quiet day

Running around like crazy socialites can only go on so long and then the realities of life start looming large. The mountain of dirty dishes this morning demonstrated the amount of time we've been spending off the boat. Instead of participating in the cruiser event of the day or fixing someone else's outboard, we spent the morning cleaning up, doing school, and recharging our energy levels. We've been here a week and it's finally sunny and calm enough for a decent snorkel, so that was our reward for a hardworking morning. Twelve boats lie at anchor here now, and that means 12 groups of people planning parties, day trips, fishing expeditions and play times. We tend to get sucked into the fun, which is great, but now that school has started our vacation has come to a screeching halt.

The atoll here is made up of 7 motus, connected in a circle by reef. Several shallow passes lead inside, only one being deep enough to let a shallow draft cruising catamaran through. Six of the motus are uninhabited, so after our snorkeling got cut short by sharks, we played on a deserted tropical island for a couple of hours. The kids and I collected shells and walked along in a shallow pass looking at the thousands of black sea cucumbers that litter the bottom. Like rotten bananas strewn about, at least 12 in every square yard, walking can be slippery. They make good squirt guns though, which is one of the many interesting things the kids have learned on this trip. Two moray eels darted off in front of us as we walked through ankle deep water. They seemed as surprised to see us as we were to see them. Once they got themselves between some rocks for security, we had a great look at each other. If only I had had the camera. Pete collected coconuts for drinking. He's trying to figure out how to grow them at home. Knowing Pete he'll figure it out.

Last night Pete went lobstering with the local guys, but no luck. Tonight he's taken the kids with our host Edward and Joe from Mahi Mahi to "Bird Island," the furthest motu, to get Tupa crabs. Tupas are nocturnal and live on land, so they're hunting with flashlights and mosquito repellent. Eating so much seafood this last week has spoiled us. We're learning more about catching and collecting tropical species. The key is to take a local along!!

No good weather window has presented itself for us to leave in, so we're just going to have to suffer through another few amazing days at Palmerston, poor us. I still find the difficulties of this life to be extreme, but the fun is so amazing that I keep being convinced to go to one more island. Part of every day I wish I was at home, and yet everyday I think of the memories and the opportunities to come. Everyday things at home like washing machines, dishwashers, cars, stocked grocery stores, hot water and garbage pick up are now luxury items for us. When I've struggled through the rough passages, the chores, the schooling and the bugs, I look out the window at the most beautiful places in the world and wonder if when we're home I'll wish I was still cruising.

Kellie