Last sunday we skipped church and that started a series of events, our host Selotte came down to the anchorage to bring us the sunday lunch she had prepared for us. This Sunday we thought we might as well go into the village and go to church with the following lunch…

Before I tell you more about it there are two more yachts here now with children on board. Dafne, is a catamaran from USA and Eleor is a yellow single hull sailor from England. The day before yesterday they invited our kids to participate in a role play about the silk road. After that they have been playing at a beach together.

It was great to learn they have been with Kaminante on the way, a Swedish family yacht we met first time in Spain and then on and off all the way to the Caribbean. (If you read this on Kaminante we have been trying to email you for a long time but we do not seem to get through, we follow your blog now and then).

Sunday morning we all came in with the dinghies at about the same time and walked into the village together. I learned that Eleor has only been out a year and made it here, impressive but I also recognized their tiredness, they are keen to move down to New Zealand now and just relax from traveling and traveling.

In the village we all got into the church and the kids were urged to sit with all the other kids on the front rows. The church has no bell so when they "ring" there is a guy playing on big wooden drums outside the church, and the women do a chant inside the church.

As the mass went on the priest specially addressed to the palangis (foreigners) with the aid of Tai, one of the villagers that speaks good english. After the addressing I was asked (to my big surprise) to come forward and say a few words. It was very strange and honoring to be asked to stand in front of the villagers and say something worth listening to.

Of course I told them they are wonderful (they really are) and I thanked them for taking us in to the village. Wasn't much I said and of course afterwards it is easier to come up with some better content.

Anyway soon after, there was a Holy Communion and we did not participate, but suddenly Erikas blond hair was among all the dark haired youngsters kneeling in front of the altar.

We could not do much about it but watch her taking it all in…

After that we had a magnificent lunch at Minis and Selottes place. We were served fresh caught fish and rotis.

Roti is a special bread rolled like a tortilla around a curry. With that we got coconuts with coconut milk.

After sunday lunch everybody goes for a nap and it is amazing to walk through the village and see people sleeping on the floor mats with open doors and windows. The most amazing sight was one of the older women sleeping on her side with her head on a pillow, well a used can, you know like a can of tuna, you open it, eat the content and use it as a pillow. To make it really comfortable you make sure your ear is in the opening of the can….You could say we are more spoiled when it comes to beds and pillows.

Today before I posted the blog, I met Tai and I asked him if many use cans as pillows, yes! He said with a smile, "which cans are best?" I asked, "Fiji Gold" he answered, Fiji Gold is a beer.

When I went kayaking in the afternoon I remembered that I have no reports on the weather any longer, well the reason is that is is more os less around 20-30 degrees and the water temperature is around 25-27 all the time.

Not much to report.

We do take a morning bath before breakfast, that includes cleaning ourselves and end the whole session with a short burst of fresh water over the body. We carry on the saying my father started "you have to take a bath to get breakfast" but it is voluntary to do it. After that we eat our breakfast in the cockpit with the best view you can think of. I could tell you in detail how many times we jump in the water but I do honestly not think you bother much about it.

Hope you will have a good week and remember:

When you learn something new you will make mistakes.

The more mistakes you make the more you are learning.

And that is really true on the ocean.