Day on the Water - Day 77 April 22

Day on the Water - Day 77 April 22

We moved yachts last night – this time to Paolo’s own place. 

He moved out. He really is over booked. He has circumnavigated the world in this boat, lived for years on it, it is kind of incredible.  It is big and grand but still just a caravan with more to go wrong. And not enough space for the fittings.

Jo and I tried sleeping:under the stars on the foredeck, under the awning on the aft deck, in the living room on the vast lounger (where I ended up) and in the master cabin (where Jo ended up). It was a breezy and beautiful night on the lagoon; late on a full moon rose above the limestone crags. Casting the coral sea in a shimmering light. For some reason rocked gently and breathed on by the heavens neither of us slept.

Taran slept like a log in the second (of three) bedrooms.

So we were tired in the first morning light and just as we were finally sleeping – I was woken from a nightmare of Taran drowning, trapped by luggage in the dark in a flooding cabin - it was time for breakfast.  Breakfast delivered again by the ever willing (and forgetful) Geoffrey in his orange plastic boat. Then we must head straight out on our booked boat tour of the lakes.  Jo was in a VERY bad mood as she packed our things in a rush for tonight we move (again) to The Bamboo Suite.  Four nights on the lagoon, four rooms.  It is what we had signed up for but sleep helps.

The Lake tour was beautiful and snorkelling in the fresh water lakes reviving.  I incidentally noted that the short walk from quay to Kayangan Lake marked the end of the longest period I had ever spent with my feet off dry land (72 hours).  My cruising days are all ahead of me!  Not so Paolo.

We returned to Lunch at the houseboat.  I took the extraordinary measure of a lunch time beer.

Then snoozed blissfully at the Bamboo Suite whilst Taran worked on his Paddle Boarding, quickly becoming, in his own words, an “Intermediate to advanced” practitioner; not shy to pass on his newly acquired skills....

To the next generation of Paddle Boarders.

We love the Bamboo Suite – rooms on water are more comfortable when they‘re not made for crossing oceans under sail.

Three in a Kayak to seek out turtles at sunset on Smith Beach.

We had enjoyed sharing our second night on the first yacht with the holidaying Nayla (Cambodian Human Rights Advocate with LICAHDO) and Song (Cambodian Microfinance banker). They like us had determined to make the expedition, on Paolo’s assurance, that just off this beach and at this time there would be grazing turtles “80% to 90% certain”.  And there Nayla and Song were, as we rounded the craggy point, wading the turquoise shallows off the white sand shore seeking Paolo’s grazing turtles in the long sea grass. We love Paolo

and without his exuberant spin this eccentric idyll would not exist but we later hear turtles are only an occasional sighting here.  We found them not.   Jo, Nayla and Song had a good chat, waist deep in a dusky brine, about human rights and the role of NGOs in Cambodia, and Taran and I enjoyed our snorkel turtle hunt a little further off shore.  We all marvelled at the numerous Chocolate Chip Starfish hiding in the sea grass.


And we were exhausted by supper time so took the offered boat to the Houseboat Restaurant.
Taran organised his own transport.

We slept so (Bamboo) suite-tly after our day on the water.