The third week of May saw Kerry and
Jenni arrive from Adelaide. Ants spent time showing them the sites of
Majuro and environs. They arrived at the same time as some new AVI
volunteers started so it was quite a social whirl of evenings out and
day trips. Their first few days included the “AVI” dinner to
welcome the new arrivals. The Tuesday yachties night out at Marshall
Island Club (all you can eat pizza for eight dollars) a film night at
Wallaby downs. A day sail/snorkel to Eneko Island. A bike tour around
Rita and Delap, the shanty town suburbs of Majuro. At the weekend
Ants arranged a “Australian” sail on Breakfree for Wally (AVI)
leaving and our visitors to Enamonet Island so 10 people on a lovely
day trip.
The following week, much to the
amusement and curiosity of the locals, we put Break Free up on Mieco
Beach to have its two yearly bottom clean and paint, many hands make
light work.
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| On the beach in front of WAM canoe house |
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| Putting our visitors to work |
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| Jenni fishing at Airik on Maloelap Atoll |
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At the end of that week Break Free and
crew sailed ninety miles north to Maloelap Atoll. We had a great time
exploring Airik, Toroa, Piggiatto and Tjan Islands. Lovely people,
interesting wildlife, lots of Japanese relics and good wreck diving.
Then we sailed south to Aur Atoll
visiting Bigen and Aur Aur Islands. The same as at Christmas Bigens
water was crystal clear (for divers info 30m visibility)
Even though there is a drought
emergency in the northern Atolls, Aur Aur had great looking gardens
and with the great fishing they are living pretty well. After ten
days we were back in Majuro.
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| Playtime at Airik |
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| Kitchen fire starting to burn |
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| Ready to dry Pandanus |
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| Cooking a typical breakfast |
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| Collecting some greens for the pigs |
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| Going fishing |
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| It sounds like Anti Crabs (actually Handicrafts) |
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| Areson and Kerry after antenna repair |
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| Jane and Jenni on Airik |
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| A fish lunch at a Copra camp om Kemar Island |
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| A young Taroan at Maloelap Atoll |
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| Old Japanese gun emplacement |
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| Peeling breadfruit with a modified cowrie shell |
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| Lovely bronze trunnion mount on WW11 Japanese gun |
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| A resident of Piggeyato Island |
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| Foreshore crabs at Chien (Tjan) Island |
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| Tjan net fisherman |
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| Rowing out to wreck on Taroa Is Maloelap Atoll |
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| Cable winch |
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| Intrepid diver |
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| Great banana grove on Aur Aur Island Aur Atoll |
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Mooring bollard 70 years underwater
Ants, Kerry and Jenni spent the last
few days taxiing to Laura, walking and bike riding around downtown
Majuro and the obligatory evenings of “wining and dining” for
all.
Ants is taking no responsibility what
so ever for getting K & J to the Airport after their flight to
Guam had closed nor the fact they had old bullets (just projectiles)
in their hand luggage. It is only a US federal offence to carry
ammunition on an American plane (they were travelling on United
Airlines) and the jail sentence shouldn't be too onerous. Ants has
promised to visit them in jail!!!
On a lighter note Jane is right back
into it as WAM's new trainees start on Monday....it has been hectic,
to say the least, getting things sorted in a week after 3 months of
waiting for government funding to be approved and then released.
'til next post, cheers J & A
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