Welcome to Menjangan!

After dealing with immigration, yet again, and the rigorous anchoring process, the only thing on our minds was jumping in the water and snorkeling in the beautiful bay.  Satyavan, Yasmina and I took off the first chance we got.  The water was warm and crystal clear.  The beach was littered with sanddollars and the bay was full of life.  There were tons of colorful fish, a free swimming eel, several nudibrachs, and a cave full of mudskippers grazing on rock algae.  It felt incredible to finally have the freedom to swim around in clean waters AND set foot on land.  We were finally going to stay in one place for a while.

We found out that an earthquake occurred in Denpasar the night before, so immediately I was concerned about Mason and Stefanie, who were hopefully out of harms way near Ubud.  As we scanned the web searching for news and contacting our friends still in Denpasar we learned that there was little damage; and of course, Mason and Stefanie were unreachable.

Our first evening, we were invited to a welcome dinner at the Menjangan Tower.  The entire crew was going to attend the event, enticed with traditional food and entertainment.  More bad news quickly arrived via sat phone…The Earthquake off the coast of Japan.  Scientists were predicting the tsunami waves would hit us 6 hours after the earthquake.  When living near the ocean, the safest place is on a boat in the open sea; boats are designed to take the fluctuating tides and even large waves.  Unfortunately for us, we had just dropped an anchor and we were surrounded by land inside of a bay!  Our captain had to make the final decision, either weigh anchor and head for open ocean, or ride it out and hope for the best.  The entire crew was on high alert, ready to man our emergency positions at an instant’s notice.  We had constant reconnaissance from oil rigs further north and updates from the web.  The decision was to hope the predictions would be right, that Bali was sheltered from the wave by land obstacles.  The captain stayed on board the ship and the crew went ashore to higher ground in the Menjangan tower to enjoy the welcoming party.  Fortunately, the only effects felt in Bali was the sudden rise and fall in tide.

On the drive from the jetty to the tower, we came across the famous Menjangan deer, they have long necks and swim to the island of Menjangan for food in the spring, and the dwarf deer species.  We arrived at the tallest tower on Bali which rose into the darkness of the forest canopy.  Awaiting us inside were the VIPs staying at the resort for the weekend, Michael (from Singapore), the heads of a mining company, and a group working on Menjangan Resort publicity.  The evening was full of delicious Balinese food and desert (black rice pudding and Bali coffee), traditional music found only in that region of Bali (played on instruments made of Bamboo), traditional Hindu dancing, and good conversation.  Both men and women were adorned in beautiful costumes performing to the beat of the bamboo instruments; Their eyes were always wide open and fingers outstretched, intending to create fear in the observers.

Although the dancers did not frighten us, they managed to take our minds off the frightening events occurring in the ocean and around the world.  I hope everyone is safe where ever they may be.  Im sure Hawaii and even California is experiencing much worse effects from the tsunami, we are fortunate here in Bali to be protected.

Final Voyage: My Last Leg

I arrived back onboard as people were still in their morning meditations, finishing deck yoga, and others were waiting by the coffee pot for the last REAL coffee before the voyage.  We were supposed to leave at 11 AM, but during morning meeting we pushed the time back 4 PM.  After shipshaping the galley, the deck, Bosuns, and my bunk, I had some time to call my mom for her birthday and change my flight from Singapore to the UAE; two important tasks I had been putting off. 

We finally set sail and began our journey around the west coast of Bali, towards the narrow straight with a 6 knot current protecting Bali from Java.  I was exhausted from my evening with mason and Stefanie, but I did my best to force myself to stay awake and see as much of the Balinese coast as I could during the daylight.   

My first official shift began at midnight (0000 to 0400): Sailing from Benoa, off the west coast of Southern Bali, we were hit by several squalls accompanied by unrelenting rain.  When I was at the helm, I was completely soaked through, and when inside, I was constantly mopping up leaks, moving buckets, and trying not to be surprised when another spot started dripping.  At the helm, I motored us through complete darkness, rolling fog, and unknown sea.  The only time I could actually see the weather all around the ship was when the blinding lightening turned everything white, burning the shape of the bolt in my line of sight.  Alone in the rain, cold and wet, I sang to the constant bass sound of the humming engine and the splashing percussion of the falling rain.  The only interruption was the deafening claps and booms of thunder telling me we were only getting closer to the storm.

I woke up around sunrise, just as we were entering the narrowest part of the channel.  Rounding the furthest north-western tip of Bali, we turned down and made our approach on Menjangan.  Off the coast of Menjangan near the Ganesha Temple we dropped our final Blue Marble, completing the journey from Malta to Menjangan.  Everyone was excited to see the island we would be diving off of for the next two months and anxious to get to the bay and set our anchor.  As Laser and Carol sped off in the Zodiac to check the entrance of the bay and mentally prepare Mir’s navigation route, a Brutus whale breached along side of our ship; it was a sign to Gaie that we were home!

Inside the bay, it took us three attempts to drop our anchor in the right spot.  The first time we let it out over 300 ft, which then had to be completely pulled in so we could move to another spot.  The anchor has to be manually winched up, which is quite a lot of work (it didn’t help that I was still feeling my night out with Mason and Stefanie).  By the time we finally set our anchor in a place we were happy with, we had winched in around 600 ft of anchor chain…a great endurance workout!  Again we were quarantined to the ship while we checked in with the local marine police, who kept visiting us, showing off their machine guns.  The police were looking for any reason to tax us, which is incredible since they had a huge stack of papers in front of them showing that we had cleared into Jakarta, the capital, and Benoa.  Everyone is out for their own interests! A weight was finally lifted when we were officially at Menjangan, anchored in the bay out of harms way.

Spring Break 2011: Bali Edition

Mason and Stefanie arrived at the Marina after dark during a downpour.  They had their huge backpacks and had just paid more than double the standard fare for a cab from the airport.  We decided not to tour Mir since it was very wet and dark, so we headed out to the famous Kuta Beach.  Our driver kindly took us to his friend’s hotel located at the end of numerous twisting alleys off of the main road across from the beach.  Free of our bags, the three of us went in search of a Balinese meal.  Per the advice of Prita, I introduced Mason and Stefanie to Gado-Gado and Nasi Goreng; boiled vegetables and tofu with peanut sauce served cold and Indonesian fried rice.  The dishes were an instant hit…delicious food!  Kuta Beach is full of brand name shops and is known by the locals as a place to find drunken Aussies fighting outside of bars and clubs.  We walked around the streets in the rain for a bit dodging umbrella sellers and hurdling offerings placed in front of each shop.  The general feel of Kuta is very similar to the small shopping districts in Hawaii, surf shop after surf shop, billabong followed by quicksilver followed by yet another billabong.  The night didn’t provide any of us with much sleep, Mason and Stef struggled in the very small beds, and I kept waking up shivering and dizzy.  My first night in 2 months with air conditioning and back on dry land after a rough sail from Jakarta…the entire night I felt like I was rocking.  Our first day together, we spent the morning on Kuta beach; luckily we arrived after the daily beach clean up.  I later learned that every morning the locals clean a layer of trash off of the beach to ensure that the tourists keep coming back.  The water was dark and full of floating trash, but against better judgment, the three of us went body surfing.  There was very poor visibility in the water and we kept getting plastic bags and noodle packs stuck on our legs and chests.  We were able to catch a few good waves and watched as beginning surfers kept wiping out.  At noon we headed over to Sanur, which is less commercialized, and in my opinion a much better scene.  The shops were smaller and more local, the streets were dirty, the beach was clean, and the water was crystal clear.  We found a nice home stay and headed out for the beach.  At the edge of the beach, we got dragged into the Sanur Beach Market where everyone was very friendly and offering a good price since it was a slow day.  I was looking at artwork and wood carvings, Stef was looking through sarongs, and Mason was getting a free sample massage.  We finally made it to the beach and enjoyed the crystal clear waters.  We found many fish and crabs and starfish, enjoyed the beautiful scenery of the neighboring islands, and got a beach massage (which was quite poor for $5 each!).  We spent the rest of the afternoon and evening walking around looking at shops, wandering down local streets, and searching for a market.  We had a great meal consisting of various Indonesian dishes, except for the potato fritter that I specially ordered which turned out to be French fries.  We found a reggae bar and enjoyed mangosteens (quite possibly the best fruit on the planet) and a taste of arak, the local home brewed alcohol (nothing like vodka despite what the locals say).  We quickly discovered that the Reggae was a tribute to Bob Marley, and although they played a few songs more than once, they had great energy and provided a nice environment for the three of us to catch up.  After closing, we made our way to the next live music bar, enjoyed 2 for 1 fruity cocktails, several games of pool, the company of guys from Holland on holiday, and a rather humorous band; they sat in a row on benches and couldn’t really get the English words quite right.

