Titus is on our bow if you have a magnifying glass!
Tuesday afternoon and the wind is up. Paul is in Lata with Titus and all our credit and debit cards trying to get some money from the shop-run "ATMs" (which is a handpiece without the surrounding casement and supervised by the staff). We are down to our last 400SBD and the southerly winds look like being around for at least another week so we won't be sailing to Vanuatu just yet.
I am doing some research for Titus on the mining companies planning exploration and mining of bauxite on the south/west of Nendo. The community is split on whether to support it or protest. Basically, they are looking to 'strip mine and ship' which means very little in the way of jobs for locals and given the company's history, unlikely for much restoration following the mining since they sell for royalties rather than run mines themselves. Its all about money in the hand now (tiny amounts compared to the profits the companies expect) rather than using the land for longterm sustainability which is harder to grasp.
......
Paul had no luck at the ATMs or the banks but Father Ini who was Governor General to the Solomons 1999-2004 thought he could help us out. The next morning was pouring rain and wind but we still needed cash and diesel and Titus needed a hand at Oceanswatch to collect speakers etc for an awareness meeting at the mission. So in a break of weather we hopped into the longboat and headed across to Lata. It bucketed down but Titus saw fish jumping. Soon we all saw them. Tuna jumping all over the place. Out went the trawling line and for the next half an hour we went round and round the school while the rain poured and Titus flipped fish after fish into the boat. In the end he had 7, a nice haul for the market.
Lata dock. Its on the windward side of Gracios Bay