literature
Travel literature includes guide books, travel memoirs and the curious experiences that happen when you seek adventure.
Del Cuerpo
I leapt, seabag bulging from my back. I stepped off the last concrete step on the dock. In the rolling launch, after flying to Chile and traveling eighty kilometers through her green and yellow roads, I was home. The Ocean. In the closing distance my ship bobbed in the current and wind-leaned away from her anchor in just-out-the-shipyard paint. I absorbed familiar cycles through the deck of the launch.
By Joe Nasta | Seattle foodie poet5 years ago in Wander
The Ship at Dawn
In that one moment, everything went quiet. The pace of the world slowed, and the stiff breeze had all but dissipated. The first tendrils of deep red sunlight had begun to emerge over the horizon, snaking lazily across the sea as dawn broke.
By Charlotte Elisha Riggs5 years ago in Wander
Yacht story/ Fair winds
One of the worst maritime disasters in European history took place a decade ago. It remains very much in the public eye. On a stormy night on the Baltic Sea, more than 850 people lost their lives when a luxurious ferry sank below the waves. From a mass of material, including official and unofficial reports and survivor testimony, our correspondent has distilled an account of the Estonia's last moments—part of his continuing coverage for the magazine of anarchy on the high seas. After midnight, in the first hours of September 28, 1994, the ferry Estonia foundered in the waves of a Baltic storm. The ship was the pride of the newly independent Estonian nation, recently arisen from the Soviet ruins. It was a massive steel vessel, 510 feet long and nine decks high, with accommodations for up to 2,000 people. It had labyrinths of cabins, a swimming pool and sauna, a duty-free shop, a cinema, a casino, a video arcade, a conference center, three restaurants, and three bars. It also had a car deck that stretched from bow to stern through the hull's insides. In port the car deck was accessed through a special openable bow that could be raised to allow vehicles to drive in and out. At sea that bow was supposed to remain closed and locked. In this case, however, it did not—and indeed it caused the ship to capsize and sink when it came open in the storm and then fell entirely off. On the night of its demise the Estonia had 989 people aboard. It departed from its home port, Tallinn, at around 7:15 P.M., and proceeded on its regular run, 258 miles and fifteen hours west across open waters to the Swedish archipelago and Stockholm. For the first several hours, as dusk turned to night, it moved through sheltered coastal waters. Passengers hardy enough to withstand the wind and cold on deck would have seen gray forested islands creeping by to the north, and to the south the long industrial shoreline of Estonia giving way to a low coast darkening until it faded into the night. Gentle swells rolled in from the west, indicating the sea's unease—with significance probably only to the crew, which had received storm warnings for the open water ahead but had not spread the news. There were various forecasts, and they tended to agree: an intense low-pressure system near Oslo was moving quickly to the east, and was expected to drag rain and strong winds across the route, stirring up waves occasionally as high as twenty feet. Such conditions were rare for the area, occurring only a few times every fall and winter, but for ferries of this size they were not considered to be severe. Surviving crew members later claimed that a special effort had been made on the car deck to lash the trucks down securely—exemplary behavior that, if it occurred, probably had more to do with concern about vehicle-damage claims than about the safety of the ship. No other preparations were made. The main worry was to arrive in Stockholm on time. After midnight, in the first hours of September 28, 1994, the ferry Estonia foundered in the waves of a Baltic storm. The ship was the pride of the newly independent Estonian nation, recently arisen from the Soviet ruins. It was a massive steel vessel, 510 feet long and nine decks high, with accommodations for up to 2,000 people. It had labyrinths of cabins, a swimming pool and sauna, a duty-free shop, a cinema, a casino, a video arcade, a conference center, three restaurants, and three bars. It also had a car deck that stretched from bow to stern through the hull's insides. In port the car deck was accessed through a special openable bow that could be raised to allow vehicles to drive in and out. At sea that bow was supposed to remain closed and locked. In this case, however, it did not—and indeed it caused the ship to capsize and sink when it came open in the storm and then fell entirely off.
By Jaramie Kinsey5 years ago in Wander
Tethered.
"Shall we drop anchor, Cap'n?" I was startled from my daydream by Cyrell, my first mate. A shame really, because that vision of you and I, dancing by firelight on the sand had started to feel real. I could almost smell the mixture of sea salt and rum as I held you close. The smoky flavour left on my lips after another slow kiss. I hummed my favourite sea shanty softly as we swayed, your head nestled on my chest, fingers intertwined.
By Jessie Waddell5 years ago in Wander
Cordelia
Binter never understood inlanders, who would want to hoof it hither and tither over hill and dale when one could float? Float, like a leaf on the wind. Float, as if through time and space. Float, as she was now, the luke-warm waves caressing her voluptuous form.
By Crissy Ferguson 5 years ago in Wander
Downstream
Downstream She met him online. It’s 2008, isn’t that the way people meet these days? She had met a number of men. Several were creepy jerks, two were married. Some were boring or narrow minded. Several others were nice guys who remained friends after the mutual decision was made that they should not be a couple. Roger was not all that interesting and she was pretty sure he didn’t really want to meet her in person. They had been messaging for almost two weeks and she expected it to fizzle soon. That old “He’s just not into you,” vibe seemed too apparent. Out of the blue, he invited her to go on a kayaking adventure. He gave the details in the invitation. There was an outfitter that arranged kayaking trips on the Cumberland river. He and his best friend, a woman, were going on Saturday, scheduled to leave the outfitter’s at 1pm.
By Claudia Lynn Banahan5 years ago in Wander
Observatory
Nobody can hear a scream in the vacuum of space, or so they say. But I guarantee the screams are endless. She was always fond of the stars. I could tell by the way she would glance up at the night sky every time she would slip out of the car, or merely step out on the bar’s balcony for a cigarette. She’d stand there in silence, ignoring the chatter of the music, dark eyes gleaming with amusement; pondering the universe, the galaxies. Meandering in her own Lilliputian world of what ifs; and so, she would come back to reality with a visage of sadness, a diminutive frown of regret, as if she wished to be somewhere else, somewhere beyond the stars. She didn’t belong here.. and neither did I.
By Kendra J. Anthony5 years ago in Wander
The Fault In The Meadow
At the foot of the Mountains lies the meadow. Like an inverted peninsula it would flow, a parade of flowers set aflame by the passing winds. An eye cast in marvel to study the diverse populace would hang on the mercy of the returning airs.
By Ad-Libbing With The Z-Man5 years ago in Wander
Devon: some literary connections
Devon is a large and varied county in southwest England that has long been a highly sought-after location, not only for holidaymakers but also for writers. A number of famous poets and novelists have either been natives of the county or have lived there at some time in their lives and found inspiration for their work. These include:
By John Welford5 years ago in Wander
Awaited Magic Part 1(Reimagined):
Ch. 1 Moving In We moved to an old manor out in the middle of nowhere. Mom and Dad were the type of people who buy fixer upper houses, flipped them, and sold them back to the world. Was I excited about moving away from my friends and starting a new life in a house that could be haunted? Well, while it might be cool to live in a one-horse town where everyone knows each other, the abandoned manor at the top of a mountain wasn’t as appealing. We drove through the town on the way to the road where the asphalt met the gravel as the path took us higher into the mountains. As we drew closer to the house, the road became covered in fog which made the driving for dad more difficult.
By Victoria Ward5 years ago in Wander
