Bonaire
05 June 2014
Jane
Tea on a string
After being away from the UK for two years the day has finally arrived when we have to drink tea on a string. All our precious ‘English’ teabags, despite making at least two cups from each bag, have been used up, so it’s Lipton’s Yellow Label from now on. Looks like pooliwac. Don’t know, and very much doubt if this is the correct spelling, but is Gaelic for wee wee. Are you ready for a second cup of pooliwac dear?
We are also out of Marmite. This makes us sound as if we haven’t embraced the Caribbean culture, but we have eaten goat stew (once) cow heel soup, (once) barbecued pig tail (twice, the second time was a mistake). We buy local food when it’s available, (lots of imports from the USA on this dry island) and will try most things but that morning cup of tea is a hard habit to break.
Jobs done in the last three weeks:
Fixed forward heads so now can use holding tank or into the sea. This has taken 18 months. We kept trying and have finally got it right.
Forward heads shower drain pump working. This meant having to find a space for the empty diesel tanks etc that were stored in there. This was tricky.
Aft heads diverter valve serviced. The gap to get to them is 4’’ diameter. This was tricky.
New tv fixed to new bracket on wall. It fell off the first time. This was tricky.
Stainless polished above deck. Not tricky.
Hull washed down. Fairly tricky as Tony had to stand in the dinghy.
Ah, the dinghy. After trying to fix our old dinghy, (for the last two years), we finally polished off the credit card and bought a new one, with new outboard motor. We used to have a moped but now we have a Range Rover. It’s transformed our lives. It’s our watery car and without one we can’t do anything. We can now go out at night and I arrive on shore with dry underwear. I can’t say what a difference this makes after two years of hoping no one notices the wet patch and thinks you know what. Tony’s just picked up Oli from the airport in it. Saved $30 taxi fare and much more exciting. We now ‘get on a plane’. This isn’t anything to do with flying, or is it? We go fast and lean forward then the dinghy skims over the waves instead of crashing into them. t uses much less fuel and boy is it fast. I’ve now cut three inches off my hair as I was arriving everywhere looking like Bridget Jones when she gets out of the sports car. Ok if you like the dandelion clock look.
We had planned to hire a car for a week to show Oli around in. We’d used this car before and it was cheap. The only recommendation. The ignition didn’t work, the air con didn’t work but the windows opened. The hand brake didn’t work. This could be why it was unavailable for us this time as the previous hirers rolled it onto the sea. We only put a few scratches on the side which we covered in dust and then it looked ok. The owner was very particular about his car. We had to put the crook lock on at night as they’re very popular – for parts!
Off for tapas on Talulah Ruby tonight. (she’s a boat and a girl).
Photo is salt works on Bonaire. More about them later.