Lijiang, China

After saying goodbye to my new Canadian friend (who bless her, thought I was 26!) and promising to meet up in Nepal for the Nepali New Year mid-April, I hopped on the bus heading for Lijiang.  The ride was quite scenic but very dusty and bumpy and 4 hours later we thankfully arrived.  After settling into my very hard to find hostel I set out to stretch my legs and explore town. 

Streets of Lijiang

Lijiang was a very scenic village filled with a maze of cobblestone streets.  If you weren’t paying attention you’d find yourself lost but eventually all roads led back to the center of town.  So far this was the most touristy spot I had been in China.  Outside of China I was use to the term tourist referring to “western tourists” but here the town was completely overrun by domestic tourists!  The Chinese are beginning to have more and more disposable income so it’s quite common for them to hop on tour buses to see the sights of their country.

Lijiang at dusk

Dali, China

I thought that with my English/Chinese map in hand, and having had the girl at the hostel write out (in Chinese characters) what bus ticket I wanted to purchase I could find my way to the bus station and get on the right bus to Dali.  Wrong… 

I hailed a taxi and pointed on my map to what I believed said “bus station” in Chinese since it was right below “bus station” written in English.  The taxi driver nodded that she understood and we set off.  A few minutes later she stopped the taxi and motioned for me to get off – signaling that this was my stop.  This was not the bus station and plus the meter was only at 8Y and it should have cost me 25Y.  I pulled out other maps that I had and looked in my Lonely Planet to see if the bus station it was spelled out in Chinese characters.  I find something and she nods that she understands. 

Surprisingly we arrived to the bus station and I walked up to the ticket window with my pre-written note describing exactly what I wanted (express bus to Dali) and just like that the woman gave me the right ticket with the best seat. 

Lesson Learned:  life is so much easier if you can anticipate exactly what you’ll need to ask or say and have the hostel write it for you in Chinese characters on a piece of paper.  Seriously, this makes life so much less complicated.

My $4 hostel in Dali

Since it was a warm night and Dali was such a cute village I stopped off at this little café for dinner with cozy outdoor seating right on the street.  Almost immediately I was approached by an older “traditionally dressed” woman asking if I wanted to buy some silver bracelets.  She then leaned over and in a quieter voice asked “you smoke the ganja”?  She was trying to sell me dope right there on the street!  Before the end of the night I had at least 4 other women approach me asking if I wanted ganja.   Crazy! 

The woman who tried to sell me ganja on the street

Kunming, China

After saying goodbye to Charles and Henry at the train station I jumped on a train bound for Kunming - 24 hours away.  I’ve noticed that the Chinese are in the habit of talking to each other in a very loud voice.  Most of the time it sounds like they are yelling at each other but it’s just the way they communicate. 

Unfortunately for me, the people in my 6-bunk train compartment were a very social and loud group who decided to talk (yell) nonstop until the lights went out at 11pm.  On the upside, that’s the nice thing about staying in the hard sleeper on the train  – at 11pm the lights go out and everyone goes to bed but at 7am the lights come back on along with the loud music, signaling time to get up.

After a somewhat painless 24 hours I arrived to Kunming and it was heaven – sunny and warm! 

Kunming was just a stopover on my way to Dali so I stayed the night at this great little $4 hostel and spent the afternoon wandering around the city, soaking up the great weather, and trying not to let the disgusting (and very common) sounds of the Chinese hacking up a lung and then spitting the mucus onto the sidewalk or into garbage cans ruin my day. 

I found myself on the local bus at rush hour, pushed up next to 2 young girls who obviously wanted to speak English with me as they were practicing (in English) what they are going to say to me.  To break the ice I asked them “do you speak English”?  From that point on I was bombarded with questions until it was time for one of us to get off.

I was quite surprised at how good their English was as just 12 years old.  When they asked me “do you think China is beautiful”?  I replied that I though China was very beautiful which prompted one of them to say “well I think you are very beautiful”!  As I got off the bus one of the girls calls out to me “I love you”.  Such a funny conversation!

Shenzhen, China

Two friends of mine were in Shenzhen for the weekend so I decided to stop over and see them.  Shenzhen, a big city of about 9 million people, is located right across the border from Hong Kong and was just a short trip from where I was in Guilin:  13 hours by train.  For China travel, that’s considered nearby so nobody thought I was crazy to travel for 13 hours in order to see friends for just 2 days.

At the train station in Guilin, I had my first introduction to Chinese “public” toilets.  I’ve gotten use to the fact that most toilets in China are “squat toilets” but here in the train station the “trough toilets” were far worse than anything I had seen before and smelly!  This type of toilet consists of door-less stalls with a long trough running through the stalls (sometimes with running water but most often not).  You basically squat over the trough while trying not to look over at your neighbor doing her business (who is typically squatting while texting on their cell phone – a funny sight).  Since the trough is shared by many people it’s common to see other people’s poo floating by.  Not the most pleasant experience!

My first introduction to China toilets!

China trains have several different seating options for travel but the ones I was most concerned with involved sleeping:  hard sleeper and soft sleeper.  Hard sleeper has open compartments with 6 bunks (upper/middle/lower).  Soft sleeper has compartments with 4 bunks (upper/lower) and the luxury of a door.  Since hard sleeper is quite a bit cheaper and I was only taking a short 13 hour train ride I decided that was the way to go.  Miraculously the travel agent had booked me the middle bunk which was a godsend once I actually stepped onto the train.  Turns out that everyone sits on the lower bunk during the day and well into the night and the upper bunk is where the speakers and lights are so if you are trying to sleep it’s nearly impossible.  The middle bunk was perfect and from then on I would always request the middle bunk anytime I took the train (which was often).

Hard sleeper on China trains

The 13 hour train ride was a breeze (except for the fact that I was near the disgusting toilets (a hole in the floor that empties onto the track) which also happened to be the place that all the chain-smoking men hung out) and I arrived to Shenzhen in the morning.  I met up with Charles and Henry who were all set to do a little shopping at the famous “Lo Wu Shopping Center”.  This is the place you dream about coming to for cheap knock-off brands but I have to admit it was a little too intense for me. 

