17th March - Hobart to Samal Island - reunited with 2XS - internet VERY slow...photos MIGHT follow, in the fullness of time...

Wednesday 16^th March 2016

Sunset tree at Camp Holiday resort

So here we are, back at Ocean View marina…(Samal Island, Davao,  Mindanao, Philippines.)

It took about 28 hours to get from door to door, so to speak.  Four planes, six airports, so many security checks my head is still whirling from the inspection and activity.

Yet another queue

The longest leg of the journey was from Melbourne to Kuala Lumpur.  We were VERY lucky because Pete had managed to get us bargain flatbed seats.  Oh the bliss!!  The seats went back to an almost horizontal position; nice little meals appeared at odd hours; we were supplied with bright red pillows and fluffy doonas.  What not to like??

When we arrived in Manila we had to go to Gate L1.  We were at Gate P3; it couldn’t be too far away, could it??  Well yes…a few kilometres of corridors lay ahead.  We didn’t know this, so we casually asked some Air Malaysia staff who were ensconced in a little trolley.  They said, Hop in, so we did, quite casually.  It took forever, whizzing along in fine style.  I hate to think how we would have gone, limping along with our (not very light…) cabin baggage…(Limping because we have both gone a bit lame.  Pete has a very swollen right ankle; I have a painful left foot.  BORING!!!)  So how lucky were we to have been given a free ride  - I estimate it would have taken us an hour to walk from P to L!!!  These Asian airports are enormous!!

At the last check in (Manila to Davao) the queue was achingly slow.  I had time to notice the girls in line behind us, with their load of cardboard boxes.  Oh no!!!  What a terrible name for a pretty young thing.  I HOPE it is pronounced…Anna-Lee….

By the time we got to Davao we were beyond tired.  Not just from the flying/security/airport hopping but…just because we are both exhausted after five months of trying to cram in EVERYTHING and EVERYONE we love, in Tasmania.  And exhausted from…the emotion of leaving EVERYTHING and EVERYONE we love, in Tasmania…

SO tired!!!

Planes were delayed; it got later and darker…I made a bold suggestion.  Let’s NOT go straight to Ocean View marina, to clamber on board 2XS.  Let’s go to Camp Holiday, at the ferry terminal on Samal Island, which belongs to the owners of Ocean View (Gene and Baboy.)  Even while being physically and emotionally depleted, our brains still work, just a bit…(Up there for thinking, down there for dancing, said Pete.)  It was an inspired idea.  We are cosily ensconced in a spacious room with aircon and TV (CNN News 24 hours a day – lots of TRUMPeting!!!)

Infinity pool bordering sea pool

There are three swimming pools – an infinity pool, a very large shallow kiddie pool, an ocean pool – and a large open air restaurant arrangement, where we have had one horrid meal and one delicious meal, thus far.  The mattress is much too hard for me but…I am so exhausted I sleep like the dead, regardless.  We are recuperating very happily here.  It is very much a resort for local families from Davao; they are cheery and bright and full of chat and cheek.  A trio of giggly 14 year old girls accosted us in the infinity pool.  “Do you have son?”  Pete said yes he had sons, but very old.  They were, however, THRILLED to hear I had handsome grandsons in the right age group...

But how is 2XS?? 

We arrived at the marina in a little tricycle turnout and walked cautiously toward the furthest arm of the pontoon. 

Would it be ok?  Would it be festooned inside and outside with mould and grime???

Actually what we found was…a painter, Mike, carefully painting the deck with white and grey.

No mould, lots of dust, no grime.

A whole lot of stuff has been moved into a newly constructed large box in the marina workshop, so there are no cushions on the couches.  It is not quite habitable.  But today we put in a BIG effort, and I even (miraculously) found a burst of energy and spent many hours scouring every surface with soapy water and bleach.  So satisfying!  I played music on my beloved iPhone and even found myself doing a spirited dance to Exes and Ohs to fascinate Pete, who was at the time lying, beyond exhaustion, on the cushionless couch with his eyes closed.  Everything is now dust free and ready to GO GO GO.  Well not everything…but my major work is done!!

I found some strange things in the foods cupboards…for example, what do you think this was, before I soaped it???

Brown sugar!!!

And the marina…is still in mourning for our friends Kjartan Tess John Rob…

I took a few selfies while I was working.  The results are too ghastly to reveal.  I will  just put up a photo of the top of my head…the rest…tomatohead!!  Exhausted face!!

Tomorrow we are going into Davao – BIG city…trying to find carpet for the boat.  And Friday we will move back on board, carpet or no…Unless we decide we want to stay in the resort forever, surrounded by cheery Philippinos…Seriously, these are such nice people.  I am SO horrified and appalled and annoyed that the Abu Sayaff extremists have ruined our view of these beautiful islands, these delightful people.

Thursday 17^th March 2016

Sitting in Starbucks in a big mall in Davao, hoping that the internet will work long enough for me to post this blogbit…