Yesterday was the day of “no”.
I got up bright and early armed with a “to get” list and was eager to accomplish a lot.
The first thing I needed to get was alcohol for my stove. I saw stove alcohol, or alcool a bruler (Alcohol to burn), in the supermarket here a few weeks ago for $40 a bottle. I knew I had to buy a bunch and went looking around town for a better price, every where I went I was greeted with a prompt and stiff “NO”! One guy spoke a little English and replied “Why would we carry such a thing”, my reply was “Ahhhhhhh…, you’re an ACE hardware and everyone told me you would have it”? “NO”!
Well I spent 4 hours hitchhiking around town trying to find my “Alcool a bruler” with no luck. I went back to my supermarket to pay 40 bucks a bottle and they were out, ARRRGGGG!
“I will not be beat” I thought! I came back to Namaste and pulled apart a broken propane camp stove (I save everything for parts). I took the burner and valve off and adapted my stove so I would have one propane burner and one Alcohol one, “Brilliant” I shouted, all I need is 2 short pieces of pipe with an elbow and I’ve got it licked, “I should have done this years ago”! I can buy a big propane tank for 30 bucks and have plenty of fuel to spare. I hitched back to town to the big “Pipe store” and was greeted with a prompt “No”! “What do you mean “No”? We don’t carry that! I think the look of confusion on my face must have been priceless. In
Late in the day, wounded, and disappointed I returned to Namaste. I had accomplished nothing and decided to borrow my friend’s big dinghy to start “jugging” fuel from the fuel dock. When I entered
I walked to the main office in the rain, “Phillip must be a reasonable man I thought”. I met Phillip outside in the rain and asked if he would hear my plea to put duty free fuel in jurry jugs, “Of course” he said. “Phillip, last time I went to a fuel dock (in Panama) I lost a section of toe rail, west sail’s toe rail overhangs and can easily take a bad hit, the wind is coming over the reef and it is quite choppy at the fuel dock, and I am a single hander, I don’t want to go to the dock, I swear the fuel is only for me”. “I know you say the fuel is “only for you”, but how am I supposed to know”? “Phillip, If I was in the business of selling your fuel I would come to the fuel dock, fill up my tanks, and pump it out for the other cruisers into their jurry jugs, what’s to stop me from doing that. “You could do that, but if you want your fuel in jurry jugs you must pay full price”!
So I returned my friend dinghy, went back to namaste, and drank a box of wine!
Today I think I will buy a butane cooker with a bunch of the little bottles and visit the fuel dock the morning I leave.
I am very excited to get on my way. I’ve been contacted by so many of my Australian readers welcoming me, offering places to stay and dinners. I still hold by my theory “it better to have a million friends then a million dollars”.
What will tomorrow bring?
I can tell you one thing, it won’t be duty free fuel in jurry jugs!
Peace, Love, and coconuts.
– Alex
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