Hello from wet and cool Vancouver. We had a good flight home and arrived on the 10th as planned. It is great to be back and visiting our old friends and now having our daughter Natalie and grandsons Liam and Declan visiting us in our rented abode overlooking the ocean here in Ocean Park. It is the first time we have met Declan who is a very happy baby four months old. We will be having our three childrens families over for Christmas so will have a house full with six grandkids under eight years old. Should be a lot of fun.
We wish all of our friends a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Thursday, December 20, 2012
Friday, December 7, 2012
Rebak Marina Langkawi Island
Our time in Penang at Straits Quay Marina was great. We had five Canadian boats out of thirty on the dock and met some great people. Penang grew on us as we spent more time there. We found some wonderful small places tucked into the surrounding chaos of the city. One was a restaurant called China House which had great food, Marian had the lobster thermadore, and the selection of cakes was amazing and good! One of the boats with Jim and Charlene are from Calgary and live only houses away from Natalie. Small world. They had been there for awhile and had a car. They drove us around the island and we had lunch at a great little seaside place with very good food. Sea Mist arrived and it was great to see John doing so well after his hip surgery. He is walking about in a normal fashion and is out of the pain he was in. Well after eleven days it was time to leave and move on towards Langkawi. You could only leave the marina at high tide as it is silting in badly so we went at two in the afternoon. Even with the high tide of 2.0 we still saw the depth sounder hit the 00 mark. No problem as it is just silt and we just plowed through. That evening after seventeen miles we anchored by a small island and had a reasonable evening although rather hot after all the a/c we had gotten used to.
Next morning we were off at daybreak and had a nice sail up to Langkawi island. The area here is much different than what we have seen in Malaysia so far with lots of small islands with views like what you would see in a tourist brochure. The water is much cleaner and we were able to make water on the way up. We arrived in Rebak Marina around three in the afternoon. This place is on a small island just off Langkawi and the marina is part of a five star resort so very nice. We managed to find the pool for a swim and then happy hour to meet up with some fellow cruisers. We now have been here for four days and have done most of the boat jobs and enjoyed the quiet of being in a jungle as the marina is surrounded by it with the resort cut into the area. This place was badly damaged in the tsunami of 2004 with all the docks being ripped out. Hopefully that will not happen again especially when Kilkea is here.
We are off tomorrow for KL and then Hong Kong for an overnight and then to Vancouver. We are very excited to get home and to see all the family. It will be great to see our newest grandson Declan who will be four months old when we meet him. It has been a very long and busy year sailing from New Zealand to Malaysia. I don't know how many miles but around six to seven thousand seems about right. It has been a lot of fun but it will be good to get off the boat and do some other things for a few weeks as we are rather burnt out. Having said that I imagine that we will really looking forward to coming back in January for some more cruising in Thailand.
Next morning we were off at daybreak and had a nice sail up to Langkawi island. The area here is much different than what we have seen in Malaysia so far with lots of small islands with views like what you would see in a tourist brochure. The water is much cleaner and we were able to make water on the way up. We arrived in Rebak Marina around three in the afternoon. This place is on a small island just off Langkawi and the marina is part of a five star resort so very nice. We managed to find the pool for a swim and then happy hour to meet up with some fellow cruisers. We now have been here for four days and have done most of the boat jobs and enjoyed the quiet of being in a jungle as the marina is surrounded by it with the resort cut into the area. This place was badly damaged in the tsunami of 2004 with all the docks being ripped out. Hopefully that will not happen again especially when Kilkea is here.
We are off tomorrow for KL and then Hong Kong for an overnight and then to Vancouver. We are very excited to get home and to see all the family. It will be great to see our newest grandson Declan who will be four months old when we meet him. It has been a very long and busy year sailing from New Zealand to Malaysia. I don't know how many miles but around six to seven thousand seems about right. It has been a lot of fun but it will be good to get off the boat and do some other things for a few weeks as we are rather burnt out. Having said that I imagine that we will really looking forward to coming back in January for some more cruising in Thailand.
Monday, November 26, 2012
Penang
We ended up spending ten days at Port Dickson. The marina was good with power to run the air conditioners on the boat, we have three, and was relatively clean. The Malaysian rally boats all arrived and we did do a lot of socializing as well as two bus trips. The first was to the town of Malaka which was the old port town during the Chinese trading days dating back to before Columbus. The old area is old but unfortunately has been taken over by T-shirt shops and other tourist must have items so not much of a draw.
The second trip was to Kuala Lumpar or KL as they refer to it here. One of the tallest towers is located here and is the icon for the city of two million. It is just a big city with none of the charm and interest of Singapore.
Next we spent a few days sailing to get up to a place called Pangkor. You really need to sail only in daylight as these waters are so full of junk as well as fishing boats that do most of their fishing at night. Our first stop was at Port Klang which is the commercial port for KL. It was the dirtiest place we have ever seen! You could almost walk on the water with all the debris floating about. At first light we left and ended up running out of light that evening so just dropped the anchor in 4 meters of water five miles from shore in the middle of the ocean. The wind came up at dawn so we moved on to Pangkor which has a marina that is fairly new but looks to be falling apart. We spent two nights and left for Penang stopping by a small island just south of the airport. The next morning we powered up between the island of Penang and the mainland and passed under two large bridges that connect it to the mainland. The first one is under construction and has a causeway that appears to be twenty miles long and the second one is the same but with a shorter causeway. Since leaving Bali we have not been in over 30 meters of water at any time and the coast of Malaysia is likewise very shallow and with the tides we have to be careful not getting hung up on a sandbar. The amount of plastic in the waters of Indonesia and Malaysia is amazing and makes us feel very depressed. These countries have a long way to go to be even close to the rest of the world in cleanliness and knowing what to do with the trash.
We arrived into Staits Quay marina which is small holding maybe only thirty boats on the 22nd. This place is clean as a whistle with restaurants all around the quay. So now we have a choice of Irish, Italian, German etc all around us. We are taking advantage of this which makes Marian very happy, and me too. Penang has an old part of the city called George town that has some interesting old buildings but mostly t-shirt shops etc. Not much in the way of interest except for maybe going up the tram to over look the city. It is high enough to get a respite from the heat and humidity. We did that yesterday after applying for our visas for Thailand which will be good for two months after we check in there in January. We will stay here for a few more days before leaving for Langkawi where Kilkea II will stay at Rebak marina while we head home for Christmas. It will be good to get out of this heat for a while but I imagine we will be happy to return to it after winter time in Canada.
The second trip was to Kuala Lumpar or KL as they refer to it here. One of the tallest towers is located here and is the icon for the city of two million. It is just a big city with none of the charm and interest of Singapore.
