For an entire day I’m on the MV Silver Supporter. My seasickness tablets have worked well; too well in fact because I didn’t sleep all that well last night. Breakfast was more or less what I expected: sausages, baked beans, and croissants. Afterward I filled out the paperwork for Pitcairn Island.
There is no land in sight and there won’t be any for the entire day. I’ll talk a bit about some of the people I’ve met. Steve and Beth are from the UK, and Steve has been to every country in the world except Libya. Gordon is from New Zealand. Sean is from Pennsylvania but lives and works in Fiji for the World Health Organization. Ilene is an older lady from LA. Jim is from England. Randy is from Pitcairn, and Lea was born in New Zealand but married a Pitcairn Islander. Steve and Beth were supposed to go to Pitcairn last year but learned only two days before their trip that the MV Claymore broke down. As a result they spent 11 days in Mangareva. Lunch was especially good, with lamb chops, fish, and braised vegetables. They’re sure heavy on the capsicum (of all three colours) in their dishes. Going to a place like Pitcairn means I’ll encounter smart travellers who are well-versed in geography. Looking at some of the passports, I’ve seen stamps from Angola, Tristan da Cunha, Solomon Islands, and many other far-flung places. For the past several nights I haven’t slept well, so I lay down for a long nap with the rocking of the ship being both a nice feeling and an annoyance. When I awoke I had a spectacular sunset.
As a collector of sunset photos, my three best are from Belize, Norfolk Island, and New Caledonia. Dinner was one of fried chicken and chips: not as appealing as lunch but still great. As I sat outside on the deck I couldn't see any land, and there's something romantic about it. Much like how I felt as I was journeying toward Tokelau, I'm travelling like James Cook, Ferdinand Magellan, and the explorers of yore. The main difference is now is that motors have replaced sails. Such a special journey this is as I'm inching my way toward on of the most difficult places in the world to reach. Pitcairn Island, you're ever so close.
On more sleep and I set foot on the island of the Bounty Mutineers.