After a delightful Chinese dinner (with something like 20 dishes) we treated ourselves to $5 Chinese foot massages.  The masseuse took one look at my feet and demanded that first she scrape off all the dead skin with something that resembled a chisel.  I guess that’s what happens to your feet when you live shoeless on a boat for 4 months.

Guilin & Yangshuo, China

After flying from Kuala Lumpur to Guilin I went straight from the airport to the hostel and I must have been in “cold weather” shock since I found myself “staying in” at the hostel for the next day until I was forced to leave in order to catch my bus to Yangshuo. 

Hostels in China typically charge around $4/night for a bed and throughout my travels I was continually impressed with the quality of the places I stayed (except for the fact that they all had hard as a rock 2” foam padding disguised as mattresses).  Almost always the staff at the hostels spoke good English and provided a fun atmosphere to swap stories with other travelers.

Typical mattress in $4 Chinese hostels

Yangshuo was a great place to begin my travels in China.… Not only because of the amazing scenery but also because it was super touristic, meaning that more people here speak English than in other parts of China and I could find a “western breakfast” and not have to settle for the typical Asian breakfast of noodles or rice.  I don’t mind that so much at other times of the day but not for breakfast! 

There was one day when it was not raining so ventured out with 2 Israeli guys from the hostel.  We rented bicycles and toured the countryside for 3 very muddy, misty, and cold hours.  It was incredibly scenic and fascinating to bike through little Chinese villages and see what daily life was like. 

The beautiful Li River in Yangshuo

After we got back into town I stopped off at the “wet market” where you can buy produce and other things.  I was shocked when I looked in the back and saw several stalls selling dog meat.  Dogs were crammed into cages, barely able to bark, while the butcher was chopping up meat from another that had been freshly slaughtered, and adjacent to that he was roasting a dog (just like you would roast a pig).  It was a very sad and disturbing sight.

Adventures with a Chinese Bus

At the hostel in Guilin I overhear 2 English guys ask the girl at the front desk about getting the bus to Yangshuo and I ask if I can tag along.  I’ve heard that travel in China can be a bit stressful due to the language barrier and I have to admit that I feel more comfortable traveling with others in situations like this. 

The girl at the front desk tell us “oh yah… the bus Yangshuo, very easy”.  She attempts to give us directions and afterwards we find ourselves more confused.  We end up at some kind of major transportation center with the routes and fares displayed on billboards high above the ticket counters but it’s written in Chinese symbols so we have no idea what’s being said.  After waiting in the long line we figure out that we’re at the train station, not the bus station. 

Standing in the rain, looking at our Lonely Planet maps, trying to figure out where the bus station is, we’re hounded by many Chinese touts trying to sell us overly priced tickets on their “buses” to Yangshuo. 

We’re determined to find the bus station and the map says it is only a few blocks from the train station so we set out on foot.  Ten minutes later we come upon loads of buses but can’t seem to find the ticket counter.  Looking lost in the bus parking lot we are approached by a guy telling us to get on his bus.  It’s going to Yangshuo and costs 20 Yuan which is close to what the Lonely Planet says it should be so we hop on and hope for the best.

Five minutes later the bus stops and we look out the bus window to see our hostel.  We all look at each other and burst out laughing.  Why the girl at the hostel desk could not have just told us to wait in front of the hostel to catch the bus is beyond me.  It would have saved us our sanity and at least an hour of hassle.

Once in Yangshuo the bus drops us off not where we expected to be dropped so we find ourselves standing on the curb once again looking at our Lonely Planet maps, trying to determine our location when we are approached by a local Chinese guy speaking English and trying to sell us on his hostel.  He tells us “other hotels, they rip you off; they suck your blood”.   Nice.

Li River in Yangshuo, China

Welcome to China

Some countries require you to apply for a visa to enter the country prior to arrival. India and China are two of those countries.  Both specifically state that they want you to apply for the visa in your home country, but since that was not going to happen, I decided to give it a shot and apply for both in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. 

After paying $20 and waiting over 5 days to be told by the Indian Embassy that my visa application was “rejected” I was excited when the Chinese Embassy told me that they “approved” my visa application and I would have my visa in 3 days.  The only downside was that the Chinese visa was expensive.  Every other nation who wants to visit China pays $40 for a visa but U.S. Citizens have to pay $150!

As I stepped off the plane in China I was in for a big shock…  for past 11 months I had been accustomed to warm, sunny days with temperatures in the 80’s and 90’s and here in the Guangxi Province of China I was greeted with chilly and rainy 40 degree weather.  Considering that I only had 1 pair of pants and 1 sweatshirt I was in serious trouble. 

-- Map of China --

I'll be traveling the southwestern provinces of Guangxi, Yunnan, Sichuan, and hopefully Tibet.

Arriving to the hostel in the city of Guilin I soon realized that most places do not have heating. Sometimes you will see little clay pots where they burn small pieces of firewood to heat a room and it’s common to see Chinese drinking hot water to keep warm.   Luckily the hostels I have stayed at have thick blankets to keep me warm when the night temperatures dip down into the 30’s.  And the Israeli boys in my dorm room in Yangshuo have discovered that if you turn the air conditioner as hot as it will go it heats the room to the point of needing to remove your sweatshirt.  

Back on Land

Four months on the boat was a long time with too little physical activity.  After walking around Singapore and waking up the following day with sore leg muscles I knew I needed to spend some time getting back into shape before attempting to trek Nepal for 7 days at an altitude of 16,000 feet.  So I headed over to the more budget friendly Kuala Lumpur and made it my mission to search out a gym that would do weekly memberships.  After visiting many fitness centers with no such luck I settled on paying for an entire month… but it was worth it.