Next we spent a few days sailing to get up to a place called Pangkor. You really need to sail only in daylight as these waters are so full of junk as well as fishing boats that do most of their fishing at night. Our first stop was at Port Klang which is the commercial port for KL. It was the dirtiest place we have ever seen! You could almost walk on the water with all the debris floating about. At first light we left and ended up running out of light that evening so just dropped the anchor in 4 meters of water five miles from shore in the middle of the ocean. The wind came up at dawn so we moved on to Pangkor which has a marina that is fairly new but looks to be falling apart. We spent two nights and left for Penang stopping by a small island just south of the airport. The next morning we powered up between the island of Penang and the mainland and passed under two large bridges that connect it to the mainland. The first one is under construction and has a causeway that appears to be twenty miles long and the second one is the same but with a shorter causeway. Since leaving Bali we have not been in over 30 meters of water at any time and the coast of Malaysia is likewise very shallow and with the tides we have to be careful not getting hung up on a sandbar. The amount of plastic in the waters of Indonesia and Malaysia is amazing and makes us feel very depressed. These countries have a long way to go to be even close to the rest of the world in cleanliness and knowing what to do with the trash.
We arrived into Staits Quay marina which is small holding maybe only thirty boats on the 22nd. This place is clean as a whistle with restaurants all around the quay. So now we have a choice of Irish, Italian, German etc all around us. We are taking advantage of this which makes Marian very happy, and me too. Penang has an old part of the city called George town that has some interesting old buildings but mostly t-shirt shops etc. Not much in the way of interest except for maybe going up the tram to over look the city. It is high enough to get a respite from the heat and humidity. We did that yesterday after applying for our visas for Thailand which will be good for two months after we check in there in January. We will stay here for a few more days before leaving for Langkawi where Kilkea II will stay at Rebak marina while we head home for Christmas. It will be good to get out of this heat for a while but I imagine we will be happy to return to it after winter time in Canada.
Friday, November 9, 2012
Singapore pictures
Port Dickson Malaysia
The dinner for the rally at Denga Bay was quite the production. We had gone up the five miles to the marina in a water taxi and arrived to find most all the cruisers at the bar having a free beer before moving into the convention center for dinner. It was a bit of a shock to move into an air conditioned room after being outside in the heat. It was actually cold with the ladies wrapping themselves with what ever they could to stay warm. I think we are getting soft as if the temperature goes below 25C we are cold. The dinner was a production with great fanfare as the waiters arrived with the food. It was interesting that just one course arrived at a time with the rice at the end. It was all ok but the sound system was cranked up to where your body vibrated with the singing and dancing that was put on for us and it made any conversation impossible. It was a busy night and at 10pm we who had come up from Puteri marina jumped back into the water taxi and went back to our boats.
At 10.00 the next morning after getting our clearance out for Langkawi we left for the 140 mile sail up the Melaka strait which separates Sumatra from the Malay peninsula. This is probably the busiest shipping area in the world with we have been told over 7000 ships transiting each month. Some of the oil tankers are over 1000 feet long (333meters). There is a traffic separation lanes to keep everyone safe and we just hung on the inshore westbound lane so that we would be out of the way of all the freighters as well as to be out of the way of the local fisherman with their fishing nets all about. It worked very well for us and we sailed for a change much of the way. I had a talk on the radio from one of the tankers who was interested in what we were doing and remarked that they did not see many private yachts in this area. He wanted our blog site and said it was his dream to do what we have been doing now for the last seven years. Maybe he will read this and get back to us. Our trip took us 23 hours and we tied up in Admiral Marina in Port Dickson at nine in the morning. The marina is impressive as it is surrounded by big hotel complexes and the clubhouse is rather opulent at least from the outside. Inside is pretty nice too. It is HOT and we are happy sitting inside our boat with the ac on. We have been up to the pool for a swim and went into the town for an afternoon but have mostly been relaxing onboard and getting projects finished as well as checking up on the world news. Sounds like the same old same old stuff!!
Our plan today will be to stay here for a few more days maybe a week and then head up to Penang for a few days before moving over to Langkawi where we will leave Kilkea II for the Christmas period and make our way back to Canada.
At 10.00 the next morning after getting our clearance out for Langkawi we left for the 140 mile sail up the Melaka strait which separates Sumatra from the Malay peninsula. This is probably the busiest shipping area in the world with we have been told over 7000 ships transiting each month. Some of the oil tankers are over 1000 feet long (333meters). There is a traffic separation lanes to keep everyone safe and we just hung on the inshore westbound lane so that we would be out of the way of all the freighters as well as to be out of the way of the local fisherman with their fishing nets all about. It worked very well for us and we sailed for a change much of the way. I had a talk on the radio from one of the tankers who was interested in what we were doing and remarked that they did not see many private yachts in this area. He wanted our blog site and said it was his dream to do what we have been doing now for the last seven years. Maybe he will read this and get back to us. Our trip took us 23 hours and we tied up in Admiral Marina in Port Dickson at nine in the morning. The marina is impressive as it is surrounded by big hotel complexes and the clubhouse is rather opulent at least from the outside. Inside is pretty nice too. It is HOT and we are happy sitting inside our boat with the ac on. We have been up to the pool for a swim and went into the town for an afternoon but have mostly been relaxing onboard and getting projects finished as well as checking up on the world news. Sounds like the same old same old stuff!!
Our plan today will be to stay here for a few more days maybe a week and then head up to Penang for a few days before moving over to Langkawi where we will leave Kilkea II for the Christmas period and make our way back to Canada.
Sunday, November 4, 2012
Malaysia
We have spent the last two weeks in Singapore and do not want to leave. Maybe it is because after Indonesia it is so clean and civil that it makes us think this way. The thought of going back to the third world is not too appealing. We have had a wonderful time except for the worms. At least we were able to be treated for this here. We have met a few times with Marians cousin Ben and wife Pat who know there way around town having lived here on and off for the last twelve years. We have been to the gardens and night safari at the zoo with all the lions and giraffes. At night it is cooler to be out and about. The shopping centers are non stop and everywhere. The subway is easy and clean and air conditioned and the people so courteous. The dinners out with other cruisers and friends have made it a most enjoyable stay. We did enjoy the chili prawns and chili crab plus many other great dishes. But on Saturday our visa was out and it was time to leave for Malaysia.
The plan was to leave in the morning for the four hour trip up to Puteri Marina but because of thunder storms we did not leave until 13.30 and arrived here about 1800 in the rain. It was a quiet night and today we did the check in with customs and immigration which the marina did most all of the paperwork for us so all we had to do was to jump into a van and drive a fair way to the offices for the processing. We are surprised that the area we are in now is very upscale with freeways and new buildings all about. We cannot get into Danga Bay where the majority of the Malaysian rally boats are but will go up there tomorrow for the dinner and meet up with many friends. We hope it is better run than the Indonesian rally!!
Oh we got the laptop fixed, I hope, and so will be able to manage the blog a little better. I still could not get the captions on the ipad right so you will just have to make up your own captions or we can fill you in when we meet.
The plan was to leave in the morning for the four hour trip up to Puteri Marina but because of thunder storms we did not leave until 13.30 and arrived here about 1800 in the rain. It was a quiet night and today we did the check in with customs and immigration which the marina did most all of the paperwork for us so all we had to do was to jump into a van and drive a fair way to the offices for the processing. We are surprised that the area we are in now is very upscale with freeways and new buildings all about. We cannot get into Danga Bay where the majority of the Malaysian rally boats are but will go up there tomorrow for the dinner and meet up with many friends. We hope it is better run than the Indonesian rally!!
