Tuesday 25 August 2015

Using research by Phil from Paseafique, timed passage through strait into Lebaleba Bay on a 2 1/2 knot southbound tidal current, then enjoyed about 25 minutes of lovely sailing in thermal breeze across into Lewoleba. Generally light wind and eastward current along the north coast of Timor and Flores, et al will probably limit use of sails now for awhile. Comfortable nights with light offshore breeze, but hot afternoons are expected.

Immediately ran ashore to sign up for Thursday's scheduled, friendly and well-meaning maltreatment at welcome ceremony, day-long entertainment and gala dinner. After lunch of nasi goreng special (with calamari) finally got to real business of coming here and going ashore, an ATM. BRI Banks in Tual, Banda and now Lewoleba were completely unimpressed with either of our debit cards, so found a BNI. Those guys liked us in Tual, but are apparently now devoid of cash. Next closest was 2 km and Champagne Charlies with whom we had dinked in were required to move their boat for a ship coming to nearby dock. We retain flickering hope that tomorrow will finally bring forth cash when we go back in.

Wednesday

Beautiful morning with smoking volcanos overlooking us to north and west quickly turned hot as sun burned through a thin overcast. Once ashore we found a couple of scooters to rent ($1.45/hour) and spent rest of morning defying death on terrible and overcrowded roads around town (everyone seems to have them, scooters and bad roads). Went back to the BNI Bank which was now pleased to let us have as much as we wanted. Explored the vicinity and found among other things a wonderful bakery. Good morning not discouraged, as no carnage ensued, by rotted front tire that blew near end of ride.

Thursday

Remember that, "Must remain within escape-to-boat distance" thing? Feeling sporty and thinking that promoters had to get us back by 1700 for gala dinner, boarded a bus for 45 minute ride to welcome ceremony, etc. Result was nearly 2 hours in a bus with no shocks over bombed out roads to, after an unintelligible welcome ceremony, a ferry across the bay in a meter-wide, tippy, overloaded longboat with 110 decibel one-banger to a day of the most remarkably boring speeches and entertainment one might imagine. The only saving grace to equally long, hour late, return trip was knowledge that home was at the end. And yet, not having learned our lesson, got on another bus at 1900 for gala dinner at "close" hotel that was many kilometers away over more potholes than bitumen to a room with acoustics so atrocious that even if the hour of waiting then hour plus of speeches, primarily in Bahasa, were interesting couldn't be understood. Dinner actually began about bedtime and lasted, mercifully, only until Shayne commandeered a truck with, however, hard wooden seats for bouncing return to boat. Bum recovery time expected to be be extensive.

"Good judgment comes from experience, and experience comes from bad judgment." - Barry LePatner

Friday

Having eschewed the previously planned 3 hour ride to whaling village (they actually got 2 sperms the other day using traditional method of jumping from longboats with bamboo spears) plan to spend day getting laundry and supplies, then rebedding starboard light using correct, and this time hoped, waterproof goo.

Next scheduled stop, Larantuka, has been canceled due local elections so we're off the hook until 4-7 September in Maumere where visas are renewed and there are no ceremonies or dinners.. YES!

Jack