Hi again. It has been a few days since being asked to write another blog. Where to begin is always a fun question, as there have been so many interesting things happening every day. I could tell you of the 100 porpoise that accompanied us for about twenty minutes, or about the video we are filming for your entertainment, or about the numerous tasks that our permanent crew have addressed on a daily basis, but no, I shall let someone else share those exciting tales. Instead I shall tell you of two areas that provide me a giggle each day.

Cooking… as all of you know that is not one of my super strengths, unless it is baking cookies. So every day, I am teamed up with another crew member to cook either breakfast, lunch, or dinner. These guys are really good cooks and so daring when it comes to adding ingredients together. They will use just about anything that is in the provisioning baskets, just cutting around the “bad spots”. At first, I was absolutely aghast. I have pitched many items in my own home for looking a lot less “aged”. Now I just smile and figure it hasn't killed me and most everything tastes really good. I haven't yet acquired a taste for boiled fish or the really tabasco based meals.  Sometimes, I just eat almonds or cheese and crackers. I bet you didn't know that you can eat onions at every meal. You can have them in eggs, or hash browns for breakfast, sliced in sandwiches or salads, for lunch, and added to everything you cook for dinner. I am finding them a very nice addition to my culinary talents. These guys are teaching me a lot and I have learned the lesson of the Galley, which is ”you always compliment the dinner as good, even if it is not your favorite, as you will need to cook also.” They have to occasionally suffer through an American dinner. I was surprised to find out that they don't microwave in their respective countries very often. They certainly don't do fast foods. They are all very healthy and don't have bad physiques. Maybe we could learn something from their eating habits. I know I shall be eating healthier.  So now tonight I shall be making fish and yellow rice. The yellow rice is a treat for them as it contains saffron, which is very scarce in their country.

The second thing that has happened during the trip which may be of interest is that I sliced my great toe on an opened porthole rim. Of course, when it happened, I just said I need some antibiotic cream and a bandage to use after using fresh water to clean it. Everyone looked at me as if I had three heads. Oh no, that it isn't how you do it! You draw up a bucket of salt water from the sea and soak it for twenty minutes, you then apply a small dressing to keep it clean and elevate it for an hour to make sure it is not bleeding. We then change the covering every day and check for any signs of infection. It is healing very nicely. There was a lot of discussion by everyone about the overuse of antibiotics in some countries. They even did a water test kit on the water to show that the ph and balance of the sea water was good. Needless to say they are not big believers in chlorine.

These crew members are all college educated as college is free in their respective countries if you want to take advantage of it. Most people do it. They do pay 60 percent in taxes and aren't very fond of it, but they do have good medical and education. They also get several weeks of paid holiday, as it is expected that one enjoy life and family, not just try to make a lot of money. No wonder they are considered the happiest people on the planet. 

There are so many other interesting things to share, but others need to write their blogs also. I can't close without a beauty tip :- Just brush your teeth every day, use deodorant, and you will fit in just fine.

Caio,

Sandy

Report from Bosun Bertram:

38 hours - that's what it says on our Garmin plotter right now for the Estimated Time of Arrival with our current speed of 9 knots. Add 3 hours for the island we have to pass, subtract 2 for the time difference, and add another to allow us to slow down to find the proper anchorage, and you'll see that we arrive sometime around early Monday morning local time on Nuku Hiva. 350 nautical miles to go, and it seems like a walk in the park. But - you can tell we've been at sea for a long time, and people start longing for land. We are ready to connect to the outside world again, and still our crew remain very professional. Though we are relatively close to safe harbour we are still an incredible distance from anything and anyone. 500 kilometres of ocean still separates us from that fresh shower and cold beer with the steak!

Local time on board is 10:30 and our current position is 8,57.80S , 134,33.5W.

Sandy and Bernd in the Galley