, a one-way delivery trip to Alang, India, with a 32 member skeleton crew. She took on bunkers at Cape Town in the wee hours of July 14/15, reached Indian waters in early August and was beached on August 13.



Honking on this road is a courtesy and can actually save lives. Photo and copyright Peter Knego 2007.



"...and now go home!" An ironic sign at one of the most unwelcoming places on earth. Photo and copyright Peter Knego 2007.



Thonet? So What? Even though these chairs were made by Thonet, they were uninspired remnants of what was once a vast roadside treasure trove in fittings from broken cruise ships and ferries. Photo and copyright Peter Knego 2007.



Neglected chairs from RITA (ex RMS WINDSOR CASTLE, MARGARITA L) have sat out for so long that they are now deemed scrap and will be broken down for their components. Photo and copyright Peter Knego 2007

We reached the traders at 2:00 PM, the hottest time of day. Each year since my first visit in early 2004, I have noticed a decline in vendors, but this year was the most dramatic. Lots once filled with motley assortments of furniture and ship parts were returning to their natural state, inundated with weeds and overgrowth. It used to take two to three full days to visit all of the roadside stalls but we were able to cover the majority in just a couple hours. I stopped at one place to purchase the last remnants of Sun Line, Epirotiki, New Marathon Cruise Line and Morflot crockery removed from the likes of STELLA SOLARIS, STELLA OCEANIS, ORPHEUS, QUEEN CONSTANTINA and ODESSA. A couple of chairs caught my eye but their condition or inflated prices allowed me to move guiltlessly onwards. I felt bad for a couple of the nicer traders I had dealt with in the past. Their once vast stockpiles of quality material were diminished. Now they were selling scraps or newfangled furniture made from broken down ship fittings or completely new items of dubious quality. So many others had closed shop and moved onward.


A September 2007 view of the SS BLUE LADY (ex FRANCE, NORWAY). Photo and copyright Peter Knego 2007.

My intolerance for the heat and humidity along with some of the less friendly traders made quick work of the afternoon.
A merciful haze had tempered the sun as we stopped in the agricultural land behind Alang for a view of the distant BLUE LADY (ex FRANCE, NORWAY), which arrived in August of 2006. After a year of controversial battles between environmentalists claiming the ship was full of toxic hazards (asbestos, lead, Americum, etc.) and the powerful union of shipbreakers aserting her demoliton would provide jobs and prosperity for the local economy, a decision from the Indian Supreme Court allowing or forbidding the breaking was due any day. Unfortunately, especially at this tense time, being a "westerner" made me highly suspect as locals wondered if I was there to make trouble for them. While various organizations are fighting for the health and safety of the workers as well as the environment, the locals despise outside interference that jeopardizes their perceived source of income. To them, immediate work is a matter of survival and, to a lesser extent, pride. They are from some of the poorest parts of India, where the poverty is among the most devastating in the world. It's a very complex situation where neither side is completely right or wrong, but it does create a high degree of stress, especially if any photography, which is part of my essential historic mission, is involved. So, when we finally did stop for an unobstructed view of BLUE LADY, the photo was taken very, very quickly. It was evident the great ship had, indeed, been moved closer to shore since my visit to her in August of 2006. From the beach, she looked slightly more faded and rusty but still magnificent.




From the winch's perspective. Photo and copyright Peter Knego 2007.

Aside from a cluster of ships at Sosiya that included the beached former Greek ferry, SEA HARMONY II (which has laid untouched for more than a year), several tankers, a LASH ship and others in various states of demo, the majority of plots were unoccupied, leaving wide swaths of open beach and empty yards. In the distant reaches of Alang, there was another group of ships, including a chemical tanker, a couple of "regular" tankers, and the most exquisite of them all, the sculpted, sleek ANASTASIS. When we arrived at the yard of Jai Jagdish Shipbreaking, we were soon welcomed by the owner, Mr. Ashwin, who invited us to a terrace overlooking the beach for some very hot and aromatic chai.

Mr Ashwin is known and liked among the local population. His reputation for treating his workers well and his being more environmentally sensitive than many of his counterparts at Alang are probably the reasons why Mercy Ships delivered the ANASTASIS to him. He was polite and soft spoken and quite open to my requests to document the ship, trusting through his friendship with Kaushal that I was not there for any reason other than to purchase some fittings and artifacts and capture the final days of an important and much loved ship.