For the next 18 days I had a fantastic time in Kuala Lumpur.  I stayed in 3 different hostels, met loads of tourists (it’s amazing how friendly people become when you ask the simple question of “where are you from”); worked out daily next to 2 young German actors/stunt men filming a movie in Kuala Lumpur; tried to get use to the image of countless veiled Muslim women walking around covered from head to toe in black with only their eyes showing; was greeted every morning by a man with a scooter literally covered with numerous well behaved cats and a very naughty monkey; learned a few necessary Chinese words from the friendly lady running the hostel who also loved to feed me Malaysian fruits in the morning since she knew I was not a fan of the “free breakfast” of bread and butter; and enjoyed the daily ear piercing thunderstorms and less so the Malaysian singers attempting to sing American pop songs.

Sailing Micronesia - Week 17

Day 113 – February 12

“All we can do is sit here and wait for the wind to shift.  It may be another 2 days according to the weather report”, said Captain Bill.  So we bobbed around on the Pacific Ocean all day.  This is when boredom creeps up on me and I long for land.  According to the charts it’s only 150 nautical miles north until we reach Chuuk (Truk).  That could mean we’ll set foot on Micronesian soil in less than 2 days – as long as the wind cooperates.

Day 114 – February 13

At breakfast today we discovered a colony of little beetles called weevils living in our bag of oats.  Instead of tossing the infested oats into the ocean Captain Bill told us that weevil infestations in the tropics are a common occurrence and to just put the oats in water and scoop out the weevils that float to the top.  So that is what we did… scooped out at least 30 weevils while cooking the oats but still managed to find several more as I was eating my oatmeal.  Yummy!

Day 115 – February 14

Land Ho!  Around 4pm today we found ourselves entering a Micronesian atoll called Losap.  Once  we had entered the lagoon it was a beautiful sight with breaking waves all around us.  Looks like Becky has won the bet!

Day 116 – February 15

In the morning Becky and I snorkel over to Losap Island and were amazed at its beauty.  Around 3pm we set sail for Chuuk (Truk) in hopes of arriving at the entrance to the lagoon just before sunrise.  We had a great night sail with good wind and actually arrived at 3am, a few hours before dawn, so we sailed back and forth until it was light enough to see our way into the lagoon.

Day 117 – February 16

After 21 days at sea we have arrived to Chuuk (Truk)!  Customs and Immigration refused to come out to the boat and made us dock on the wharf next to a local passenger ferry that looked like it was ready to sink.  The locals were quite curious about us since they see less than 10 cruising boats a year and most of them tend to anchor on the south side of the island.

Chuuk (Truk) Customs gave us no problem but Immigration did not like that we had no advanced permit to enter the Federated States of Micronesia so they took our passports and told us we could have them back once they got clearance from the capital of Pohnpei.  Bill asked how long that would take and their response was maybe tomorrow or maybe next week.  Typical…

Day 118 – February 17

We spent the day settling in and searching out the most important things:  email, ATM, and a place to get a great meal.  Email was as easy as buying a prepaid card and using the great WiFi network.  Just down the road was the Truk Stop Hotel and Dive Center which had great views along with good food.  But finding an ATM was a headache and a half.  There were no ATM’s on the island and I was told by some people that 1 of the 2 banks on the island may be able to do a cash advance on a credit card but you had to catch them on the right day.  Lucky for me today was that day!

While sailing across the Pacific Ocean I had decided that once on Chuuk (Truk) I would leave the boat.  Four months of sailing was enough for me and I was ready to venture onto new adventures.  Looking at flights I realized that Chuuk (Truk) was not the cheapest place to fly from.  It was going to cost me more to fly to Manila, Philippines (2000 miles away ) than it cost me to fly from LA to Bangkok, Thailand (8000 miles).  Now I just need Immigration to give us our passports back so I can book my flight. 

Day 119 – February 18

Today was Friday and Bill told me that he was going to force Immigration to give us our passports back before the weekend.  Lucky for us they stopped by in the morning with our passports in hand and charged us each $20 for the permit.  As soon as I had my passport in hand I booked my flight for the following day and spent the remainder of the day packing and booking other flights and hostels in Singapore and Kuala Lumpur. 

While at Truk Stop Hotel having lunch I met 3 Danish guys who had spent the previous 2 weeks diving the wrecks in Truk Lagoon.  I found out that they too were flying to Manila the following day as were several other people staying at the hotel.

Day 120 – February 19

A local guy looking at the boat at the wharf offered to take me to the airport and so we set off in his beat up truck.  The roads in Chuuk (Truk) are horrendous; extremely muddy and filled with potholes.  He told me that the government is working on fixing the roads but realistically it might take 10 years for them to complete the project.  This local guy drives his old truck on these horrible roads and leaves his “nice” car parked at his house.  I asked when he plans to drive his car and he tells me “maybe in 3 years”.

I flew Chuuk (Truk) to Guam to Manila to Singapore and once at the Singapore hostel it felt great to finally take a warm shower, washing all the salt from the last 4 months off my body along with all the caked in mud on my feet from walking on the roads in Chuuk (Truk).  The things we take for granted.

Voyage to Micronesia - Week 16

Day 106 – February 5

Current position:  Latitude 3˚ South.  Only 240 nautical miles until we reach the equator - at least 700 nautical miles until Micronesia.  Seems like an eternity when our average sailing distance has only been 70 nautical miles over a 24 hour period.

A very trying day for me today.  Besides being exhausted from a sleepless night, there was little to no wind.  Most of the day was spent drifting in the hot sun with the sails flapping and the rigging creaking.  It drove me absolutely insane, testing my patience.

Day 107 – February 6

The one question that no one knows the answer to is “where are we headed”?  With over 700 nautical miles to sail and shifty winds some days it looks like we might end up in Micronesia and other days it seems we’ll miss it completely and end up in Palau or even Indonesia.  That’s what happens when you sail by the wind and not with the help of an engine.