Oh we got the laptop fixed, I hope, and so will be able to manage the blog a little better. I still could not get the captions on the ipad right so you will just have to make up your own captions or we can fill you in when we meet.
Singapore
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
One 15 Marina
Hello. I have been having a tough time uploading the pictures on the ipad. Our main laptop blew up a couple of months ago so we are making do with the ipad. I will try to put some captions on the pictures asap.
We arrived in Raffles marina after crossing the very busy strait between Indonesia and Singapore. We cleared immigration by going to a designated area in the boat while the immigration boat came up to us and we handed all the paper work over to them in a fishing net. This saved us a lot of time and money. We got the generator fixed after just a couple of hours the first day we were in the marina which is a very unusual situation as any of you with boats will understand! We have had a great time so far in Singapore witth lots of shopping and eating out. It is a beautiful city with great urban planing. We have visited Marian's Cousin Ben and wife Pat and had them out in the boat when we spent three hours moving to this marina. We had a problem which caused us to use the medical survices at Raffles hospital. We had come into contact with some dirty sand or whatever, and I don't want to thing what that might have been, and managed to get some worms growing in our feet. Ug!!! We alerted the other yachties we know and have found out others have the same problem and are greatful to know. None of this is as bad as our friend John on Sea Mist as he, after one week here has undergone a hip replacement. He is doing fine but will be off his feet for at lest a couple of weeks and then will have togo slow for some time. John is not good at staying put so it will be a strugle for him. He will be out of haspial on Friday. More later on Singapore.
We arrived in Raffles marina after crossing the very busy strait between Indonesia and Singapore. We cleared immigration by going to a designated area in the boat while the immigration boat came up to us and we handed all the paper work over to them in a fishing net. This saved us a lot of time and money. We got the generator fixed after just a couple of hours the first day we were in the marina which is a very unusual situation as any of you with boats will understand! We have had a great time so far in Singapore witth lots of shopping and eating out. It is a beautiful city with great urban planing. We have visited Marian's Cousin Ben and wife Pat and had them out in the boat when we spent three hours moving to this marina. We had a problem which caused us to use the medical survices at Raffles hospital. We had come into contact with some dirty sand or whatever, and I don't want to thing what that might have been, and managed to get some worms growing in our feet. Ug!!! We alerted the other yachties we know and have found out others have the same problem and are greatful to know. None of this is as bad as our friend John on Sea Mist as he, after one week here has undergone a hip replacement. He is doing fine but will be off his feet for at lest a couple of weeks and then will have togo slow for some time. John is not good at staying put so it will be a strugle for him. He will be out of haspial on Friday. More later on Singapore.
Singapore
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| a cold one with John and Marian |
another beach
Marian in the palms
children in dugout canoes, a normal situation
Marian and Anne shopping
Friday, October 19, 2012
Nongsa Point
We stayed in Nangka for a couple of days just enjoying some quiet time. Callisto left for Malaysia as they are off to England on the 20th. That left us and Miss Behaving and we had a good evening with them and their children. We are the surrogate grandparents to the kids with Riley who is seven giving Marian lots of hugs. Lots of fun for us as we think of all our grandkids at home. Their was another rally event that we thought we would try to visit but after a half day sail we found that the event was up a river and the depth at the bar was two meters and we draw 2.1 meters so could not get in. Actually most all the boats could not get in and just is how disorganized this rally is. We then went to Belitung island where we anchored in a big bay with lots of huge boulders all about. The beach area was beautiful white sand with the consistency of icing sugar. There was a small restaurant ashore that all the cruisers were using that you just helped yourself to the beer in the fridge. The menu was small but the food was terrific and very inexpensive. We ended up staying four days and somehow the sail Indonesia people found out there were 15 or so yachts there and managed to put on a dinner and dancing. Very nice under the stars dancing on the beach with the evening temperature down to 30c. We were asked to talk to the vice regent of Belitung with our ideas on the rally. It as an interesting conversation.. We have really enjoyed the people in Indonesia as they are so friendly and want to show you all their ways of living.
We left Belitung at 0600 on the 15th Oct for a two night passage to Nongsa Point Marina. The day time is quiet with little traffic but at night all the fisherman show up with nets all over and no navigation lights. They have just some bright lights but are just white so no idea where they are moving or if they are moving. The radar really helps here as we can pick up there nets in the water and avoid them. Some nets are a mile long and maybe longer so it makes for a busy night. On the second night we crossed the equator and toasted Poseidon with a drop of Irish whisky. Sea Mist and Imagine were close by and we all congratulated ourselves for the crossing. It has been two and a half years that we have been in the Southern Hemisphere so it is quite exciting to be back where the toilet flushes the correct way.
We arrived at Nongsa Point Marina at 1100 on Wednesday the 17th and finally, with the boat plugged in to shore power turned on the A/C.. We have just had rain, very heavy rain , on the way up here which is the first since way back Townsville in Australia. It is HOT with 100% humidity so we really appreciate the air con. This is a full resort marina with good restaurants, Pools, and golf course. We are just 15 miles across the strait from Singapore and the shipping traffic in the strait is amazing. I think even busier than Gib. We just cleaned up the boat and enjoyed the resort and rested after our trip up here. This morning Friday I went with Gary off s/v Pursuit to play golf!!!!
Well I played last January in NZ so was not expecting for much from my game. Well I got what I expected. I sure need a lot of time on the range if I ever want to play without totally embarrassing
myself. We started at 0730 and had to quit after 14 holes as the thunder started to roll in. Not a problem as it was now really HOT.
We will stay here until Monday then it is off across the strait to Singapore for a week or so of big city living. We are looking forward to that and seeing cousins and a nephew while we are there. Also I can get the generator fixed so that we will have air con, water maker and washing machine running when we are out at anchor. There are some other boat jobs to do so we will be busy with that and site seeing.
Tuesday, October 9, 2012
Borneo
blog borneo
Our three days at the hotel were wonderful. The hotel is in an area called Nusa Dua. It is on the southern peninsula and is a gated area with lots of the big hotels with lots of security and very manicured. It is not what the town area is like at all. This area is what you would see in any western resort setting. The town of Dempasar and surrounding areas are very crowded with millions of motor cycles which makes for very interesting driving. We did a days drive after leaving the hotel through the middle of the island to Lovina Beach. Up in the mountains we drove past lots of rice paddies and believe it or not lots of strawberry growing farms. The strawberry juice was very good. On our return we drove the coast road along the north and east coasts and back to the marina.
We had hired a boat boy to clean and polish Kilkea when we were away and five days later the boat looked great. The cost was $25 per day so we were delighted that we did not have to do it this time. On the 25th and 26th we fueled Kilkea using jerry cans holding 20 liters each and we poured a dozen into the boat so that we now have full tanks. We were getting rather concerned with getting back our passports as we gave them to Sam the sail Indonesia rep to get an extension on our visa. He had them for a week and we could not contact him but at 1500 hrs on the 26th he arrived and all was well.
