Today, we want to tell you about two really fantastic people who are currently sailing in the south Pacific. Otto and Lili are two very good friends Alyson and I made while traveling through the southern Caribbean. Unlike us, they have their own boat named Vagabond. Its a 46′ Dix sailboat that Otto built himself. They left from South Africa on Vagabond over 3 years ago and have been sailing their way around the world ever since.

Otto, Lili, and Alyson reveling during the Colombian Independence Day Festivals in Cartagena.

Alyson and I last saw Otto and Lili in Cartagena, Colombia where we all spent several weeks enjoying festivals, playing backgammon tournaments and exploring the city. Since then Vagabond has sailed through the San Blas Islands of Panama and on through the canal. Yesterday, we received an email with some fun and amazing photos of their current location, the Galapagos Islands. We thought you guys would enjoy these!

From Lili and Otto:

“Hola amigos & amigas

Yesterday we went on a tour of the island and the attached pictures tell a story. We are incredibly impressed how things are done here – very eco friendly and tastefully laid out. Everywhere you go, there are signs carved out of wood that are very informative and loads of benches to rest ones weary feet from all the walking in the heat. We absolutely love it here – the wildlife is amazing and we are having such fun swimming and frolicking with the sea lions, especially the pups, in the water.

Today and tomorrow we will spend refuelling with diesel and then we are going to go diving in a place that is notorious for its viewing of hammerhead sharks, the following day we will take a ferry to the next island over called Santa Cruz where we will visit the Charles Darwin Scientific Research Centre and then we will just hang around for a few more days to enjoy the wonderful snorkelling and other sites. It’s so nice being a tourist again.”

At the Volcano Crater with our guide Carlos.

Benches in the Park.

Galapagos Land Tortoise.

Galapagos Marine Iguana.

Lil in the Tortoise Sanctuary.

Looking down from the Volcano

Otto, the photographer.

Signs in the Sanctuary.

More Signs.

Sea Lions doing Yoga.

Maureen making friends.

Sea Lion Pup.

More Yoga.

Playtime.

The Scenery.

Crewing with Otto and Lili is a fellow travel blogger, Ursula at Abroad Aboard. Her stories of their trip from Panama to the Galapagos are fun, insightful and hilarious. Here is a short excerpt from her post about dealing with sea lions during their second day in the Galapagos.

“A HUGE male seal stank the whole stern up this morning, and THEN he shit…. the smell was intolerable. Otto fixed a rope, lightly tied, to dangle onto the seal, like a bad itch that won’t go away, and well, he left. Maybe it is that simple to get rid of them? They are ALL OVER the anchorage & the dock & jetty & jetty pathway…. Over coffee this morning, Otto & Lili tell me that they discovered seals snort, fart, cough, whistle, honk etc & smell bad through the night, they are nocturnal! “

To read more about their adventures check out Ursula’s blog at Abroad Aboard.

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What happens to travelers when they finally “go home?” After all the planning, saving, determination, downsizing, chaos and sometimes sheer terror of leaving everything behind. After traveling, backpacking, sailing, or living in another country is done and you find your self back in your hometown. Some may be lucky enough to have a home and job waiting for them but for the most of us we will need to re-build our lives. Many people might find this stage un-nerving enough to not want to leave in the first place. What we have found is that the things we learned about ourselves while traveling and living overseas has shaped us in more ways than we expected, including being mentally ready for this next phase in our lives. In the past year, between getting ready to go and actually being out there we have gained a whole new level of confidence in ourselves and what we are capable of. It also allowed us to meet many people that by sharing their stories and being by them we have learned a lot of valuable lessons that might have otherwise taken years to learn. One of the most important things that we actually might have learned is simply to actually start believing that we could be and do anything we wanted, as long as we were committed and willing to work our butts off. Today I’ll look at what a few of us “travelers” are up to when they find themselves back “home.”

John and I have been back since Christmas and we’re staying at his family home in Andalusia with his parents. We are not sitting around watching TV though, we are starting on phase II of operation Hop & Jaunt world domination via friendly fire! Long name but basically it means we have finally found the cojones to start a project we’ve always dreamed of doing: starting our own design and advertising business. Initially a home business but hoping to take make virtually anywhere with us with the power of the internet! The goal is to be location independent and to try and make money online as much as possible. We’ve always been designers, both of us having been caught doodeling on our notebooks since grammar school. Until recently we just thought we needed to be “grown-ups” and have a regular office job with an actual paycheck, insurance, and a commute, preferably with a cranky boss or two thrown in. It was while we were out that we had a chance to meet other designers , bartered with our work, dabbled in freelance, and slowly but surely realized that our parents were right, we were pretty good at this. Most importantly we realized that we CAN do it. So starting this year we have made concrete steps to open up our own free-lance design shop and on-line business! Our ultimate goal is to become our tagline:
“traveling designers.” Setting up shop where ever our laptops plug in, preferably in tropical climates but we’ll start one step at a time. 2010 the year that shall Hop & Jaunt!

Current Office Of Hop & Jaunt: Aly Planning The Next Adventure During Break! Don’t Ask Why There’s Milk AND Wine On My Desk..

We’re Back In America

For those of you who have been following our blog for a while you might recall that the first sailboat we were on, Quercus, was my parent’s sailboat. We had met up with them in Grenada and sailed together through the Venezuelan Islands to Curacao. While in Curacao they sold Quercus and headed back to the good ‘ol U.S. of A. Once I get a hold of our old photos I will introduce you to my family but let’s just say for now that my parents are one of the original adventurers, having sailed, lived, and traveled around the world for the past 25+ years. My parents bought a small wooden boat in the middle of the Pacific, and in 1986 when I was two and my sister was still in my Mom’s belly they packed their suitcases for the first of a thousand time.

