During my time here in Vanuatu I have met many local people including a nice family who has been living here for many years. They asked if I would like to go with them on an island tour – yes, of course!.. It was really nice and one of the many things we did was to go up the mountain and enjoy the beautiful view from there. I could see Guppy at anchorage and all the different colours of the water, from light blue to the deepest blue. At their house in the evening I enjoyed a nice supper out on their terrace. This morning I continued to work onboard Guppy. The exhaust of the Yanmar engine is leaking again but at a different spot this time.. the stern light malfunctions but its bulb is intact… and I changed the steering cables of the Windvane. I also stowed away the dinghy which almost made me fall overboard.This is the big dinghy and I had forgotten that it is not so easy to lift it back on deck.The dinghy almost won the fight but I used the winch and so it lost the fight. Then there was the next problem – the stern section… that is where I store my junk for I don’t go there too often. And so it is, err… a little bit messy and chaotic in there. No amount of pushing and pulling could make the dinghy fit in there which meant only one thing… clean up… Again! Is there no end to it?! While I was busy clearing things a journalist came by, waited for some time before being disappointed a won’t talk. Also I emptied some jerrycans of diesel fuel into the engine’s tank, so that I can refill them again before sailing out since I can buy the diesel duty-free here. After all that I treated myself to some home-baked cookies and I made some rice with chicken and vegetables for dinner. I still have to practice cooking the Vanuatu rice… Luckily I am the only one who has to eat mine…

Laura