The morning of the 27th we left the marina after a hitch with Callisto's engine which was giving a fault warning. It was to do with the turbo on the engine and Michael could not get any boost so is now limited to operating the engine at lower rpm's and lower speeds. Once away we had to hug the east coast line of Bali to make use of the back eddies which we did for the rest of the day motoring not more than 100 meters from the shore. At least we got a great ocean view of the shoreline with literally thousands of small fishing boats with two outriggers that all head out fishing at night! When it started to get close to sunset we headed out to sea from the north coast of Bali to go seventy miles out to the island of Kangean where we arrive at 0800 and anchored for the day. You have to stay very alert at night as there are so many boats out fishing most with no lights or very low powered little flashing lights of blue red and green. All very confusing and it is a great help finding them all using the radar.
On Saturday the 29th we set off in company with Callisto on a three day two night passage to the town of Kumai up a river in Borneo now called Kalimantan. I set the fishing line when we were clear of the reefs and in deeper water and had a ten pound Mahi Mahi on board before nine am. Enough fish so the we motored on. Finally the wind came up around ten at night and we sailed the rest of the way to Borneo. The depth of the waters in this area of the world are very shallow with nothing deeper than seventy meter all the way to Singapore with most depths being in the ten to twenty meter range. On our third day we ran out of wind before we entered the Kumai river and worked our way upstream to the town a distance of fifteen miles. Now it is warm and even hot where we have been in the last number of years but once approaching Borneo it got really HOT and humid and with all this was smoke, lots of smoke. It seems that there is 98% illegal logging and land clearing on this huge island which is destroying the native jungle and its habitat. The sunsets in Indonesia are orange and you do not see the sun set as it is blocked out by all the pollution. Everything here is a little or a lot crooked with bribes the normal part of life whether small or big and we don't imagine things will change for a long time. We anchored with about twelve other yachts across from the town and spent the next day doing all the finishing details for our two day Klotok boat trip further up the river to the Tanjung Puting national park.
The Klotok boat is like the boat in the old movie African Queen which sounds like ka put ka put ka put. We have six of us onboard with Callisto, Anne and Michael, and Pakia Mist, Mike and Gloria. We were picked up off our boats and sit on the top deck of this seventeen meter long by three meter wide boat. We have a guide, captain and mate, and a cook onboard to look after us. The river starts out wide and keeps getting narrower and after six hours it was just wider that the boat when we arrived at camp Leakey. We saw an Orangutan and lots of proboscis monkeys and other kinks as well as crocodiles and other jungle animals by the time we arrive at the camp having had some amazing views ka putting through the jungle. At Camp Leakey they have reintroduced Orangs back into the wild and have a platform set up in the jungle where they put bananas out at three each day and call and the Orangutan come for the free meal. There were a number there with babies which they have every eight years so the little ones are with their mothers for a long time. They sure can eat bananas stuffing twenty plus into their mouth at a time! We stayed and watched the antics of the babies and mums for an hour or so before going back to the Klotok. Oh it was now really HOT with the temperature in the 40's and 100% humidity. Back on the boat we moved down the river a short way and just pulled into the shore, well jungle, and stopped for the night. We had brought some wine and drinks with us and just enjoyed the company as the darkness fell and all the jungle noises started up. It was very quiet and calm and the dinner the cook prepared was very good, basic but good, Now the crew cleared the table and chairs on the top of the boat and put out the mattresses and mosquito nets. So the six of us slept under the three nets on the top of the boat with the quiet of the jungle which was broken by the twilight of morning with many more animal sounds wafting through. Day two took us to two more camps where we saw more Orangutan's eating bananas. At the second stop we were watching this when there was great crashing and bashing noises heading our way. It turned out to be the dominant male they call Yannie arriving at the platform. He was thirty years old and was very big! You are only ten to fifteen feet away from these animals and sometimes a lot closer and you have to remember they are wild or at least live in the wild. They apparently share 97% of our genetic code but I really don't see any resemblance to us. They are pretty neat to see. We had a wonderful time and enjoyed the company very much. We were dropped off at our boats after dark and had a quiet night.
On our way from Bali we went to start the generator and got a fault code that indicates an over voltage problem and shuts down. This is a problem as we cannot make water, run AC, charge batteries and use the washing machine. So this morning we tied up to Callisto who pumped over some water so that we will have enough for the next couple of weeks when we will get to Singapore and have it fixed. No chance of that here. Now we have not had much good to say about Sail Indonesia as they do not ever keep to any schedule but today they have a day of festivities planned. So after getting a couple hundred litres of water from Callisto we were picked up in a long boat with others and taken to the visitors centre at the dock. There were singing and dancing along with something to eat and not many speeches and then we were off on a air conditioned bus to town where we all got into more long boats and toured up and down the river seeing the sights. Then we were dropped off at a big market before we boarded the bus and back to where we started. There they had tables all set up and a big lunch with more entertainment. After this back on the bus and down towards the river mouth where we were put back on long boats and ferried over to a big spit/sandbar which is a park area, where we planted a tree and released some baby turtles into the sea. When we got back to the boat we were exhausted.
Up at 0530 and off at 0600 down the river and off on a two hundred mile sail to a small island called Nangka off Bilitung island. We did an over night passage and managed to dodge all the fish boats but did have a tug and barge that seemed to not know the rules of the road or was just funning with us. We arrived just half an hour before sunset and are now anchored in twenty five meters on sand behind this small islnad.
Sunday, September 23, 2012
Sitting by the pool
The fifteen miles over to Bali went quickly with two to three knots of current pushing us along. We arrived before noon on the high tide and tied up and plugged into the shore power. It works ok as long as you do not try to run too much equipment on the boat. In the afternoon we managed to get to the bank machine, organize a rental car for the week, and hire a boat boy to wax and clean all the stainless on Kilkea. The costs here are just fine and we can indulge in having this done rather than us doing it in 34C temperatures.
The next morning we and Callisto were off in the car to Ubud which is a town in the middle of the island with lots of temples and monks wandering around. It is very touristy but very good with a nice lunch that we had for about $5 per head including drinks. There are some wonderful hotels that are on the walk to the rice paddies. They are situated in a ravine with all the tropical foliage and big swimming pools and cost about $30 per night for two including breakfast. If we had know this we would have brought our tooth brushes. The driving here is interesting with hundreds of motorcycles all weaving in and out. We did go through a police road check and were informed we did not have an international drivers licence. Mike was driving and after passing the equivalent of $5 to the cop all was ok.. This is normal for this part of the world.
The next day we did some cleaning and directed our man on the waxing until noon then drove to an Italian restaurant for lunch in Kuta or there abouts. That area is full of the hotels and shops that cater to the tourists. It is very busy and rather dirty with big surf on the seashore. On the way back to the marina we stopped at a big Carrefour and loaded up on some of the heavy items.. Beer, milk juice and soda's etc, Dinner at the marina and were met by Sam, the sail Indonesia guy, who collected our passports to get us a visa extension. Even though we have a 90 days visa it seems it is only good for 60. Who knows how these things work but it is most confusing. Hope we get them back!!!
On Friday we drove over to the Burkit peninsula where the Marriott hotel is. This is a huge area of big hotels all in a gated area. It is manicured unlike any of the other parts of the island that we have so far seen. The hotel is lovely with a big pool with islands and bars etc where I sit now doing this. The best thing is a big room, air conditioning and long showers. We are with Michael and Anne and have had lunches and dinners out so for us a very nice mini vacation.