It was a great evening, awesome to catch up with Mason and Stefanie and to hear about their experiences, but in the morning I was off early…had to catch my ship bound for Menjangan.  We said our goodbyes and planned to hopefully meet again in the north.

Balinese Preparations

We had meeting lined up for the following two days.  The first was with some Australian scientists who have been conducting studies in the same area.  We were advised on methodology, all of which sounded very familiar to my ecology lab days at Kenyon.  We also met with some locals to help organize public outreach and reef awareness.  Again getting ideas on how to approach the locals and the issues at hand.  We refueled for the 2 months in Menjangan, and caught up with some old friends who live on Bali.  The conversation I was listening to covered so many topics, from global economics, to conspiracy theories, to the amazing power of the brain.  It was an amazing discussion conducted by some very intellectual and interesting characters.  It brought me back to the glowing dolphins…same kind of mental state!  I met a guy who has been living in Bali for a few years, he sailed out from California.  Very excited to see our large steel ship!  I discovered that he lived in Colorado for two years and attended Cherry Creek for a year, AND played Kent in Lacrosse!  What a Small World.  I have finally made my plans for Bali and the end of the trip, which is getting harder and harder to say good bye to after meeting all of these phenomenal people and hearing about the projects to come.  I will stay aboard Mir until April 4, primarily helping as a boat crew for the research team; driving the zodiac to dive sites, filling dive bottles, and cooking.  Afterwards, I will spend a few days travelling through Bali, back to Denpasar and fly home to Abu Dhabi via Singapore.

Tonight a new adventure begins as my long lost friends arrive in Bali.  Mason and Stefanie are due in a few hours!!!!  Its crazy how things work out!  1 year ago I was with a group of friends in Daytona, now in BALI!!!!

I hope everyone back home is doing great, its been amazing to get email from people and hear about your lives!  Soon I will be back in touch with reality…teaching sailing in the Arabian Gulf!

Nyepi

We arrived into Bali on the eve of Nyepi so that Adrien could get back to Jakarta ASAP.  Her tour of Europe showing off her film at numerous film festivals required her to be present for Visas and what not.  Satyavan, Jasmina and I were put in charge of shopping for fresh fruits and veggies for the weekend; everything is closed during Nyepi.  We ended up at a mart, reminded me of Sam’s Club, where they had EVERYTHING!  Instead of shopping carts, you had to pull around a trolley.  We loaded up on fruits and greens, many of which I have never seen before, relaxed with a coffee and ice cream (ice cream is always the first thing we get after arriving in a new port, after a week with nothing cold, it tastes SOO GOOD!), and haggled with cab drivers.  Luckily a couple from LA offered to give us a ride home!  They were very kind, and so we gave them a tour of Mir, very excited to see this part of Bali and get on a boat. 

A few of us walked into town to view the eve of Nyepi celebration.  Nyepi is a Hindu celebration, the start of a new year.  You remain at home, no work, no lights, just reflect on the past year and all the evil you have done.  During the day, as the evil spirits pass over, they do not see you because you are in a state of self reflection; they simply leave you to start a new year clean and pure.  The night before Nyepi, the communities make large statues, ogu ogus, to represent the evil spirits from the past year.  They are put on display in front of the hindu temples, and when darkness sets in they parade them around town.  Fireworks are launched from the streets, a procession of fire torches leads the way, followed by the ogu ogus, and announced by a crew beating on drums and gongs bringing up the rear.  The roads are closed, the cars and motor bikes are made to wait.  As the procession made its way down the street and out of sight, we decided to follow and be part of the action.  We ended up joining at the back of the parade, only to realize they were turning around a few kilometers down the road.  We walked back along side the dancing spirits hoisted high above the heads of the masses.  Now waiting at the original intersection, we spoke with many happy, friendly Balinese, learned that the spirits would travel down the streets in the 4 directions, and then be carried to the harbor and tossed into the sea or burned!  While we were waiting for the spectacle, we grabbed a quick bite to eat at a tasty Warteg and saw spirits arrive from other parts of town.  Eventually, they completed their route, lined up and lit off a dozens of roman candles and flares, dancing each spirit through the smoke.  The drums picked up intensity, and one by one, the spirits ran into the middle of the intersection and the children jerked them from all sides, shaking and rattling them until they fell to pieces.  Many were made so their heads would fall off.  The pieces were thrown down the street leading to the harbor, and after each one was dismantled, they were kicked and beaten before the children would run off with souvenirs of heads or arms or serpents.  We then followed the remnants as they were carried towards the harbor.  We watched as they were piled up and the Styrofoam was lit on fire!  We continued down the road and stopped at our new friend Agus’s place for Indonesian coffee.  It was a spectacular evening!

The day of Nyepi was reserved for catching up on sleep, which we had all been depraved of the past couple of nights, meeting with each other, catching up on work/emails, and simply enjoying the peace of the day.  It was so quiet, no lights were turned on; I have never experienced anything like it in a city!

Half Way Around Bali

Woke up from a deep sleep to lukewarm coffee and a fresh squid drying on deck.  As the sun came up, we had a beautiful view of Bali.  In the morning hours, while we were off the north coast, we had a clear view of the islands most sacred volcano mountain and the sunrise.  It was a morning of natural beauty after the night’s company of surreal glowing dolphins.  Carol and I fried up homemade doughnuts for breakfast and we watched numerous outrigger sailing canoes motor close by to say hello on their way to the local fishing grounds.  All of this to the beautiful back drop of the Bali mountains, quite an amazing way to start a day!

We sailed around the North coast of Bali, full of beautiful mountains.  We then turned south down along the east coast.  Again, the land was very green, but flatter.  We saw lots of fires and smoke billowing up to the sky.  A massive storm system was building behind us; it seemed to be growing with each puff of smoke, which looked like demons being cast out of Bali.  As we neared our anchor sight in Sanur, the storm finally caught up with us.  We pulled into a gorgeous bay surrounded by white sand beaches, children playing soccer, and one high rise.  We anchored during sunset and as the storm was clearing.  With our rations of rum, we enjoyed the final glow of the day behind the lush island, caught glimpses of dolphins leaving the bay, and saw a possible dugong.  We saw a large animal breach the surface of the water three times along a line out of the bay, all near the boat.  The first was the closest, and right in front of us.  It appeared to have a face, very fleshy body, and no dorsal fin.  We are going with Dugong!  We spent a short, hot night off of the beautiful coast, protected from the sea by the bay, rotating through brief night watches.

