My last blog dealt with the decisions as to where to go and when to leave. At the time, we were in probably the most beautiful anchorage to date: Potopudda: gorgeous beach, sheltered from the surf, surrounded by palm trees, with monkeys running along the hills. Very peaceful and serene. But...nothing's perfect. Before we had dropped our anchor, we were surrounded by dozens of local boats, some with kids, others with adults, all begging for things. In the past, we've had visitors...but they waited awhile, came up, offered to help you get diesel, gas, water, laundry, etc or tried to sell you stuff. The kids knew the drill: they spoke English, asked your name, where are you from, introduced themselves...and we gave them stuff. Here, no foreplay. They came up, asked for stuff (Sunglasses, bracelets, candy, money) and even after we made our donations, they came back for more. The sad part was that many of them showed us their wounds...so I ended up playing doctor, applying meds, band aids and giving them supplies. They have some nasty infections. That said, I was feeling guilty that I was losing patience, until I found out that our rally mates all felt the same way. Many of them hid below deck just to avoid being harassed. I don't know if the locals are more aggressive as we go west, or if we are getting burned out.

So, as lovely as it was, we decided to move on. Captain Ken made a good call...let's do an overnight to Lombok, since we would be cutting it too close for a day-time arrival at an anchorage which was 40 miles away. Our buddy boat, Solstice agreed, and so, off we went. It actually was a lovely night for sailing. Our destination: a marina on Lombok.

So, here's some info on decision making: marina, anchor or mooring. Each of the options has pluses and minuses...just like most of life. (Yeah...very philosophical.) A berth at a marina is very civilized...nice because boaters are like one-car families, with only one vehicle and here, everyone can come and go as they please. They usually have more amenities available, and you never have to deal with schlepping clean laundry through the water on your dinghy. Cons? It costs some scheckels (although relatively cheap here) and...you don't necessarily face the wind, so it is often hotter, particularly here in the tropics. Anchoring? You always face the wind, if there is any, so it is as cool as it can be. Also, you are packing your own chute. If you are careful and thorough, you should be relatively safe. Cons? If you're not careful, you could drag...in the night...when you least expect it. Also, you may have to drop and pick up your anchor several times if you're not happy with the first shot. That can be a real pain, particularly here where we are often in deep anchorages and have to drop and pick up several hundred feet of chain. Captain Ken had 100 additional feet of chain added in NZ, because of the depths, and believe me, I've seen virgin chain links on this trip. Mooring balls? Easy-peasy...but, you have to be a trusting soul. You really don't know how well they are secured and maintained.

So, when the decision was made to go to a marina on Lombok, I was a happy camper (or sailor). Being the anchor person, I was ready for a break...and there was the promise of (semi) civilization. We arrived at the Medana Bay Marina at 9 AM. While on night watch, one thinks about many things...and I was remembering the last marina we were at: Port Denarau in Fiji last summer. After 4 months of roughing it on anchor, we got a berth there (I probably wrote a blog about it) and it was like being in Ft Lauderdale: 200 ft yachts with helicopters, Bonefish Grill and Fridays at the dock, etc. Normally, this would not be our destination of choice but...I did like going off for a massage, mani and pedi while Ken and his buddies did boat work. Let's just say that Medana Bay marina is not Denarau,..but perhaps it is the best compromise. It is a lovely (very) small marina, run by an Aussie and his Indonesian wife (a common occurrence) with all of the amenities ( laundry service for .75/kilo, a cheapo, delicious cafe, and access to bemos, taxis, fuel, water, etc) but small and intimate...and very friendly. I think we'll be here for a few days. The marina staff couldn't have been more attentive. There were many dock hands available to bring us in. They have water and electric service available. And...the best part? Ken asked if we can get our boat cleaned (it is really nasty after all of these weeks) and for $70, they will clean the decks and hull tomorrow. And...no ''mistah, mistah'. Life is good!

Our pic of the day is of the mini-marina. Once we got here, we found out that quite a few of our rally mates were arriving here, as well. You'll notice some have chosen to pick up a mooring...but we're very happy with our finger slip.

We hired a private car for tomorrow for 4 of us for $50. We're looking forward to exploring, provisioning, and Captain Ken getting a haircut. (Don't worry, Edie...I'm gonna' put up for 2 more weeks looking like the wild woman of Borneo so Rick doesn't yell at me.)