Pacific Odyssey - Leg 5

We are still in Okinawa and it´s a good thing.  The wind is blowing 40 knots in the harbor and there is a 4ft. chop.  Water is splashing up the hull on the lee side of the ship.  The wind is blowing off the dock and there is a 10ft. gap between it and the Grace.  Every time someone needs to get on or off the ship we either start up the engine to move the ship in closer, or they swing across ´tarzan style´ on the outhaul.  Aruji thought it was hilarious the way we swing ourselves back and forth off the ship. The wind is howling and whistling through the rigging.  The ship is heeled over to port and moves as if we were at sea; some of the cupboard doors are flapping open and shut . . . it´s amazing.  We are incredibly thankful to be tied to the dock and not at sea. It has also been raining all day. We walked twice the 45 minutes to and from town with our boys.  No whining, just steady walking with a promise of noodle soup when we returned to the boat. There is an entire aisle of cup-a-soup-style soups to choose from in the soup section of the grocery store, and the portions are more bowl-size than cup-size.  They come in all combinations with additions such as bacon, kelp, green onion, sesame seeds, miso, chicken, shrimp, beef, corn, egg, tofu, potato etc.  They are quite delicious and make an inexpensive snack or meal. Anybody who walked anywhere today returned to the ship wet.  We are very grateful to have the engine room to use as a drying area and a warm hold to come ´home´ to, with people ready to ask us how our day was.  We met my Japanese friend again in town this morning. I didn´t get to talk with her (I was still on my way there with the 3 boys) but she recognized the girls and they introduced Skipper to her.  She moved her things near to him and they chatted.  She then ran off and returned with a bag full of fresh soba noodles (like our fresh pasta; still soft) with a variety of sauces and instructions in English on how to prepare it.  She left it all with the girls and told them to enjoy the meal. She then went to attend a lesson on the Japanese Tea Ceremony.  The day was spent relaxing on the boat and walking into town in the rain. There was a large group on the ship for a lasagna and salad supper made by Katie, delicious.  After supper Elske and Arwen baked chocolate chip oatmeal cookies and everyone snuggled down together in the hold to watch a DVD entitled ´The Ocean,´ one of the films in the BBC Planet Earth series.  We are quite sure that we will still be here for tomorrow and many of us have planned a final visit to the bathhouse.  This experience seems to be one that we never tire of and suits this weather perfectly. Until tomorrow, good night, Bonice.