Infinity II

AKA A simple life

The boat I'm on, for reasons that aren't exactly clear to me, is currently vegan. It hasn't always been vegan. I think it's vegan now partly because it's cheaper, partly because in some parts of the world it's hard to source meat, partly because being vegan is better for the environment, and partly to protest cruelty against animals. Regardless, we don't eat meat, obviously, or eggs, there is no cheese or yoghurt or butter... Breakfast is often hot oatmeal with dates or pancakes made with bananas, lunch is fresh bread with peanut butter, fresh fruit and veg, pineapple and coconut and carrot sticks for example, and any leftovers, and supper is usually rice and beans, the beans cooked up with garlic, onions, and whatever vegetables we have and made into chilli or curry or something else delicious, but supper can also be spaghetti or vegetable stir fry or even (gasp) fried fish as fresh caught fish is the one exception to the veganism rules. I've never considered living a vegetarian lifestyle let alone a vegan one but so far the food on board has been fantastic.

Another difference here - that I haven't yet adapted to - is that the boat works solely on a bidet system or, in other words, NO toilet paper. Ever. I always travel with a half roll of toilet paper in my daypack because, well, you never know, and I'm willing to admit, albeit a bit reluctantly, that I went into town and bought myself 4 whole rolls because I'm just happier using toilet paper ALL the time. I'm sure I'll eventually forget to take my few sheets with me as I head to the head and as there isn't any there I'll have to deal with it... but for now I'm still stuck in my first world ways.

Life on the boat is simple. I love it.

(To be continued.)

Infinity I

AKA Stressing at the start as usual...

Infinity... the first two days...

The first day on Infinity I felt I'd maybe made a huge mistake. I usually like to sail for free, crew in return for room and board, and Infinity is definately a "pay to play" boat. The captain had assured me before I arrived that you could be a guest for 80€/day or a crew for 20€/day but I was worried it might be a bit of a bait and switch type situation and, though I'd decided I was willing to pay 20€/day, there is NO way I'd be willing to pay 80... and, when I first got there, talking with the other crew, it seemed as if my worst fears might be justified. You have to work off your extra 60€ a day with "extra work" - and cooking, cleaning, and standing watch, which everyone does, even guests,  doesn't count towards that. And my first impression was that often there just isn't that much "extra work" that needs to be done, or enough hours in the day when the captain is there to supervise. Sam, another Canadian, who'd been with the boat several months, and was obviously trying to do any and all available "extra work" admitted he'd not been able, despite his best efforts, to lower his fee to 20€/day... and I felt if he couldn't there'd be no way I could. I was tired and jet lagged and stressed and it was SO very hot and when I went in for a quick dip I got stung by jellyfish so my first day I felt I'd definately made the wrong choice and the boat I'd decided not to join was shining and air conditioned in my imagination. It had cost a lot to fly to the Marshall Islands and now it looked like it would cost a lot to be there. All the other crew were male and in their 20's. Even the captain's girlfriend was in her 20's. And the kids, ages 4 and 5, seemed to run wild fighting and throwing tantrums left and right. If I'd had internet and could have looked for a flight I might have left there and then (even though it had been SO expensive to fly in). But, despite stressing about money, I decided I'd stick it out for a month and see. The first month would be doing a loop round some of the outer atolls of the Marshalls coming back to Majuro.

A new boat is always hard at first, the stove is different as is the head (toilet) and learning all the little tweaks takes time. And I knew all this, but I couldn't remember why I'd chosen a boat that wasn't free when there are so many free boats out there. And, did I mention, it was hot, very hot! I wasn't happy.

Day 2 was better.

Clem got home (from a night on shore working on the internet) at 6 am and most if the crew were up shortly after ready to work but none of them, even those who had been there months, felt they could do anything without him so we all sat about for hours waiting for him to get up so we could start working and, when he did get up he was upset no one had started work.

I did some writing with Rhian, the 5 year old, which, even though she was only copying, she could "read" to her parents, and I said it was my audition as teacher and Clem, the captain, said "Yes!, it would be fantastic if I taught the kids for my extra work." So that was a huge weight off my shoulders - it meant I could do my "extra work" every day, at my own convenience, and without needing supervision or guidance or anyone having to explain the job or where the tools were or even having to compete with others to do it.

Also I learnt how to use the head, if not the stove, and chatted with the other crew who are all young and male but very interesting people (I remembered that last time I was on a boat with another Canadian woman my age it was a disaster) and I settled down a bit to the pace of life on a sailboat, where things happen when they do.

I suggested to Clem he leave a list of jobs we could do unsupervised the next morning which, though it seems merely common sense, everyone thought a brilliant idea.