The next morning we and Callisto were off in the car to Ubud which is a town in the middle of the island with lots of temples and monks wandering around. It is very touristy but very good with a nice lunch that we had for about $5 per head including drinks. There are some wonderful hotels that are on the walk to the rice paddies. They are situated in a ravine with all the tropical foliage and big swimming pools and cost about $30 per night for two including breakfast. If we had know this we would have brought our tooth brushes. The driving here is interesting with hundreds of motorcycles all weaving in and out. We did go through a police road check and were informed we did not have an international drivers licence. Mike was driving and after passing the equivalent of $5 to the cop all was ok.. This is normal for this part of the world.
The next day we did some cleaning and directed our man on the waxing until noon then drove to an Italian restaurant for lunch in Kuta or there abouts. That area is full of the hotels and shops that cater to the tourists. It is very busy and rather dirty with big surf on the seashore. On the way back to the marina we stopped at a big Carrefour and loaded up on some of the heavy items.. Beer, milk juice and soda's etc, Dinner at the marina and were met by Sam, the sail Indonesia guy, who collected our passports to get us a visa extension. Even though we have a 90 days visa it seems it is only good for 60. Who knows how these things work but it is most confusing. Hope we get them back!!!
On Friday we drove over to the Burkit peninsula where the Marriott hotel is. This is a huge area of big hotels all in a gated area. It is manicured unlike any of the other parts of the island that we have so far seen. The hotel is lovely with a big pool with islands and bars etc where I sit now doing this. The best thing is a big room, air conditioning and long showers. We are with Michael and Anne and have had lunches and dinners out so for us a very nice mini vacation.
Sunday, September 16, 2012
Lombongan Island
Every day the wind would come up at noon and blow for the rest of the afterrnoon so after a couple of days of this we untied and set sail to Lombongan Island about 40 miles away. It is only 15 miles from the main town Denpassar on Bali. The strait between Lombok and Bali has currents of up to seven knots and if you have wind against current some big seas develope. For us everything worked out well and we arrived here just after noon. We tied to mooring that would hold the Queen Mary in crystal clear water. This is much more western with lots of tourist boats comming and going. They even have bannanas which are yellow plastic tubes pulled by a speed boat and can sit six or so people. It was Friday so the Muslim holiday and it was a sight to see women with full clothing riding around in the ocean getting soaked.
We went ashore the next day for a walk. Great small hotels and hostels in amongst the trees and shrubery. We went to one of the sea side restauranats for lunch which was very good and everything here is inexpensive. There are eight boats here and five of them have kids onboard. So the kids played on the beach all afternoon and we held court sitting in the restaurant with the parents. Soon the sun went down so we stayed for dinner which also was very good. The cost for the whole day for two was about $25.
Yesterday we and Anne and Mike on Callisto went ashore in the morning and rented two motor scooters to drive around the island. We managed to get back safe and sound although there were a couple of times the girls got off and walked. We had another great lunch overlooking surfers with dolphins swimming in the distance.We were right out on a precipice about seventy feet above the water with big surf rolling in. One of the kids actually just jumped in from the top after he threw his suf board in!! Ah to be young.
When we got back to Kilkea and after a swim we had Gary and Tara come over for a visit. The last time we saw them was a year or so ago in New Caledonia. Since then they have gotten married and now Tara is expecting in January. They got married on our anniversary date forty years later. It was good to catch up and they will be sailing on the same route as us so we will be seeing them more often.
Tomorrow we will head off to Bali and hope to get into the marina??
We went ashore the next day for a walk. Great small hotels and hostels in amongst the trees and shrubery. We went to one of the sea side restauranats for lunch which was very good and everything here is inexpensive. There are eight boats here and five of them have kids onboard. So the kids played on the beach all afternoon and we held court sitting in the restaurant with the parents. Soon the sun went down so we stayed for dinner which also was very good. The cost for the whole day for two was about $25.
Yesterday we and Anne and Mike on Callisto went ashore in the morning and rented two motor scooters to drive around the island. We managed to get back safe and sound although there were a couple of times the girls got off and walked. We had another great lunch overlooking surfers with dolphins swimming in the distance.We were right out on a precipice about seventy feet above the water with big surf rolling in. One of the kids actually just jumped in from the top after he threw his suf board in!! Ah to be young.
When we got back to Kilkea and after a swim we had Gary and Tara come over for a visit. The last time we saw them was a year or so ago in New Caledonia. Since then they have gotten married and now Tara is expecting in January. They got married on our anniversary date forty years later. It was good to catch up and they will be sailing on the same route as us so we will be seeing them more often.
Tomorrow we will head off to Bali and hope to get into the marina??
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
Gili Air
Watching the fisherman go out in their boats as sunset approached and the birds singing in the trees we slsept well in this quiet anchorage inside the reefs in 3 meters of water. Up and off around 8am we dodged around fish boats for most of the morning on our way to Madena Bay on Lombok Island. This is a place that is supposed to have a rally event on the 20th. We anchored and went ashore to the dinghy dock which was good not having to land on the beach and found they had a small reasturant and bar but other wise just a small place but very welcoming. We stayed here for two days and had diinner aat the marina with the second night being Saturday they had Balanese music and dancing preformed by a large group of players. Lots of drums and bells and the dancers got many of the yachties up dancing.
The only problem with this anchouage was it was rolly so we moved four miles over to an Islet called Gili Air. It is a small island that is freuented by back packers with lots of small hostels and some hotels all around the shore. The only mode of transportation is by pony drawn carts with the ponies all dressed in colourful ribbons. The holding is not good here for anchoring so the local fisherman have put out moorings to tie up to. It is a lovely place with great views of Lombok Island and at sunset the big mountains of Bali in the distance.
On our second day here we did a tour to Lombok which we are told is what Bali was like thirty years ago. We were off at seven a,m, on a long boat across to the island, about 3 miles, and then into a new Toyata van with comfort and air conditioning. Very nice as I know I have mentioned that it is really hot.here. We saw lots of monkeys in the mountains and saw wood working making tables chairs and lots of carving stuff, Then we went to a weaving place that does all this intricate work by hand on looms. Marian and Anne bought some of the cloth after extensive bargaining which was fun. Each village has their own speciality so next it was off to the pottery designers which resulted in more bargaining. Finally we managed to have a late lunch somewhere between three and four so we were pretty hungry and had a great seafood repast. We arrived back to the boats around seven that evening and called it a day which was very enjoyable.
Waking to calm waters the next morning we planed to just take it easy and relax and do some swimming and snorkeling but around ten the winds came up and by noon it was blowing 30 knots. Then the mooring we were on started to drag. We kept getting closer and closer to the boat behind us so we had to untie and find another mooring. The problem we had was that our line was jammed onto the mooring. Three of the other yachties saw what was going on and rushed over in their dinghies and helped us get lose and then helped us get hooked up to another mooring. It is a great group out here with everyone helping out if needed. After our fun time another boat had the same problem and we feel lucky that this happened when we were onboard and not yesterday when were off the boat. This wind stayed up all day yesterday as well so everyone stayed onboard most of the day. Marian and Anne went to shore for the day and walked around the island while Mike and I stayed with the boats. Last evening we all went out for dinner as the winds had dropped but when we came back, even though the wind was down the waves were up, and we all got soaked getting back to the boats.
