Friday 24 June 2016

Learned at the excruciating hour of 0600 that morning cultural tour from Jerudong Harbor was canceled. Finding ourselves thusly astir decided to sail early to Royal Brunei Yacht Club at Serasa. They have a pool that, by law and like everything at the club, is unusable on Friday between 1200 and 1400. One supposes this to be a wholly useless mandate to discourage pleasure on a holy day. It is, no doubt, an effort to balance competing interests (one of which might be to to sneak a Twinkie during the day) and hypercritical to assume token piety or hypocrisy. Does anybody remember "blue laws" in Dixie?

Full name of this country is Brunei Darussalam. That second word means "Abode of Peace" and it is indeed a stable and harmonious place. This is probably made easier due wealth brought by oil 'out the wazoo' (see previous entries for explanation). Although geologists, as opposed to bean counters, ecobunnies and politicians, understand that for all practical purposes the amount of petroleum is unlimited, there's been no effort to diversify so when prices are down, voila, there ain't no spare change for the Sultan to sprinkle about. Will grumpiness ensue?

Speaking of Venezuela, AB inflatables were made there until climate got too volatile so factory moved next door to Colombia. Front tube on ours became flaccid (in this case, Cal, it's bad, but not unmanly) from rubbing on Hydrovane cover requiring a patch. Meantime to reduce chafing, as weather has been placid, we strap her down just above water level. New plan for more interesting seas languishes in analysis.

Jack