Saturday 14th June
Weather still not good. We breakfast at Tropicana, get the Fiji forms done –( we very recently found out that we have to advise them in advance of our arrival or they will fine us 20 thousand dollars) – then do a bit of shopping. By then it’s 24 hours since the dinghy repair so we go to check it out with fingers crossed. Thankfully , it’s looking good…. Andreas and Jens help us to get it in the water – no bubbles so far …Annie shoots off in the car to get the rest of the shopping .When she calls at the Tropicana (for more pies!), Lisa tells her the lads have radioed to say they can’t go anywhere as she’s got the outboard and fuel in the boot – oops! She runs back, then away again to a grocery store she’s not tried yet but when she comes out the car won’t start. It’s probably the battery connection but Annie doesn’t like going under bonnets so walks back to Tropicana to radio JDI3. Soon it’s all sorted. We’re booked into a Spanish restaurant on Topana Island tonight. Tallulah Ruby and Strega have taken the boats round but as the weather is so bad, Norfy gets on the case and organises a taxi to take us and Cleonie to Ano beach where the taxi man promises a dinghy from the restaurant will be waiting – he’ll organise it. We have a restful afternoon then we’re out meeting for a drink at our local before piling into the taxi. It’s a 15 minute ride – over extremely bumpy terrain - to a dark deserted beach. We bundle out, but you’ve guessed it….. no dinghy waiting. By this time the taxi man’s away…. By good luck Stewy has a local mobile phone and after a lot of footering about we eventually manage to get through to the Aquarius café who then radio the Paella Restaurant to ask them to come and get us. After what feels like another eternity, we hear the sound of a dinghy outboard approaching. However, just as it’s nearing the beach, the outboard konks out – we’re whistling and shouting - pretty sure the driver has seen us but he’s clearly having problems. We’re starting to think the night is doomed. Eventually, the man appears – we all paddle out and get 8 of us get in a very small dinghy in the pitch black to cross the lagoon – we feel we may never be seen again….to top it all it’s also now windy and wet. Thankfully, we reach the other side and trundle up the hillside into the restaurant to cheers from our awaiting friends. Soon the red wine is flowing, and the tapas start to appear. This is quite a characterful little place, a Spanish couple and a young local man are the only people on the island. The young man is the taxi, the bar-man, the waiter and the bongo drum player. The couple also both serve and sing and play guitar. There’s flamenco type music, a bit of country and western, then Senora appears in a flamenco dress – highly entertaining – especially when she pulls Stewy up on to the floor with her silk scarf. Next, our own three tenors (as they’re now known); Pedro, Miguel and Kuko,take over the guitar and the stage. Our hosts give us all percussion instruments and we’re off, music and dancing, and lots of laughing…..
We eventually make it home safe and sound - thankfully the town has gone to bed by the time we get back (it being Sunday tomorrow) so it’s straight back to our boats.