Wednesday 10 August 2016

Half of crew strained her non-bionic knee moving dive gear yesterday and other half, abandoning normal effortless grace, fell backward from dink onto the edge of a neighbor's swim platform furnishing him a bruise the size of Nebraska. Planned hill climb this morning after arranging diving a few days hence in Kapalai and Sipidan was also abandoned to return home for eggs and baky.

Extra aggravation.. that is to say security, is now being provided as this is purportedly a high risk area. Apparently some of George's (despite first name basis, the former president hardly ever calls or writes) 'evil doers' may be lurking nearby. ESSCOM doesn't seem, however, terribly perturbed about us departing, unguarded, from nearby Tawau for Tarakan, Indonesia. One logically infers that we are only in danger while they're providing protection. This suggests both a way to ease the military's workload and save the Malaysian people a bit of tax money while keeping us out of harms way. It's amazing that no one has realized such an obvious and elegant solution. When we contact him, the security commander will no doubt want to show eternal gratitude for making his job superfluous with an appropriate reward - perhaps a percentage of the savings or one of the now unnecessary patrol boats.

As suggest earlier the entire ship's complement is having a lay day (no Cal, this is not naughty). The only activities available here are socializing, which typically results in liver and brain damage, or diving and snorkeling, which has so far been, at least in the anchorage area, prosaic unless viewing trash through murky water is your bailiwick. Perhaps circumstances are better outside the lagoon. Condition report to follow.

Jack