Monday 28 September 2015

Euphoria envelopes the universe. Last evening's festivities were exactly what they all should be: began on time at 1600, excellent entertainment including a well done video about the area and dinner shared with local ladies who hosted a few cruisers each with their homemade baskets. We sat on blankets and ate with fingers in the local style. More dancing, then a band to entertain for as long as people wanted to party. Our complement wrapped at 2000 leaving hard-core revelers to go well past cruiser midnight.

After a rolly night, decided to abandon notion to top batteries and wash deck at equally boisterous dock and head back to Gili Air for the evening. Previous intelligence that ferries had 7 250 hp outboards was a regrettable deception as they have only 6 250s partially hidden beneath the transom. Apparently in transferring attention from one hand to the other someone lost count after 5. Using 2 crew's fingers and toes a theoretical capability exists for counting as high as 40, but reliability decreases with each transfer of appendage.

Tuesday

With several others we headed out early toward Ambat Bay on the northeast corner of Bali and the only reasonable intermediate stop available to preclude a night passage to Lovina. Unfortunately the anchorage is reported as untenably rolly. Expect to give it a run-by then if necessary head far offshore to possibly avoid extensive fishing nets, lines and other paraphernalia reported along the coast. None near land is lighted. Averaging 4 knots would get us there just at dawn tomorrow and excellent wind all morning has us well faster than that.

Drinks and dinner ashore last night with numerous cruisers was great fun and highlighted by Jeremy from Court Jester performing Heimlich maneuver on Jan after several moments of everyone wondering why she was making funny faces and uncharacteristically not participating in the conversation. Although back pounding is now suppose to have supplanted jamming one's fist into the entertainees solar plexus, the tough lump-o-steak was successfully moved along and aggravation of filling out paperwork and informing her sister Terry was averted. Plus the level of culinary delight aboard would have decreased precipitously, a very dire consequence indeed.

Jack