Having mastered the fans and the air con, dear reader, we slept much better. To the extent that we didn’t wake until 8:30am. No swim before breakfast today. The buffet breakfast was the same offering as yesterday and, unless Jayne goes rogue and starts ordering some bizarre omelette concoction, it shall probably only be mentioned in passing from here on.
Post breakfast, we slathered on the sunscreen and walked the 20 metres to the lagoon edge to swim there rather than in the resort pool. Now there’s a concept, the resort pool. It’s something I don’t get. There is a picture-perfect lagoon directly across the sand path. Admittedly there is no coral or any attraction to warrant breaking out the snorkelling gear, but the water is cooler than the pool, is way less crowded and even out 70 or 80 metres from shore, it is still only chest deep – on me, so that’s waist deep on everyone else. There is plenty of shade beneath the palm trees to spread a towel, as opposed to baking in the sun around the pool where the breeze is difficult to find. And most of all, the salt content of the lagoon is lower so you don’t feel as sticky when you get out of the water. The last time I saw people lounging around a pool in such a fashion was Santorini – and I didn’t understand it then either. It may be a break from the helter-skelter of work/life but you can close your eyes and lie poolside anywhere and pretend.
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| Hibiscus flower |
A morning shower encouraged us out of the water and back onto the verandah of the buré to read and blog and soak up the scenery. The rain (passing showers, unlike Sydney’s unrelenting deluges) provided some relief from the heat on the back of the breeze that brought it in. It was short lived and the sun was soon back.
The physical challenge today was a walk beyond the restaurant to the island spa retreat to investigate a massage. Booked in for tomorrow morning, it was time to return to our private lagoon to cool off, since everybody else seemed to be poolside and eating lunch, despite the enormous breakfasts that had been consumed only 2 hours before.
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| Lepidoptera. Actually I have no idea. |
After a dip, we returned to our buré to remove the sunscreen and read before heading out to the island bar to catch the breeze and a pre-dinner aperitif. The breeze was a definite winner and again the bar was almost deserted.
Sadly, the drink options have not improved despite the Island Trader barge being in port yesterday. It must have delivered fuel and not essentials. After yesterday’s attempt at a chardonnay – seriously Mr De Bortoli, I’m not sure I could have identified the wine without the label, we returned to the rosé. Yes, as usual, first world problems, but as I have remarked previously, dear reader, it’s the little things that make all the difference. Like knowing where dinner is being served, or what is being served for dinner, or providing a map of the island showing points of interest and walking paths, or explaining what is available or offering a wine that is NOT a NZ sav blanc … anyway, let’s not do the comparison thing.
OK, it’s already occurring in my head, I can’t help it. Jayne has already likened the situation to being on a cruise that doesn’t go anywhere, except our sleeping arrangements are a tad more expansive. I think she’s on to something.
Tonight, as we countdown the time to dinner, a cloud of smoke has descended on us. It’s like Sydney when the powers that be conduct fire mitigation burns (now there is an euphemism) in the mountains and poison the population of the city. Except here we have smoke without the bushfire smell. I have no idea what it is, but the view is decidedly smudgy this evening. It promises to be a cracking sunset.
And tonight for dinner we had, wait for it, a buffet. I know dear reader, who would have thought it? It was the usual suspects with some variation, smoked salmon, grilled aubergine, fish, chicken (tandoori this time, a bit out of place) and a massive slab of beef fillet – perfectly cooked and accompanied, (would you believe it?), by Yorkshire puddings – very colonial.
The sunset did not live up to early expectations and when the colour came it was late and difficult to photograph without a tripod for longer exposure. Had I attempted to hold the camera by hand it would have looked like we were experiencing an earthquake. Hopefully that scenario will not eventuate since there is no published tsunami plan – luckily we have started swimming laps for exercise this year…
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| Still awesome. |
The title, dear reader? A song that is perhaps a tad obscure for anyone whose children were not fed a diet of Yoram Gross as they grew up in the late '80s and early '90s. Still not with me? How about Dot and the Kangaroo? I’m not sure which of Dot’s adventures gave birth to Little Things (Jayne thinks it’s the exploration of the world of insects in Dot and Keeto) and with extremely limited internet connectivity I’m am unable to verify my memory. So, in the parlance of the millennials, Google it. Actually I've done the work for you back in civilization. Click here.
Another day in paradise is over.
Until next time.
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