In the Micronesian Islands, Carolina Islands, on a small remote island called Yap my sister was born. She was the second white baby to be born there and the first white girl, there was a French missionary boy born there some decades earlier. From there they sailed to Japan, where a short visit turned into a ten years. Argentina, Caribbean, New Zealand, Philippines, and another three sailboats and fifteen years later they find themselves in South Carolina. Mom is an avid and very talented photographer and she’s got some amazing photos from the Caribbean and around the U.S. on her website here.  My father is now beginning another new adventure, where he will combine his business savvy and never ending wealth of knowledge about everything sailing, cruising and boats to become a yacht-broker in Charleston, South Caroline. So all of you future world cruisers, you know where to go to get started on your own adventure on the high seas!

Here’s Donna! Aly’s Mom

Skipper On Watch

s/y Quercus

One Of Our Favorite Pics By My Momma!

All the photos were taken by Donna (except for the one where she’s in the photo of course, but it was taken with her camera!), check out her mouth watering photos from the Caribbean here.

The travel bug is infectous, and once you catch it, it’s in your system for good. Many have become expats after their first taste of the world around them. My family has lived in roughly a half a dozen countries while I was growing up, other travel bloggers I know online have also chose this lifestyle after not being able cure their wonderlust. Abby Tegnelia left Los Angeles to live in a small beach side town in Costa Rica where she is a writer for over 15 magazines as well as for her fun blog, The Jungle “Princess.” Freelance writing is a popular, if not extremely difficult, method to have the freedom to live where and how you like. Many popular travel bloggers and writers never seem to be in the same spot for more than a min. before their off again! Matt,  from Nomadic Matt and Craig and Linda from Indie Travel Podcast come to mind.

Cruisers are a group of travelers in their own category, much like the RV-ers,  as they are able to take their home with them where ever they go. Some are just wondering, others, like our South African friends were sailing for the purpose of looking for land to live on one day. Patrycja and Mikolaj, a Polish couple we met in Curacao had hitch-hiked from Europe to the Caribbean on sailboats and found work until they were able to buy their own little floating home: s/y You-You!

The lesson to be learned is that it’s not really just about the travel, or what you see, it’s about how the combined experiences affect you. You don’t have to cross the Sahara on a camel to change your life (though that would be amazing..), it’s not even about the traveling so much as creating a mindset that opens you to new experiences.

If you are thinking of ,or ever wanted to try, going off into the big blue world for a while, don’t let the doubts about the future put you off. The actions you take to get there will naturally cause the reactions that will open up new doors!

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Life Aboard & Abroad

Since we’ve been back stateside, we have had plenty of questions about life aboard a sailboat.  So we’ve decided to answer some of those questions in todays blog by describing what life aboard was like for us.  Feel free to post new questions in the comment area below and don’t forget to help us win a trip to Argentina by clicking here!

Life Aboard:  The Day Begins

The sun is nature’s Alarm Clock.  It happened every morning despite our best efforts to crawl further into the shadows of our bunks.  Still, there was no hiding from the sun once it rose high enough to shine through the open hatches.  But it was a nice, gradual way of waking up.  Nothing like the annoying screaming of my alarm clock now.  But thinking back on the size of my small quarter berth, I don’t think I’ll ever complain about having a small apartment again.

Sleeping soundly in my bunk.

Once we had crawled out of our bunks and had a good stretch it was time for a shower.  Nothing shocks you awake like diving off the boat into cool Caribbean waters.  I miss personal hygiene being this simple.  It was as easy as falling over board.  Since most bathing was done outdoors, modesty really wasn’t a practiced concept in most anchorages.  Eventually, we got used to seeing our neighbors’ bare asses …and having them see ours.

Our morning shower. Photo courtesy of www.djkphotos.com

Shave Optional:  On days that I deemed a good shave necessary I would shave with a bucket of saltwater and a dull razor.  I definitely don’t miss this.  Its unbelievable the amount of hair that gathers all over the boat.  It was a daily chore just having to sweep it all up.  So it was just easier to do all my shaving over a bucket.  Thats probably why I didn’t shave so much.  And I have no idea how Alyson managed all her shaving.

Next comes a saltwater shave from a bucket.

Transportation:  Life without a car

Its strange.  I love to drive, and I drive a lot.  My ole pick-up truck has covered a lot of ground in the past 10 years, and I would definitely rather drive 1000 miles than fly the same distance.  That being said, I didn’t really miss having a car at all.  As a matter of fact, life without a car forced us to plan better, be more resourceful and more outgoing.  Which in turn, led to new friendships and experiences we would not have made otherwise.

the Dinghy:  Our dry way of getting to shore.  Even though we got along fine without a car, there was no living aboard without a dinghy.

Going for a Sunday drive.

There never seems to be any good, free dinghy docks in the Caribbean.  Most are dangerous, falling apart, or costly.  Even though this one in Curacao was so small, it was probably one of the best kept we saw.  Trying to get a parking spot here on grocery day was a nightmare though.

Trying to find a parking spot.

We always did a ton of walking which we really enjoyed.  Especially since we didn’t have a busy schedule we could take all the time we wanted to explore on foot.  As long as we made it back by sunset.   Even now Alyson and I look for excuses to walk places instead of driving.

Going to town.

Public Transportation in the southern Caribbean and South America rocked! Although we had to learn to be more patient and arrange our plans a little better, it was still a nice way to get around. We survived off the bus systems in Curacao, and the Maxi-Taxis in Grenada are great, but no one could beat the efficiency and cheap prices of taxis in Cartagena.

We literally spent hours a day waiting for buses.

After months of travel, distance became a relative concept. It wasn’t long before walking miles for even the smallest things became no big deal.

Here we walked nearly 2 miles to get a cold drink.

And for those occasions when we needed to cover great distances, we could always rent a car or scooter.  It was on these days that we got the need for speed out of our systems.

