Fwd: First Sublime anchorage

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From: "David Hill" <rhythmhill@gmn-usa.com>
Date: August 22, 2012 12:54:44 PM GMT+08:00
To: Joe  Aziz <joeaziz787@gmail.com>, Joe  Aziz <joeaziz787@gmail.com>, Jeremy <hilljeremy8@gmail.com>, joe bro  <joeaziz@dophes.com>, Joey Hill <joeyhill1@gmail.com>, Mary Fraleigh <mfraleigh5420@rogers.com>, Olivia Hill <olivia.katherine.hill@gmail.com>, philippa  <p.janehill@gmail.com>, Sue  Aziz <azizsue@gmail.com>, pats  <paziz@rogers.blackberry.net>, Josef Kates <josefkates@gmail.com>, peg  <peghill6@gmail.com>, anne  <aoh@rogers.com>, georgia  <grennick@airdberlis.com>, jenniferbrown  <brown_jennifer@rogers.com>, Leslie  <hobbsleslie@hotmail.com>, Squeak  <antoinette.ridout@gmail.com>
Cc: Margaret Hill <margaretgsmith@sympatico.ca>, Stephen Smith <stephensmith1@sympatico.ca>, John Hill <jvhill@rogers.com>
Subject: First Sublime anchorage
Reply-To: "David Hill" <rhythmhill@gmn-usa.com>

Hi,we are out of internet range,so I thought Id let you know,our first Duo sailing passage is complete.
WE rest at ancor  ;very still very serene  near the remote village of Savu on the island of Andonara ,which is just beside Flores,which is east of Bali..  WE expected to see at least one other yaucht from the rally,as we move towards catching up to them,but we were the only big shiney vessel around. .Its taken us ages to get it all strait;where we are going..A fellow sailor printed out the Pilot for PNG and SE Asia and his hard drive of Lonley Planet info.             Its daunting,no,challenging  for David ,daunting is for me..David is  used to having a rt hand person as second mate ,being first,Joey,Olivia,Eli,or John ,Kelly - never me- who feeds him information from grib files (current weather updates) or the GPS. Yesterday when we got here, and ready to settle ,after 24 hours of sailing(2 nite shifts,me from 8pm-midnight,D from 12 to 6am!-he was watching a movie and let me sleep)  He was  tense and uptight as the light is waning and he wants me to drive but im not doing it with the reflexes of an olympic volley ball playe  r(im actually doing just fine with only one engine on,btw)  and then later,on second try to find a hold in this either deep or coral head ridden bottom,Im up on the roof looking at the bottom,he at the wheel when he shouts for me to go and look on the computor to see where the openCPN,which is electronic charts, Im actually asking him how to even explain what they are as I write...!(The charts show the most acurate topography,depth,contour lines..).I was supposed to match what I saw in real life to what I saw on the computer screen. This,I told him was not going to happen,just then a guardian angel appeared ,a man in a dug out,he motioned with his hand in  a circular wave like a crawl stroke towards the palm tree lined beach. We followed,us in our elephantine hotshot catamaran. I felt audacius,brazen in my bathingsuit,towering over him like a superior race.I hate that and in truth,I was admiring his hotshot J-stroke and the way he  rhythmically kicked the water inside his dugout to splash out. How kind of him,how sweet.I let out the anchor and all the 200 ft of chain for 60 feet depth.(-this too I had to concur with skipper just now(!) We were set,secure. Then I think,what can I give our guide? He is soon obviously expectant.He stands in the dug out,holding on to our hull. He has the ubiquitous dark sun sea lines face and a genuine smile. We have not had the experience of meeting these primitive village kind since the San Blas island back on the Carribbean side. WE gave him our smallest bill,50,000 rupia,which is 5 bucks .Can you imagine the wad I had to pay the gold shop for a 75$ ring??    However,he stayed,yup..hmm,OK He pointed to our fishing rod-AH!! Fishing line,Oh,sorry we dont have any spare,we have hooks! We gave him a hook,yes a hook,we travel light here ...we are seriously running out of extra anything...He took his thumb and finger and pulled at the middle of his T shirt,raising his eyebrows with happy hope. Yes! T shirts,I begged David to get rid of the nasty stained once white T he'd had on all day.He took it off and handed it to the man.Yuck,and... he waited.Then he left.Then another dug out brought 2 very expectant boys,how cute.They asked for books.Oh boy,it was becoming clear,the cruisers before us had spoiled these people! OK,am I jaded?Does this seem harsh? It is awkward,especially that we dont have much,we have some stickers and plastic braclets but darn if I could find them...The San Blas tribe had fish,Molas,beads to sell or trade. These guys keep coming with nothing. Yes,its apparent they really dont HAVE  anything. However,a coconut,a bunch of bananas is all we want. It keeps trade alive and dignity,right? This am a lovely young Dad and his son came out with a big long dug out ,empty but for a net.WE gave him a pair of boxer shorts and asked for fish?coconut? Im going to hunt down the stuff I do have now.
This sure is quiet! I think this is how everyone back home thinks we live.Quiet serene..We realised after K and J left that accept for the odd nite off the boat,we havent-despite what some may think-had a holiday with just us.Maybe this will help our ever challenged,but always committed  relationship. David and I are going to swim to the reef after lunch.How bizarre,we NEVER do that kind of thing together,2 years now! We hike but never swim together,a whole new chapter.
We are very excited to be here in Indonesia.We look forward to meeting up when or where with the boats of the rally,now dispersed about..
Highlights we missed in PNG-the worlds only poisinous bird"pitohui", largest butterfly,"Queen Alexandrea Birdwing" , Largest bat,the "Bismark flying fox ' Which,we didnt see alive BUT**** John ATE one for dinner whole, like a fish,head intact on the plate -... and the worlds  longest lizard Salvador monitor(4.75 metres )  Through the Torres strait we missed the largest meanest croc.,the 4.5/ 500 kg saltwater crocodile..which,I do believe is also present not too far from here and the regions share the longest snake,the reticulated python,often over 6.2m and the longest venomous snake,the cobra or hamadryad Here,the Indonesian giant stickinsect and also- worlds longest"The Flower Raffesia" at91cm,and it smells like rotting flesh What we will definatley see on the island of the name ;The Konodo Dragon,really a giant monitor lizard-google that dude.....Better go too much WORD for this satellite missive.
We will look forward to news from home,missing you all tons.We will be leaving tomorrow morning and may have internet.You can copy us on the ocens and gmail accounts-as long as you keep pictures and attachment s for gamil only.
Love Peg

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