Provisioning
19 April 2010
I find provisioning a tough job. No grocery store until New Zealand in November!
I don't mind the shopping part of it. It is fun going into new grocery stores here and trying to figure out what everything is. And the market was fantastic!
The tough part though, starts with the planning.
Trying to figure out how much of everything we might need over the next 4-5 months, not only makes for a huge shopping list, but also creates a 'where am I going to put it all' problem. 100 lbs flour, 60 lbs pasta, cans,cans and more cans, baking items, 50 lbs rice, 30 litres UHT milk, dried milk, snack foods and the list goes on.....
The stowing of all the items and organizing everything so that it can be found again is overwhelming.
Then there is also the pressure of wondering if we have enough. What if we run out, goes through my head constantly. When will be the next time I can by this product or that product, I ask myself. We've never been to the Pacific before, so I really don't know what is available.
From what I've read and heard from other cruisers, availability of products in the Pacific islands is much more scarce and way more expensive. Also, weevils are a problem with the products that are available on many of the islands. I feel the pressure of having enough food aboard to feed my family over the next months.
That said, we are stocked up and on out way!
Tomorrow, no today - it is 6am - we are leaving for the southern most tip of the southern most island of the Las Perlas chain. There we will wait for the right weather and continue to prepare until we begin our crossing to the Galapagos Islands, 900 miles to the south-west.