A letter from Sumatra: 1993-part IX

Some of our group suggested ridiculous ideas, such as paddling with the seat planks (it takes 1 hour with an outboard, good luck with 6 seat planks), some suggested using a plastic tarp to make a sail, even though the wind was blowing the wrong way, which owuld mean we would have to tack into the open ocean, then do a 90 degree turn back to shore. Anise said “Try it if you think it will work.”

Obviously all this was a little disturbing to the more rational members of the group, a guide who will agree to let a bunch of tourists steer a canoe into the open ocean, as its getting dark, with practically no way of manoeuvering it. I was getting the feeling I was participating in the start of one of those TV disaster movies, a series of screw ups where 2 people survive. Fianlly we tied the canoe to some mangroves at the edge of the reef, and waited for a rescue craft of some kind. As long as we were close to shore, I had no worries about our safety. Jorg from Germany, had the stereotypical German accent and was constantly asking Anise questions. Finally Anise exploded and stood up screaming “Fucking you, fucking your German ambassadore, I’ll fight you anywhere.” Finally a rescue canoe came and almost missed us, if it wasn’t for the Irish girl using her camera flash, that signalled to them on the horizon.

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