By the time the incoming tide would have enabled us to take a boat out to ANA, it would have been dark, so I settled for taking various shots of her from the safety and sanctuary of Mr. Ashwin's yard. Her proud bow stood especially high, revealing the greater portion of her 23 foot draft, which left the ship stranded rather far from the shore. The plan was to open her up to inspection by the local traders within the week and wait for the next full moon and high tide at the end of September to winch her in closer to shore. Removal of fittings would commence in early October, with cutting to begin toward the end of the month.

Seeing such a beautiful creation and knowing that it will soon vanish forever stirs up a strange elixir of emotions. Here was this magnificent and proud ship completely exposed in the most natural of settings. On her port side lay the remains of an oil platform that was slowly being broken down. As the gentle surges lapped at the ship's keel a couple of skeletal dogs were playing in the muddy surf. On either side, tankers were being cut down in huge sections as workers scrambled to get the last productive minutes out of a long day. A month earlier, this object was animated, moving toward her grave with a loyal crew under a plume of black diesel smoke. Months before that, she was a symbol of hope and help for many and decades prior to that, a sea-going Ferrari of comfort and style that was ushering people off to new lives and adventures across the world.

The whole scenario was so very sad and beautiful, it was tempting to just lay the cameras down and weep but unfettered access at Alang cannot be taken for granted. I took photos from every corner of Mr. Ashwin's plots before we bade him good night. He instructed us to return the following morning at 8:00 AM (when the tide would be at its lowest) so that we could walk out to the ship and spend the day on board. I tried not to think about the pilot ladder dangling down from starboard B Deck: 23 feet of draft plus two decks equals how many feet? Once again, thanks to Alang, acrophobia would challenge my determination. The time I spent reading "Powers Of The Mind" on that lonely morning would pay off handsomely in about twelve hours.


Worthy of worship, the ANASTASIS rests like a giant Buddha on the beach. Photo and copyright Peter Knego 2007.

September 8, 2007: It was already around 90 degrees when we arrived at 8:40, well past our appointed time. I raced to get my boots on and hurriedly joined Kaushal and his assistant Bhagwan as they head down the muddy bank. ANASTASIS was an absolute marvel, towering over the beach with her starboard side brightly lit in the morning sunshine. I stopped briefly to lay the camcorder on a rock to get a steady shot and snapped away with the digital camera.


Kaushal gets the worst of our muddy endeavor at Alang. Photo and copyright Peter Knego 2007.

The mud was thick and slippery, so we all tried as well as we could to find outcrops of rocky reef to navigate. Unfortunately, Kaushal stepped into a sinkhole and got stuck up to his knees. Two workers and I pulled him out but not before the mud ripped off the bottom of his right shoe. Poor Kaushal has gone through some awful obstacles to work with me and this day would certainly give us a lot to talk (and maybe even laugh) about in the future.


Beached bow. Photo and copyright Peter Knego 2007.

As we got closer to the ship, I could hear the heavy thud of metal. Steel ballast was being removed from ANASTASIS' tanks through a small opening in her keel. The overall vision before me was so astonishing, I could have spent hours taking photos but the tide was rolling back in. Once agile Bhagwan completed his climb, I grabbed the ladder, trying to keep it steady until I cleared the concave underbelly and reached the ship's side. Step by miserable step upwards, focusing on the barnacles and peeling paint and not daring to look down, I continued. Past a row of portholes and, finally, to outstretched hands on B Deck. Kaushal followed quickly as the sea gradually washed our muddy tracks off the beach.



Photo and copyright Peter Knego 2007.


The former tourist class foyer facing port. Photo and copyright Peter Knego 2007.



A Hindi "Jesus Loves You", posted in the former tourist class foyer. Photo and copyright Peter Knego 2007.

Once past the portal, I caught my breath as Kaushal completed his climb. The breaker's foreman and one of the young workers assisted Bhagwan with our supplies of food and water and distributed hard hats. A "Safety First" sign hung over the narrow entryway. We head aft along the port side passageway, past rows of tourist class cabins. I was surprised to see most still had original wooden cabinets and bed frames. The former tourist class vestibule was completely dark but came to life for a split second in my camera's flash. Beautiful mahogany paneling made a nice contrast with the original gray linoleum flooring.

To be continued......

NEW From Peter Knego/P.K. Productions:
2008 Faces Of Luzzati Desk Calendar
2008 Passenger Ships Desk Calendar
Also From Peter Knego/P.K. Productions:
On The Road To Alang DVD
The World's Passenger Fleet, VOLUME NINE DVD