This morning is calm and very pleasant so hope it stays this way for the day. We will be off soon as we plan to be in Bali on the 18th.. We are going to have a holiday when there and have booked into the Marriot for three days. Ah long showers, air conditioned room, and a bed that does not move. I hope to upload pictures when there as we will have good wifi.
Thursday, September 6, 2012
Yes we are still out here
We have had a few emails complaining that we have not posted for a while. Sorry about that but sometimes there are not enough hours in the day and then there is the problem of getting online We have been moving westward with a few stops for just one night then moving on. We stopped at Gili Bodo and spent two nights as we were at a very pretty island with a white beach with monkeys wandering around and the snorkeling was good. We then motorsailed over to Labuan Bajo which is a very dirty town but does have the fresh vegies and all we needed. When we anchored we had boat boys in long boats come to us and offer their services. This included taking us to town, a mile away, and bringing us deisel which they call solar here. Also they had wares to sell of pearls, and wood carvings of the Komodo dragons. There is this nice Italinan restaurant with a bar with bean bag chairs and lap pool. It is a 100 plus foot boat that was brought ashore and made into this relaxing place. The food was great being real Italian and we enjoyed a couple of meals here. In town for two days we did our shopping and had two good lunches and found a bank machine so all was good.
After three nights we left in the morning for Rincaa Island and anchored around 1400 in the afternoon in a very sheltered bay. This is one of four islands that have the Komodo Dragons and has fewer tourists than Komodo Island which is nearby. We are with Callisto and will do the tour in the morning before it gets too hot. We were ashore by 0700 and had a great guide "Kuba" who spoke good english and gave us great three hour tour. We saw a dozen or so of the dragons and had a nice walk. We were back onboard by 10.00 so left and had a good sail with the current behind us for a change to Giliawa Laut Island. Here we found nine of the yachts anchored in clear but rather deep water. Justin of Miss Behaving helped us as he was snorkeling and had us drop our anchor onto a sandy spot. We spent the next few days here as the water was so clear and the coral so good. We spent a couple of days drift snorkeling through a pass with beautiful corals and fish and turtles. On the way back to the boat in the dinghy we and Mike and Gloria off Paikea Mist in their dinghy spotted a couple of big Manta rays swimming on the surface. We stopped and jumped into the water and swam with these amazing animals which were at least 3 meters across. We had a great time at this anchorage with lots of evening company on each others yachts. Life is tough.
After three nights we left in the morning for Rincaa Island and anchored around 1400 in the afternoon in a very sheltered bay. This is one of four islands that have the Komodo Dragons and has fewer tourists than Komodo Island which is nearby. We are with Callisto and will do the tour in the morning before it gets too hot. We were ashore by 0700 and had a great guide "Kuba" who spoke good english and gave us great three hour tour. We saw a dozen or so of the dragons and had a nice walk. We were back onboard by 10.00 so left and had a good sail with the current behind us for a change to Giliawa Laut Island. Here we found nine of the yachts anchored in clear but rather deep water. Justin of Miss Behaving helped us as he was snorkeling and had us drop our anchor onto a sandy spot. We spent the next few days here as the water was so clear and the coral so good. We spent a couple of days drift snorkeling through a pass with beautiful corals and fish and turtles. On the way back to the boat in the dinghy we and Mike and Gloria off Paikea Mist in their dinghy spotted a couple of big Manta rays swimming on the surface. We stopped and jumped into the water and swam with these amazing animals which were at least 3 meters across. We had a great time at this anchorage with lots of evening company on each others yachts. Life is tough.
It was time to go to the big town of Lebuan Bajo. We anchored off one of the western hotels and were immediately accosted by the boat boys. Our guy (Dona) turned out to be very good. He brought us some diesel and took us to town in his long boat. The town was very dirty but did have a couple of good restaurants for lunch. The best place we found was Atlantis which is an Italian restaurant and bar with a lap pool and bean bag chairs. The food was real Italian and we ended up there two of the nights. We did manage to get some fresh veg and some bread. On the 31st we sailed to Rinca Island to Loh Buoya where we anchored in the afternoon and will go shore in the morning to see the Komodo Dragons.
The last night was very rolly so we were off to a quieter anchorage for the night. The next day we decided to put some miles behind us and did an overnight passage to P Lawang on the north east end of Lombok. Today we are off to Medina Bay and arrived at 14.30. This is supposed to be one of the rally stops but we do not know if it is still running or not.!! We will go ashore and hope to find a little place to eat.
Thursday, August 23, 2012
A Sad Day
This morning we recieved an email from one of our best friends Jack saying that Marsha had passed away. She had cancer and put up a good fight. We spent the morning emailing and making skype calls. It is time like this we feel that we are too far away from our family and extended families.
Marsha has been a great friend to us and our children having know them all as babies. Our daughter feels like Marsha was a second Mum to her. We will miss Marsha but have great memories of our times together.
Marsha has been a great friend to us and our children having know them all as babies. Our daughter feels like Marsha was a second Mum to her. We will miss Marsha but have great memories of our times together.
Busy Times
After sundowners on the beach we had an early evening and then an early start the next morning. We were off around 6am with some of the other boats. Our plan was to sail about 30 miles up the north coast of Flores Island and had an anchorage that looked ok on the charts. Arriving at this place we decided it was not that great and moved on another 30 miles to an island called Pulu Besar where the reports were for a better place to stop. There are a lot of reefs here and most are not well charted probably because of the earthquakes and tsunamis that have caused a lot of damage to all of this coast. The light was not good getting after 1600 and we managed to tag a bit of the bottom! No damage just a little reminder to pay attention. We stayed the next day and went ashore with Callisto. The village is Muslim so the girls wore sarongs around their waists. We were met by the chief who took us on a guided tour of the village. We ate the fruit of the cashew nut which was kind of peach in taste. Lots of kids were with us and this was a poor village so we gave them lots of pencils and pens etc and came back in the afternoon with clothing and old shoes and sandals. They appreciate anything but ask for nothing.
Monday morning we left and headed to Mausambi which is a small village that looked ok for an overnight anchorage. There were three rally boats there when we arrived and one had made contact with a local guy named Vincent who spoke pretty good english. A few more boats arrived and Vincent wanted everyone to meet on the beach at 1600 so he could show us a new head house for the village. We did this and about 20 of us yachties followed him up the beach and through the forest and across a stream to the village where everyone was waiting for our arrival. It was just getting dark and the men were invited up onto a covered platform with a thatched roof and sat cross legged and were served a dinner of rice and I think goat in a broth. Meat is very special for them so this was an honor for us. Marian very quickly became a vegetarian and enjoyed rice and cooked veggies!! After this came the palm wine and some form of rocket fuel that we drank sparingly. After this we all danced around a pole in a circle holding hands to the beat of drums.? You never know what is going to happen travelling in Indonesia.
The next day we stayed and in the evening Vincent put on a BBQ at his home and BBQ'd a pig. It was very nice but with all the yachties in a small town we managed to drink all the Bintang beer. Did I say it is very hot here? Well it sure is. Even Marian is drinking beer.
