Monday 9th September
am
I haven’t
touched the computer since we left Labuan Bajo because I thought there was no
point at all – there wouldn’t be any internet connection for many nautical
miles.
But at about 11
this morning, Pete’s phone rang – Didi from Rote Island, wanting a chat… This
indicated that we have phone connection and therefore (maybe ) internet –
although this how this can be we are not sure.
There is no village in sight, no tower…
Ours not to
reason why!
Didi rings
quite often. He accompanied us as a
guide on our few days in Ba’a on beautiful Rote. He is always very keen to know how we are,
where we are going, WHEN we are returning to Rote… This morning he revealed one
of the reasons for his phone calls – he rings from his classroom and his
children listen to him, speaking English, and he tells them what we are
saying. A very sensible teacher!
Above is one of
the boats which takes diving tours from Labuan Bajo. So beautiful!
Our little city of yachts on the sea re-formed in Labuan Bajo. There were 46 of us at maximum but I think
now there will only be a handful left.
We are with Marieke III again, but thee are quite a lot of other yachts coming
and going along this route along the north of Komodo island.
We spent the
night at a nice anchorage. Nice but…just
a bit rock ‘n’ roll… The water was turquoise, clear, glorious. Seija and I leapt in with glad cries to go
snorkeling. And yes the water was
delightful, a most perfect temperature.
There were lovely little fish to see but…most of the coral, I regret to
say, is dead. There must have been a big
storm on this side of the island to have created such a desert.
This morning we
moved a few miles south, to something known as Anchorage #48 on the 101
Anchorages Guide; not sure of the name of the bay but it is very lovely. I have been for a long swim. Sigh sigh lots of dead coral, with some
lovely patches in the shallower areas.
So I am putting in a photo of lovely flowers from Flores (appropriate!)
In Labuan Bajo
we caught up on news of other Rally yachts.
Reverie, a beautiful shiny new little catamaran
with extremely experienced boaties aboard, Cam and Denise, had to turn back
soon after they had reached Saumlaki, on the northern route, because their
autopilot broke down irretrievably. So
disappointing! (Yes they could have
continued steering by hand, but that is very exhausting, for the thousands of
nautical miles ahead of them.)
Another yacht – forgot to listen when they told me
– is still in Kupang… They had asked for parts to be sent, from the UK, and
when they arrived they were WRONG and had to be sent back. So there they sit!
Backchat got to Labuan Bajo, but they have to wait
there for spare parts to arrive, maybe for a starter motor.
Other boats have had fallings-out amongst crew.
And there has been a bit of falling-in-love which
has been very nice for all concerned.
pm
Change of attitude
right here and now…
We have just
come back from a little excursion in the Marieke III dinghy, to the other side
of this beautiful bay.
And the snorkeling
was sensational! I am almost incoherent
with the wonder of it all…fabulous coral, clouds of fish, a wonderful variety,
a fabulous drop-off into the deep blue…
Marvelous!
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