Alyson with our rented scooter. Photo courtesy of www.djkphotos.com

The Bare Necessities

The most basic necessity of life:  Water…for coffee

Every few days (depending on fresh water showers and consumption) was water day.  This meant having to replenish the boat’s water tanks with clean, fresh drinking water brought from shore.  This experience really taught me a lot about the importance of water conservation.  Especially, since I was the guy having to haul all the water back to the boat.  Here I am topping up the tanks.

Doing laundry on a boat is all about how long can you go without having to do it.  Its a hassle.  It takes up a lot of fresh water if you do it aboard, and still doesn’t come out that clean.  And if you take it to the laundry mats ashore you could end up spending a bundle…because you’ve waited so long to do laundry that you have to wash all your clothes now.

For this reason, many sailors prefer to just stay naked when aboard.  Or at the very most they just wear a  swim suit each day.  A few times, Alyson and I were able to do some impromptu laundry during the afternoon rain showers in Curacao.

Alyson doing our laundry.

We get a lot of questions about buying food. We just went to the grocery store and purchased food with our debit cards. The same as anywhere else. Every once in a while, we would visit the open air markets to find new and interesting delicacies. The brown root looking vegetable in the photo below is a Yucca plant, and it tastes amazing when cooked like a fried potato.

Going to Market.

We ate pretty well, but most often when other people cooked.  On the days when we felt ambitious enough, we would make some pretty good meals in the galley though (including Hayashi-Chuyuka, Chicken Tikka Masala, and Po-Boy Sandwiches.)

Alyson pulling one of her homemade pizzas from the oven.

We ate a lot of seafood.  Catching fish off the boat is like having a pizza delivered for dinner.  Free food without even having to leave the house.  One of our favorite ways of preparing the fish was Sashimi style.  This eliminates even having to cook it. Bonus!

Fishing with Paul on SunRunner.

Here are three pretty Bonitas caught, cleaned and ready for the cook.

An easy supper tonight!

And on nights when cooking on board was too much of a hassle, we could just go out to eat.

Going out to eat.

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Happy New Years from the Crew at Hop & Jaunt Travelouges!  We’re excited about the new adventures and travels that lay ahead in 2010.  But before we jaunt into the last year of the decade, lets hop back and take a look at some of our favorite experiences from the past year.   Its Hop & Jaunt’s Top Ten Favorite Adventures of 2009.

10.)  Beach Bumming at Roger’s Bar on Hog Island, Grenada

Roger's Beach Bar - Hog Island, Grenada

Roger’s Bar on Hog Island was our first Caribbean experience after joining Alyson’s parents on Quercus.  Roger’s ramshackle beach shack not only had the appearance of being thrown together with driftwood, bamboo and palm leaves, but it literally was put together with nothing more than driftwood, bamboo and palm leaves.  Many afternoon ’sundowners’ turned into late night ‘howl at the moon’ sessions underneath the glow of the single 12 Volt powered light bulb.  Live reggae music, sand between your toes and always a cold beer set the perfect mood for mingling and socializing with the  locals and sailors from around the world.  To read more click here.

9.)  Baby Sitting a Whale in Curacao

Giving baby Sully a tummy rub.

While boat sitting in Curacao we decided to try a little baby sitting as well.  We volunteered to watch after a 10 foot baby pilot whale that was being nursed back to health.  Sully the pilot whale was beached by his family after becoming too ill to keep up with the rest of his pod.  Efforts by local marine biologist and volunteers helped to restore the baby whale back to full health.  We spent a few nights lying by Sully’s pen keeping him company as he vied for our attention by requesting several belly rubs.  It was an experience we will always remember.  Unfortunately efforts to integrate Sully back into the wild have failed, and there are talks that he will be moved to a tank in Sea World, San Diego.  For more click here.

8.)  Oil Down in the Jungle

Hiking into the Jungle for an Oil Down Party

One of the most authentically local island days we’ve had. We joined a young group of locals and sailors for a cook out by the jungle rivers up in the mountains of Grenada. The dish we cooked was a local delicacy called an “oil down” because the different oils sink to the bottom of the pot.  As Grenada is one of the famed ’spice isles’ we drove through the island picking up our fresh ingredients from along the road, people’s yards, and in the trees.  After a hike through the jungle with our pots pots, herbs, and breadfruit we jumped in the river to cool down before building a fire and cooking our very own “oil down” in the jungle. Click here to read more.

Cooking Oil Down in the Jungle

7.)  Windsurfing in Curacao

Windsurf Curacao

While anchored in Spanish Waters in Curacao, we were constantly watching windsurfers whizz by us.  So when we were given the opportunity to learn ourselves, we jumped all over it! Though I would not say we were exactly graceful during our first lessons we did manage to pick up the basics and enjoyed surfing past our friends on the sailboats.  To read more click here.

6.)  Scootering Around Bonaire

Our Macho Scooter from Bonaire

One of our most favorite days was just riding around the small Dutch island of Bonaire on our rented scooter.  Speeding on the curvy roads alongside breathtaking cliffs that plunge down into the blue-green sea was an incredible way to see the island.  We spotted ponds of flamingos, scattering iguanas, and the occasional wild donkey.  Nothing like having the salty sea wind whip by your face as you race full speed through the desert.  We also enjoyed Bonaire for the unbelievable snorkeling.  The underwater wildlife was other-worldly yet beautiful.  Its definitely somewhere we would like to visit again.  For more photos and video click here.

5.)  Scuba Diving in Curacao

Spotted Eagle Ray

Speaking of breathtaking sea life we can’t forget to mention our scuba excursions off the coast of Curacao.  Thanks to our good friend and dive instructor Andy along with some money earned by cleaning boat bottoms, we were able to obtain our Scuba certifications.  The sensation of being 65 feet below the sea’s surface is both tranquil and intense.  The imagery we saw would be difficult to explain in words.  I can only recommend that you do it for yourself.  The fish and coral are like living works of art.  One moment in particular that stands out for us was our very first time diving together.  It was just Alyson and I…and one curious Spotted Eagle Ray.  The sight of that giant ray gracefully flying through the water as he circled us was awesome.  For more Curacao adventures click here.

