Well we're on port and have been since about four hours after the start. The wind has never really dropped below 15 knots and is often up in the mid to high twenties. The result is that we have been making some great time towards the equator. As seems so often the case, we are neck and neck with E4 and right now they are about 18 miles ahead, which on a 12500 mile leg covering half the globe, it means they are right next to us! The wind is on the beam and guys on deck are as usual being fire hosed- four hours on four hours off. I couldn't do it!
Casey is right behind me here in the media station working on the broken wheel. For some unknown reason he has decided that back here, in the most unventilated part of the boat, is the preferred place to do a repair involving lots of dust and smelly glues and resins, none of which I imagine are very good for you. As always with Casey he doesn't just fix things he makes them better than they were. It is very reassuring to have him around, because I'm not exaggerating when I say that he has pretty much kept us in the race for every leg so far. On top of fixing the situation he's not feeling too well. Nothing serious and my suggested remedy is that he needs a break...oh well. No time soon for him I'm afraid...Which reminds me...
One of the smartest things I did so far in the race was upon arrival in China to promptly leave! The race simply chews you up and I just needed to get away for a while. So 24 hours after arriving in Qingdao I'm on Korean Airlines- change in Seoul and headed for Bali. It is a seven hour flight and I slept the whole way. Why Bali? Well a big part of doing the race for me was the opportunity it provided to take my family around the world and for them to be part of the whole Volvo experience. So in September last year we sold the car, rented the house and got the kids signed up for a home schooling program. Since then they've been to every stopover and they've had a blast (I hope). We decided they would skip China, for no particular reason, and would rent a place in Bali for the two months covered by Leg Four, Qingdao stopover and Leg Five, allowing us to reconnect in Brazil at the end of Leg Five. It was never part of the plan for me to go there but when I arrived in China I just knew I had to go. Don't hate me but the four days I spent in Bali couldn't have left me more refreshed and re-energized. My wife had daily yoga classes organized and even managed to talk me into going to a spa for a half day tune-up!
Nothing could have prepared me for the treatment I received at the hands of Kutuk who I now refer to as number two Balinese massage wife. I thought I was done after the crushed coconut scrub, but oh no, I still had to get my yogurt rub down and then my manicure and pedicure. Yes I admit it. I did feel a twinge of embarrassment though with the lady next to me having to watch a half kilogram of dead skin come off my feet and see the state of my toenails having been in boots for the last...how long had it been? Anyway, something I would thoroughly recommend should you ever find yourself in Bali. The rest of the visit was taken up with resting and doing the tourist thing. My son has been learning to surf. Phys-Ed is not part of the home schooling curriculum so we had to get creative. I joined him one day and managed to stand up for the first time ever.
So what constitutes luxury here on il mostro? Well right now I would kill for a cup of tea! We have a slight problem with gas bottles (ie we didn't bring QUITE enough with us)! Luckily we spotted it early so
It has been decided that we will put ourselves on a temporary moratorium on heavy gas usage until we catch up, which means only boiling water for food. That's Life at the Extreme for me.
- Rick.
