Crossing the equator, again

The Telos islands straddle the equator just south of Nias, and they are among some of the prettiest islands we have visited. Meandering channels through mangroves lead to small islands with powdery white sand beaches fringed by coral reefs.

At the equator we had to drive in a circle to capture the precise moment our GPS showed N 00˚ 00.000. Wearing our plastic crowns as King Poseidon and Queen Amphitrite, we toasted my sixth and Jens' fourteenth crossing aboard a ship.

As soon as we anchored, a man paddled up in an outrigger canoe and called out, "Lobster, fish, shrimp? I can get for you. Where you from?" After about 15 minutes of haggling, Jens agreed to buy two lobster, but they had to be at least a half kilo (they take very small lobster in the islands). Half an hour later he was back with two perfectly sized lobster and because he was such a good negotiator, Jens paid full price. We were set for our equator celebration dinner. We were ahead of the fleet and so this crossing, like all of my previous ones, was a private affair. What a dinner, what beautiful islands and what a sunset.