Day 108 – February 7

Current position:  Latitude 1˚ South!  After being pushed in a NW direction by the wind it looks like we will miss the Chuuk (Truk) island group of Micronesia which is due north 480 nautical miles and will hopefully reach the Yap island group of Micronesia, which is even further away - at least 1000 nautical miles.  Sad to say we may be at sea for a few more weeks.

Day 109 – February 8

Salty bed sheets, salty clothes, salty skin… everything these days seems to have that sticky salty feel to it.  When sailing the open ocean bucket showers seem to happen only once every 4 days and to pass the time we read, cook, or just daydream while watching the huge ocean swells roll by.

Day 110 – February 9

Current position:  Latitude 0˚ – we’ve crossed the equator!  We celebrated as the GPS read 0˚00’ latitude and 150˚43’ longitude at 11 pm last night.  We’ve headed into the northern hemisphere and have gone from it being summer in the southern hemisphere to it being winter in the northern hemisphere.  But then again, being so close to the equator it’s always hot and steamy regardless of the season.

Day 111 – February 10

Just when I thought I’d have to endure another dinner of canned tuna for the 12^th straight night we caught a fish… and not just one but two!  To start off, we hooked a 3-foot grey shark but the lure was so embedded in his tooth filled mouth that we cut the line and he swam away with our lure.  As soon as we replaced the lure and put the lines back in the water we hooked our “first-ever” mahi.  Once we got him into the cockpit we immediately hooked a spanish mackerel, one of our favorites.  Such excitement for one day.

Day 112 – February 11

We’ve been spoiled with great wind the past several days that today when it suddenly died it was quite a disappointment.  Floating in the Pacific Ocean, fixing the engine which had flooded with water again was how we spent our day.  For a little refreshment, I swam in the ocean with schooling mahi swimming under me and when I got out I realized that I had a baby remora suctioned to my leg.  Crazy little guy!

Voyage to Micronesia - Week 15

Day 99 – January 29

Because of the 2 knot current overnight we drifted 22 miles and I awoke to see the southern tip of New Ireland just outside my porthole.

With no wind in sight, we bobbed around most of the day.  When the winds finally picked up at 3pm we sailed them where they took us which was east at first and then south (we need to go northeast to reach Micronesia).  Looks like we might just make it to Buka on the island of Bougainville which claims to have the blackest people on the planet.

Day 100 – January 30

Overnight the winds shifted unfavorably and we decided that our only option was to head back in the direction we had just sailed “100” nautical miles from.  As depressing as it was we tried to come up with alternate plans for getting ourselves past the islands of Papua New Guinea and into the great Pacific Ocean headed for Micronesia.

Luckily in the later part of the day the winds shifted in our favor and even though they were light they were getting us to where we wanted to be – on the eastern side of New Ireland.  When I went on my night watch at 2am it was dead calm and quiet.  I could hear dolphins coming up for a breath of air nearby.  Soon they were swimming and jumping alongside the boat.  Just what was needed to keep me awake and entertained!

Day 101 – January 31

Somehow we found the countercurrent to the current that was pushing us south in St. George’s Channel a few days ago.  Now we were being pushed NE.  Perfect!!  This is just what we needed.  

Becky and I have a bet going on the actual day that we will arrive in Micronesia.  I say February 9^th (which is 9 days from today) and she says the 14^th.

Since there was very little wind overnight we decided to hove to and drift NE with the current in hopes of making it to the nearby Feni Island or the Green Islands.  Just before I went to bed I heard splashing at the bow of the boat … it was dolphins visiting again!

Day 102 – February 1

Great morning wind let us sail directly to Nissan Island, part of the Green Islands.  Nissan Island is an oval shaped island with a big lagoon in the center.  After anchoring, a few local villagers canoed out to trade produce.  Lettuce in particular was a wonderful surprise so I made a great salad that night.  It’s not often we have fresh greens onboard.

Day 103 – February 2

From sunrise to sundown we had a constant flow of villagers in canoes (mostly kids) bearing produce in exchange for secondhand clothing.  By the end of the day we had more than we could possibly eat.  It was amazing to see how generous they were.  They even invited us to their village which was a treat for both us and them.

Day 104 – February 3

Rain… Rain… all day it rained off and on so much that we were able to fill up our water tanks and do our laundry.  The rest of the day was spent doing a few last minute boat projects in preparation for sailing across the Pacific Ocean.

Day 105 – February 4

Incredible sight!  Upon leaving Green Island we set out the fishing lines and immediately hooked a big eye tuna.  But before we could reel it in, two 6-foot grey sharks attacked the tuna, leaving us with only the head.  Afterwards you could see the sharks swimming under the boat.  A little bit scary!

Sailing Papua New Guinea -- WEEK 14

Day 92 – January 22

After overstaying our visa for nearly 3 weeks we have officially checked out of Papua New Guinea!  I never thought this day would come.  In preparation for our departure we headed down to Kokopo in the back of Dave Flynn’s pickup to stock up on groceries.  First, we stopped by his house to pick up his family, all 10 of them, and while we were waiting we ran across a rusty old Japanese helmet and inside the helmet was a human skull with a bullet hole through the forehead.  Dave told us that he found them in one of the tunnels near his house.  A bit disturbing.

Day 93 – January 23

Since we have plans to depart Rabaul tomorrow and could be away from the internet and phones for a month I decided to head back into Kokopo to use that internet one last time.  While waiting at the bus station, a local woman began telling me that her daughter had just been accepted to a university in Canada and both she and her daughter were planning to take a trip over there in May.  It would be her first trip outside of Papua New Guinea and likely the first time she will experience what it feels like to be “cold”.  She was very excited about seeing the flowers come up (in the springtime) and the leave fall off the trees (in the autumn) but said she didn’t want to be there during the winter (too cold for her) or the summer (too hot, just like being in Papua New Guinea).  I quite enjoyed talking with her and seeing her excitement.

