24th September - Ocean View marina, Samal Island, Philippines - no news of the hostages

Thursday 24^th September 2015

Life goes on as usual here at Ocean View.  It is hard to tell how anxious anyone is.  Everyone looks the same, going about their usual business of washing, chatting, clambering into the marina van to go to the market in nearby Babac town.

I can only really speak for myself, and for Pete.  We are extremely concerned for the four hostages.  I can’t bear to think of them, being hustled away out there somewhere, in some remote location, without their shoes, without a pillow, dressed only in their flimsy night attire.  Nobody has made any sort of demand or claim yet so it will probably be a while before they are restored to their lives, to their boats, to their families.

We are not, however, worried about our own safety.

There are young soldiers with guns everywhere!  Just a teensy bit too late for the hostages but certainly they are keeping a very close eye on everyone remaining in the marina!

Our meeting yesterday, in the clubroom, went for a few hours.  Gene, the wife of the owner of the marina, and of many of the businesses on Samal Island, ran the meeting and she was extremely impressive.  Kind, sympathetic, sensible, and very sorry about the whole horrid situation.

People asked some very strange questions…of course.

I can’t really go into any detail, but I can say…if you are ever attacked by terrorist/abductors – fight!  Kick, scream, scratch, fall over, make a fuss!!  Two people off another boat were initially attacked and they did all of the above.  The bandits gave them up as a bad job and went off to find someone else to subdue and take away.  And no they were not strong fit young men…Strong and fit enough obviously but just ordinary middle-aged husband-and-wife types…(I am enormously impressed!!)

On a cheerier note…before we left Ho Chi Minh City I was very keen to get a photo of my favourite motorbike shops…They are usually parked along one of the bridges on the way to Ben and Rose’s house, and our kindly taxi driver pulled over for a photo opp on our last afternoon.

I tried to give the vendor some money but he waved it away and posed very happily

with his fellow vendors smiling from the footpath.

I do hope the poor goldfish end up somewhere like this

in a lovely castle moat…

and don’t spend much more time in a plastic bag on the back of a bike!