4.)  Festivals in Cartagena

Festival Parade in Cartagena

Everyone loves a good party, and no one does it quite like Cartagena.  The beautiful old world city is the perfect setting for the week long celebration of parades, fireworks, and concerts.  We had a blast hanging out with our good friends as we all joined in the fun.  The festivities were filled with amazing costumes and dances with plenty of good food and beer, not to mention the all out foam wars.  A not to miss for those energetic enough to last the never ending fiestas.  Plenty of photos and videos here.

3.)  Sailing the Seas

Alyson tanning on deck.

The only way to travel, there is nothing like coming into port by sailboat.  While we have been to some amazing places and done some pretty cool things, one of our favorite parts was just getting from point  A to B.  At times it was relaxing and easy going.  Other times we were wet, tired, and struggling to keep wind in the sails.  Still we love it.  The splashing of dolphins on the bow.  Catching fish underway.  And being alone in the cockpit on a late night watch with just the millions of brilliant stars above.  If you ever want to have an experience of a lifetime…then go to sea.

Click here for more tales of the Spanish Main.

2.)  Turtle Watching in Los Testigos

Watching the Turtles Lay Eggs

We will always remember that dark night on the east coast of Testigos when we watched the giant, dinosaur-like sea turtles emerge from the crashing sea waves.  Their immense size and prehistoric appearance reminded us of how enormous and old the world really is.  Its important to have moments like that every once in a while.  We were also surprised by the gentle nature and careful precision of such an odd and slow animal.  These turtle mothers plan their nests with the most patient manner.  They are actually quite capable of digging with incredible accuracy.  Not to mention the delicate care they treat each egg with.  The whole experience was in a word…beautiful.

Click here to read more.

1.)  Our Secret Cove

Alyson Drinking Coconut Milk at Secret Cove

Everyone out traveling and sailing is looking for that one paradise spot.  The one isolated, remote, and private place that makes you say, “this will always be our spot”, and from then on when you think of paradise its the image that comes to mind.  Ours was secret cove.  Sailing along the Colombian coast and through the morning mist we were awed by the landscape before us:  Beaches, rainforests, water falls, and snow capped mountains.  We spent nearly a week in Secret Cove enjoying the snorkeling, dinghy sailing, beach BBQs, midnight rows, and being away from the rest of the world. You know, this spot actually has it’s own name, but it will always be our secret cove.

See more amazing photos and video of ‘Our Secret Cove’ here.

Beach BBQ at Secret Cove

If you would like to go back and read the blogs about each of these places just click on the link after each paragraph.  Thanks to all our readers who have followed us this year and to all our good friends we’ve made along the way.  We hope you all have a Happy New Years and look forward to seeing you again soon in 2010.

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John & Aly on SunRunner

(Continued from previous posting):

The next morning we awoke around 4am.  Surprisingly, the weather forecast from the day before was correct.  I couldn’t believe the drastic change in conditions.  The howling 30 knot winds had just abated.  The seas were reasonably calm.  It seemed so unreal that weather could switch from such harsh circumstances to practically nothing in under an hour.  It was as if someone had flipped a switch.  Afraid that it was too good to be true, we didn’t waste any time.  We pulled up anchor and ‘got the hell outta Dodge’.

With renewed spirit we set off for the small Colombian village of Cabo de la Vella.  As I said before the winds had seriously dropped, and SunRunner was making only 4 knots under Genoa and mizzen.  The roughly 40 mile trip would take us a little over 10 hours, but we didn’t mind.  Better to be going somewhere than sitting in Bahia Honda.  The sun was bright.  The skies were clear and blue.  It was a nice, lazy and relaxing sail. 

Alyson tanning on deck.

By mid afternoon we had cleared the Guajira Peninsula and sailed into the nice little bay off Cabo de la Vela.  It was an interesting little place.  The village was settled by the Wayuu indians, and now the town functions as a fishing village and ecotourism destination.  Yes, now we had arrived in backpacker country.  And every year dozens or perhaps even hundreds of backpackers venture to the tiny village of Cabo de la Vela to enjoy the beach and sleep in authentic Wayuu indian houses (they are made from the hearts of cactus, you know). 

We spent a day walking around the small town looking for groceries and supplies, mostly Coca-Colas.  It was a cute place.  The dusty city street was lined with little tiendas and restaurantes.  We were surprised to find such an abundance of hostels and hotels in town.  The buildings were extremely basic.  They were made from compacted mud, rough brick and plaster.  Fishermen worked on their wooden fishing boats along the shoreline.  Dogs and burros napped lazily in the shade.  It was real picturesque.  We stopped in one small tienda to cool in the shade and have a cold drink.  The little boy running the store liked Paul’s mustache so much that he created his own from shoe polish and masking tape.  Here’s a few photos from our stay in Cabo:

Skipper Paul and his new friend.

Hiking into town

Cabo de la Vela: Traditional Wayuu houses

Hotel & Restaurante

Lil' Paul's Tienda

Checking out the action downtown.

the main road into town

Alyson posing with a dug out canoe

Shark skin drying in the sun

A local fishing boat. Can you believe they go out to sea in these?

I'm cleaning some squirrel fish we bought off a local fisherman.

more Wayuu homes

an expensive lobster dinner in the home of Senora Gomez.

Alyson eating here lobster. The couple behind her are our friends from the Dutch sailboat Kaat.

Lobster, Rice, & Fried Yucca (which is my new favorite fried vegetable.)

