Final CB, Hellville and RB
Beez Neez now Chy Whella
Big Bear and Pepe Millard
Sat 19 Oct 2019 23:57
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Crater Bay, Hellvile and Russian Bay – Final
Visits
  On Monday the 14th
Bear’s cold had really taken hold so he had a slack day in bed watching Deal
Team – love the Sonny one-liners, I sat beside him and blogged with the
occasional foray into audiobook and music sorting which feeds the bit of OCD in
me. Tuesday the 15th after lunch Bear managed to raise himself
up enough to go over and see Vince for a cuppa but was soon back to finishing
Seal Team season two and beginning the excellent Blindspot. Wednesday
the 16th we wandered up to the village after lunch. The bank ATM
flashed red but a few minutes later the green light came on – some nice person
on the other side must have been filling it. A little too early for the rum shop
opening at three, we stopped at a pretty bar / B+B
for a drink. I loved the dragonfly lamp in the
corner. A chap from the kitchen bimbled through and wished us a good day, face
covered in tattoos, a first for us in Madagascar.
 Our bottles being
filled at the rum shop (a pound a litre).
 A pretty sunset
this evening.
 Thursday the 17th.
We headed back to Hellville (five miles) with Canace, a day ahead of Slow Flight (little
bits and bobs to finish their new battery installation) so we can deliver our
gas bottles to be filled and ready for tomorrow.
 A big girls called Kyrenia was just outside the anchorage. Bear and
Kevin set off with gas cylinders, I settled to housework.
 Friday the 18th.
Check out day YAY. The banana seller was at the back of the girl by 06:15 and
Bear paid a pound for the biggest bunch. Slow Flight came in to anchor.
At ten we picked Kevin and Irma up as Trevor and Kimi zoomed up in their dinghy
and off we went. Usual chaos ashore but we saw Kool
in the crowd who tied off the dinghies. Kool helped us locate a taxi van and off
we went for the final time to Leader Price. A couple of hours later, back to
boats with shopping and ten minutes later we were ashore in the police hut
handing over our Passports. The Harbourmaster was closed for lunch so we began
to bimble up the hill, Irma knew of a rooftop eatery-cum-backpackers place and
led the way. Half way there and I had a blowout on my left flip flop. Irma
kindly gave me hers as her feet are up to the boiling pavements.
  Sadly, the rooftop eatery was closed for a months renovations, so
after a quick stop on the corner for new, two pound flip flops it was off to
Nadipos for lunch. The sailing six celebrated with a
beer, ate well and felt ready for officialdom. It was decided Bear, Irma and
Trevor would go to the Harbourmaster and then pick up our Passports while Kimi,
Kevin and I hit the market for Des’s rice and honey (our fantastic weather
advisor), pick up our LPG bottles and tuktuk down to meet the rest.
 A rather handsome,
all-black beast who turned his head just as I took his
picture.
  Kimi taking rice
selection seriously. Ten pence for a heaped Nestle’s condensed milk tin.
We had word from Honey River that Des’s honey supply was running low so just in
case I bought three litres and Kimi one and a half. Then a quick stop in
Shampion for Kevin to get some batteries, round the corner for the LPG’s and in
a tuktuk to meet the rest conveniently waiting for us in a bar by the docks.
 By the time we
approached Beez it was dusk, gorgeous soft
pinks.
   Our final Hellville sunset. A quiet evening putting the
last of the supplies away and we are finally ready to begin our little hops down
the coast to Baly Bay – our jumping off spot to cross the Mozambique Channel.
 Saturday the 19th.
At ten we left the anchorage for the last time. A
bright, windless morning for our first hop to Russian Bay.
 The rusty but serviceable medial ship
called El Paso was having a lay in as we
passed by.
 A local
with a remarkably good mainsail. Slow Flight were not to far behind us
when Bear saw them swing about on the spot, he messaged as he was concerned but
the cheery reply was that Kimi and Trevor were having a one-to-one with a whale
shark. Lucky them indeed.
 We anchored not too far from
Serafina, Fred and Maria had come over yesterday as they had finished
their check out and wanted an extra in Russian Bay. Slow
Flight came in soon after, my that’s a fast lady. Kimi and Trevor
popped over and the time of seven in the morning to leave for our quick stop
around the corner to see lemurs before going on to the Honey River. So love it
when a plan comes together.
  Early evening and several rally boats
came in having completed the yearly race from Crater Bay and then the soca music
began. Oh dear. I enjoyed sitting on the stern platform watching these unusual fish. They are perfectly capably of swimming
upright to choose to charge around at speed on their sides. Mmmm. Time for a
game or two before showers and supper.
.
ALL IN ALL TIME TO MOVE ON TO
PASTURES NEW
AT LAST GETTING READY FOR THE
OFF |