It is Sunday 13th October and I am keeping everything I can cross – tightly crossed. Tom should arrive today – there will be a mass arrival. The first boat of the day Ha Long Bay has taken forever as the wind has just vanished. At least it has stopped raining and so to channel my nervous energy into something positive, I decide to go for a long walk to the Dedos – pics to follow of a sculpture of a hand emerging from the sandy beach. Actually the walk isn’t that far – so I stride on. Sunday is the time to be seen in Punta and everyone is out promenading with their dogs. I didn’t really think I’d see any more boats coming in, but sure enough there on the horizon is boat 4! And the wind is up – so I decide to return to the flat to see how WTC is faring. I go back via the view of the finishing line to help Gillian – a young Swiss girl wave her banner at Dare to Lead in the hope her boyfriend will spot her! Time is moving both fast and slowly – the wind has built up and I race out of the flat to the Playa Brava promenade to wave like mad at WTC – what a twerp – there’s no way Tom will see me. Still it’s good to be doing something as I’m on such tenterhooks, I can’t possibly just stand around with all the others talking drivel! The temperature starts to drop and I end up having to run back to the flat to get a jumper.
Of course by the time I get back the boat is in and I am thinking that Tom will think I haven’t bothered to see him arrive. I can’t see him for ages – all the others are faffing around but Tom is nowhere – I later find out that he’s been asked to do a job at the bow.
Finally I see him – fantastic – that moment will stay with me forever. Even writing this now – three days later – brings tears of joy to my eyes. He looks so lovely – with a huge woolly white beard and red face and red cap – Big Ears – though he’s actually got little ears. I am on Cloud 9. There’s a lot of hanging around, but despite security saying no one can go on the pontoon, we are allowed down and finally the crew are ready to get off. No need write any more – the photos show how happy we are. We go off to Punta Yacht Club for drinks and chat – everyone has smiles from ear to ear. Back to the boat to collect all the belongings and then to the flat. We eventually get out for dinner at 11ish. Ha Ha – as usual my plans don’t work – the place I thought would be good is nowhere to be found and we end up in a pizza place. We spot the restaurant – it had rave reviews – next door – well and truly boarded up. The rest of the day and night is a bit of a blur …..