23rd June - leaving Sorong for pastures new (Raja Ampat islands)

Thursday 23^rd June 2016 

Inexplicably, I seem to have written nothing at all about our Doom Children! 

When we anchored off the island, in the late afternoon, it was raining but the shore was lined with happy kids, shrieking with joy.  Pete said maybe we shouldn’t “encourage” them this time; we were only there for a day.  (What did he know then about how long it was all going to take with Immigration Customs Harbour Master Quarantine Fuel??)

So I gently tried to repel the first wave – three dear little girls floating out on piece of Styrofoam, paddling with rubber thongs.   (By “repel” I mean I sat on the back step with them and fed them choc biscuits and then told them to swim back to their mummies and daddies.)

Bu the next wave was led by an exultant.  He had swum out with his information folder wrapped in a piece of clothe and carefully balanced on tow pieces of Styrofoam… He was desperate to show us he now has qualifications!  But to capitalise on them he has to go to Java, to work on big ships and...his mother won’t let him go… (Ianus is 23…)

Behind him were dozens more children, many of us known to us from last year.  They were so very thrilled to see Pte emerge from the cabin to talk to them, and to eat hot buttered popcorn – Pete, I must say, looked equally thrilled to see them and made no attempt to “discourage” them at all…

We will be leaving soon, probably going to Pulau Agusta, where our Italian friends Marco and Mara run a beautiful little dive resort.  Last time we were there they had o internet connection so…we will see.  It might be a few days before I can get online again.