Pacific Odyssey - Leg 1

Today has been different for everyone.  It is somewhat more difficult to record our life out here together when we are in port, especially when the big group splits off into smaller groups, doing different activities.  It is hard to know what to tell you about today.  Two-thirds of the group left by 0600hrs to tour the island and they haven´t returned yet.  I think they are due to be home at about 2200hrs.  It´ll have been a long day for them. I think the plan was to do some hiking on the Na Pali coast and perhaps to visit Waimea Canyon, two very beautiful parts of the island.  Those of us who stayed in Lihue had a good day doing various things, as well as taking it easy.  The remaining 7 or 8 trainees visited a waterfall 20 minutes from here.  The walk to the waterfall was through very tall grass; they said it felt like being in Jurassic Park.  Kauai is the greener and more lush of the Hawaiian islands due to more rainfall.  The trainees jumped from cliffs into a large basin.  It was spectacular they said and they wouldn´t have wanted to miss it.  There was also a rope swing to tarzan into the pool with.  They left good and early and there weren´t many others there.  When they were about to leave though, a busload of tourists drove up.  A handful of us spent a wonderfully quiet morning on the boat doing odd jobs, enjoying the peace and the space.  The boys were able to swing on the ropes, their playground, and Jacob helped Jordan the bosun sand and varnish the hatches.  Katie baked banana bread while I finally made the cheesecake.  Today is Becca´s 18th birthday and we´re hoping to get people together to celebrate the last three birthdays again, this time with birthday cake and candles.  Close to the boat is a beautiful sandy beach with good surf.  I spent some time there this afternoon with Arwen and the 3 boys.  There are a lot of tourists, with all the services and stores this implies, as well as the Merriot Resort located at the end of this nice beach.  But, we too are ´visitors´ though we feel more like travellers than tourists.  We definitely look and smell different than the tourists.  After about an hour of being wonderfully tossed and thrown around in the surf, we hopped into the Merriot´s amazing outdoor swimming pool.  We sure enjoyed the cool, fresh water and spent another hour soaking our bodies.  Our feet and hands by this time were completely ´pruned,´ exfoliated, and clean.  After an ice cream and a play in a nearby park, we returned ´home´ where some of the trainees were already hanging out and relaxing on deck with books and music.  Some of the guys bought hammocks and were testing them out.  It´s always nice to get back to the boat and it´s familiarity.  We are fortunate to be able to travel with our home, not living 100% out of a knapsack, though, there definitely are some pretty hefty knapsacks on the bunks below, looking like they´re being lived out of!  The trainees are quite admirable in terms of how they put up with so little personal space; one does get used to it and we are literally all ´in the same boat´ in that respect.  Supper tonight was with a smaller group, always a nice change.  Jordan left immediately after supper to the beach, to test out his new surfboard.  It went well, he was able to get up.  Tomorrow, a group of trainees are trying to pull together a surfing lesson from a fellow named Ambrose we met here 3 years ago.  If those who were away today want to take advantage of the same thing, there may be another lesson Sunday morning.  We have been given another berth for tomorrow night, which means we can stay an extra day.   Skipper prefers this as the wind is supposed to be calming down starting soon; it would make our return trip to Oahu more comfortable and efficient.  On the way into the harbour yesterday we were discussing how remarkable it was that we had come all the way to Hawaii and through the islands on wind power, especially considering how much fuel is spent by so many people flying to Hawaii, and once there, renting a vehicle.  Since leaving Victoria, we are only nearly halfway through our first of three fuel tanks.  A bit smug, perhaps, but what better way to come here and visit the islands, creating community and friendships along the way.  The wind blew steadily today, keeping us somewhat cooler.  The tarps are up, the sleeping spots are being claimed, the hammocks are hanging, waiting to be slept in and the moon looks huge and full.  A good night to all; I will hopefully be able to share something of the travels of the rest of the crew and trainees tomorrow, Bonice.