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American Spirit II - Day 122; Brian to Clinic, Paul and Joel Go Swimming with Black-tipped and Lemon Sharks and a Giant Manta Ray, and Paul and David fly home; Monday, May 5, 2014



Went to bed at 12:30 AM.



Paul first up at 5:30 AM, followed by David at 6:00 AM. I 'slept in' and got up at 7:00 AM.



Joel and Paul were dropped off at Top Dive for 2 snorkels at 8:20 AM. David and I asked if we could do just one snorkel and then could be dropped off back at our marina, but we were told no. Too bad, as the first snorkel was at the pass a short distance from our marina.



David and I then walked into town. David's 'mission' was to go to Air Tahiti and check in on his flight from Papeete to Los Angeles; mine was to find a doctor's clinic to look at and treat my infection. On the way back to the boat I bought a set of head phones, as Paul had demonstrated the utility of having such a set while he was on the boat. Ear plugs just don't do it for people (me) whose hearing isn't as good as it once was.



Paul and Joel returned to the marina at 12 noon; and with David we all had lunch. Paul and Joel had a great couple of snorkels, seeing half a dozen black-tipped sharks, a large lemon shark (dangerous), and a large manta ray. Paul too the Go Pro camera with him and got some great underwater pictures.



At 1:00 PM David and I returned to the medical clinic that I had found during our morning reconnaissance, and took a number (2). We were second in line. Doctor Francois Duval returned to his office at 2:10 PM, and he met with me at 2:30 PM. I told him that I had thought I was bitten by a Nonos insect; he thought my infection was due to an infected hair follicle. I was given a prescription of Amoxicilline Biogaran 500 mg, to take for 8 days. After filling the prescription, we walked back to the marina and our boat.



Before leaving the boat I gave David all my French Polynesia books to take home and then send to my home; and personal items for Janet and others to send. I figured its safer and hugely cheaper to send these items home from the USA than from Bora Bora.



At 4:25 PM I took David and Paul to the ferry dock 15 minutes away by dingy; and at 5:10 PM they departed on the free ferry to the airport 20 minutes away.



I returned to the boat after they left and Joel and I toasted their departure with a Captain Morgan. Because we had a large lunch earlier in the day, we had a small dinner - Chicken Teriyaki with Rice. It hit the spot.



After dinner I typed and sent two logs while Joel uploaded pictures from his computer and to the internet. The MaiKai Yacht Club Marina Wifi was working pretty good, even out in the anchorage a few hundred yards away.



I went to bed at 9:30 PM, but couldn't sleep due to the pain caused by my infection. I had forgotten to ask the doctor to give me a prescription for the pain. Up again at 11:00 PM, then to bed again. Because it was raining on and off, we had to keep the boat closed up; which meant it was hot down below. And because of the sensitivity of my infection, I had so sleep with my left arm behind my head as any contact with the skin that was infected was 'you're not sleeping' painful. Before going to bed I took a magic marker and drew some lines on the perimeter of my infection so I could see in the morning if it had spread any more over night.



Joel and I had talked earlier in the day and decided that if the infection was not substantially on the mend before departing on the next leg of the rally, May 11, that we wouldn't go until the matter was resolved. We could always skip the next island, Suwarrow, and sail directly to Niue to catch up with the fleet.



362 Days until home.



Brian Fox


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