After a couple of days enjoying the peace and serenity of Cabo de la Vela, it was time to move on.  We had to take advantage of the good weather window and get as far as we could before things got worse.  Unfortunately, if its not blowing like stink off the coast of Colombia then its not blowing at all.  No wind is a real bummer when you travel by sailboat.  We were lucky enough to catch a gentle breeze in Paul’s giant spinnaker sail during the over night passage heading west to Riohacha, but by morning the wind had just died.  We were forced to motor the rest of the way. 

I don’t have much to say about Riohacha.  Its kind of a typical beach town.  Motoring in the water was as smooth as glass.  It rested like a mirror beneath us and sheared off a flat line at the horizon.  The water was filled with literally millions of jellyfish.  Before I realized what they were the small, little yellow orbs made me begin to wonder if a crate of tennis balls had fallen off a cargo ship during the night.

Motoring into Riohacha

Alyson on lookout

Waiting to drop anchor

Riohacha Beach

The dinghy dock in Riohacha is acutal a giant pier that requires some degree of climbing skill to get up top.  Not suitable at all for your typical cruiser.  We were only in town long enough to anchor, go ashore, find an internet cafe and then a restaurant for lunch.  Really we were only in port for a few hours.  The reason we left so quickly is that while we were eating lunch we could see our sailboat out at anchor.  The sea states had dramatically changed from the smooth, ripple free surface and into pounding, white capped waves.  The bow of SunRunner was nearly being submerged in the pitching of the brown water.  Being haunted by the memory of Bahia Honda, we decided not to stay the night on anchor.  We quickly paid our bill and left. 

Climbing ashore at the dinghy dock.

The dinghy dock in Riohacha

When we returned to the dinghy, we noticed that it was full of children.  They were riding on the rough wave action like it was an amusement park ride.  Climbing back down in while it rose and fell was a bit tough.  We wasted no time getting back to the boat and hoisting the dinghy.  We made things ready as fast as we could.  The bow was pitching so terribly that the anchor chain would jerk on the electric windlass in such a way that it kept slipping.  Eventaully, I had to resort to the manual hand over hand method to pull it in.  Soon we were back out on the water, relieved and glad to be on our way.  That evening we enjoyed a late night thunderstorm and rain shower.  New bays and new adventures lay ahead.

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While traveling throughout the Westward Antilles we’ve seen quite a lot of amazing things.  Each day is filled with breath taking scenery.  Picturesque white sandy beaches stretch right across our front yard (figuratively speaking).  We have seen dramatic landscapes with towering island mountains that drop off sharp cliffs and straight into the sea.  Living right on the surface of the world’s largest aquarium has given us the opportunity to  view an astounding quantity of tropical sea life, and during our excursions inland we have met dozens of very cool and interesting people.  Yet, on occasion we happen across something that really catches our attention.  Sometimes its something in the local culture that strikes us as different and new.  Other times its an out of place object that doesn’t seem to fit with the rest of the beautiful scenery, or more often than not, it just strikes us as funny.  So here is a compilation of some of the strange and curious oddities we’ve found while in Bonaire.

A Donkey Sanctuary

Bonaire is not lacking in a large variety of wildlife beneath the water, but on land their are very few species of animals…aside from Iguanas and Flamingos.  It is, however, home to a very unique species of donkey.  This historic breed is kept and protected in Bonaire’s Donkey Sanctuary.  Here they house, feed, and treat over 300 donkeys…you know…for prosperity.  In fact if you leave Bonaire by air plane they ask if you would please donate to help save the donkeys.  

Save the Donkeys

Topless Dutch Girls

Before arriving in Bonaire, Alyson and I have really stood out in a crowd of locals.  On our arrival to the Caribbean, our pale white complexions and her bright blonde hair were a dead give away; although, with time we have tanned pretty nicely.  Since Bonaire is a member of the Dutch Antilles, there is naturally a large population of Dutch citizens.  Now we are frequently surrounded by the masses of young blonde, white Dutch residents of the island.  As a matter of fact, sometimes during trips to town I lose track of Alyson in the crowd.  Its all those blonde heads that throw me off.  Most locals even confuse her for being Dutch.  I usually get an assortment of wild guesses including Canadian, French, Italian, and once someone asked me if I was from Bangkok.  

But one thing I’ve learned and liked about the Dutch is that its not uncommon for some girls to go topless.  Even at the public beaches you will sometimes find these young women sunbathing away their tan lines.  On one occasion in particular, I was talking with the Skipper as we sat in the cockpit.  Suddenly, a small power boat came slowly motoring by not more than 20 feet from our boat.  Reclining on the bow was a young, perky dame smiling and waving to us as she passed by.  I don’t think either the Skipper or myself remember what we had been talking about previously.  That was a good day

Photo not available

US Imports

While abroad, I try to keep my eyes open for things that are imported from the United States.  Mostly, its food and cars.  While on a shopping trip to the grocery store in Kralendjik, I found this item direct from the state of Georgia in the good ole USA.  The name on the box says it all.  Does anyone know if they sell this in the US too?  I’ve never seen it.

Made in the USA!

Cut-Up Chicken Parts

Bonaire Chicken

Alabama has its share of strange cuisine, so this shouldn’t surprise me…but it does.  Bonaire chicken is Iguana.  I suppose there are plenty to go around, and its not served in most tourist restaurants so you would have to go to a really local food joint to find it.  The strange thing is though, that apparently they cook it like lobster…alive in a boiling pot of water.  I haven’t tried it yet.  Should I?  Cheeseburgers just sound so much more appetizing.

Bonaire Chicken

Rain

This probably isn’t such an oddity for most people, but for us it was.  We haven’t seen rain in nearly 3 months, so when we began getting a few short showers in the late afternoons we were pretty excited.  The boat needed it desperately.  Quercus was getting covered in a thin layer of red dust.  We washed and cleaned as much as we could, but it was a daily battle.  Also, we could only clean as high as the reach of our arms, so the mast and all the shrouds really needed the washing.  Also rainy days are good days to stay below and read.

