November 15, 2007

Friends and Such
We are still in Tarawa and will sail the 25 miles north to Abaiang tomorrow to spend some time on that out-island. We will have to come back here to check out, but the distance is so short that we won't mind. We don't want to be limited to just 3 days in Abaiang, which would be the case if we checked out of here first.
Two boats sailed in here yesterday, Hygelig and Skylark II. We had met both of them in Savusavu and looked forward to visiting with them again. Watea was still here, so we all got together last night for a pot-luck meal and catch-up. A good time was had by all. Watea left this morning for Abemama, and Hygelig and Skylark II checked out today and will head to the Marshall Islands. We will all meet up there for Christmas and look forward to more good times. It will be a treat for me this year to not have to work over the holidays. Last year I worked on Christmas Eve. I also have worked every New Year's Eve for as long as I've been a nurse. So it will be a real thrill to have the time off and spend it with friends.
This morning I woke up with a full-blown head cold, so Ted went off to do some shopping while I spent the day in bed. He came back with oranges, apples, drinking coconuts, tomatoes and limes (which we hadn't seen since Fiji)!! It was like he had hit the jackpot and we are well stocked now for the next week or so. We also gave 6 beers to Skylark II (we use it for making beer bread), and they came back with a fresh loaf of bread from their breadmaker, a couple drinking coconuts and a heart of palm - a very rare part of the coconut palm and much prized for eating. We really made out on that deal!
It's hard to believe we left New Zealand just 5 months ago. We have made some lifelong friends and have said goodbye to too many of them who were on a different track. You learn to take advantage of the short time available to establish a friendship, as they next day they may move on. It is great when you meet up again with those friends in some distant island. We know many of the boats in Majuro now, either through personal contact or radio friends. We expect a fun-filled holiday season in the Marshall Islands. Karen