June 30- July 3 This is a dramatic anchorage in the valley of two sleep rocky canyon walls with a sandy beach and two steams flowing into the head of the bay. When we arrived there were three other boats but by next morning they were gone leaving us alone in this surreal place. I say alone, but that isn�'t correct. There are two families that live on shore in what must be close to paradise in most people�'s reckoning. Although this is a desert canyon, water is flowing through it and the shore is an oasis with coconut palms and plenty of fruit trees of all sorts. Chickens run wild here and there are goats on the steep slopes. Yesterday we heard a couple of shots and with the binoculars we saw one of the locals had shot a goat and was now hanging and cleaning it on the path at the bottom on the cliff. On our way here the seas came splashing over the bow and as we found out when we arrived, getting into the unlocked hatch and soaking the bedding in the v berth. It was so windy the next morning we were nervous to leave the boat although it was holding well. Instead, I did a big hand wash laundry including duvet cover and sheet. I was hardly able to wring the big stuff out with my hands, but to my total amazement, everything was bone dry in a couple of hours in a 20+ knot wind! Who needs a spin drier or drier here?! In the afternoon the wind calmed and we went for a walk through the tiny settlement and into the valley, picking windfall mangos on our way. Not for the first time have I wished there was technology to take a picture of aroma on our walk. Last night as we sat in the cockpit under a star filled sky we saw saw a five second long shooting star or meteor entering he atmosphere. Today, after breakfast before the wind got up I went snorkelling. The visibility was good away from the river run off close to shore and also in the next bay over. Tons of fish- all shapes, sizes and colours.Dave was unable to come with me as he scraped his shin a couple of days ago and we don�'t want it to get infected. We watched two enormous manta rays swimming up and down the anchorage slowly across the bay with their mouths open feeding like whale sharks. In the afternoon we went ashore again for a walk and bought some coconuts and limes off one of the families. It�'s a wonderful place , but we will move to the next anchorage tomorrow as we are expecting strong winds and there is more protection in the next bay.

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