At 4 AM we had a wake up call, loaded up on coffee, then raised the anchor…which really gets your heart pumping early in the morning!  We began sailing towards Benoa in the dark, eagerly awaiting the rising sun to light our way into the narrow straight to the harbor.  We discovered that the sand in the harbor shifts rather easily; the first clue was the dredger that sat just outside the docks, the green triangle markers sitting above the water just outside the dredger, and finally the sand bar we slid into on our first approach.  After expert orchestrating, the entire crew running back and forth across the deck trying to rock an 80 ton steel ship, we were clear for a second approach.  We got to the dock and found our agent.  Cleared into Bali by noon, very simple compared to Jakarta!!

Dolphins Made of Light

After a very calm sleep, I found my self standing upright on a flat deck.  The squalls seemed to be behind us, finally we had entered the waters which were predicted!  The sea was completely calm, most likely because we had rounded Madura and entered a protected bay.  The sky was lit shortly after 5, and we had consistent wind, steady and favorable to drive our sails.  The days seem to last forever when you begin them at 4 Am, and as this one dragged on, it became calmer and calmer, hotter and HOTTER.  The sea was completely flat, the air stagnant and humid.  We were barely moving forward, at the steady pace of just over 2 knots.  We stopped for a much needed swim.  The ocean was clear and full of fleets of purple jellyfish, but we were all so hot that we were jumping off the bow carefree.  The water was cool and extremely refreshing!  It was a much needed break from our arduous bobbing under the baking sun.

During both my morning and evening shift, I saw several dolphins.  They only stayed around for several breaches, but we think they were small spinners; they were tiny, I thought maybe babies, but they could have been a particularly small breed.  The evening was calm, but we entered a downpour!  The rain was thick, producing a slight mist above the sea and deck and forming an impenetrable curtain around the entire ship.  Visibility instantly dropped to 10 feet onboard, and when you shined a light off the side, you could only see 5 feet away from the hull.  It was very treacherous sailing because you couldn’t see anything other than the helm, and the compass, it felt like sitting on a movie set waiting for them to say action and turn on the lights.  During a deck check, I noticed the sea was glowing from time to time.  Fluorescent plankton were illuminating where ever there was a disturbance in the water.  The waves created by the bow of the ship and the white caps in the sea were turned into glowing clouds beneath us full of individual specks of light, and the rain drops striking the water lit up upon impact.  It was an amazing sight to see a living light show created by the interaction of animals and nature.  The reefing team was called upon again…I am proud to say that we are now very efficient and methodical, ready at an instants notice.

Back in my bunk, again everyone was ready to sleep, we heard Satyavan running around on deck clapping and making a strange noise.  We knew it had to be dolphins!  4 dolphins were surfing on the bow of the ship and we could see them jumping under the light of a flashlight.  When the light went out, we sat in amazement and watched the sea light up.  The sky and the sea were pitch black, but illuminations in the shape of dolphins were clearly visible under the water.  We sat in awe as 3 dimensional glowing dolphins cut through the water, jumping back and forth from port to starboard, swimming in streamline unison and making loops off of the bow.  Their paths continued to glow, showing their playful patterns in the sea.  For 20 minutes we watched a spectacular show, applauding and whistling; it was unreal seeing dolphins encased by light playing with each other in the surf and interacting with us as we were hanging over the side of Mir!

Ying and Yang: the Balance of Darkness and Brilliance

The shifts were adjusted and the new crew were placed on watches for the next leg; Jakarta to Benoa.  I was put with Carol on the 4-8 shift; this shift is in charge of breakfast and dinner, but it has the benefit of being up for sunsets and sunrises!  Yasmina and Satyavan were given overlapping shifts so we would have more hands to help with dinner.  Since I slept through every sunrise on the first leg, I was excited to finally see a Southern Hemisphere sunrise from sea!

The first morning, I saw 3 more shooting stars cut across the Southern Cross.  As twilight broke the darkness, the Milky Way faded out, and we were left with a few constellations, the moon, and Venus glowing bright.  As light filled the sky, we were hit by a squall; not huge waves, but lots of rain.  It also brought favorable winds, strong and in the right direction! We were finally able to turn off our Lugger engine and SAIL!  The day became more peaceful without the constant humming of the engine, but the squalls continued to batter Mir with rocking waves and wind.  After sunrise, in the morning hours, I saw a sea snake swimming on the surface and a few schools of fish jumping out of the water.  The squalls continued into the evening and night, persistently rocking our boat.  Again the sky was very dark with windows in the clouds showing glimpses of the Milky Way and beautiful starry sky.  The water was very rough, tossing us back and forth all night.  Most of the night I could hear the sound of waves crashing into the hull, the howling of the wind, and the pounding of rain on the deck.  I was kept awake by the loud elements of the sea, the forceful motion of the ship, and at one point, my hatch was opened providing me with a night shower directly over my pillow.  At 2 AM I was asked to join the crew on deck, “Im terribly sorry to wake you, but we need your help bringing in the fore sail.  And put on foul weather gear”.  On deck, we had to cling to a safety line to avoid being tossed overboard by the high winds and large crashing waves.  We quickly reefed the sail and were sent back to bed.  Everyone on the morning shift was very tired and moving rather slowly.  We sailed past a cluster of islands, one of which Rick (the man who made ‘the Cove’) was staying and preparing a facility to release 5 dolphins back into the wild.  We were planning on stopping to visit with Rick and swim for the day, but the squalls were unrelenting. We remained under the power of our motor and constantly hit by squalls.  As dusk was again upon us, I was helming in extremely low visibility and swinging steering.  We had less than 20 feet of visibility, the only thing we could make out were the lights of nearby ships; one of which was putting out nets and passed very close to us!  There were huge waves towering over our heads when we were in the troughs and winds toying with our masts.  It was quite fun surfing the enormous waves in a huge ship in complete darkness only able to make out navigation lights on the horizon and whitecaps crashing all around.  I was forced to quickly develop my helming skills based on feeling the presence of the waves and knowing what was coming next, which direction and how many, instead of simply seeing what was out there.  We were isolated by a completely dark sky, not a single star, only able to seek comfort in the few small lights scattered across the horizon.

First Day of March and I saw my first real sunrise at sea aboard Mir!!  It was a picturesque morning, beautiful lighting and coloring across the many clouds.  Schools of fish were again swarming to the surface off our bow.  I pulled the fishing line in and baited it with flying fish that had flown on deck during the night; no luck.  I later realized I hadn’t let enough line out and we were moving too fast.  While I was baiting, I saw another sea snake, a huge one, float by the stern of the ship; Indonesia is supposed to be heavily populated by sea snakes, hopefully I’ll see some while diving.  In the rough seas I navigated towards an oil rig and steered clear of a wreck.  Even off the coast there are many hazards to be aware of, which makes the pitch black nights a bit scary!  We were now away from Java and sailing across the northern coast of Madura.  Next sail south back towards Java and cut across to Bali.  All day long we continued to be bombarded by squall after squall.  Huge winds, waves, and extreme rocking continued into the evening.  Again, the night was very dark, no stars, and very poor visibility.  After dinner as the next shift took watch, the rest of the crew was in their bunks.  We heard the winds pick up, the captain rushing around on deck, and the engine come on.  We all instinctively hurried on deck in our sleepwear and were asked to help reef the fore sail.  We have all developed a sense of urgency after living on alert since the middle of February and now understanding the movement and sounds of the ship.

