10:06S 115:47W COG 267, cog 8ish, tracking the wpt at Hiva oa, nearest
island in Marquesas, sailing with Mr Pink on stbd bow so reliably i have put
the cover on the autopilot to protect it from the sun, daily average just
under 8knots. Wind ESE F4-5, sunny. DTW 1348.
Lovely sunny day, and we gotta get in the French swing of things. So we had
cassoulet and a bottle of wine for lunch.
Yes, to recap, I *was* gonna go to Easter island, but came this way cos the
sea was crunchity bang.
No, to recap, don't spend a load of cash going to Galapagos unless you're a
botanist or biology freak. Yes, it might say that it's the "enchanted
islands" but that's just a tourist slogan. it's just a bit of scruffy South
America with overblown eco-credentials. And note that even Charles Darwin
only went the once - not very scientisty, hm? or more likely - he didn't
rate it either. I reckon he just put in that he'd been to Galapagos in his
Origin of Species book cos hardly anyone else had been so they couldn't say
pah, loada rubbish. See? Tourists go there and stay on a boat and have a
fab time - cos they're never stayed on a boat before and there's a guide to
explain where to point the camera, and waiters/stewies to make drinks, not
cos it's specially uniquely amazing. Much nicer scenery in med france,
scotland west coast, corsica to name but a few. More culture ashore in
almost anywhere in Europe. Go to Galapagos for a very expensive pic of you
with an otherwise-boring Giant Tortoise, or an (awkward, jerrycans) boaty
fuel stop enroute to S Pacific. Gottit? We think that customs guys just
came into the Rock restaurant, cos, well, it was lunchtime and everywhere
else apart from The Rock is a bit cack. it's called The Rock cos that's
what the bored US soldiers called the place in WW2, several thousand troops
stationed there waiting for a Jap attack that never came - Pearl Harbousr
turned out to be a quickie hit-and-run rather than a concerted attack on the
US, pretty much like 9/11 about 60 years later.
The Mojomo anti-breakage shield is still in place. I did wear through a bit
of rope holding a snap block which routes the spi sheet to the rear winch -
but i'd put on an extra rope for safety and that (or more likely, the
anti-breakage shield) avoided any drama.
1348 is the year of the Black Death in Europe, see? Wiped out praps a third
of the entire population in Europe, and some say that descendants of
survivors (most of us) are that much more disease-resistant, esp. again if
their ancestors also lived thru the flu pandemic of 1919 (=most of us,
again, obviously). Jeez, i'm a right ole bore with this Hist. eh? Not to
worry, it all goes Dark and Aged in a couple of days.
Finally, my sons emailed me on the boat. Hiya there! How fab to hear from
you!
However.. that reminds me - my handy hint for the forty/fiftyish types
(like me) who feel they have gotten old far too soon and/or their passport
DOB is a dreadful admin error:
1. Detain your now-fully-grown-offspring, and tell him/her to stand still
next to a chair.
2 Step up on the chair and take your child's hand in yours. Note that
they'll still take your hand in subordinate fashion, theirs under yours, but
more importantly...
3 Your child is now the "correct" height again relative to you - about
three feet tall. Hurrah! Rejoice in the feeling of being twenty/thirty
something again!
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