Kangean

We depart Lovina Beach after dinner at 10pm and sail/motor overnight so we can arrive at Kangean in daylight.  Our nighttime voyages are a minefield of fishing boats, commercial ships, torrential rain, strong winds, thunder, lightning, no wind – you name it – we get it! 

Tug towing a coal-laden barge - tricky to see at night

We decide to do 3 hour watches on our overnight trip.  It is safer to navigate into anchorages in daylight so we can see the reefs, fishing boats, fishing nets, bombies, and of course the water depth.  Our charts don’t always match up with realty so we are cautious as it can be a bit tricky. 

Motoring in a millpond

First sight of Kangean

Fishing boat at Kangean

Our fishing is dismal.  We have rods and lures however we are better sailors than we are fishermen.  We buy export quality coral trout from a local fish farm, green beans and pumpkin from the local village and toast Heather’s actual 50^th birthday with a bottle of Moet courtesy of Sam and Josh – thanks boys! 

A hint for our non-fishing husbands!

Fish Depot

Weighing our fish

Coral Trout - we think!

50th birthday dinner - awesome :-)

We borrow motor bikes from the locals and are taken on a tour of the local school, police station, lunch at a warung and coffee in an indescribable hut. 

Local coffee shop for my 50th birthday :-)

Our barista

The police station is the only place on the island where we can see a map.  It is painted on their wall so we are able to explain where we are from and where we are going – I think!  We must all sign a book at the police station – they love official stuff and paperwork.  There are no other white people on the island and we are a novelty.  The villagers are very friendly and love to have their photo taken with us.  They take loads of photos of us using their mobile phones and I suspect we are probably on many facebook pages.

Local school

Local Police Station

Bike Maintenance

Putting air in tyres

Warung owner and her daughters

New use for satellite dish

We are often visited at our yacht by local fishermen and children.  They sometimes want to sell us things however usually they are curious and want to say hello.  The kids swim out to us and are thrilled to get gifts of soft drink or swimming goggles.  We can sometimes organize diesel and petrol for our gerry cans via our visitors.  We were also offered a live monkey in a cardboard box with a plastic bag around the outside.  We’re not sure if he was trying to sell/show/give us the monkey – mmmm.

Local fuel station

Provisioning is becoming more difficult.  It is easy to buy some veges and fruit – green beans, tomatoes, cucumber, garlic, bananas, pineapple, passionfruit.  Fish can be bought on the pavement at the local market for $2 for 6 small fish.  We haven’t seen any meat or chicken yet.  The village markets are very cheap and a fun experience.  Just point at the produce and hold up 3 fingers to buy 3 cucumbers!  We also buy some cooked food – no idea what it is but it tastes good.  Nothing is refrigerated and there are loads of flies.  Bread, when we can get it, is white and very sweet.  Ice is always a mission.  Luckily we can sometimes buy it from a shop or local people give us ice from their freezer if they have a freezer!

This family gave us all the ice from their freezer - enough to fill our esky. 
They wouldn't accept payment however we were able to give the kids some balloons.