Day 94 – January 24

After spending the morning running a few last minute errands we finally set sail leaving Rabaul.  We had hoped to anchor at Escape Bay, on the other side of Mt. Tavurvur, but the winds were blowing from the NW creating huge volcanic ash clouds (what the locals call a dusty day in Rabaul) so we decided to scratch that idea and head for the Duke of York Islands, 3 hours away.  Once there we anchored in crystal clear water and were so happy with our decision to move away from the ash.

Day 95 – January 25

Calm clear waters in the morning meant time for a great snorkel.  The remainder of the day was spent working on boat projects (specifically varnishing).  A local woman named Joyce paddled over in her canoe and brought us a huge bunch of bananas and a few coconuts.  In exchange we gave her several items of secondhand clothing which made her day.

Day 96 – January 26

Today was pretty much the same as yesterday – a morning snorkel and afternoon boat projects.  We traded more secondhand clothing when Joyce’s brother paddled over with more coconuts.

Day 97 – January 27

For the last 2 months we have had a pretty major leak on the hull of the boat.  Bill had wanted to try and find the leak before heading 700 nautical miles across the Pacific Ocean to Micronesia.  Since the water in the Duke of York Islands was ideal for this task (crystal clear and no crocodiles) Bill put on his scuba gear and luckily found the leak which turned out to be more like a gash.  Using underwater epoxy (which is the best invention ever) he plugged the hole and we had a celebratory drink of Bundaburg Rum with orange juice.

Later that day we witnessed a funny sight - several local boys drifted by in the strong current, hanging onto coconuts and bamboo sticks for flotation.  We believe the boys had come from a very overloaded (to the point of sinking) banana boat that had motored past us earlier that morning.  The ocean conditions that afternoon were much more dangerous and they surely would have sunk the boat if they had tried to motor with as many people as had been in the boat that morning.

Day 98 – January 28

Overnight the rain came down so we tried our fresh water collection technique.  Basically we have a canvas sunshade with a hole in the middle.  When it rains we invert the sunshade and attach a hose to the end of the hole.  The other end of the hose goes directly into the water tanks under my bunk or Becky’s bunk.  Because the hatch needs to be open for the hose to come into our cabin that means the rain also comes in.  The hatch is mainly over my bunk so I got quite wet and have a very unpleasant night’s rest.  But we fully filled up our water tanks so I was happy to take one for the team.

As soon as the wind picked up we left the Duke of York Islands and headed south.  The current was strong – 2 knots – and was luckily in our favor.  We attempted to anchor at Put Put Harbor on the island of New Britain but because of strong thunderstorms it was not possible.  We sailed east across St. George’s Channel trying to reach the island of New Ireland before sunset but it was not meant to be and around 7pm we decided to hove to and drift aimlessly until early morning.

Sailing Papua New Guinea -- WEEK 13

Day 85 – January 15

Bill decided that we could only use 1 paint brush a day since we were getting low on brushes so while Becky varnished I took the dinghy into town to grab some produce at the market, pick up fish, and fill the gas tank with “zoom”, the local name for gasoline mixed with oil.

Bill and Michael worked at taking the head off the engine in order to see if it was a bad head gasket that had been giving us engine troubles.

Day 86 – January 16

More varnishing… true to our 1 brush a day, Becky and I took turns varnishing.

Day 87 – January 17

More varnishing…

Day 88 – January 18

More varnishing…

Day 89 – January 19

Today we committed the mortal sin.  We have 2 water tanks and when we last filled the tanks with water we left both water valves open so that the tanks would fill at the same time.  When the tanks were full we forgot to switch it so that we would use water from only 1 tank at a time.  Today when we ran out of water we assumed that it was only 1 tank that was empty.  Bill went to switch on the valve to the other tank and realized that we have been using water from both tanks and were now completely out of water.  Luckily we are still in Rabaul and can get fresh water from the dock but had we been sailing on our way to Micronesia we could have been in some serious trouble – especially since right now it seems that rain does not want to fall even though it is the rainy season.

Day 90 – January 20

Yahoo!!!  Today Becky and I applied our final coat of varnish on the boat.  There are still a few bits and pieces that will need varnish but our major project is done.  Oh how great it feels to be finished after working 20+ days non-stop to get this project completed.

To celebrate, Becky and I took Lorraine from Rod’s boat out to dinner for a fun girl’s night out.  We had dinner at the Rabaul Hotel and upon entering the dining room at the hotel Lorraine exclaimed, “It’s like Christmas!”  She had never been in a place so fancy and it was great fun watching her excitement.

Day 91 – January 21

After working nonstop on the varnish project for 20+ days, Becky and decided that we needed a day off and headed into Kokopo to use the internet and buy a few supplies that we just couldn’t get in Rabaul.  And in the evening headed over to Rabaul Yacht Club for what we hope will be our final Friday night dinner.  A great day!

Sailing Papua New Guinea -- WEEK 12

Day 78 – January 8

Bill and Michael left just after sunrise and spent the majority of the day on an adventure traveling over to Kavieng on New Ireland (a 7 hour journey via banana boat and PMV).  They needed to pick up some parts that we had a friend ship there from Australia.  Our original plan was to be in Kavieng for Christmas with the boat but unfortunately the ocean currents and winds would not allow us to make our way up there. 

I spent most of the day alone on the boat trying to keep busy with sanding, reading, and writing in my journal while Becky was off teaching her open water scuba class at Kabaira Dive Resort.

Day 79 – January 9

We’ve been anchored in Rabaul now for 18 days straight (40 days in all) and I’ve become bored with staying stationary in one spot for so long.  I’ve realized that when I reach this point I start to really miss my family, friends, home, and the comforts I once enjoyed.  I don’t like feeling like this but know it will go away once we start moving again.  I’m hoping it will be in the next week or two but it all depends on when we can get the engine in working order again.

Since Becky was heading back over to Kabaira Dive Resort to finish teaching her open water scuba class I decided to tag along, hoping that being in a new environment would help to alleviate my feelings of homesickness.  We spent the majority of the day at the resort and upon returning to the boat that evening I do admit that I did feel better.

