Yesterday we enjoyed a lazy, restful day without any chores or yacht tasks to take care of, instead enjoying another lovely walk; this time through the western end of village and onwards to the bordering beach. En route we were stopped by a young girl, speaking perfectly good English. She wanted to know if we would like to purchase some “coconut juice”, which we realised was coconut water. Delighted at the request, we were asked to wait in the shade of a nearby tree. Thinking she was bringing the coconuts to us, we were surprised when she returned empty handed, but asked us to follow her and, even more surprised, when we were invited into the grounds of the home to collect our four “jelly” coconuts. It was lovely to get an unexpected, up close view to the homes behind the walls and obtain a different perspective on the way of life here, including seeing children at play; their bicycles being the first clue there were indeed children on the island. The second clue was the local primary school we found during our wanderings.
Passing a few more of the quaint homes, we made our way to the beach bordering the southwestern side of the island, where we enjoyed a walk and a swim before venturing over to the northern, rougher side of the island.
We were also delighted to find the sea grass feeding grounds of the turtles we’ve seen popping up from time to time to take a peek at Paw Paw.
On our way back we eventually found the second “grocery” shop on the island actually open, although the shopkeeper nearly laughed at Roy when Roy asked if they had ice-cream. Obviously not something enjoyed on the island, although Ferrero Rocher chocolate is.
We returned to Paw Paw in time for lunch and a wee rest, before heading to the beach on the far eastern end of the island for a dinner arranged for us, compromising various local dishes to sample and providing the opportunity to meet the numerous other cruisers who had arrived over the preceding days. Set under the stars, we dined by candlelight, savouring the multitude of flavours of the meal and the company of friends, old and new.
Today we were up early to prepare for our own dinner “party” hosted on Paw Paw; sundowners followed by a potluck dinner with Talulah Ruby III and Golden Spirit. Besides preparing our contributions to the meal, most of the morning was spent moving all the jerry cans from the cockpit and undertaking a general tidy up / clean inside and out. Roy also found the time to bake his first baguettes after his baking lesson and Elaine enjoyed a swim off the back of Paw Paw.
A scrumptious dinner of barbecued chickens and freshly baked baguettes (from Paw Paw), a medley of roasted fresh vegetables (from Talulah Ruby III) and two delicious puddings; a chocolate pie and a summer pudding (from Golden Spirit), all of which went down like a treat, accompanied by lots of chatter and laughter. Oh yes, and copious amounts of alcohol!
