August 16, 2009 - Eden Island, Mahe, Seychelles

We've spent the past few days hanging out with some friends of ours from Chagos, the fabulous family on s/v Muneera. While cruising the west coast of Mahe, we shared pizzas and braais, wine and rum drinks, a busy bay and an isolated anchorage with Rob and Kate, their kids and Kate's parents. Then we all moved around to the east coast, where they are borrowing a friend's condo in Eden Island, a new marina development.

Now, we usually don't glom onto people as much as we did the family Muneera, but Aussies and South Africans are so easy to be around. In addition, they had access to a washer and dryer. Three months in the isolated splendor that is Chagos will make a body appreciate many things that aren't regularly available to them. My top three are washer/dryers, dishwashers, and eggs that separate. Ever since we arrived in the Seychelles, Sten and I have been gorging on fresh eggs and fruit and vegetables. But we hadn't found a place to do laundry. So when Kate offered us access to the washing machine in their condo, I jumped at the opportunity to do laundry the 21st century way.

In addition to the washer dryer, the condo has a dishwasher, a full sized fridge (the door of which one can open and stand in front of while perusing the contents, meanwhile a cold stream of air falls on one's toes; luxury!), and an unlimited supply of water. These are all things that land-dwellers take for granted, but for yachties are the height of luxury. Sten would turn on the faucet and just watch it run, calling the kids over to observe the largesse.

We enjoyed several dinners with the Muneeras. The conversation was always interesting, and then there was the fascination of taking our meals at a table, with chairs that pull up to it, rather than while sitting on fixed cockpit benches. It was all so civilized.

The day we arrived at Eden Island, the weather, which had been perfect, took a turn for the worse. It rained on and off for days. Rainy days on a boat aren't very much fun. The hatches are shut to keep out the rain, but that also keeps out the breeze. It gets stuffy and hot and sticky down below. But there is almost nothing more pleasant than sitting on a tropical veranda, watching the rain fall just beyond the edge of the roof. Sitting there watching it come down with a cup of coffee and a friend makes it all the better.