Since I've been assigned light duties today on account of my flu symptoms, I'm staying on the boat while Michelle went ashore with Grey and Sue off Lupari2, busing around and shopping for stores that we running low on.
Now we eat out as often as we can because it is so cheap( aroung $1.50- 2.50 au per meal), but the menus in the inlands we have visited so far are not very varied, and it you dont like Nasi Goreng (fried rice) or noodles, your in trouble. No wonder the people here are so skinny.
So I like comming back to the boat and having a nice fattening steak and potatoes. Only trouble is were running a little low on the red stuff, and meat is a bit of a rarity in these parts unless you like dog, which I probably woundnt.

But anyway we heard on the grapevine that some block was spotted the other day butchering a fresh pig in his front yard near the markets, so hopefully Michelle can sniff out a fresh kill and come home with some lovely pork.

Two days ago a native paddled up to us in his leaky dug out canoe just to say 'Hallo Mister', as they do all the time and I noticed he must be a fisherman by all his hooks on a long line. Now we havent had a feed of fish for a while because we have lost all our good lures on giant fish that refuse to be landed. So I tried to convince this guy to go catch us a fish, I waved a 50,000 rupia note at him and made fish guestures, he smiled politley, nodded his head and paddled off after Michelle gave him some crayons for his kids and t.shirt.
I thought well that was probably a waste of time, But this morning he turns up again with a big smile on this face. This time with a monster fish for us. Only trouble was he wanted 52,000rp($6.00) this fish would have cost $40 -$50 in oz. Fish for tea tonight.

My thoughts on Lembata! well, waking up every morning in a harbour at the base of two smoking volcanos is pretty special and a sight to take your breath away. In fact, one if the tours here for rally participents is a 2am bus ride tomorrow morning to one af the volcanos, then a trek to the rim to look down inside while the sun rises.
WOW. It might be the death of me with my possible flu, but Michelle might like to go. The tour includes bus, guides, snackes (banannas), lunch and a return at 5pm, all for a cost of $30, cant complain about the prices around here!

Despite the spectalular scenery, if they want to attract fly in tourists, they need to spend some money on basic infrastructure. For example: the streets are dirty, it seems they just throw their rubbish into the sewer or storm water drains that run in front of all their houses and shops, when it gets full they burn it. It stinks and every morning there is black ash all over the boat. There are no public toilets anywhere and if you get desperate you have to ask a shopkeeper to use theirs. Now the toilets here are not like ours, there made of a ceramic hole in the ground that you have to squat over then flush it with water from a container near by.
I even went to a hotel in Alor and it was the same setup, not the sort of thing that would attract westerners.

Eating at a restuarant can be a bit of a gamble, seeing how they store and cook their food, leaves a lot to be desired,, but it tastes good. If you dont like chilli like Michelle you will struggle with it.
But despite the few negatives the biggest bonus with Indonesia is the people, they are so warm and freindly, they have gone to so much trouble in every town we have been to, with free entertainment and gala dinners, oh and so long speeches by all the dignatories it is truly a magical place and so different to oz.
Ive been reliably informed that the further west we go the anchorages get even better and the food more varied and delicious, I cant recommend this place highly enough for its beauty, its culture and its people. But unfortunatley only for people who can bring there own infrastructure (yachties).
We hope you enjoy our blogs and we like recieving comments and messages.
We have so many fantastic photos for the blog but because of the bad internet we have to wait till we get to a WI-FI centre

Bye for now (selamat malam).