So, as we're going to set sail at the very next weather window, I'm unlikely to have an update for at least another month...  we'll be places with great diving but no internet whatsoever... But I'll let you know then if it all worked out and I've decided to stay on or if I'm going to slink home in April with my tail between my legs.

For now it looks great and I'm very optimistic...

My " audition", one of my charges on board in the main saloon, and the boat at anchor from the front.

Hawaii Part 2

AKA Queen of the last minute deals.

There are week long cruises around to the different Hawaian Islands that start and finish in Honolulu and I'd had my eye on one that left on the 25th... It was way out of my budget, of course, but being queen of last minute deals I kept watching it until, on the 22nd, the price fell dramatically. I tried to book it then but they still wanted a large single supplement so I posted notes looking for a cabinmate on both the hostel bulletin board and on Craigslist. I had no luck. I called back on the 24th determined to argue my way out of paying a single supplement but I didn't have to, by then the price was still rock bottom and the single supplement had been completely removed! So I went off to live in luxury for the next 7 days, and, the travel gods still smiling on me, I got the very last cabin on the ship (yes, the one I'd paid rock-bottom last-minute zero-percent single supplement price for) which turned out to be a palatial balcony room!

Maui AKA Feeling Jaded

I spent two days on Maui with a lovely young Mormon couple who had rented a car to see the island. The first day we drove "The Road to Hana". The road is famous. And spectacular. With 12 feet of rain each year the hillsides are rampant with lush verdant jungle vegetation, enormous trees and ferns and vines. Jurassic Park was filmed in this part of the world and it really does look like a dinosaur could step out of the woods at any moment. The drive was great; we saw whales from the shore, there were many waterfalls, great jungle walks, exotic vegetation, caves, more waterfalls, and excellent basalt beaches.

Best of all we had accompanying us "Gypsy" a fantastic app who not only told us the history, geology, facts and fantasy about the area but was linked to our GPS and told us when, exactly, to slow down and marvel out the windows or stop, park, and take a short hike. I'd heard of such apps before and been sceptical. I can't speak for all of them, of course, but this one was phenomenal.

The second day we spent less than 40 km away on the other side of the island in dry desert landscape, sparse grass and cacti. If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes I wouldn't have believed two such contrasting environments could exist in such close proximity.

(To my shame and embarrassment, I felt a little jaded on Maui. I'd seen whales closer in Mexico, jungle denser in Tahiti, roads twister in Romania, waterfalls more impressive in Iceland, cliffs more dramatic in the Faroes... And I wondered, 'Am I getting to the point I've travelled too much?')


Hawaii AKA Big Island

I didn't have plans for the Big Island so I exited the ship and worked the car-rental shuttle line shamelessly asking anyone and everyone what their plans for the day were and if  they had room for an extra person... Eventually one couple agreed to take me on, and wow, what a fantastic day. We had a very specific mission for the day - see lava. We drove to the end of the road, walked a gravel extention, and then out out out across acres of otherworldly pahoehoe right to the point where the  lava was pouring as if from a pipe into the sea. It was red, hot, and incredibly impressive. Small explosions of newly hardened rock and large billowing clouds of sulphur rich steam abounded. It was amazing. Absolutely amazing.

(I did not feel jaded at all, by the way, this was, absolutely, the best lava I'd seen in my life. In fact, I was, once again, feeling #privilegedtobehere. It was so fantastic I fear I might not even go to the Marshall Islands afterall... I might just stay and "tourist" right here in Hawaii for months! Have I travelled too much? No!)

New growth appears on ropey pahoehoe.

Volcanic rock stained where sulphur vents outgassed. 

A town was covered in lava but rebuilding starts...

Red hot magma flowing into the sea. WOW. JUST WOW.

Kauai AKA Yet another piece of paradise

Again, spectacular. Canyons, waterfalls, the steep 4000' iconic Napali coastline, blowholes, coffee plantations, sea turtles, seals, beaches... It is wonderful!

Coast of Kauai

Have I travelled too much? No. Could I stay here forever? Yes. Well, maybe not forever, but I do understand why people come back to Hawaii again and again. A woman selling banana bread back on Maui was lamenting that foreigners, both mainland Americans and others from all over the world, were buying up properties sending prices skyrocketing, and that her sons just couldn't afford anything anymore. I see and understand exactly what she was saying but have no clue how to even start to solve this problem. Hawaii is fantastic. I wish I'd had the foresight to buy property here myself 40 years ago!


PS The scenery was outstanding, the hiking unparalleled, but the best part of the cruise was meeting two other women on the first day at a Solo Travellers Meet and Greet and agreeing to hang out with them whenever we could. We'd eat breakfast together, split up for the day, and then reconvene to eat, chat, and laugh together every evening.

Andrea, Robin and I crashed the captain's VIP party and drank way to much of the free champagne!

Notes:

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