A very early moninng with us up at 0330 to get in a Bemo which is a truck with a couple of benches on either side for a two hour trip up to Kalimatu at about 5000 feet above sea level. It is a national park and the main attraction are three crater lakes all different colours. One is blue the other is green and the third is black. Apparently they do change colour from time to time. The reason we left so early is to be able to see all this before the clouds build up over the mountain. It was a wonderful sight and worth the discomfort of the ride. The area is mountainous and the valleys are full of rice paddies. Miles and miles of them! We went through small towns that had wonderful veggie markets and we stopped and stocked up. We got back to the boat around 1600, had a swim and shower and around 20 of us went to Callisto to celebrate Michael's 60th Birthday. Lots of food and talk of the day with a glass or two of wine. Being a long day and most of us being over the age we were all back on our boats and in bed by 2100.
Monday morning we left and headed to Mausambi which is a small village that looked ok for an overnight anchorage. There were three rally boats there when we arrived and one had made contact with a local guy named Vincent who spoke pretty good english. A few more boats arrived and Vincent wanted everyone to meet on the beach at 1600 so he could show us a new head house for the village. We did this and about 20 of us yachties followed him up the beach and through the forest and across a stream to the village where everyone was waiting for our arrival. It was just getting dark and the men were invited up onto a covered platform with a thatched roof and sat cross legged and were served a dinner of rice and I think goat in a broth. Meat is very special for them so this was an honor for us. Marian very quickly became a vegetarian and enjoyed rice and cooked veggies!! After this came the palm wine and some form of rocket fuel that we drank sparingly. After this we all danced around a pole in a circle holding hands to the beat of drums.? You never know what is going to happen travelling in Indonesia.
The next day we stayed and in the evening Vincent put on a BBQ at his home and BBQ'd a pig. It was very nice but with all the yachties in a small town we managed to drink all the Bintang beer. Did I say it is very hot here? Well it sure is. Even Marian is drinking beer.
A very early moninng with us up at 0330 to get in a Bemo which is a truck with a couple of benches on either side for a two hour trip up to Kalimatu at about 5000 feet above sea level. It is a national park and the main attraction are three crater lakes all different colours. One is blue the other is green and the third is black. Apparently they do change colour from time to time. The reason we left so early is to be able to see all this before the clouds build up over the mountain. It was a wonderful sight and worth the discomfort of the ride. The area is mountainous and the valleys are full of rice paddies. Miles and miles of them! We went through small towns that had wonderful veggie markets and we stopped and stocked up. We got back to the boat around 1600, had a swim and shower and around 20 of us went to Callisto to celebrate Michael's 60th Birthday. Lots of food and talk of the day with a glass or two of wine. Being a long day and most of us being over the age we were all back on our boats and in bed by 2100.
Thursday, August 16, 2012
A day or two off
After the arrival of Declan we just stayed at anchor for the day, went for a walk and had a quiet evening. Marian was up during the previous night texting Natalie which I was oblivious to and slept through the night. We feel very happy for them but do feel a little guilty not being home at this time. Oh well someone has to do this sailing stuff and we are enjoying Indonesia. Everywhere we go the children call out Hi Mister and know who Justin Beiber (sp) is? |Nice as all that is it is good to get away and find some peace and quiet. That is what we have done sailing just ten miles back to the little white sandbar reef, swimming and snorkeling and reading. This morning there are just five of us here' the sun is shining and there is a nice little breeze. We will stay here for the day then leave and head westward tomorrow. No idea where but to the west.
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
Lambata
We motored out of the inlet at first light to make the northerly current out of the pass. We did this OK and then the winds came up and we were able to sail for the rest of the day. We anchored at a small village called Balurin on Lebata island. We were with Callisto and Pakia Mist (Mike and Gloria who live just up the road from us in Ocean Park) and had a lot of canoes with very young children out to great us. They were very well behaved and were happy with the pencils we gave them. They were all smiles and laughter. We had a happy hour on Kilkea and then a good nights sleep.
The next morning we along with Callisto went to town for a walk about. We were surrounded by at least 50 children who were delighted to show us around. This is a very poor village and they do not get many visitors especially ones who sail in. They did not ask for anything and were delightful. Pakia Mist must have had 12 or so of the children on board teaching and learning from each other. Mike took some of them for a dinghy ride and there were many shouts of joy as I would doubt that any of these kids had gone that fast is a boat before. It was an enjoyable time and we finished off the day with a pot luck dinner on Callisto.
Saturday the 11th of Aug we went just a few miles to where some of the other boats were anchored out on a reef. We spent the day there but the reef was small and too many boats were there so we moved on with Sea Mist the next morning over to another reef behind a small atoll of white sand with clean clear water with all the shades of blue you can imagine. We started with just the two of us but then five others arrived but there was lots of room. We finally went swimming and snorkeling for the first time in a long time and it was really good with lots of fishes and some beautiful coral. That evening all the yachties gathered on the sand bar with snacks and drinks to watch the sunset. Very nice place.
On Sunday morning we went for a swim and snorkel then sailed over to Lambata Island to the town of Lewoleba where most of the Sail Indonesia boat are anchored. We did this because we wanted to have better Internet as our daughter Natalie is due to have here second child at any moment.
On Monday morning we joined Callisto for a day trip to a traditional whaling village on the south side of the island. Although it is only 37km away it took three hours in each direction as the road, if you would call it that, is like driving up a riverbed. The village only gets 30 visitors a year so again we are rather unique. The beach area has all these thatched roofed boat houses that have in them what else but boats. These are about thirty feet long with woven sails that are used for fishing and if a whale comes along they will go for that as well. We don't like the thought of killing a whale but for these people it is a way of life that goes back a long way in time. There is nothing high teck about it and there is great danger for the hunters that go after a whale. The whale is shared by everyone in the village and possibly beyond. When we were there they had killed their second whale of the year and there was whale meat and blubber hanging drying in the sun. Surprisingly there was little smell or flies about. The men do most of the fishing at night and sleep in the day and the women do all the day stuff of gardening and running their house hold affairs. It was a very rough ride back to the main town with the back tire of the 4x breaking its studs off and falling off the truck. The driver and guide were very adapt at fixing the problem as we assume this happens fairly often and after 45 minutes we were on our way. That evening there was a big reception and yes more dancing and singing which were by far the best we have seen and the dinner was very good so all in all a very good day.
Last night Marian was up texting Natalie and things were happening. At 16.05 Calgary time on the 14th of August we welcomed Declan Paul Marshall into our family. He weighed in at 9lbs 10 oz. Both mother and babe are well and we are delighted. We had our first visit with them on skype just a few hours after his birth. Today we will just chill and enjoy some quiet time before we move westward tomorrow.
The next morning we along with Callisto went to town for a walk about. We were surrounded by at least 50 children who were delighted to show us around. This is a very poor village and they do not get many visitors especially ones who sail in. They did not ask for anything and were delightful. Pakia Mist must have had 12 or so of the children on board teaching and learning from each other. Mike took some of them for a dinghy ride and there were many shouts of joy as I would doubt that any of these kids had gone that fast is a boat before. It was an enjoyable time and we finished off the day with a pot luck dinner on Callisto.