Order Out of Chaos

Spent the day on the boat.  Getting ready for our departure I helped tune the mast, ship shape Boson’s Locker, prepare the anchor system, and ready the deck.  Dhany arrived dressed in nice shirt and slacks, looking like a true business man.  His hair was cut and gelled, freshly shaved; he looked like a new man, not the same guy I spent a week with sailing the South China Sea.  A group went to customs to clear us for our morning departure to Bali, and the rest of us enjoyed a slow paced day, mixing work with leisure time.  I was put in charge of dinner, my first fried chicken meal!  Dhany, Nina, and Adrien joined us for dinner; we were sad to learn that Dhany would not be joining us on the next leg, but excited to have Adrien and Orla.  Carol’s birthday celebration was the finale to our last meal with great new friends; a delicious cake and singing in English, then Indonesian.  We got to go on shore one last time to send out last minute emails and get our last hot shower.  Before going back to Mir, Nina, Dhany, and Adril found us to say the final goodbyes and present us each with rice patty hats.  They are truly a genuinely nice family, very humble and immensely generous. 

After a very hectic week in Jakarta, referring to the politics which I wasn’t involved in, we had a smooth departure.  We thought we might try to sail along the Southern coast of Java and spend a day at Kracatoa, but after reading about the rough seas and constant squalls we decided to take the safer course along the North coast.  It took a while to escape Jakarta waters navigating oil rigs and fishing boats, but eventually we found ourselves distanced from other boats, surrounded by darkness, and cruising under a spectacular sky.  The night was so dark that we had an amazing view of the Milky Way.  The regular constellations were out, but they were joined by thousands of stars.  Finally a peaceful night under the stars, out on deck in the cool sea breeze, and FAR away from mosquitoes!  I saw 2 shooting stars before slipping into a tranquil sleep.

Terima Kasih: A Crash Course in Jakarta

Sleeping on deck, I was woken up at 1 by strong winds.  Satyavan, Carol and I prepared the ship for imminent squall.  Sleeping inside my bunk covered head to toe (socks, pants, long sleeves, a hat, a scarf around neck and face, and a blanket), it was the second night I woke up not drenched in sweat.  I also managed to deter the mosquitoes, but now my hands were swollen from all the fresh bites!  First thing in the morning, I hoisted Laser up the mast to fix the starboard shroud.  Now time to relax!

Dhany’s driver brought us to his house on the opposite side of Jakarta.  He lives in South Jakarta, in an expat neighborhood.  His cook had prepared an amazing traditional Indonesian spread for lunch; young jackfruit soup, cabbage fritters, spicy chicken, and rice.  We took a tour of the house, the main entry is an art gallery, beautiful local paintings!  We lounged in the daybeds by the pool and enjoyed a nap and a swim.  Adrien came home, she is 22 and will be joining us on the next leg of our voyage.  We talked with her for a while, getting to know her and prepare her for life aboard Mir.  We also had a chance to talk with Nina, Dhany’s wife.  The whole family is very social, friendly, and immensely generous.  Dhany threw some ribs on the Barby, Australian style cooking, and we talked and laughed into the night.  It was refreshing to not have anything to worry about, our minds were at ease!  When Nina arrived back from Mir, we watched a video of Gaie and others who were releasing two dolphins from Flipper, Roxy and another.  Finally retired to a real bed, and a private room, both of which I shared with Satyavan.

I woke up at 6:15 with the sun in my face and sweaty as usual, but a bit more comfortable (I was not restricted by the hull at my feet).  Out on a day bed, I enjoyed the morning sounds of land, much different than the ocean!  I woke up from a nap to Casey licking my hand, Adrien drinking tea on another day bed, and Satyavan meditating in the garden.  Their cook prepared crepes with fresh bananas and maple syrup for breakfast, then we all headed to the Indonesian Park; we learned about the different cultures of the many islands by viewing traditional homes and watching an IMAX movie (the narration was in Indonesian so we didn’t get many details, but the imagery was spectacular).  Adrien took us to one of her hangouts for lunch, a very artsy tea house.  The food was quite cheap and delicious.  The menu was in Indonesian, but I could understand ‘burger’, ‘chicken wings’, and ‘french fries’; I let Dhany order for me.  We finished our meal with bread pudding and fried bananas with ice cream.

We met Adril, Nina’s son, when he got home from school.  He is 17, very funny kid.  His interests remind me a lot of my brother (plays the guitar in a band, loves video games, designs websites, interested in computer programming); I guess its their generation’s thing!  Tuti (their cook) prepared another amazing meal for us.  A lot of the same elements, but different preparation; I ate a chicken neck by accident.  Dhany and Nina wanted to take us out so we could have some fun and enjoy Jakarta.  We ended up at a very posh mall.  There was security checking each car before it was allowed to enter the perimeter (the trunk and mirrors to check the under carriage), we pulled into valet and discovered that there was a new store launch.  There were models dressed in high fashion outside of the mall and an exclusive party inside the mall.  People were dressed up very nicely and all carrying drinks.  The mall itself was huge, 7 stories tall, full of all the high-end shops from around the world.  We wandered through the broad walkways until we found ourselves in front of a karaoke bar.  Karaoke works a little differently in Jakarta.  We entered a very futuristic lounge with a bar, then were led through a maze of dark corridors.  The halls contained many doors, mirrors, and a low glow of blue light.  They finally stopped at a door and inside we found a private lounge with a  couch, table with snacks, and a large screen with speakers and karaoke machine; we had a great time singing and dancing.  Back at home we tried Jakarta’s signature J CO donuts and Satyavan and I slept with the AC on; the best night of sleep I’ve had in 4 weeks!!

In the morning, Adrien was the only one home, and she was still asleep, so we asked the gardener for directions to the large Monument in the center of the city.  He spoke no English, but was very helpful.  We began walking down the narrow streets, not much room for foot traffic, and were able to jump on a Trans Mini 77 to Block M.  The people were very friendly and eager to give directions even though nobody really understood each other.  We spent hours walking around Block M (many clothes stores with loud music coming from each one), we ate lunch at an underground vendor, and met lots of friendly people.  Some people just watched us trying to order and laughed, but those who spoke English immediately became our best friends (Eddie from Jakarta wanted to get me whatever I wanted and recommended I try almost everything because it is all so good).  We bought tickets for the TransJakarta and headed to Ancol Marina (which we later learned was the wrong place).  On the bus, we met some guys who had been educated in Zimbabwe, the older brother had spent 8 years and the younger 10 years; they spoke very good English and they took a picture with us.  The bus took us to a Ancol, which is a huge theme park area, many types of water parks (Atlantis and Sea World) and other entertainment.  People kept trying to send us to the Ancol Marina, apparently they don’t know where Batavia is!  I finally pulled out my camera and showed them a picture of the crest…as soon as they saw Batavia Sudan Kelapa Marina, they tried to take us to Sunda Kelapa.  We opted to walk because they were asking for too much money, $4 a person.  After finally getting out of Ancol, the polisi pointed us in the right direction and told us what bus to take.  While we were walking, Jasmina was able to wave down a blue bus, who gave us a lift to Batavia (20 cents each).  We walked back to the marina and decided to take the final opportunity to relax before rejoining the crew.  We all showered and enjoyed a beer and some wafers sitting on the marina patio in the cool breeze.

We had an amazing journey from South Jakarta to North Jakarta, through an expat area, private wealth, parts of the city, an expansive/cheap mall, street food, tourist areas, and the very poor harbor area.  We saw the great contrast of Jakarta, tried out all kinds of public transportation, discovered that English is very rare, and experienced difficulty communicating with the locals.  Jakartans are not always the most helpful (mainly due to miscommunication), but they are very very friendly!

