Sorry for lack of updates – busy busy busy !!!

Sunday 11^th April

Tidy up and then champagne on Blue Magic with all the crews from Jackamy, Bionic and Miss Tippy followed by a lovely meal together at the Pearl Lodge Hotel on the other side of the bay.

Monday 12^th April

We were woken by the lovely Tippy girls with fresh bread delivered to the boat by dinghy at 6.30am, any later than 7.00am at the bakery and they are sold out !

7.00am early morning visit to the local market and fresh fish stall, we returned the favour and delivered two big red snapper to Miss Tippy for their lunch.

8.00am check in at the gendarmerie then queue at the post office to post arrival papers, explore supermarket then stop for a very good lunch (plat du jour - Steak frites) next to the market.

Afternoon, sort out laundry, gas bottles and duty free fuel papers at the local marine agent.

5.30pm Back to Pearl Lodge Hotel for welcome ceremony and presentation of palm leaf Lays (necklaces) followed by Pizza at a local restaurant.

Now you may have formed a picture of lots of restaurants and shops, there are three. We have tried all three restaurants now (all very good) and we have found two of the shops (supermarkets) – one more to go !

Tuesday 13^th April

8.30am – 6pm Explore Island in a 4x4 vehicle with a guide…..

Wow !

The island is stunning, spectacular scenery everywhere you look. Dramatic, high mountain peaks all shades of green that drop straight down to the ocean where there are beautiful natural bays carved into the island.

Colourful flowers and bountiful fruit trees, fragrant ylan ylan trees, coconut palms, acacias, pines, eucalyptus, hibiscus, along with the dramatic roots of the banyan tree.

We also toured the Tiki sites where cannibalistic sacrificial ceremonies took place right up until the 20^th Century.

It was quite bizarre to see the holes in the ground where they kept the prisoners and drugged them until they were ready to lay them on the ceremonial table and chop their heads off.

All the local villagers attended the ceremony and the chief of the tribe and other important dignitaries would tuck into a meal consisting of the eyes, heart and liver.

Presumably with a nice bottle of Chianti !

I have some great photos and will hopefully load these up on the log tomorrow.

That may entail another visit to the hotel to use their internet and whilst we are there maybe a swim in the eternity pool and lunch in the gardens !