One Boat, One Man, Eleven Dogs

After a week and a half in Bonaire, we had a new neighbor moor right next to us.  It was a very small, steel sailboat…maybe 28 feet in length.  It was manned by one old, lonely Spanish man and his ten, eleven, twelve dogs (we could never keep count).  Fortunately, we were upwind of him, but I can’t imagine the horror of what his living quarters below must have looked like.  These weren’t cute, cuddly puppies either, but all full size, viscous dogs.  Well…see for yourself.

Salty Dogs

This did a lot to disturb the peaceful tranquility of the bay.  The dogs barked constantly at anything that went by.  Anytime a boat passed all the dogs would rush on deck and begin snapping and barking.  Anytime a dog passed by on the boardwalk 100 yards away…again with the barking.  Anytime you snorkeled near his boat, dogs would jump in the water and give chase.  And always the barking was followed by the old man yelling one long and pleading “Noooooooo”.  We think thats all he knew how to say.  Apparently, he is quite notorious in the ABC islands.  Even folks in Curacao remember him with a bit of wonder.  Did he just find all those dogs, or did they find him?  You meet a lot of strange people on sailboats.  Its a lifestyle that requires you to be a little different, but even for cruisers this guy was very odd.

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The crew on a Swan 86 Racing Yacht.

The time we spent in Bonaire, gave us the opportunity to make several new friends and meet up with old ones.  Since most boats sailing in the westward Antilles have to visit the same islands, you get the chance to see some of the same people over and over.  You come to remember them more by the name of the boat and less by the names of the actual people.  Here is a quick blog about some of our favorite people and most memorable days while in Bonaire.   

The Young American Vacationers:

Our first week in Bonaire we met Richard and Tiffany.  They are a young American couple from Springfield, Missouri who had come down to the island on vacation.  Tiffany, who is a dive master, had visited Bonaire before and had returned with Richard to share the experience.  We happened to bump into them while having sundowners at Krael’s dockside bar.  They rocked and exponentially improved the already great time we were having in Bonaire.  It was great to sit, have a few beers and talk with people our own age, especially such interesting people.  Tiffany has spent years diving and told us all the good spots to hit along the waters edge.  She even does spelonking or cave diving.  Richard was awesome, too.  He kept us entertained and laughing with stories of bar tending, his stand-up comedy, touring the states with his band, and driving an ambulance.  We had such a great time with them that we all decided to meet the next day to do some snorkeling together.

We make friends with Tiffany and Richard while having sundowners.

Late the next morning, we headed out together in Quercus’s little dinghy to a spot they recommended.  The reefs along the island sit under about 30 feet of water.  The water is so clear though that the fish and corals are clearly visible from the surface.  We swam along watching the countless varieties of tropical fish passing beneath us.  The colorful coral sloped out of visibility and into the dark blue backdrop of the sea.  We even passed over scuba divers unaware of us swimming through their bubbles above.  I now regret not having purchased an underwater camera to document some of the incredible sights.  

We only spent a couple of hours snorkeling, but ended up spending the entire day with our new friends.  Richard and Tiffany were kind enough to invite us back to their rental apartment to let us borrow the use of their shower.  For Alyson and I this meant more then I think they realized.  We haven’t washed under an indoor shower in nearly two months.  Standing beneath the continuous flow of fresh, clean water I could literally feel the thin layer of salt wash off my body and out of my hair.  We emerged from our wash feeling like new people.  I think we must have avoided swimming the whole next day just to enjoy the sensation of being completely clean just a little bit longer.  We marveled at their spacious apartment as we remembered the things like air conditioning, blenders, and cable television.  For us, this was like a vacation. 

We had learned that a local dive resort was hosting a Free Rum Punch social followed by an all-you-can-eat BBQ.  We all decided to go together.  The bartenders at the resort we not stingy at all with the free drinks.  We sat on the patio looking over the water and watched dolphins swim through the channel.  The sun began to set, but the rum continued to flow.  As night fell and the tiki torches were lit, we could smell the unmistakable aroma of barbequed meats being slowly cooked.  I purchased a meal ticket and brought back enough plates of food for Alyson and I to share.  The buffet was laid out with trays overflowing with BBQ’d chicken fish & pork, creamy mashed potatoes, cold crispy salads, steamed vegetables, warm breads,  exotic fruits, and a variety of sweet deserts.  Looking at the tables of food stretching out before me, I couldn’t help but being moved by its splendorous glory.  “Truly, I have found paradise.” I thought.

Tiffany and Richard at the Rum Punch Social.

The crew enjoying the free rum punch.

We returned from the bbq thoroughly and completely satisfied.  We had planned to spend the night at Richard and Tiffany’s sleeping in their spare bed…yes! an actual bed!  From the day we had spent, I was beginning to feel quite hedonistic.  It was a day filled with simple pleasures, but its one we’ll always remember.  Thanks again, guys!

The Spanish Yacht Captain:

On a separate occasion, we had the good fortune of making friends with Joe, a yacht captain from Barcelona.  We met Joe while visiting the small marina near Kralendjik.  Alyson had spotted him working on an impressive 86′Swan Racing Yacht, and when she overheard him speaking Spanish, she decided to strike up a conversation.  As it turns out, Joe looks after the boat for a wealthy Spanish family who periodically visits for holidays and vacations.  The family and his crew were away for the time being, so he invited us over the next afternoon to take a look at the boat.  Score!

