Day 18

Air / Water temperature: 16°C (10°C at night) / 15°C

Wind direction / Bft: South-southwest / 2-3

Area: ALECHIA (Oscar-island, cloudy water) – Nautical chart showing the route

Combuse: Java barb (500 g) scale, remove intestines, rinse and pat dry. Stuff the abdominal cavity of the fish with 1 walnut-sized piece of ginger thinly sliced and 1 large green chilli halved lengthwise. Salt and pepper the fish. Heat 1 tablespoon sesame oil, fry fish 7 minutes per side. At half of the cooking time heat 1 tablespoon sesame oil in a separate wok, briefly fry 3 crushed and a little chopped pods garlic, 2 fresh chillies seeded and cut lengthwise into strips. Add 200 g of water spinach cut in 5 cm long pieces, fry for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add 1 tablespoon chopped fermented black beans, 1 tablespoon fish sauce and 2 tablespoons of water, cook for another 2 minutes. Serve fish on a bed of spinach. (More recipes from the Chief cook of «PS Narina»)

We are there, I thought. The small natural harbour in which we anchor seems in every way to be an island harbour. A quick scan of the landscape shows, however, that we cannot be at Santa Lemusa. The island is much too small. Oskar seems to find the place enormous, though, considering the excited manner in which he is trotting around in all directions. Perhaps he still believes we are at our destination. How immense the real Santa Lemusa will appear to him – as vast as a continent.  

He won’t be entirely wrong in that. Those who’ve assessed the world accurately know that every island is as big as a continent and that every continent is in principle nothing other than an island.

For sure, we are the first sailors to set foot on this tiny island. I take it to be my own property and christen it Oskar Island.

Next day (19)

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