Friday 17th October, the boat trip is long, but the atmosphere on board is good. Everyone keeps themselves busy: testing the equipment, reading, having a nap, doing crosswords, sewing, doing the laundry, fishing, chatting, interviewing… There is even a hairdresser and a spontaneous massage parlour!

Everyone is busy on board – Copyright: S. Quérouil / J.-M. Porte / IRD

Time is punctuated by delicious meals prepared by our two cooks, Jacques and Anjas. Today’s Breakfast Menu: fried noodles with chicken; Lunch Menu: rice, dorado cooked in foil, duo of squash and curry christophine (or “vegetable pear”); Dinner Menu: rice, Chef’s Special red chili chicken, devil red beans. And when you get peckish, there is a box of biscuits called “Khong Guan”.

Jacques cooking

(translated by Lara Denis, Anaïs Dortel, Jacob Maugoust, and Justine Richaume, L2 SVC–Life & Earth Sciences–UM2, France)