Saturday the 11th of Aug we went just a few miles to where some of the other boats were anchored out on a reef. We spent the day there but the reef was small and too many boats were there so we moved on with Sea Mist the next morning over to another reef behind a small atoll of white sand with clean clear water with all the shades of blue you can imagine. We started with just the two of us but then five others arrived but there was lots of room. We finally went swimming and snorkeling for the first time in a long time and it was really good with lots of fishes and some beautiful coral. That evening all the yachties gathered on the sand bar with snacks and drinks to watch the sunset. Very nice place.
On Sunday morning we went for a swim and snorkel then sailed over to Lambata Island to the town of Lewoleba where most of the Sail Indonesia boat are anchored. We did this because we wanted to have better Internet as our daughter Natalie is due to have here second child at any moment.
On Monday morning we joined Callisto for a day trip to a traditional whaling village on the south side of the island. Although it is only 37km away it took three hours in each direction as the road, if you would call it that, is like driving up a riverbed. The village only gets 30 visitors a year so again we are rather unique. The beach area has all these thatched roofed boat houses that have in them what else but boats. These are about thirty feet long with woven sails that are used for fishing and if a whale comes along they will go for that as well. We don't like the thought of killing a whale but for these people it is a way of life that goes back a long way in time. There is nothing high teck about it and there is great danger for the hunters that go after a whale. The whale is shared by everyone in the village and possibly beyond. When we were there they had killed their second whale of the year and there was whale meat and blubber hanging drying in the sun. Surprisingly there was little smell or flies about. The men do most of the fishing at night and sleep in the day and the women do all the day stuff of gardening and running their house hold affairs. It was a very rough ride back to the main town with the back tire of the 4x breaking its studs off and falling off the truck. The driver and guide were very adapt at fixing the problem as we assume this happens fairly often and after 45 minutes we were on our way. That evening there was a big reception and yes more dancing and singing which were by far the best we have seen and the dinner was very good so all in all a very good day.
Last night Marian was up texting Natalie and things were happening. At 16.05 Calgary time on the 14th of August we welcomed Declan Paul Marshall into our family. He weighed in at 9lbs 10 oz. Both mother and babe are well and we are delighted. We had our first visit with them on skype just a few hours after his birth. Today we will just chill and enjoy some quiet time before we move westward tomorrow.
Tuesday, August 7, 2012
Alor
Kupang is a very big and dirty city. We did a tour for the day with a group and were taken to a man who makes a musical instrument called a sasandu/sasando? It is a twenty string harp with the strings stretched across bamboo. There were three of these in a wrapped palm frond. The music was quiet enchanting and the makers put on a very good demonstration. The rest of the day we were shuttled around the area in the back of Bemo's which are small vans that you scrunch yourself into and hope the driver does not go over too many pot holes. We went to the museum but it was mostly closed and then to a Tikat place that makes weaving and is one of the specialities of this area but it looked like the building had collapsed and no weaving today!! Then it was off to see some monkeys. It was a very hot day and none of us were drinking enough water so we will have to remember to take more with us when we go out.
The next day there was another big dinner and reception with again lots of singing and dancing with the locals dressed up in there traditional outfits. The people that we have met all are very nice and want so much to please. They will always answer yes to any question even if they do not understand the question so we can see a lot of patience will be required for our travels here.
On Saturday a number of boats left Kupang. We left along with Sea Mist and Callisto and sailed up the Timor coast about forty miles and anchored for the night. It was a good days sail with enough wind to move the boats along around 6 knots. The next morning we uped anchor at 0400 and set off for Alor and the town of Kalabahi with a population of around sixty thousand. The distance was just ninety miles so we felt we would be able to make it before sunset. The first thing we noticed was that we had an adverse current of two and a half knots which did not let go until we were very close to Alor. This now meant we would not arrive until after sunset but there was worse to come. Once we were into the channel between Alor and Pantar we ran into currents against us of over six knots. This meant that we were actually going backwards at one point. On Pantar there are two active volcanoes both of spuming out fumes and ash so along with that and the evening fires the locals use to do there cooking it was rather hazy. The only way to get out of the current was to use the back eddies on the east side of the channel but the problem was that it was dark and our electronic charts are not accurate here as the charting has not been updated. We used the radar and worked our way up the east side of the channel ooking for back eddies which worked fine and the moon finally came up giving us some visibility but we could not paint or see if there were any mooring buoys or debris in the water. We could here the waves breaking on the shore. It took us about three hours to go seven miles up to the turn off into inlet that leads to Kalabahi. Once around the corner we lost the current and all was well and the radar painted all the pearl farms and other bamboo rafts that seem to be anchored all over the place. We got in at 1130 pm so it took us nineteen and a half hours!!!
The next day there was another big dinner and reception with again lots of singing and dancing with the locals dressed up in there traditional outfits. The people that we have met all are very nice and want so much to please. They will always answer yes to any question even if they do not understand the question so we can see a lot of patience will be required for our travels here.
On Saturday a number of boats left Kupang. We left along with Sea Mist and Callisto and sailed up the Timor coast about forty miles and anchored for the night. It was a good days sail with enough wind to move the boats along around 6 knots. The next morning we uped anchor at 0400 and set off for Alor and the town of Kalabahi with a population of around sixty thousand. The distance was just ninety miles so we felt we would be able to make it before sunset. The first thing we noticed was that we had an adverse current of two and a half knots which did not let go until we were very close to Alor. This now meant we would not arrive until after sunset but there was worse to come. Once we were into the channel between Alor and Pantar we ran into currents against us of over six knots. This meant that we were actually going backwards at one point. On Pantar there are two active volcanoes both of spuming out fumes and ash so along with that and the evening fires the locals use to do there cooking it was rather hazy. The only way to get out of the current was to use the back eddies on the east side of the channel but the problem was that it was dark and our electronic charts are not accurate here as the charting has not been updated. We used the radar and worked our way up the east side of the channel ooking for back eddies which worked fine and the moon finally came up giving us some visibility but we could not paint or see if there were any mooring buoys or debris in the water. We could here the waves breaking on the shore. It took us about three hours to go seven miles up to the turn off into inlet that leads to Kalabahi. Once around the corner we lost the current and all was well and the radar painted all the pearl farms and other bamboo rafts that seem to be anchored all over the place. We got in at 1130 pm so it took us nineteen and a half hours!!!
Musical harp Sassandu
The last two days we have been walking around the town and did a tour with Callisto up to a traditional village and out in the country side. This area has a much better feel with good roads and tidy homes and gardens. Again we are greeted in a very friendly manner with many curious of where we are from and what we think of there country. Last night we were all bused to the governors house for a dinner with more dancing and speeches. Ten of the cruisers were picked out at the ceremony in the morning that welcomed us all to Alor, another big deal with lots more ceremonial dancing, and were all dressed in traditional costumes. Very ornate with big head dresses etc. Today we are just going to do boat stuff and have a quiet day but will do a walk around town again. Tomorrow we will be off and will try to find a quiet anchorage and just chill for a couple of days before we arrive for the next welcoming ceremonies at Lembata.
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