We are in Brisbane. I am sitting at the Queensland State Library exploiting the free WiFi. So we survived the Tasman Sea crossing. I don't know where to begin, in part because there is a lot to relate, but mostly I think because I have not yet processed the experience. When we departed Tauranga, I thought I had a 2 week contemplative meditation ahead of me, but in fact I achieved very little focused introspection. Most of my energy went into suffering the motion. I never got sick, but my body never really adapted to the motion.
It was about as perfect a trip possible. We were downwind almost every day and the winds were very reasonable. We got plenty of sleep and saw practically no traffic. I don't recall being scared once on the trip. We broke a rudder, but it was almost inconsequential.
We cleared Australian customs yesterday and quarantine this morning. Today is our first day back on land. The first restaurant we encountered was a Turkish restaurant that advertised vegetarian Imam Bayildi, which I took as an omen, so we just had a delicious eggplant and baklava.
Tomorrow we head for the Great Barrier Reef for a week of snorkeling, swimming, kayaking, surfing, paddle-boarding and easy jaunts from mooring buoy to buoy. No more distance sailing. We should be anchored every night from here on out.
3 comments:
So glad to see your bright smile in one piece. Stay in good spirits and sleep on dry land. Can't wait to hear about the adventure on your return.
Cheers,
JT
Wow it sounds like such an exhilarating week you have planned for yourself my friend, I am so happy to see you looking fantastic and I cannot wait to see all the pictures and hear all the stories.
Tu Amiga, Nattie
My first experience back on dry lands was falling over in the shower. Upon return, I wanted 1. A hot shower with lots of soap. 2. A hot meal. 3. Internet access. I was washing my hair in the shower and I dropped my head to stick it under the water stream. Either there was an earthquake or my inner ear thought we were still on the boat because I felt the ground under me move and I fell over into the shower wall.
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