Day 327, Year 5 Pleasantly Relaxed Day
Date: Saturday, September 18, 2010
Weather: Sunny Day; Windy Late Morning Then Moderating
Location: Nosy Sakatia, NW Madagascar
Although we were up and snorkeling by 7:30 this morning to catch the slack low tide, it was a slow paced day. We met John’s Aunt Marianne and Uncle Gerald on the dock at 7:30 am and had a nice snorkel in clear water. Once we had snorkeled to the south of Sakatia Towers, we got in the dinghy and went to the headland just to the north. But by this time the tide was starting to pick up and the water clarity was not as good. It also got very windy very quickly. So we gave up after an hour and half and called it a good morning. Mark and I actually spent some time reading when we returned to Windbird, something we rarely do during the day. In the afternoon, I named today’s underwater photos and we went up to Sakatia Towers to give John, Marianne, and Gerald an underwater photo show of what we have seen snorkeling here in the Sakatia anchorage area. In return, Marianne and Gerald talked to us about the different game parks in on the east coast of South Africa and gave us advice as to what we might see at each one. Philippe and George, two other cruisers in the anchorage, came up to the deck to have a late afternoon beer and we had a great time all talking together. George was born in Argentina but moved to Spain as an adult. Philippe is French. Our South Africans friends tell us we speak American and they speak English, and the mix of accents made lively conversation.
We will snorkel again early tomorrow morning and then Mark is going to make more pirogue sails. I’m determined to get a “Best of Madagascar Underwater” folder put together to upload, so that will be our tomorrow. Our departure date from here was next Saturday, September 25, but we found out last night that John’s birthday is on Sunday the 26th, so we will staying for that celebration and then heading south on Monday, September 27. So eight days and counting.
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