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Leg 15 Part 5 Sok Kuas, Rinca to Gili Lawa Laut, Indonesia
By: Geoff On: 26/12/2013 15:20:22 In: SPENT
1st & 2nd October 2013
Tuesday 1st October  2013
When I rose early, there was a n enormous sea eagle sitting on the hillside, adjacent to our anchorage, surveying his territory and looking for something to pounce on. Around here they have been known to take small monkeys and Amelie reported watch one having a go at the crocodile!       
One of the tourist boats was leaving just as Jerry and Tim returned in the Ice-breaker from getting a mobile phone signal, further out of the bay.    
We weighed anchor at 08:00 and motored our way back out of the anchorage following the track we had laid on the way in. Once out of the shallows and away from the reefs we sailed under full genoa on its own, passing close to the west of Siaba Besar and on to the bay in the north of Gili Lawa Laut.  En route we saw many other tourist boat criss crossing the waterways - some looked similar to the Guillets you find around Turkey, but most of these had upper decks with the beds laid out for sleeping in the open under just an awning.     
There was reputed to be a small village on the southern side of the island where a couple of the tourist boats, that were with us last night in Rinca, were now headed for the night. We wanted a little peace and quiet and the opportunity to swim off the boat and Amelie had told us it was so beautiful that they were intending staying several days more. They were right. It was beautiful and peaceful, even with a few tourist boats in the bay.
We arrived at midday and before we even had a chance to swim, we were approached by a local boat, the man could speak reasonable English. He offers to bring us food or fuel 'whatever you want'. We weren't sure if he was from the settlement on the south of the island or from Kimodo village but it would take him two hours to return there. Should we wish to visit his village, he offered to help us anchor and be our guide for the day. With him in his dugout canoe, were two young children and were hopeful of some presents. We gave them some surplus clothes and flip-flops, a few pencils and notebooks and an encyclopaedia of the world for their school. The boys were amazed and looked avidly at the book, amazed at the maps and photos of places they could only dream of, they would obviously treasure this gift which they so humbly accepted. It was a genuine pleasure to give such a small thing that would give them, and hopefully their village, much enjoyment and knowledge for so long. 
Then we swam, not quite as show by the young lady in her new costume, but it was wonderfully refreshing to be somewhere away from the dangers of crocs and poisonous snakes, in crystal clear water!
We were invited to Amelie for BBQ at 16:00 along with Wolfhound and had yet another wonderful night is such a stunning location.
Wednesday 2nd October 2013
Washed the salt from the boat this morning before it became too hot, using the hosepipe connected to the freshwater anchor wash. It was amazing the difference it made to be able to see out of the windows, instead of just salt smears!
A lazy day waiting for wind to kick in around lunch time. We were planning to leave about 14:00 but there was insufficient wind to make it worthwhile getting up the anchor. It was such a better idea to stay another night!
Pandemonium arrived in the anchorage and Marco came over to say hello and have a beer before his owner, Stuart, was strutting around on deck wondering where his paid skipper was and he had to return, pronto!
Wolfhound played host tonight having prepared a homemade chilli-con-carne which was very good but too hot for Stephen and too many beans for me!