A Personalized Reply From First-Mate Candles

CHRIS AND KELLY!!

It's been too long since I wrote that, and way too long since I had
cause to say that!

How the hell are you two doing? Life in DC treating you ok?

I guess you already know since Bilqis sent you pictures of our newly
acquired pet that I'm sailing in the Pacific at the moment. The crew
for Bilqis' dad's boat got sick in Vanuatu and they needed people fast.
Of course I was only too happy to oblige, so here I am, right now just
about halfway between Vanuatu and the east coast of Australia. Seems it
took an ocean for me to finally get off my lazy ass and write to two
great friends.

Btw, Bilqis and I moved from Melbourne to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Back home for her. It took me two months of racking my brain to decide to
come as well. And I can tell you guys, as I can't tell anyone else I
know here because they're all Bilqis' friends and relatives, that after
4 months in KL, and still not being able to find a job, I'm getting a
bit antsy. Bilqis has jumped into all the things she wanted to do here,
I'm still getting my bearings. Anyway, it's good to get the bad news
out first thing. Otherwise, life in KL is OK. Good food, and cheap, we
have a nice apartment in the middle of the city, occasionally I get to
go sailing and diving.

Last November I did my first big sail on the same boat I'm on now.
The boat started three years ago a trip around the world (just cause Bilqis'
dad wanted his boat to go around the world) and I came aboard
for the Atlantic crossing. We entered this event called the ARC(Atlantic Rally
Crossing). About 225 boats crossing the Atlantic at the same time.
Had a great time. We were actually racing, so no motoring at all, and no
autopilot, had a really good time, really enjoyed the whole experience.
It took us 18 days 6 hours and I think we came in fourth.
Anyway, since I had had that experience the skipper asked if I was
available to come to Vanuatu on short notice, and here I am.

It looks like the skippers wife needs to get online to check the
weather reports now. I'll write some more in a couple days.
We still have at least six days until we get to Thursday Island
off the northernmost tip of Australia and from there we sail down
to Darwin on the north coast of Australia farther west. Should be
another week and a half at the very least. So, till next time.

Oh, btw, I can only check this email address while I'm on the boat. My
usual address is the same, pzyler@hotmail.com. But write back to this
one if you want me to get it while we're sailing. And put something in
the subject like 'For Brian' or something like that to let us know who
it's for, cause we're all getting our mail sent to the same address.
Cheers! (yeah, yeah, too much time in Oz)

Miss you two,
Brian