Friday 26^th October

We are motor sailing north,  in a glassy calm sea with hardly a breath of wind. We’ve had uneventful hot days of reading, sleeping and watching DVD’s.  Phoebe liked seeing the beautiful dolphins diving in front of the boat. Hatty enjoyed seeing the yellow sunset with the pink fluffy clouds in front. Willow enjoyed the flat, blue sea.

Yesterday we enjoyed a sunny day and all the children from Sea Glass and Totem loved playing on Nalukai under the sunshade, swimming and shooting each other with water guns. After lunch and a rest, to keep out of the heat, we said goodbye to the people of Budi Budi. They have opened their hearts to us and been so welcoming in their happy yet basic existence. Their coconut leaf houses line the sandy shore, perfectly swept and tidy. Cooking equipment is kept under a tree and washed in the well water, while behind shady trees of pandanus, breadfruit, soc soc, mangoes and coconuts provide welcome nutrition. Happy faces of men, women and children line the shore when we arrive and they are always polite and friendly when they come out to the boat, many to trade their wares or some just needing a few supplies.

On Monday Dorcas, from the Women’s League, taught us how to weave a pandanus mat, sheltered under her new house, under construction. Everyone tried cutting the pandanus into strips after it had been dried and weaving. I enjoyed seeing the edges form and feeding in new pieces to make the mat longer. We were guests of Chief William for dinner, prepared on the open fires fuelled by coconut husks, accompanied by the children singing and playing their guitars. It was the usual fare of vegetables and meat, which they generously shared with us since they have so little for themselves. Games of baseball on the swept sand under the lush trees and balloons for the little children kept everyone entertained. Tuesday, we went to the smaller island and were treated to dancing and music. Birds kept in hides over the water, pigs meandering amongst the huts and the sound of waves crashing on the nearby reef were a feast for the senses. The boys enjoyed playing our new drum, topped with freshly killed and dried lizard skin, while our girls and Maerin wore the grass skirts, made by the ladies. A procession line of happy faces amongst the coconuts was a lovely sight. Wednesday, we kept out of the torrential rain and Jeremy took the girls to finish the mat. They loved playing hide and seek with the children and many girls helped them weave bracelets from Pandanus.

Willow enjoyed weaving a little mat and having a Mumu dinner with the other boats and the people on Budi Budi. Phoebe liked wearing the grass skirts and watching the locals dance to the drums. We liked swimming in the crystal clear water because we could see the bottom and it was so hot. Hatty liked collecting the crawly hermit crabs from the sandy beach and making their homes with Totem and Sea Glass.