Day 80 – January 10

It had been many weeks since we last headed into Kokopo to use the internet and purchase a few much needed supplies so Becky and I quickly varnished the boat in the morning and set out for Kokopo.  While walking down the ash covered road heading into the main center of Rabaul we luckily ran into a man driving an air-conditioned truck who just so happened to be heading into Kokopo as well – a trip that normally takes 45 minutes along a very dusty, bumpy, and hot road.

Since I was down to my last 5 Kina ($2 USD) I headed to the ATM but was sadly disappointed when the machine gave my card back saying that my bank was refusing to let me withdrawal cash.  I knew I had plenty of cash in my account and realized that I would have to phone my bank in the USA in order to get the card working again which here in Papua New Guinea is no easy feat.

Becky and I headed over to Kokopo Beach Bungalow to use their wireless internet and since we still had time left on our internet card from our last visit we planned to use that.  I started my computer up, entered the username and password from the internet card, and after 1 minute of being logged onto the internet, it logged me off saying that our time had run out.  Both Becky and I were disappointed since we didn’t have enough money between the two of us for a new internet card and the only reason we made the trip all the way into Kokopo was to use the internet.

Day 81 – January 11

We awoke this morning to see the sailboat “Vesper” motor past SEAWANHAKA.  Vesper was the boat Becky and I helped rescue from the reef several weeks ago with Rod.  In addition, the night before another sailboat “Scraatch” from England arrived and anchored next to us.  Now we don’t feel so lonely here in the harbor.

Day 82 – January 12

While varnishing in the morning we saw Vesper take off in a hurry.  Later on Rod told us that the owner of the boat, Pierre, was in serious trouble.  He was in love with a local woman who has 8 children and is married.  The community she comes from is very angry with him and put out a death wish on his life.  They want to capture him in order to bury him alive and suck out his blood with a spike.  Yikes!!!

That evening we headed over to Rod’s boat for a BBQ with all the great fish he had caught while out on his charter with the co-founder of Starbucks.

Day 83 – January 13

Today we began varnish work on the exterior of the boat which turned out to be much different than working on the inside.  We now had to deal with the hot sun and the dusty winds.

We’ve begun our dinner rotation again and tonight was my night to cook.  It turned out that we had 3 additional guests for dinner – Rod, his helper Lorraine, and Brian from the English sailboat “Scraatch”.  I served everyone something a little different by cooking fish tacos seasoned mexican style.

Day 84 – January 14

7 hours straight we sanded and varnished the exterior of the boat long with the mast.  It was a mega job and we were completely exhausted!  Dinner was once again at the Rabaul Yacht Club for their Friday night special.

Sailing Papua New Guinea -- WEEK 11

Day 71 – January 1

Becky and I returned home from the New Year’s Eve celebration on “Cocokai” at 2am!  This was the latest we had stayed up since being on SEAWANHAKA.  Since Bill had spent the night in Kokopo, Becky and I enjoyed a nice sleep in until 9am and then cooked up a great New Year’s Day breakfast.  Eleven year old Coco called us on the VHF radio asking if we were planning to go to the Rabaul Yacht Club to play Yahtzee and since we could tell she really wanted to hang out with us we picked her up in our dinghy and played a few rounds while drinking sodas.

Bill came back later in the evening and brought with him two Dutch boys whom he had met the night before.  We all had a great fish BBQ on the boat while sharing many travel tales.

Day 72 – January 2

Holy flies!  This morning we woke up to millions of flies everywhere and they stayed on the boat the entire day – buzzing all over us.  I have never seen them this bad!  Becky and I debated on whether or not to varnish since the flies were likely to get stuck in the wet varnish but opted to do it anyway.

Bill and the Dutch boys had gone for an early morning hike of the nearby extinct volcano and returned to the boat late afternoon.  Becky cooked up a great pasta dinner and we all said an early goodnight since the boys had to be up at 4am in order to catch their morning flight from Kokopo.

Day 73 – January 3

Bright and early we took the boat to the wharf to fill up with fresh water (since we were down to only 1/3 of our water carrying capacity).  While waiting for our water tanks to fill up (which can take hours depending on how slow the water comes out) we varnished the main cabin and used fresh water to do some of our laundry.  It was such a treat to be able to wash our clothes with fresh water and not the typical salt water.

In the afternoon we dropped Bill off at the wharf so he could head into Kokopo where he would stay the night and in the early morning meet Michael at the airport.

Since Becky and I had no plans for that evening we headed over to “Cocokai” to see what they were up to.  They invited us over for pizza and games and we had such a blast playing “Apples to Apples” and eating super tasty pizza.

Day 74 – January 4

After varnishing the main cabin in the morning, Becky and I headed into Rabaul Yacht Club for sodas and to wait for her “students”.  Since Becky was a dive instructor on the Great Barrier Reef she was asked by a local dive shop here in Rabaul to instruct a few students on Open Water Scuba Diving since there are no instructors in the area.  She was quite thrilled to be teaching again.

Michael, our new crew member from Germany was suppose to arrive today but we got word from him that his luggage was lost somewhere between Germany, China, and Papua New Guinea and he was planning to stay in the Papua New Guinean capital of Port Moresby for the night to see if his luggage arrived on a later flight.  We were all disappointed that his luggage was lost and that we would not be meeting him that night.

Day 75 – January 5

We are officially illegal in Papua New Guinea.  Our Papua New Guinea visas expired today and the customs office here in Rabaul seemed to be very unconcerned about that – so as long as we all leave the country aboard the boat we will hopefully have no problems with overstaying our 60 day visa.

Becky took off in the morning to teach her open water scuba class in Kokopo while Bill attempted to troubleshoot the engine and I continued to varnish the main cabin.  Around midday I dropped Bill off at the wharf so that he could catch a PMV into Kokopo to pick up Michael at the airport, whose luggage still had not arrived but he decided staying on the boat was much better than staying in dangerous Port Moresby.  While at the wharf I ran into the family of the sailboat “Cocokai” and they mentioned they were planning to depart Rabaul the following day. 