Hati-Hati

I was attacked by bugs all night.  In the evening I felt a few mosquitoes biting me, and I woke to a buzzing in my ear.  It wasn’t until I looked in a mirror that I realized had been FEASTED upon.  I looked like I had Chicken Pox again, my entire body was covered!  I was relieved, however, to later learn that denge is carried by mosquitoes that bite during the day.

Satyavan and I went into ‘town’ to find a laundry service.  We wandered around a few streets, which he said were similar to India, but much cleaner.  It was very nice to get out of the marina and wander around Northern Jakarta.  We then headed over to a harbor containing very old, very large, wooden boats.  They have been sailing these waters the longest, and now are used as large transports; amazingly everything is still hand loaded.

Ice cream and COLD water taste sooo good after a week of nothing colder than room temperature, which is rather warm when you are at the equator.  We both got local money (500000 rupiah) and we were unable to find a single person who spoke English.

Back on the ship, we prepared for a dinner with guests by completing little tasks and tidying up Mir’s appearance (mainly the deck and the navigation room).  Satyavan and I set up a kayak system to facilitate easy access to the shore without the use of the small boat; Carol and Jasmina had a few laughs watching the two of us paddle around squatting down in the bright blue kayak.

Dhany and Nina came back to the ship with shopping bags; they brought huge Mangosteens, which are delicious!!

Tonight I plan to sleep on deck fully clothed to prevent more mosquito bites.

Pelan Pelan: Trouble on the Horizon

I took over the helm at the beginning of my last night shift.  The stars began disappearing, the sky was getting darker.  All of a sudden a squall hit bringing with it 5 force winds, 15 minutes of complete darkness, and a down pour.  In a matter of minutes, the bow of the boat was out of sight and I was soaked to the bone.  As soon as it had passed, I was brought a rain coat…so thoughtful.  The remaining two and half hours the sky began clearing up and I was again able to set my course to the Southern Cross.  I sat at the helm watching a huge lightening storm move from stern to bow a few miles off our starboard side.  As we continued onward, the stars again disappeared and we were submerged in darkness.  We prepared on deck waiting for the storm and another squall; there were blankets of rain falling all around us, but we managed to remain dry.  Visibility continued to get worse and worse, then the winds picked up and the rain finally hit.  My shift had ended, so I got to relax to the sound of the rain, the rocking waves from the squall, and the gentle hum of the engine.

In the morning, I emerged from the cabin to find the sea a dark color, almost brown…Welcome to Jakarta!!  At 10:15 we caught our first glimpse of the city on the horizon, many sky scrappers.  As we moved closer the entire coast line became visible, many tall buildings (urbanized) and dark water (pollution); very different side of Indonesia, not at all like the islands we passed on our voyage.  Dhany saw dolphins.

We neared the shore and tried to figure out where Batavia Marina was located.  There are many shipwrecks off the coast, it is very shallow, so navigation was rather treacherous.  We finally were able to make contact with the marina over the walky-talkies and they sent a boat to lead us in.  As we got closer and closer, it seemed more and more unlikely that we could make it into the marina.  The water was getting shallower, reading only 5 feet on our depth sound, and the current and wind were strong; we tried to abort, and while we turned around we got stuck in the mud and began drifting towards the rocky wharf.  The marina boat had to assist us in safely getting out, but there was a period that we were all on high alert and a bit nervous.  We anchored off of the coast and were eventually met by customs and immigration.  For the time being, we were quarantined to our ship.  We later learned that Batavia Marina decorates their club house with bits and scraps from shipwrecks!

We spent the evening on alert, at one point a squall hit beating us with rain, wind, and waves.  Carol, Satyavan, Jasmina, and I were the only ones onboard; we had to deal with the dragging anchor, maneuvering the ship, and staying calm.  We were scrambling to ship shape the galley, start the engine and keep in line with our anchor.  I was at the helm and Carol was orchestrating our successful bout of excitement.  Gaie and Laser arrived back onboard as the squall was dying down.  Exhausted, we all sat down to meet to go over shifts.  Each person was responsible for a 1:15 shift during the night to keep an eye on the anchor and be sure we weren’t raided by looters.  We were all eagerly anticipating the 6:30 wake up call, meaning we would get into the marina and have access to homemade ice cream, the fish market, massage parlors, and be able to see an admiral party containing 500 members of various Asian navies.

Woke up to the smell of Crepes with Mister Choc, oatmeal, and REAL coffee (first time in a week!).  The first step was getting the small boat in the water, but we discovered that rig setup had been dismantled and the largest shackle had been used on the anchor.  We were forced to adapt and now had to rely on the main halyard to raise the boat.  It was a lot of work to lift it high enough to clear the side rail.  I was warned to back away as I slowly-slowly released the break; after a gentle nudge on the break, the boat dropped to the water.  We were frantically rushing around, and in all of the confusion, the safety boat had gotten untied.  We caught it before it could get away, and decided to take a breather; we also then realized our clocks were still on Singapore time, and we were actually right on schedule.  Mir was finally able to make it past the break water and into the marina.  There was a strong current and substantial wind (and poor communication with the people on the dock), so after 3 attempts, we executed an emergency docking at a very small dock.  We decided to take the opportunity to make the repairs we needed, since we were still unsure of our stay in Jakarta due to all of the politics and whether or not we could continue our trip.  I hoisted Laser up the mast and we discovered that a steel eye had snapped open; the hazards of old rigging! 

The Batavia marina has beautiful décor, it looks like an industrial mill on the outside, with an external glass elevator connecting the 4 or 5 floors.  All of the windows are multicolored, and the entire building façade is composed with great symmetry.  The interior is decorated with elements from old ships and drift wood statues.  The bathroom had a sky mural, and HOT showers!

We were invited out to lunch by a local family, friends of Dhany, and they took us to a restaurant with traditional North Sumatra cuisine.  We sat around a large table which the staff proceeded to cover in two layers of little plates.  Each plate contained a different dish; Large fish eggs, many different beef and chicken dishes, a ganja pepper sauce, whole small birds, dragon balls, and a cool cucumber drink.  Although I had no idea what I was trying, the majority of it was delicious!  After 3 servings of the ganja pepper dish we were all feeling a full body high, very relaxed, and giggly.  Fortunately, we were able to rest before moving the ship to a special mooring they set up inside the marina.  A coral reef specialist, Phil Dustin, arrived from the University of Charleston.  We had a quiet evening, learning about our new shipmate, and enjoying Rum and Cake.  We had finally arrived in Jarkata!

Sailing Log: Singapore to Jakarta

Feb. 16

No land in sight all day, but clear skies.  During the night shift we encountered unfavorable winds causing us to furl the genoa, turn the engine on, and tighten the fore sail to mid ship.  The entire sky was covered by clouds, but they were thin enough to emit a light glow from the moon, illuminating the entire ocean.  While at the helm, you had to try to keep the compass as steady as possible, which is difficult, especially with the constant rocking of the boat and the fluctuating waves.

Feb. 17

Again, no land in sight.  While at helm in the early afternoon, I saw 5 dolphins of the port bow.  I immediately stood up, pointing and shouting, but everyone on the bow darted their heads in my direction, missing the sole breach.  A few minutes later, while everyone was on deck scanning the sea for dolphins, we spotted land on the horizon.  At first there was one mountain, followed by two more, off of the starboard bow, then another off of the port bow.  We were nearing a passage between two islands off of the coast of Sumatra, which would provide us with a strong current, shooting us out in line with Jakarta.

