02.57.401S 111.41.098E Sunday 26th
October 07.30 am and we have just arrived at the ‘Green
Buoy’ outlined by Gilang, our guide. We have spoken to Glendora (Leo Grand and
Grand Ole) and they are just 9 miles behind us so we have dropped anchor, Paul
has gone to sleep as he has been up all night, and we will wait for them to go
up the river to Kumai together.
We have enjoyed our 350 nm journey here although sometimes there was a
‘rocking horse’ movement which made us all feel a bit yucky in
varying degrees. Mostly we motored and it has rained on and off but nothing to
worry about. Also, it did get very shallow at one stage, just 3 meters
under the keel which didn’t correspond to the paper charts and there were
fishing boats everywhere with extremely bright lights – they don’t
move though so are easy to avoid.
Actually we have been very productive: five washes have been completed
with the clothes dry and aired and back in their cupboards; we caught a large
mahi mahi which was quickly despatched and cooked for dinner with lemon juice,
ginger, cumin and light soya (Oscar declined and became an instant vegetarian);
I have used up all the fruit and vegetables to make a hot, sweet and sour
mango/tomato/onion/yellow pepper chutney; Paul has managed to reduce the shaft
leak to a trickle and besides this we have read (Lord Jim lent from Teri),
eaten well, played board games and written emails/blogs.
Gaffing the mahi mahi
Vic with the catch……
Before we left Darwin the
American/Australian aboard the next boat sold us many much needed spares for
our engine. He also gave us what looked like a clapped out metal box and
said ‘you don’t know you want this……..but you
do…..if you enjoy it as much as I did send me 50AUS $ one
day’. Well Bill if you are reading this……we LOVE it and
50 bucks will be on their way as soon as we find a post office! What he
gave us was a radio which picks up ‘worldspace’ programmes via
satellite with over 100 channels including BBC worldwide service…and
bless him the £60 annual fee is all paid up too. We have been listening
to big USA
stations like CNN, CBS and FOX as well as comedy programmes, classical music
stations, topical discussions and much more. It would have been great too
when we lived in the campo in Spain
and for those interested www.worldspace.com
is the website and 00441843593222 is the UK number – marvellous little
contraption no bigger than a shoe box!
….tiny single
handed fishing boat out at sea…….
We are meeting Gilang at
noon today for our transfer onto a local boat and we have decided to turn our
fridges off and lock Anahi until our return four days hence. This way
there will be no need for anyone to turn on the generator; we can just pay someone
to sit on deck and ‘guard the boat’. Packing has commenced
and includes:
Sleeping bags, nets,
fitted sheets, pillows, portable seagull water purifier, blood pressure pills
and malaria tablets together with all sorts of other medical paraphernalia,
scrabble, boggle, rummy cube, dictionary, leatherman, machete, fly swat, camera
and batteries, small inverter (12 volt) nibbles, wine, deet, antiseptic, wipes,
books, guitar, mouth organs, song book, dry bag, pacamacs, changes of clothes,
insecticide, gifts to include bracelets, fishing line and lures, knives,
earrings, sun glasses and milk powder.
Tee tree oil might combat
the leeches? We’ll give it a try particularly in our hair.
I am not sure if I have
made it clear why we are putting ourselves through this possible torture of a
jungle trip? Well, the main reason is to visit the now world famous
rehabilitation centre for orphan orang-utans at the Tanjung Puting National
Park but we also hope to spot proboscis monkeys, sun bears and up to 200 different
species of birds. Speaking of birds……..a tiny one landed
exhausted on the guard rail on my watch yesterday, got braver and braver and
eventually flew inside the saloon and perched on the fruit net to dry and
gather its strength before flying off again!
A tiny bird
I thought I heard
And it was true
Just me and you
Gripping tight
With all your might
Now off in flight
Now back in sight
On the rail
Your pointy tail
Balancing you
As all bird do
Cold and wet
You seem to fret
Camera ready
Just stay steady
Not so cold
Getting bold
In the cockpit
With me to sit
Beady eye
What can you spy?
The warmth inside
A better ride
Upon the fruit
You looked so cute
Paul asleep
At him you peep
Oscar dozing
You just posing
Then feathers ruffled
A chirrup muffled
And off you flew
Refreshed anew!
Perched on top of the
fruit net – Oscar asleep…..
We won’t take the
computer with us on our trip so next blog not for at least another four
days………..
