Tom has boat duty today – 9am to late afternoon. It’s a bit of a rush to get up and out – I have to be out by 10am as the cleaner is coming – I do hope she brings us fresh clean towels. So I go for a mammoth walk – it is blowing a gale and as grey as grey could ever be. I walk down the playa mansa side as far as the bus station and then cross over to the playa brava side to take a proper look at the ‘Dedos’ sculpture. A lot of raving goes on about these fingers poking up through the sand and on Sunday when I walked past it was heaving with so many viewers that I could hardly see the fingers. Yes, it’s an ingenious idea and the huge fingers look real enough but…..
I walk on into the wind until it really isn’t fun at all and then make my way back to the flat for 11.30am. Patricia – the cleaner and incidentally the name of the local cerveza – is still at the flat so I sit out on the balcony until I start to freeze again. Shame – no fresh towels, but clean sheets instead …..
I try hard to concentrate on my Country House reading – but it is hard – the subject is pretty dense and I am exhausted by the fierce wind of the morning. All I really want to do is lie down and sleep. I eventually give up and wander down to see Tom and the rest of the crew on duty. Tom is fitting a new compass and seems pretty energised. That’s really good to see as he’s been so disillusioned by everything to do with Clipper.
Back to the flat for a quick freshen up before Prize Giving at the Punte del Este Yacht Club. I really thought this would be a more formal affair – but it was very hard to see anything going on and everyone was talking at the same time. Some of the crew are heading off home in the morning – so they seem sad – though others are thrilled that it is over and that they are going back to civilisation.
We end up going for drinks and dinner with a couple of Tom’s crewmates. The best evening yet – great chat – mostly about the failure of the first leg to live up to any expectations. Caipirinhas slipped down very well, before we headed to Isidora. Delicious white wine – we must find out what it is – maybe at the wine tasting on Monday evening. Plus great company and good food!