Still no luck catching an fish, or having any bites.  In the early afternoon, we had a nibble, which Dhany reeled in until we saw a long, slender fish following our squid bait.  It put up no fight, just trailed our bait as it moved closer to the stern of Mir.  Dhany said he felt it bite the bait a couple of times while he was reeling, but all of a sudden the fish was gone.  It took two of our hooks with it; Dhany thinks it may have been a Barracuda judging by its shape and the missing hooks.

Today I had to wear long sleeves and a hat due to a mild sunburn on my arms and face.  The tops of my knees were very red, and I had to wrap a towel around them while I was at helm in the sun.  The day shifts seem to last longer, most likely a result of being out in the sun and being awake over a longer period of time.  The nights are very peaceful, when the engine is off, and beautiful to sit under the stars in the cool breeze.  The 4 hour shift goes quite quickly.

Evening was upon us and I was enjoying the sunset at the stern with some music, when suddenly we had a fish on!!  I began fighting the fish while we were travelling at 6.5 knots and “Come on Eileen” was gently playing in my headphones.  The lure was dragging very far behind the ship and the fish took quite a bit when it struck, so it took me a while to reel it in close enough to see the fish; also the boat was still moving at a good speed, amplifying the fish’s fight.  I saw it break the surface of the water a few times, but as it got closer, it felt like the fish had gotten off.  At 25 feet, I thought the fish had gotten off, and laser and dhany were confirmed.  We picked up our speed, and dhany decided to pull the bait in to check it was still there and remove the sea weed.  At 15 feet, Dhany screamed ‘I saw a tail’.  The fish decided to play dead and be dragged in with its mouth open.  Dhany filleted the fish (locally known as Tengery), refrigerating large fillets for later, and slicing two heaping plates of FRESH sashimi.  It was an amazing appetizer for Gaie’s spaghetti Bolognese, and our full moon celebration consisting of Vodka cocktails and howling.

Feb. 18

Slept on deck before my night shift.  Not much wind, making the shift very easy and quiet.  Beautiful evening!

I woke up early, there was a great breeze blowing onto my bunk; it was the first time I didn’t wake up covering in sweat.  Everyone was either in the navigation room or on deck, we were in a nice force 4 wind, large waves all around.  Suddenly, the wind picked up to a gale force 6, ‘All Hands on Deck!!”; forcing us to quickly turn the engine on, move to head to wind, and furl the genou as quickly as possible.  After we had all followed the safety line aft, we realized that the starboard top mast diamond shroud had broken.  The top of the mast was flexing back and forth, so to be on the safe side, we all shuffled back to the front of the ship to store the fore sail.  Because the rigging is so old, there was the fear that the mast might break.  During the motoring, we experienced a strong current, making it difficult to maintain a straight course.  The peaceful voyage was over, now we were dependent on our engine, Northern Lights.

With out sails up, napping on deck was more difficult, I ended up finding a place where just my face was in the shade…it had to do.  Our course brought us near an oil rig, Dhany said ‘look we are near Jakarta!’.  We had been making good time, and the current was assisting us, our ETA into Jakarta was 1 PM, but at our current speed we would be there by 10 AM.  There was a constant communication with Jakarta; many political problems.  We had been told we could not arrive until Sunday (Feb. 20) at 6 AM.  This was bad news as well as good news.  It meant we were able to turn our engine off for dinner and all FINALLY take a breath!  We rode the currents and enjoyed a peaceful evening with fresh fish, a nice sunset behind the oil rig, and fortune cookies.  Mine was “reward yourself for a job well done”.  We finished the evening with a tale about Nyi Roro Kidul, the local goddess of the Sea, presented her with a gift and enjoyed the peace of the evening at sea.  This was the night of the true full moon!! 

We were still moving 2 knots on the current, but we turned our engine back on in order to maintain our heading; now 80 miles from Jakarta.  As we neared there were more birds and tons of insects in the air; damsel flies, beetles, bees, and moths.

23 is a Magic Number

On February 14, we were finally prepared to depart on our voyage.  At 9:30 AM we sat down for a safety meeting followed immediately by a launch meeting.  We were eager to learn the times of our shifts, I was placed at 10-2, overlapping Laser and Dhany for the first 2 hours and Carol for the second half.  My shift coordinated with two groups of onboard activities, Lunch and clean up/food management.  Before learning the 5 Emergency Calls, we were informed that the general consensus in the marina was that we were mad to embark on the voyage with such an inexperienced crew!  The 4^th safety call is the Man Overboard emergency, which we learned is almost impossible to recover the helpless crew; In rough seas, only 1 time in 10 does the boat ever get back in contact with the MOB.  In the case of an Abandon Ship emergency, Satyavan and I are responsible for launching the emergency life raft, then I am in charge of the Medical supplies.  Our voyage would take us through the world’s largest port straight, with one of the busiest shipping lanes, then into the open South China Sea, where we would only sea fishing boats, get accustomed to searching for other boat’s lights at night, and pass safely through pirate waters.

Launching Mir first involved turning her 180˚, which was left up to me and Jasmina to swing the bow; it is not easy to gain momentum trying to pull an 80 ton ship through the water.  We cleared the all of the boats in Raffles Marina and received a bon voyage from the boat boys and many of the other captains.  Due to unfavorable tides, it took us nearly 4 and half hours to chug (averaging 2.5 knots) around to the southern side of Singapore where we found our fueling barge (Victory Petroleum).  Refueled, we continued heading east to the Singapore Straight, around Batam.  Once clear of Batam, we adjusted our course to SE, where we had more room to navigate the busy shipping lane; Some cargo ships went flying past us at speeds around 20 knots, its pretty incredible to see these massive vessels travelling so fast, and in such a great quantity.

I began my first shift at 11:30 PM.  The night was booked with keeping out of large container ship’s paths, all of which are indicated by a lower light on their bow, a higher light on their stern, and a red (port) and green (starboard) light showing their tack.  At midnight, I was wished happy birthday by Dhany and Laser, who shortly after retired allowing Carol to become my on duty Mate.  The night was peaceful, seeing the glow cities from the shores on either side, the constant hum of the engine, and the traffic of the shipping lanes.  I awoke to the smell of fried salami, and was given a hearty plate for breakfast.  At 10 AM when my shift began, our first duty was to set the sails.  We had finally made it out of the busy lanes, and were heading in a favorable direction for the Northeasternly wind.  We set up 2 fishing rigs off of the stern of the ship, but no luck all day.  The day was full of napping, manning the helm, and enjoying the beautiful color of the ocean (it is the most amazing shade of blue).    As the sun set and it became completely dark, we said farewell to the last signs of land.  We had a great dinner feast; T-bone steaks, mashed potatoes, home made apple sauce, and veggies.  Afterwards, Laser and Dhany made a banana crepe cake 23 layers high filled with raw coconut palm sugar; it was superb!!  At 11:30 PM I started my shift by manning the helm.  It was a beautiful night, with no light pollution from land, only several fishing ships off in the distance.  We were under full power of sail, allowing the only noise to be the crashing of waves in every direction.  The night shift can get a bit cool, but it is a welcome relief to the HOT days and the constant high humidity.  Carol saw a few dolphins, unfortunately I was below and missed them, but towards the end of my shift I was laying on the stern and I saw the first shooting star!  I was at the helm for 2.5 hours during my shift, singing and enjoying the serenity of the sea.  With the bright light of the moon illuminating the path we had already travelled, I set the Southern Cross over the main starboard backstay and rode the Northeasternly wind on a port tack to the equator.  The only light in sight was the brilliance of the waxing moon, the twinkle of the stars, and three fishing ships (1 North, 1 South, and 1 West).  At 4:50 we crossed the Equator, marking my first steps into the Southern Hemisphere.