Once Becky returned we headed over to “Cocokai” to say goodbye, exchange books, get a few recipes from Jennifer (the mom), and of course play a final game of Yahtzee!  It was sad to say goodbye to such a great family.

Day 76 – January 6

Bill and Michael had stayed the night in Kokopo so in the morning Becky and I continued to varnish the inside of the main cabin and at 12pm I took her to shore in the dinghy so she could catch her ride to Kokopo for the open water scuba class she’s teaching.

In the afternoon Bill arrived with Michael and we welcomed him with beer and a tasty fish BBQ!  It was great to finally meet him and also to be back to having 2 guys and 2 girls on the boat.  Things always seem to be more in sync when there are even numbers.

Day 77 – January 7

Most of the day was spent on varnishing and boat projects.  In the evening we all headed over to the Rabaul Yacht Club for the famous Friday night dinner.  I’m beginning to feel like a local – I think we’ve been to at least 6 Friday night feasts at the yacht club!  And Barney, the owner of the Rabaul Yacht Club, has a tiny little kitten “Yacht” who we have watched grow up considerably in the last few weeks.  Before we know it he will be a full grown cat.  At that point, we know that we have been in Rabaul far too long.

Sailing Papua New Guinea -- WEEK 10

Day 64 – December 25

Christmas!!!   Becky and I decided that the best Christmas present would be to play in the volcanic ash.  We set out in the morning before it became too hot and found a great spot – out of view of any local villagers (who would think we were absolutely insane).  We covered ourselves (head to toe) in the gray ash and created ash clouds.  Becky entertained us by playing her ash song on the guitar while I captured the moment on film.  It was the perfect way to spend Christmas morning in Rabaul!

After cleaning ourselves up in the ocean, Bill, Becky and I headed over to Rabaul Hotel and enjoyed a delicious lunch of prawns, several bottles of tasty white wine, and a dip in their “cold” swimming pool.  We were baffled at how a pool could be so cold in such a hot place.

Day 65 – December 26

A few days ago we had asked Barney at the Rabaul Yacht Club to arrange a few guides to take us on a hike up the active volcano, Mt. Tavurvur.  Normally you’d imagine that the villagers would be lining up for this opportunity since we typically pay them quite well based on Papua New Guinea standards but just like every other time, when we turned up at 6am there was no guide to be found.  Since Bill and this Australian guy, Steve, were along for the climb we felt pretty safe attempting to navigate the volcano on our own.

Incredible views inside the steaming crater once we reached the top.  There were so many different colors of green from all the sulfur being emitted out of the volcano.  Three hours later we were back on the boat, drinking a cold beer and enjoying a delicious fish BBQ – all before 10am!

Day 66 – December 27

Since we plan to be in Rabaul for at least 12 more days we decided to do a little work on the boat and finish varnishing the entire inside.  When we left Australia we left in a rush and varnishing was one of the things that did not get finished – and boy is there a lot that needs to be varnished.  This should keep us busy for the next 12 days!

Day 67 – December 28

Varnishing in the morning and in the afternoon we were surprised to see another Schooner sailboat flying the American flag sail into Rabaul Harbor.  We radioed over to them and invited them over for drinks and appetizers later that day.  They turned out to be a family of 3 sailing around the world from Long Beach, California which they left 4 years ago!  Their daughter “Coco” was only 11 years old (7 when they began their journey) and already seemed so worldly.  What an amazing way to grow up!

Day 68 – December 29

More varnishing in the morning.  In the afternoon the wind picked up and we experienced our first big dust storm – the kind where volcanic ash is flying everywhere, creating small dust tornados.  After the dust storm came rain which cooled things down a bit and made for an enjoyable sleep.  Typically it’s so hot and still at night that we wake up in pools of sweat.  Both Becky and I often dream about hiring a local village kid or two to fan us while we sleep. 

Day 69 – December 30

Still more varnishing in the morning.  Rod told us that he was leaving today for a 10 day boat charter with the guy who started Starbucks.  Becky and I rowed “Weewanhaka” over to his boat to say our final farewell – although at the rate we’re going we’ll likely still be in Rabaul when he returns. 

Again the late afternoon brought rain and cooler temperatures, meaning a good night’s sleep once again.  I can get use to this!

Day 70 – December 31

New Years Eve!  We were invited over to the American Schooner “Cocokai” for cocktails.  Since Bill had gone into Kokopo it was just Becky and I who ventured over to their boat.   After serving us “Buffalo Milk” cocktails (recipe comes from Catalina Island off the coast of Los Angeles) we all headed over to the Rabaul Yacht Club for their Friday night dinner. 

The word on the street was that the New Year’s Eve party was at the Rabaul Hotel and after dinner everyone at the Rabaul Yacht Club seemed to head over that way so we caught a ride in the back of a pickup.  And a party it was – complete with a DJ!  After an hour or so we decided that the best place to ring in the New Year was back on “Cocokai”.  We headed back to the boat and played dominos (Mexican Train) until 5 minutes before midnight.  Then Coco got out the noise makers and Greg was tempted to light off a flare but was a bit concerned that the harbor police might ticket him for that.  Seems like everyone else in the town of Rabaul had the same idea since at midnight there were at least 10 flares that had been sent high into the sky.  Both Becky and I agreed that it was the perfect way to ring in the New Year!

Sailing Papua New Guinea -- WEEK 9

Day 57 – December 18

Bill, Becky and I headed over to Kokopo on the PMV to pickup Bill’s computer (which had been in the shop due to a malfunction), use the internet, and buy loads of groceries.  We purchased 2 shopping carts worth of food and convinced the supermarket to give us a life in their van back to Rabaul (45 minutes by car).  When we tried to tip the driver for making our lives so much easier at first he didn’t want to accept the cash but once we told him “please take it”, he was so appreciative that he was grinning from ear to ear.

