Paradise:)



Banyak Island 1-our Arrival for anchorage

   When we arrived this morning,we entered from one side of the bay. It was quite nerve-wracking bringing Micah in as it was almost impossible to see where the rocks are. The depth finder hovered between 14 and 17 metres, but Louie warned Brent that it could be inaccurate.

We motored in tipie-toeing our way along, around a fat little island bursting at the seams with plump healthy palm trees. We finally dropped anchor opposite a snow white strip of  beach. The water near the shore was a smokey pastel green with scatterings of turquoise... There were some local huts half hidden in the vegetation under the palms and it appeared as if there was a drizzle of smoke lazily oozing from their midst. One could hear the tinkle of children laughing from the deep shade of a leaning palm on the shore. Around us, smiling gently but getting on with their own business, a few locals glided past us in their primitive dugouts... No-one really paid much attention to the intruders parked on their doorstep.

We lowered the duck into the water with the winch and the main hallyard. It is quite a task to get it into the sea. Brent and Louie thought it would be the right thing to do, to go to shore and meet the "Chief" of the local Tribe:) and request their permission to anchor in front of their island and spend hopefully a few days here.. They were greeted before they even got to the village peeking shyly from the palms, and permission was granted:)

While they were visiting, Travis , our one crew member, subtley reminded me that it was long past lunchtime and everyone was starving ( as usual:) ) Looking after 8 people on board, is quite a task. I make breakfast for everyone namely jungle oats because it is healthy and keeps everyone full for a while:) We only use one small plate on our electric stove (no oven) and so cooking is a slow and patient business:)..Then lunchtime seems to come around very quickly and it is already time to whip a lunch up for everyone. We bought a lot of cans of tuna, bread which we froze, 2 minutes noodles and some eggs- so i can make "something" every day that usually puts a smile on everyones face:), I also spend an hour chopping up fruit into a big bowl! Fruit salad on a hot day especially when a little nausea creeps in , is always a big hit:) You cannot believe how hungry everyone gets on our boat- all this fresh air:). No-one wastes a morsel!  A cup of Tea as well has become something to look forward to:) I brought quite a few packets of teabags from home thank-goodness as the teabags here are very weak...

Safe and Sound -anchored  and worth celebrating:)