Orchids
JABA
Basil Panakis
Sat 14 Jun 2014 11:00
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36:17N 38:46W
This is my current position. Just had crackers and the
last bit of cheese I bought in the Azores. Accompanied by tea.
The self steering holds OK, it is a bit jittery so I
gave it a good dose of WD40. I cannot see it in profile but I guess I moved it a
bit up and slightly straightened the other bit by stepping on it. I will have to
nurse it back and sort it out in Southampton. I trust I made the right decision.
It will still take me a month to get back, 2000NM unless I cut the corner a bit.
I checked my water supply, 70 litres left and food for a month or more I reckon.
I'll make a decision about stopping at the Azores when I get closer and how the
wind is doing if the is a high that I can follow all the back I'll carry on. I
have no bread and no fresh food except a cabbage and some onions.
I was trying during the night to remember how I got into
Orchids and which year. There were a lot of grey areas, I remember in 1989 when
we were doing the extension that I asked the builder to build me a base, a wall
of couple of feet onto which I put the aluminium green house. So you had to step
up and then down into the green house. You really need air space. Some
electrician students of mine wire it to the mains. Proper stuff armor
plated cable and water proofed fluorescent lighting. But where did the orchids
come from?
In 1995 got myself a ticket without any preparations and
flew over to Borneo. I met a couple of German teachers and in the market we saw
plenty of orchids, they were into orchids too. So obviously I had orchids. By
Kinabalu I saw the smallest orchid a green clump with some white specs, you
needed a magnifying glass to see the flowers. The tallest was 30 foot high did
see it I just stood under it. The guide though took us to see nepenthes huge
ones where a rat can drown. I met and made friend as they wanted to share my
guide, whose ancestors were head hunters and the Brits were there in the 1920ies
to stop them. Now this bring us to another story, which I will have to remember
to tell you next time. Sepilock the Urang Utan sanctuary was next as was
Sandakan. I think we had a stop at Poring at the Japanese hot baths. Then I
moved to mainland to Kuala Lumpur, now I remember that I bought some orchids and
the girl arranged for the cietis (license) to export and import to UK. Then I
went to Malacca where I had one of the best meals in my life, actually I ate so
much that I suffered that night.
It was in 1996 that I did the Orchid tour in Thailand,
by then I was separated and living on my own.
However in early 1990ies in my office I had a dendrobium
which I cherished. It had some very delicate flowers thinner then a cigarette
paper. It was this plant I saw growing in a ditch up a mountain in
Thailand, what a contrast.
When I sold my collection I was in
tears.
Jackie I read 3 books, would you believe it? Jackie are
you starting my car now and then to give it a turn
over?
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