Day 58 – December 19

Finally after 1 month we are leaving Rabaul!  Our plan is to set sail for the town of Kavieng, the northern tip of the island of New Ireland which should be about 150 nautical miles.  We anchored the night at the Duke of York islands and I snorkeled with a huge school of over 100 hundred squid and was captivated by watching them catch their prey.  One squid was actually attacked by several larger fish and squirted them with black ink.  Pretty amazing to see that!

Day 59 – December 20

The wind was not in our favor at all today and after sailing part of the day we decided to give up and anchor just 10 nautical miles from where we were the night before.  This was our last chance at a great anchorage before setting out into the Bismarck Sea, heading up the coast of New Ireland.

Day 60 – December 21

After sailing most of the day we found a decent anchorage along the coast of New Ireland.  Two village kids paddled over on one canoe and several others paddled over on fallen logs.  Meanwhile all their friends stood on the shore waiting for their return.  We exchanged a book and a few shirts for some coconuts.  The kids were so excited by the book, looking at all the pictures before trying to give it back to us.  Thinking that obviously we had not meant to give such a valuable item to them.

We had been looking forward to tonight since it was a full moon, the solstice, and also a total lunar eclipse.  Unfortunately the mountainous island of New Ireland was blocking our view and by the time we saw the moon it was only partially eclipsed.

Day 61 – December 22

Bill woke us up at 3am saying “let’s go”!  The wind had picked up considerably and we found ourselves in 15 feet of water.  Sleepily, we prepared the boat for sailing.

Because of light winds and a constant current that was fighting us we motored most of the day which was a new experience for us.  Along the way we ran across a pod of what we believed to be pilot whales and saw several schools of yellow fin tuna jumping high out of the water while frigate birds plunged down into the water trying to catch the smaller fish.  Quite a show we had!

Day 62 – December 23

Since we were unable to find a suitable anchorage last night our only option was to head a few miles out to sea and bob around all night.  Because of the strong current overnight we drifted 9 miles in the wrong direction.  After a crew discussion we decided that Kavieng was too difficult to reach and agreed that the best thing was to head back to Rabaul and stay there until our new crew member, Michael, arrives on January 4^th.

On our way back we came upon hundreds of dolphins jumping out of the water.  It was such an amazing sight to see and some of them stuck around and swam at the bow of the boat for at least 15 minutes.

Day 63 – December 24

Back in Rabaul we were the only boat in the harbor and it was a little sad.  Even though it was Christmas Eve the Rabaul Yacht Club was still having their Friday night dinner which turned out to be our excitement for the evening.

Sailing Papua New Guinea -- WEEK 8

Day 50 – December 11

After being the only sailboat in Rabaul for many days we were excited to see a sailboat with a Danish flag arrive.  On board were 6 young Danes (2 guys and 4 girls).  Since it was Monica’s last night in Rabaul we had been planning a BBQ on SEAWANHAKA but to accommodate the new arrivals we moved the party to the wharf and had an excellent time with great food and unlimited wine – a contribution from the Danes.

Day 51 – December 12

With a crew of 6 guys and Becky and myself, Rod headed back to the WWII Japanese Zero fighter plane wreck and we began the never-ending task of dredging.  We were on a rotation where teams of 2 people would dive down to the wreck and hose off the silt from the plane with a hose similar to what firefighters use.  Talk about horrible visibility - we were not even able to see our hands in front of our face.  Each team spent about 40 minutes doing this before the next team of 2 would dive down to take over.  We each completed 4 dives and decided to call it quits for the day (an 8 hour day).  Even though we were exhausted and only managed to uncover a small portion of the plane we had such an amazing time.

Day 52 – December 13

Becky and I took the PMV into Kokopo to do some email and to buy a fish and some wine for another BBQ with the Danes tomorrow -  which just so happens to be my 34^th birthday!  While sitting at the “classy” Kokopo Beach Bungalow Resort using the internet, a woman working at the resort made a point to come up to us in order to tell us that at first she thought we were men because of my muscles and Becky’s “sprinter-like” physique but then realized that we were in fact women.   We weren’t quite sure how to respond to that comment.

Day 53 – December 14

I was woken up in the morning with a handmade birthday card from Becky.  Inside was a cutout girl with big bicep muscles, covered in gray ash.  It totally made me laugh!

We had another great BBQ on the wharf (with more shooting stars than I could count) and the Danes sang me their traditional birthday song and presented me with a birthday gift -  a traditional Papua New Guinea “penis gourd”  Again, not quite sure how to respond.

Day 54 – December 15

After filling the boat with water in preparation for our departure from Rabaul, we headed into Rabaul town to get cash from the ATM in order to fill us our propane tanks.  There was a brown out in all of Rabaul which meant Bill had to head into Kokopo to use the banks there.

Since we had no propane on the boat, Becky and I brought food over to Rod’s boat and told him we would cook for him if he let us use his kitchen.  Since he grew up having maids look after him and had no idea how to even make coffee, he was happy to have us in his kitchen.

Day 55 – December 16

We joined Rod again for breakfast and afterwards Becky and I spent most of the day catching up on journal writing and washing our clothes in salt water – waiting for Bill to return from Kokopo.  Midday the catamaran “Baguette” sailed into the bay and the South African captain stopped over to say hello.  When we arrived to Rabaul there was only us for so long and now there are 5 sailboats anchored in the bay.  That’s more boats than we’ve seen in total since arriving to Papua New Guinea 7 weeks ago.

Day 56 – December 17

In the sailing world it is bad luck to begin a voyage on a Friday so we decided to stay in Rabaul one more night with plans to leave early Saturday morning.  This gave us more time to provision the boat in Rabaul so we spent most of the day transferring over 150 liters of diesel and bag after bag of fresh produce from the market to the boat via the dinghy.

In the afternoon Becky and I walked to the local museum at the New Guinea Club along the dusty, ash-covered road that use to be Main Street before the volcano erupted in 1994.  We took a tour of Admiral Yamamoto’s “bomb proof” bunker which had maps drawn on the ceilings of his plant o take over the South Pacific.  Pretty interesting.