After our almost obligatory game of Frisbee after breakfast (Dave + I, that is – he beat me again, the bastard) we set to to pack up our belongings. Which we managed quite efficiently. We also finally seem to be disposing of some of the surfeit of clothes that we’ve brought with us from Panama, which helps the arrangement a little. If only we cold dispose of Val’s sextant – for some financial return, of course – we’d be set. The next stage was getting out, of course, and since Edmond was leaving too, that meant 4 of us standing by the roadside, all with hefty packs. Quite clearly, it would take a while – in fact, it was about 11/2 hours before our friendly bus-driver gave us a free ride, but we passed the time pleasantly, sitting by the road reading + chatting with a couple of people who passed by. Nowadays, Val + Dave seem to me to spend an inordinate amount of time talking about + examining one another’s sores, but for once they left the subject alone.
In town, we bought a few provisions for the journey, + had lunch – bread pudding + chocolate milk. Then we all somehow squeezed onto the back of one small truck, Dave + I hanging on by our bootlaces. Val tells me the guy in front’s lunch was interesting – a baguette hollowed out from the top, with a can of pork ‘n beans poured in. Found a place in the shade to put our bags while waiting for the Taporo, and then Val + I strolled back to the Yacht Club, where we met Michelle, the owner. She said it was a pity we hadn’t introduced ourselves to her, as people had asked about the note, yet she could say nothing. Still, she mentioned a possibility or two, + told us to return later. Which we did, spending a considerable time waiting for owners of said yacht, Ganesh, to arrive. Unfortunately, when they did, the news was that no crew was required. Still, we chatted for a time with Max, one of the English crew on board (+ I had been able, during our wait, to catch up on some world news by reading some relatively recent back nos. of Time. The new royal prince is called William, the IRA have been blowing up Household Cavalry + Bandsmen in London, Israelis are still hitting out at Palestinians in Beirut, Maggie’s riding a crest of a wave, + Woody Allen has just released a movie… which was panned. Back on the Taporo IV, we ate a substantial meal of mostly bread, played some Yum, +, late, both Val + I climbed into unoccupied bunks.
And so our stay on Bora Bora – a very pleasant retreat from the realities of trying to find a way off the island. And it would appear that we messed up with the Yacht Club, but it’s too late to worry about that.
Leave a Reply