02.57.401S  111.41.098E  Sunday 26^th 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………..