He retrieved the leftover firewood from yesterday's fire from inside the cave. First, he laid a layer of banana leaves on the ground to block the moisture, then stacked the wood in a log-cabin-style fire lay with a bundle of tinder in the center.
After half an hour of trying to start a fire with a hand drill, and after three failed attempts, he finally succeeded on the fourth try.
"The air is so humid after the rain. It's even this hard to start a fire with dry wood."
He shook out his numb, aching wrist and forearm, then ducked back into the cave to put away his fire-starting tools before bringing out all the seafood and coconuts.
While the fire slowly grew, he first opened two coconuts and downed them in one go, then took the four empty shells to a small, nearby stream.
When he returned, the coconut shells were filled with clear stream water.
He lined them up in a row next to the fire, then tossed two starfish into the embers to roast.
