Sunday 15th June
2XS is wedged into
a small space in Berth #4 at the marina.
Youc an see, very clearly, the bright yellow stains we acquired in
Terengganu… All of the boats which spent any time in the river there have
equally bright stains and we have all had a jolly good go at scrubbing them
off.
Last night was the
rally cocktail party, at the marina. BYO
drinks, BYO food. First we had a meeting
which went on FAR too long (well about half an hour…but it was hot…) Today was the beginning of a racing regatta
and we had a lengthy presentation of all of the rules. Many flags would be raised/lowered at certain
times to let the contestants know when to start and where to go…We have just
talked to one of our neighbours who said that the race was total chaos. No flags were raised or lowered, nobody knew
where the buoys were or what to do with them.
And the wind died down so that most of the boats couldn’t get over the finish
line. But…everyone had fun and we all
got nifty new t-shirts. (Prakash is
wearing one in the photo below.)
 |
| Prakash, from Port Disxon, with Captain Finn, the redoubtable manager of Miri Marina |
Today we were
going to hire the car from Thorny Rose (who is now no longer Thorny Rose but
our delightful and fascinating new friend, Roze Berekoven, formidable amateur
marine archeologist). Our aim was to go
to Brunei, just for the day, with Rob (SV Jolie Brise.) As you do… But the car isn’t insured for
Brunei, so we have adjourned this adventure sine
die.
Instead we have
been cleaning. Scrubbing, vacuuming,
generally trying to restore a bit of order and cleanliness to the decks. Pete managed to remove all of the yellow
stains from the starboard side, where he could reach from the dock. And…it was hot HOT work. I got to the stage where I couldn’t bear to
go inside the cabin; Pete was left with the task of wielding the wet-dry
machine inside while I filled the tanks with filtered water. Outside!!
 |
| SO clean! |
We haven’t see
very much of Miri but we are amazed at the development, and the wealth! All of those oil rigs in the South China Sea…
 |
| On the way from Kuching to Miri |
Around the marina
area there is a huge development beginning.
We have ridden our bikes along a pristine four-lane highway, leading
into the city. Perfect for bike riding
because there are NO cars… We are fascinated by the large complex of
apartments? Town houses??
 |
| A tricky panorama shot but...this is what the Arcadia development is like! Block after block! |
There are hundreds
of them, all brand new, all empty.
WTF??? Today we found out they
are shops. Hundreds of them, presumably
with accommodation above. And all likely
to be rented out very profitably in the next few months. Extraordinary! The houses being built along the marina
laneway are also extremely substantial, with high ceilings, gazebos, maybe
60-80 squares.
At midday we took
a break and strolled along to the nearby café with Rob. The food is delicious and very cheap; there
is shade and there are fans on the outdoor area; Pete can get Tiger Beer. What’s not to like?? We were peacefully sipping our iced lemon
tea/Tiger beer when suddenly there was Roze in our midst, dynamic and
formidable, as Pete had described her.
We loved
Roze! She and her husband Hans are sheep
farmers from the Snowy Mountains, but they have been living here in Miri for a
year or so. They have a big black boat
in the marina (Southern Sun), built in Launceston, but they live in a small
apartment in the big high-rise building in the above photo, behind the houses.
What is keeping
them here is this:
Please look at
their website, www.MaritimeMysteries.org,
and like them on Facebook, if you can.
They are salvaging the wreck of the Viscount Mebourne, which sank on a
reef ninety miles from Miri in 1842.
Roze is totally passionate about this; she kept us enthralled with the
amazing story, of the shipwreck, and also of her valiant attempt to salvage as
much as possible. Everything will go
into a museum, here in Miri, yet to be built in a new municipal centre in
Arcadia.
 |
| From the Singapore Times |
We were so
appreciative of her story that she said, Get
in my car! We spent about an hour in
her little apartment, gazing at the artifacts she has so lovingly curated.
They ate and drank
well, on these cargo ships! She has
found many bottles of preserves – blueberries, grapes, still recognisable, but
tasting of mud and salt. There is also a
sizeable wine cellar of priceless Bordeaux wine…(No not drinkable, but
certainly collectable!)
Aren’t people
amazing?? To do all of this Roze has had
to get two open water diving certificates.
She and Hans have had to battle with bureaucracy to get salvage rights;
they have been negotiating to build the museum.
Not to mention the thousands of hours researching and learning how to
curate the objects they have found 40 metres down.
We are about to go
to the rally dinner, at the Park View Everly Hotel. Who knows what extraordinary stories we will
hear…
Oh and no we are not yacht race pikers... Tomorrow we are joining the race from Miri to Labuan, in Sabah, which will go day and night...Many advantages eg - a naval escort, to deter pirates!!
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