Arrival in Borneo
29 June 2009 | Santabong
Chris
Well it had to happen didn't it. After such a smooth and comfortable passage as we approached Borneo we were hit with squall after sqall after squall. The more we plotted them on the radar and tried to avoid them the more they regrouped and formed around us.
Anyway we battled on and arrived in Sumbong Borneo, in the rain, at about 1100 our time today.
King Neptune always likes to remind one that he is "De BOSS". So here we are, bit tired after being up most of the night but anchored and here.
The most "exciting" part last night was being in a total whiteout in one squall, not able to see anything, the radar choked by the rain and even AIS struggling to get VHF messages in to sail out of the squall to LIHGTS, LIGHTS and LIGHTS - there was a tug towing a huge ship bery close by and we had not the faintest idea they were there, and probably nor did they know we were there. In whiteouts of this nature one slows down and then must hope for the best!
Last night our Executive Chef Neil announced after pre dinner nibbles that for this location our choice of meals would be:
SOUP: freshly made tomato, cabbage and spices to suit
MAIN COURSE: Chicken and mushrooms poached in a light white wine sauce with garlic, mushroom cream sauce served over rice noodles.
Of course it was delicious and prepared us well for what was ahead unbeknown at that time. But another cup of the soup went really well in the rain in the wee hours of the morning!!
The cuisine on Board Charmar whilst cruising the South China Sea has been nothing short of spectacular as surprise after surprise appears from the small but apparently well stocked galley. The day starts with tea and a couple of "dunkers", (arrowroot biscuits for the uninitiated). This is then followed by a fresh fruit platter accompanied by sesame seed thins, and oatmeal cakes. Morning tea soon follows with cappaccino's and homemade Christmas Cake (currently on the third one of the four brought on board for this trip). Late lunch is usually served consisting of something in the order of freshly made and dressed coleslaw, pickles, cheeses, crackers, rolls and tinned fish (well you can't catch any here, just dragged two lines 500+ sea miles and nary a fish was caught!), all washed down with iced lemon tea so good in the tropics - it is pretty warm at this time of day. Happy hour nibbles are enjoyed late afternoon as the sun is setting and dinner is served on deck to the standard mentioned earlier depending on the executive chef's opinion of cuisine to suit the location and activities underway.
Lucky there are no scale on board, but we have put a pencil line on the plimsol line to see if we are all putting on weight!
Borneo? Rainforest yes so I guess one has to expect rain. There is a rainforest worldwide music festival here that we have tentatively booked for but let's see what happens after lunch, a sleep and the weather improving a little..........Bye now