I expect much of this trip to be a lot of waiting for things to happen.
In fact, diving is often like that. I spent 5 hours in the boat today for about 1 3/4 in the water. We went out to Button Island, 2 hours each way, and must spend 1 hour on the surface between dives. I did much better today in air conservation, and wasn't the first to signal 50 bar, which is when we start ending the dive here. BTW, I was wrong about the engines in the boats- they're not petrol, but are Diesels. I spent all four hours about 10 feet from one running, and they are loud, so I put in earplugs. There's another donghy out on the sand here (low tide) that has two of those engines, side by side, and two screws. It's pretty big, but the plank sides above the dugout keel is very obvious. Jonny told me there are still trees around big enough to make these boats, and those are reserved for that purpose. I also learned he has 9 brothers and 3 sisters, his grandparents came to North Andaman about 60 years ago from Burma, and that two of the other employees of the dive operation are some of his brothers.
Tomorrow is my last day of diving here, since I need to travel to Port Blair on the 2nd to get on my flight to Chennai on the 3rd.
Frank and I wrote some emails soliciting aid to give a transceiver to the polytechnic college in Port Blair, so we'll make a special effort to get all this email out tonight.
All is well, although I've got lots of mosquito bites, and am presently hiding under a mosquito net. There was a gecko running around on top of it earlier feasting on the bugs attracted to the light just above it.
I don't know how to comment to comments by email, if it's even possible, so can't follow threads that way, b ut do read the comments that are to me in email.
This was written Sunday evening 30 April at about 20:30 local time