We must have felt a little privileged to be visiting such an expensive yacht, because I noticed that we both made extra efforts to clean up a little.  Alyson spent what seemed like hours in the head getting ready, and I even shaved and dug through my locker to find my cleanest shirt.  We arrived at the dock, promptly on time.  Being a little intimidated, we were almost too nervous to knock on the hull to see if Joe was really home.  But he was, and he came up through the companionway welcoming us aboard.  This yacht  was designed to do some serious sailing.  Joe told us that they often compete in regattas, and he ended up getting his job as captain by crewing aboard during the races.  After sharing a small (but roomy) 36 foot boat between four people, we were overwhelmed by the space aboard and the size of the gear.  Check out some of these pictures we took from the deck:

Here is Alyson lounging on the deck. Thats Joe on the starboard side. This boat was very beamy at 20 feet wide.

Look how enormous this winch is compared to Alyson's dainty hands.

John on a Swan86. Look at the size of the wheel. Its nearly 6 foot in diameter.

As you can see, its a BIG boat.  The boomvang is hydraulically controlled, and the winches are all electric.  In the cockpit lockers, Joe showed us where they store 8 sets of scuba diving equipment, a secondary dinghy, and an additional 25 Hp outboard motor!  On a boat, thats an unbelievable amount of space.  Below deck was just as impressive.  It had all the comforts of a nice home, but the designers managed to abstain from any tacky opulence.  Everything was laid out with the intention that this boat was meant to do some serious sailing.  The salon had surround sound stereo and a large, flat screen television.  The galley was larger than any kitchen Alyson or I had ever had in our apartment days, and it contained 4 separate fridges with an ice maker.  There were 4 heads, 4 cabins and a large, luxurious master cabin in the aft.  The nav. station was incredible with 3 separate monitor displays.  We spent the rest of the afternoon sitting in the spacious, air conditioned salon talking with Joe and watching his old racing videos.  If you can handle the lifestyle and work schedule, yacht captain would definitely be a sweet gig to have.  Days later we bumped into Joe in the grocery store.  He was buying his dinner for the night, which included 2 bottles of wine, a bag of shrimp, a loaf of French bread and some boxed chocolate.  “Here’s a guy who knows how to enjoy his work,” we thought.  

The South African Cruisers:

This blog would not be complete without mentioning Otto and Lily, a young South African couple on their boat Vagabond.  We actually met Otto and Lily while in Tortuga.  They were anchored right near us, and we had paid them a visit to ask about the weather.  We instantly liked them then, and we were excited to bump into them again on the streets of Bonaire.  They are the type of people who make you feel comfortable to be with, and their just so damn cool!  We spent a couple of days snorkeling together, and they got me really interested in free diving.  They both free dive quite often, and allowed me to borrow a weight belt and fins so that I could give it a try.  Its amazing how the right gear can make all the difference.  After weeks of snorkeling on the surface while watching the scuba divers swim along the bottom, I could finally dive down and swim along with them.  I got some up close views of the brain coral and stag horn coral teaming with tropical fish.  I was impressed at how long Otto could remain under water.  He seemed ready to live down there.  

In those few days we saw an incredible array of sea life:  There were dozens upon dozens of brightly colored fish striped in dark black and brilliant yellows, deep blues and flashing pinks.  We saw colorful eels that slithered along the sandy bottom and one reclusive octopus cowering beneath the rocks.  Gliding through the water on feathery wing like fins were green and purple parrot fish who chomped at the coral with their powerful beaks.  Alyson saw a tiny camouflaged sea horse clinging by his tail to the coral, trying to hold itself against the strong currents.  There were immense tarpons and six foot barracuda.  We saw a family of squid with large conscious eyes that hovered in the water like some strange, alien life form.  On the rocks along the waters edge sunbathed the dry and scaly hordes of iguana, and gliding silently through the anchorages swam the swift and graceful hornbill sea turtles.  “Why didn’t I buy an underwater camera?”

These iguanas lounge all along the water front.

Since we’ve been out hopping and jaunting, we’ve met numerous people and made some good friends.  Alyson and I have been pretty pleased at how friendly and helpful most people are.  Aside from one enterprising cab driver who was a little uncooperative, the majority of folks we’ve dealt with are very nice, honest, and fair.  Of course, we still keep on guard when dealing with new people…just in case.  I suppose if I had to leave any advice for the aspiring traveler, when dealing with people abroad keep a good attitude, use your common sense, and don’t be afraid to try something new…and also send postcards.

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The crew of Hop and Jaunt enjoying the beach.

Our next destination, as we headed west, was the small archipelago of Los Roques or “The Rocks”.  It is a group of islands that sit very low in the Caribbean Sea north of the coast of Venezuela and eastward of the reknowned ABC islands (Aruba, Bonaire, & Curacao).  The islands are surrounded by shallows of reefs and is kept as a Venezuelan National Marine Park.  It is reputed to be one of the best marine parks in the Caribbean.  The passage from Tortuga was pretty calm.  We left about midday and sailed throughout the night.  Our only difficulty came about a mile off shore of our approach to the narrow channel between the reefs on the southeastern side of the island chains.  As fate would have it, this was the moment when our water pump on the diesel shredded its impeller and brought our faithful Mercedes engine to a halt.  The damaged impeller (being the result of some shoddy workmanship done in Trinidad) left us floating between the winds and the reefs with nothing but sail.  Fortunately, for Quercus and the crew, the Skipper had the foresight to have installed a backup electric water pump that was connected within mere minutes.  With danger averted we made our way slowly along the channel and into the inviting anchorages of Los Roques.

This is a map of the Los Roques Island Chain. We entered through the narrow channel at Boca de Sebastopol and motored up along the reefs to Crasqui Island where we anchored.

