Dec. 21, 2007
I can’t recall when was the first time I heard of the name “M/V Doulos”. By that I time I was determined to pay her a visit. But going to manila pier is not a walk in a park. It is walking on thorns. The fear of getting hurt is the only excuse & the only reason for me to stay home.
Now, MV Doulos berthed again in manila last November 29 and she will stay there until the 26 of December. Then she will proceed to subic bay until the 16th of January 2008. My eagerness once again called me to give a visit. Meet her crew, buy some of her books on sale.
At last, we (me & sib jenn) visited her last December 21st. as expected, getting there is not an easy task. Trusting on my own navigational gut feelings. We walked from luneta park to pier 13 where she is berthed. Making a wrong turn made my “map in the mind” updated and seen a lot of unfamiliar places.
It was high noon when we reached south pier had lunch on a local canteen. Every step on her way was a step to excitement. At last we’ve seen her, camera shots were fired. Paid ten pesos for my entrance fee since my sib will be using a free pass coupon from the newspaper.
It is really amazing that a ship deck was turned into a bookstore. Complete with lights, fans, information desk, POS cashiers, and shopping baskets. Its price tags are on “units” and a unit is equivalent to a Philippine Peso. Hmm???, I wonder how much a unit cost in US dollars?!.
Scanning every shelf makes a lot of fun. Being a mug collector, I immediately grab one. I only want to have a cookbook and a souvenir item. The selections are not readily available in a local bookstore thus; even if the price is hefty it is still a steal, a win-win deal. Come to think of it, the books are rarely displayed in a local bookstore, that the crews are volunteers, that the money is spend on charitable cause. The only problem I had is my budget. Alas!!! I only got a two-in-one cookbook and a postcard.
For more information regarding the MV Doulos visit http://www.mvdoulos.org/ and/or http://www.omships.org/
All photos are captured using Canon Powershot A460