When the sun rose back into the sky, there was no land in sight in any direction.  The only thing we saw all day was a tug boat pulling a barge of coal.  For the next day and half, we would be completely alone on the peaceful sea, kept vigilant by Mir’s forceful rocking.

Bon Voyage

We have delayed our departure thanks to problems with the Indonesian government and research visas, but we are finally ready to set sail!  On Friday night we had a party aboard Mir to say goodbye to friends, and really to cut loose and have fun after a long few weeks of work and a before the unknown adventure ahead of us.  There were many people from all over the world; professional racers from Australia, a genetic engineer from India, recent students from the local universities, many of the usual marina riffraff.  As the evening was in full swing, and the beer and wine punch was flowing, the wind began to blow; inspiring Yves to take a sail.  A group of us boarded his fully stocked yacht, and under the helm of the Australian racers, we sailed through Malaysian waters for nearly 2 hours.  It was my first time sailing in Asia, a beautiful evening, steady winds, and a very fun crew.  I spoke with some students from SMU (Singapore Management University, NOT in Texas), one of the girls was on the race team and is joining Mir in June to sail from Singapore to Anambas.  I also saw my first giant asian bat! It flew along side of us for a while, up by he head of our main sail. After a beautiful night cruise, we docked along side Mir and I entered the galley to find a circle of fire dancers.  There were 5 women and Satyavan rhythmically moving with small candles in a dark room.  One of the girls was teaching a traditional fire dance, but I think the music took over after a while.  There were also spectators seated on the couches on the perimeter of the room, pounding a conga drum from Papua New Guinea, playing a melodica, shaking jars filled with rice and beans, tapping on freenotes, and playing some other instruments acquired on their travels.  Hours later, the atmosphere was transformed into a relaxed jam session with a guitar and singing, and any other instrument that felt the urge to chime in.  I fell asleep leaning against the fridge listening to many classic rock songs; Wish You Were Here, The Joker, and Brown Eyed Girl, among others.  Around 4:30, everyone suddenly cleared out, and I was able to blow out the candles and make my way to my bunk.

The next morning I woke up at 9 AM with the sun in my face, drenched in sweat.  The past two days have been very rigorous making all of the final preparations, getting our documents ready and getting the boat ship-shape.  I am ready to finally leave the marina, done with intensive work (at least until Jakarta), get some air circulating through the ship (it gets quite hot and humid below deck in the bosun locker, dive locker, and engine room, especially since the humidity hovers between upper 60 % and low 90%), and leave the luxury of the club behind; no more swimming pool, hot tub, flushing toilet, fresh shower, or AC.

This is the first time I will cross the equator, I’m told to expect a visit from Neptune, and the first time I sail on the open ocean for more than a few hours.  I am excited to begin working 4 hours on 8 hours off, sailing around the clock, only seeing land in the distance for the next week!

The Final Stretch

This week has been busy, we have been crossing many things off our list, and tasks are becoming more manageable, thanks to incoming sponsorships and all 8 members of our crew. 

I have been compiling my own list; every task requiring wood work, tools, and electrical work has been added to my list.  Monday I spent the majority of the day working with Danny, he is very experienced in the areas that I have been working and has proven to be very helpful.  Not only does he know how to operate a screw gun and a hand saw, but he has been teaching me tricks and providing me with company and a fresh eye on several of my tasks.  He has a great personality, very humorous, and tons of stories.  I have learned a great deal about his experiences and some of the adventures he has encountered in his life.  Danny is a father of 5, he has 1 grandchild, he has spent the majority of his life in Australia (and is currently a resident) working for pharmaceutical companies and airlines, his wife lives in Jakarta (she is visiting us tomorrow), and they own an island in Anambas.  That night he showed me pictures of his children, his beautiful island, and the amazing house he built with local materials aided only by local fishermen. 

Tuesday, the captain’s life was put in my hands.  We were removing the cable backstays from the front mast, and I was in charge of the old, spotty winch.  I had never been part of a rigging crew, neither had Danny, so we were carefully directed by Laser, who I hoisted 80 ft off of the ship’s deck, and Gaie, who was our eyes and ears on the deck.  It is a very physical activity to make sure that the winch is moving smoothly, to be sure that Laser is being raised and lowered at a safe speed, and to obey every command at a split second.  The rigging crew is faced with many challenges, unsafe conditions (like when the stay broke in pirate waters on their sail from Malta and they had to fix it on the open sea), and countless hazardous consequences.  Luckily our first attempt was very successful, removing 4 cables from 2 different heights, and only dropping a hat from 65 feet.  In the early evening, Orla arrived and we had a big meal with a the entire crew and a couple of friends.

On Wednesday, I decided to complete a few tasks that had been on my list for a while, along with some new, related jobs.  The big three tasks that I decided to complete, all faced me with opposition.  I installed a central light in the foxhole, only to discover that the light did not work, I broke two screws attaching the overboard system in the only place is could be attached and still function, and I numerous peg mounts split while I was trying to make a new book shelf ship-shape.  I found myself trying to get involved with ANY other project simply to escape my failing efforts.  It was my first frustrating day.  I ended the day after clean up had begun, but I was determined to finish at least one task properly; I installed the overboard system inside the life ring!

This morning I started where I had left off by installing the book shelf peg.  As soon as I got it tacked into place, the piece broke…but it still serves it purpose, so moving on finally.  The big event of the day was when 6 months of food arrived and had to be stored appropriately.  The truck arrived at 4 pm, three pallets were unloaded and delivered to the ship (a bit over 7 thousand dollars worth of food), and we formed a chain gang to quickly move the food out of the intense heat of the afternoon.  After our entire galley had been filled with boxes, we had to quickly unpack all of the meat and fresh fruits and vegetables.  I was told to get the hand saw so I could saw through some of the large tenderloins (one was 4 ft long and the other was 3 ft) and the 9 lb salamis.  All of the meat and butter was packaged and frozen, and the fresh produce was sorted and organized.  Half of the galley is still full of neatly stacked boxes full of canned vegetables, fruits, coconut milk, packages of pasta, containers of milk, sacks of rice, beans, sugar, and flower, boxes of spices, crates of sauces and ground coffee; so much food, but it will last a crew of 6 to 12 over 6 months!

Gardens, Jungles, and Three Scales of the Dragon

Danny arrived late last night, so we all gathered on deck and welcomed him aboard over a cup of ginger tea.  Danny is an Indonesian who has spent the majority of his life in Australia, and he joins us as crew number 7.  Orla is the last crew member, due to arrive on Tuesday, she is Irish.

This morning, Gaie, Laser and I woke up at 6:45, and prepared for a morning canopy walk with our guests from yesterday.  Yves arrived early as well, and we tiredly headed off to the Horticulture Park.  We were led on a tour of the glass houses, filled with native flowers and butterflies, ultimately being raised for the future Singapore gardens and island canopy loop.  The four of us quickly found ourselves in the company of two professors, a famous Chinese artist’s daughter, the leading heart surgeon in Singapore, an advisor to the US department of Defense, and an elected member of the Singapore Parliament. Our entourage began our walk over the Alexandra Arch, through the Forest Walk canopy, across the Henderson Waves, and up Mt Faber.  It was full of beautiful scenery from the natural jungles, an elevated view of the city and harbor, and many stimulating conversations; each person was quick-witted, very excitable, and full of energy.  The Member of Parliament and the surgeon turned back before our ascent of Mt. Faber, but along the way people kept stopping and shaking her hand; I found out one of the other parties was her brother-in-law, but the rest were supporters.  The walk ended after a somewhat steep descent to the coast where we found ourselves passing through a shopping mall to reach the shore across from Sentosa Island (a man made island full of themeparks, casinos, resorts, and prime multi-million dollar properties).  We were taken to a food court full of local cuisine.  I tried Laksa, a local prawn and noodle dish, and was force fed all kinds of local foods and treats by the three Chinese and Singapore women sitting around me.  All very good, and very filling; a pancake type dish filled with chicken and egg and topped with curry, deep fried dough, dough filled with sweet beans, and sweet bread with cinnamon centers.  After filling a bag with leftover, because I am the young one of the group and still growing I can afford to eat, we headed back to the marina filled with local cuisine and joy over the new acquaintances we had just met.  Yves invited some of them out on his boat in the coming weeks and we will be meeting some of them again in Bali!

