Private bodyguards!

The Roughton and Nasubata Reefs are two atolls in the Sulu Sea that, when viewed from the air, stand out like two turquoise gemstones on the deep blue velvet of the sea.

These two natural jewels in the Philippine Sulu Sea have been on our bucket list for a long time, but there is very little and, if anything, inadequate information on the nautical charts.

Our plan was to anchor on the outer reef when the weather was good and there was little wind and to take the dinghy into the lagoon.

Sounds good at first, but unfortunately the plan fell apart pretty quickly when we got there.

The water depth directly in front of the reef was over 100 meters. A deep drop-off from the coral fringe directly into the depths. No anchoring was possible, no matter how hard we tried our luck around the reef. What a pity! Disappointed, we sailed on.

A few nautical miles further north we find the small island of Byan.

Anchor depth 25 meters, that's fine.

As soon as the anchor drops, some local teenagers come by, excited, shouting, "Photo Mister, Photo!" What's up???

We understand their excitement when they explain to us that we are the first yacht the boys have seen and they really want to get on board to take some photos with their phones.

Zack, the whole gang is on board and they're taking photos as much as they can.

This should not be the only crowd of visitors for today.

A dozen military personnel, specifically Philippine Marines in civilian clothes, also ask us if they can come aboard to take a few souvenir photos. Of course, today is Open Yacht Day, welcome on board!

They pose like crazy and are thrilled to be on a sailing yacht that has come from so far away.

They are amazed by Odin's amenities and the fact that this is our only floating home.

"No home on land???? No house????" We deny the question and say that we actually have no permanent residence. They shake their heads in astonishment.

We are warned to be vigilant and cautious in this area and they assure us that we are now under their personal protection from terrorists and pirates.

Since we are now something like "old friends," the guys invite us to their military base the next day, which was built a few years ago, very provisionally, to "contain Muslim terrorist activities" here in the western Sulu Sea on the island of Mantangule.

Well, actually the whole thing is more of a jungle camp than a military base.

We feel like we're in the middle of a set for a bad Hollywood action movie like Rambo.

I'm waiting for some director to yell "AAAAND ACTION" into a megaphone... but that never happens. It's all real, after all, and not Hollywood.

The division of labor in the camp is exemplary! One half guards the complex of watchtowers, heavily armed with machine guns, while the other half celebrates with us.

Hospitality is typical of Filipinos. Even if they have little, they share it with joy. They drink cheap gin, the quality of which would definitely be used as rocket fuel, and they serve adobo manok, made from chicken necks and claws. Delicious!

(The gourmet in me is doing somersaults!)

The next few days we lie lazily with Odin in front of the dreamlike scenery of our anchorage and are happy about this life and all the spontaneous adventures and encounters as "homeless people with a ship".