Saturday 21 May 2016

21st-22nd May 2016 - Palau monsoon

Saturday 21st May 2016

Rain rain
One day this week I was waiting for Pete to finish his struggle with the internet in Sam’s Bar.  A very cheery local chap came up and offered to take a photo of me with Palau Siren in the background.  Oh well thank you…I suppose…

His name was Charles and he was rendered effusive by much betel nut chewing, and a liberal amount of alcohol.  When he took my phone he looked at the cover photo and asked if they were my children.  “Your daughters are very beautiful.” he said. “ .and I think you must have been very beautiful too…”  (chew, spit, furrowed brow, how could he dig himself out of this one,) ”…about five minutes ago!!”  I was highly amused.

He was VERY keen for me to have a beer and trotted off to the bar.  Beers in Sam’s bar are BIG!!  Much too big for me…I like a sip or two of cold beer…but it was kind of him.  He very much wants to sail with us to Australia.  I said NO, straight away but he was undeterred and was all set to buy more beer and to push his case.  Fortunately, the bar staff were onto him and they paid attention to my frantic head shaking…



He was with a gorgeous girl called Angel, who said she is a taxi driver and that she would love to drive us anywhere any time.  She was having a hard time wrangling Charles and his more quietly inebriated friend in the corner but eventually she managed to herd them both off into her car.

I quite enjoyed my encounter with Charles but he left shaking his head, unable to understand WHY we didn’t want him sailing with us al the way back home.  And even more perplexing – WHY didn’t I want to chew some betel nut?  Such a lovely drug!  (AAGGH…look what it does to teeth!)



The rain is never-ending.  We are rapidly filling the water tanks with beautiful fresh water, which is a plus.  But…it is a bit hard to do anything other than admire the rapidly-filling tanks!  Today were were going to go for a little jaunt around into Malakal Bay, and maybe have a bit of a dive, a bit of a snorkel.  But…maybe not!

So far I am keeping the mould at bay with regular application of fierce anti-mould product.  But Leslie (SV Carina) and Birgitta (SV Ariel IV) both say they have given up entirely; mould has won!!

Ariel IV left yesterday, heading for…well I won’t say where.  But to a place where they can leave the boat and have some work done very cheaply while they go home to work and to replenish the coffers.

Farewell Ariel IV
Sunday 22nd May 2016

It absolutely poured again all day yesterday so we didn’t set off for a snorkelling adventure in Malakan Bay.


But today the sun is shining – weakly, but it is there – so maybe we will GO!!  It is so humid the air is hard to breathe…

Royal Belau Yacht club (Sam's Sports) from 2XS in the rain


1 comment:

  1. Hahahaha! You were indeed beautiful, you were also beautiful five minutes ago and you are beautiful right now. That is unless you are a) painting the hull b) just arriving from four nights/ days sailing in shifts c) doing a class at the gym.

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