When we got back to the ship, I had time to change my shoes and fill up my water bottle before I headed off to the Botanic Gardens with the remaining crew.  After an hour and half on various buses, I had gotten to know Danny much better, and we all were eager to finally reach the gardens!  We stopped at a cart outside the gardens and each tried a local ice cream sandwich; a solid brick of ice cream wrapped in a slice of multi-colored bread.  The Garden was huge and full of many brilliant colors and aromas; one flower smelled just like a ripe peach, it made my mouth water!  We came upon a large park in the middle, and all I could think about was what a beautiful place to toss a Frisbee! We had to stop for some coffee and chips, French fries in the USA (I was corrected by Satyvan today that being from Brasil, he is American too and ‘United Staters’ spell Brasil wrong, it doesn’e have a ‘zed’), but continued to enjoy the park before the long trek back to the marina.  I was fortunate enough to fall asleep for 30 min on the bus ride back to Jurong Point (the bus transfer point). 

The past two days’ activities reminded me of life in Denver and at Kenyon, full of fun friendly people enjoying the beauty of nature; whether it is getting on the river early to fly fish, lounging in the quad, hiking around the BFEC, playing Frisbee, or simply socializing in a comfortable setting.  I felt a little home sick on the ride back being reminded of all the friends and family back in the States and how truly out of touch I am.  Technology really doesn’t reach the isolated journey I am about to embark on.

We arrived back to Mir, to find the deck covered in soot and the galley heated up like a sweat lodge.  Sunday night dinner also consisted of testing out the diesel stove top and oven; which we discovered makes a 90 degree day with 66% humidity unbearable.  We sat on deck to enjoy two roasted chicken and potatoes and red wine, courtesy of Yves who also joined us.  This Sunday dinner was full of toasts and the speeches at the end were all about our excitement for the New Year (year of the Rabbit) and the happiness brought about by the assembled crew.  The evening ended by Yves inviting us to go wakeboarding courtesy of a local company that Biosphere Society Singapore sponsors; a very generous offer and a good, fun break in the busy work week finalizing our preparation for the voyage!

Mir is now planning to be ready to set sail by the end of Friday, a party onboard with lots of drinks, friends, and dancing on Friday night, a day of rest and last visits to Singapore on Saturday, and an early departure for Jakarta on Sunday!  I can’t wait to set sail, see a new culture, and experience a new adventure.  I hope everyone is well and has a wonderful start to the year of the Golden Rabbit!

Big USA in a little Asian Culture

This morning we got to sleep in, but I was woken up by the sun reflecting off of the dock through my porthole right onto my face.  I needed to get up early to prepare for my sales pitch over lunch, and mentally prepare for Saturday morning ‘acting class’.  The entire crew followed Laser up to the dance studio in the yacht club.  Warm up began by frolicking around the room in a circle to feel the presence of the space we would be moving in.  There was running, skipping, hopping, jumping, stomping, backwards-running, and of course, high knees and karaoke.  Afterwards we found our own space in a circle and began by kicking our feet out without allowing the rest of our body to move.  Next we moved one limb at a time repetitively in each direction, again keeping the rest of the body still and relaxed.  We then came to a full body exercise that didn’t stop until we turned made the noise of donkeys as we pushed through our body’s resistance.  Beginning with hip circles, then adding arm circles, and then wrist circles, and then finger circles, and then head, face, tongue and toe circles.  For 15 minutes we had every joint and small muscles stimulated by circular motion.  For brief periods we would slow down and other brief periods we would speed up.  After we had broken our body’s resistance and began grunting and moaning like ‘donkeys’, we froze in place and felt the energy radiating off of our bodies.  Moving around the room and interacting with others we could feel their energies.  After the energy had subsided, we reformed the circle and began releasing our true voice.  Your true voice comes from your sex organ and resonates through all of your internal organs until it escapes through your mouth.  It has its own power and energy.  We again interacted with others, feeling their true voice and responding with ours, followed by its reverberation off of a wall.  The final exercise was a voice exercise.  Moving around the room and speaking how ever felt right to you individually, we made the sounds of the vowels, one at time.  The ‘class’ was ended by lying down and playing the entire thing over in our heads, ‘going to the movies’, and individual stretching.

Saturday morning clean up followed acting class, and I was reminded how beautiful Mir truly is; she really does clean up nicely!  I also got to swab the deck again, which is actually quite fun and makes you feel like you are in an old pirate movie.  Our two guests arrived a bit early, so I didn’t have time to shower, but luckily the humidity and heat of my bunk removed all of the wrinkles in my shirt and shorts!  The meeting went on for 3 hours, and the guy is very talkative and excitable.  There were a lot of great connections made and hopefully some future business.

I finally made it into Singapore!  I visited the Chinese Gardens and the Japanese Gardens.  They were rather crowded and the main garden, the Bonsai Garden, was closed for renovations.  The Garden of Abundance made it worth the trip, however.  In this garden are 100 yr old pomegranate trees and statues of the 12 signs of the Chinese Zodiac.  11 of them were scattered around the garden in open spaces, while the Dragon was located in a jungle area at the top of a waterfall and pool.  Clearly the BEST symbol!  The pagodas were nice, as well as the wild life; I saw a fishing bird catching fish!  The surprising thing was there were more Indians than Asians, I even took shelter from the rain under a pagoda with a group of 8 Indians who were eating peanuts and sharing a carton of milk.  As I was leaving the Gardens, a caught a young girl following me with her camera phone, and as I passed I heard the ‘click’.  Everywhere I go it seems, Asians are in awe of me!

I made my way back to Jurong Point for dinner, and passed up the thai and malay version of Friendly’s to experience a street dinner under $5.  The first place I found offered 5 different soups, each containing a different pig’s internal organ.  After browsing many menus and being stared at by a large Caucasian guy, I found myself seated at a table with two other single men all enjoying a different dish and from a different culture.  Back inside the mall, I found a cheap asian movie store, in hopes of finding a Totoro dvd for Leskosky (sorry, no luck).  At the market, I picked up some energy food, Snickers and apples, and ran into the Caucasian guy in one of the aisles.  Again he was staring at me and as I entered the aisle he asked me if I was from Norway.  I found out he was from Russia and also a seaman, in port for repairs.  Also he had ‘never met a USA’ and didn’t know the English words coral reef, ocean, fish, or sea animals.  I felt honored to be the first American Egor had met and after his limited English had been surpassed he shook my hand, smiled, and said ‘have good shopping, good bye’.  Waiting in line for a cab, the little Asian guy standing in front of me stared up at me for 10 minutes.  I tried to engage in a conversation, but I all I got in return were ‘wide’ eyes and an open mouth as he shuffled backwards each time the line moved up.  It sure is a little man’s world out there!