Los Roques is really a fascinating place to see.  Beauty from horizon to horizon.  The water is deep (we anchored in nearly 25 ft) and so clear that the sandy bottom was easily visible.  The sandbars and shallows of the bay glowed with a bright aqua green in stark contrast to the dark blues and indigos of the deeps.  The land was outlined with sandy white shores and green vegetation in the form of mangroves and palms.  Our anchorage at Crasqui Island was nearly in the center of the archipelago and the islands and beaches surrounded us in nearly every direction.  It was a relatively quiet place.  There were a few small restaurants and Posadas (or inns) along the beach front.  Our only neighbors were a couple of large fishing boats and one other American sailboat.  It was so quiet and tranquil the first couple of days that at times it felt like we were the only ones there.  Having spent the past month sailing through such amazing places, I began to notice how accustomed we were becoming to the beauty of each place.  All of our conversations started sounding more repetitive and less sincere ( “Look at how pretty the beach is.”, “Look at that pretty sunset.”, “Isn’t the water pretty?”)

The beaches of Los Roques.

After spending a couple of relaxing days at anchor, we were surprised one morning to find large crowds of people on the beach.  The groups were brought in on small open pirro boats along with their beach chairs and umbrellas.  I assume that the largest island Gran Roques must have a hotel near the airport where Venezuelan vacationers come to enjoy a little holiday.  On this morning Alyson and I went up to the beach to enjoy the surf and sun.  The winds were rather still and the sun was so bright, it was a perfect day to spend enjoying the scenery and the beach.  We all piled into the dinghy and motored ashore to join the rest of the crowd.  I have to admit beforehand that this was one of my favorite days since we’ve been out.  Alyson and I walked down the white beaches (with sand as soft as flour) until we came across the perfect spot.  As I’ve said there were many people on the beach that day, and laying out on their blankets right beside us was a group of young and lovely Venezuelan girls sunbathing topless.  (Bless their hearts).  These young ladies were not shy.  They would frolic with each other in the water, rolling in the sand and the waves while laughing and bouncing.  It was some of the best wildlife I’ve spotted so far.  At one point a flock of sea gulls descended on their blanket and it sent them running around and screaming.  The bravest of the bunch attempted to shoo the birds away by running into the flock and then began barking, which was a pretty funny sight.  Perhaps the girls weren’t too bright, but they did put on an entertaining show.  Enough to distract us from the beauty of the islands, which was rather amazing anyhow.

The beach was lined with people that day.  Men in speedos and women in thongs (or occasionally topless).  In my surf shorts and Alyson in her bikini, we began to feel a little overdressed.  Mostly it was couples or small groups of friends.  Young handsome men and sexy women were everywhere we looked.  I did find it strange though that we passed one loner.  He was so noticeable because he stuck out like a sore thumb amongst the young, tan couples.  I saw him as we walked along the beach.  There he sat alone in a tiny beach chair, underneath a tiny beach umbrella.  He was pale white and chubby and looked familiarly like Andy Richter.  He looked so pitiful sitting there by himself with an awkward frown as he tried desperately to ignore the Venezuelan lovers making-out in the sand right next to him.  (The woman of course topless and in a thong).  His story was one I would have liked to known.  How did he wind up there, in such a remote place, alone amongst all those couples?  I bet he’s an interesting person.

Being in remote places can make it difficult to keep in contact and communication with the outside world.  Not only is email a virtual impossibility (without SSB) it also becomes difficult to receive updated and accurate weather forecasts.  The winds had been steadily constant since we left Grenada.  The frequent gusts in the late afternoons and early evenings gave us concern for sailing out onto the sea with no prior knowledge of the wind conditions or sea states.  In situations like this, you have to rely on the kindness of others.  Alyson and I were recruited to pay a visit to our American neighbors on their yacht Evening Star in order to find any information on the weather.  There we met an extremely nice couple, Mike and Barbara.  They welcomed us into their boat by giving us cold drinks and a tour of their 47′ Fuji sail boat.  The people you meet is usually one of the best parts of traveling and Mike and Barbara were no exception.  Naturally they asked us where we were from and I proudly told them “Andalusia, Alabama”.  I was floored to hear Mike reply, “Oh yeah, right there by Opp”.  I am beginning to lose track of the times I have heard other cruisers mention to me the internationally renowned “Andaluisa-Opp Airport“.  Apparently, my little home town holds a much more prominent position in the world than I had ever realized, and I love hearing people telling me they’ve been there.  It fills me with pride for that place and makes me a little less homesick to talk about it while I grin from ear to ear.  I also have to give credit to Lynyrd Skynyrd for making Alabama famous among the international community.  Usually telling people I’m from Alabama gets me the reply of the first chorus line of “Sweet Home Alabama”.

Mike and Barbara not only got us the weather forecasts we desperately needed, but they also educated us on how to use our SSB radio to receive broadcasts of the Chris Parker weather reports for the Caribbean everyday.  This was a big help and took out a lot of the guess work in our planning.  They were also a wealth of information on the local area.  The largest island of Gran Roques has a lot to offer the boating community.  Fuel, water, garbage collection, and groceries are readily available.  It isn’t uncommon for many yachties to spend a few weeks in Los Roques exploring the different islands and anchorages.  Its also a popular spot among Venezuelan boaters and sports fishermen.  Within days the quiet shoreline of Crasqui Island began to fill up with fishing boats and large power yachts of the Venezuelan elite.  Kite surfing is very popular here too.  We saw a few small sailboats come in with surfers who must cruise around just kite surfing along the windward islands of the Caribbean.  The protected waters and frequent winds must make it an ideal place to surf and check out the scenery.

As the week ended we prepared to pull anchor and continue on.  Alyson and I would definitely like to revisit Los Roques one day and continue to explore the reefs and isles.  Perhaps one day on a boat of our own; but at this time our tanks needed water, we needed to contact family, and I think we were all anxious for a cold drink and a cheeseburger.  (We hadn’t had much meat to eat since leaving Margarita a week and a half ago).  The weather window seemed right for making the trip, so we headed out on a Saturday, June 20.  By Sunday afternoon we would be in the Netherland’s famous island of Bonaire.

Check out some of our photos below.

These are a series of rocks and coral stacked up into towers. Oddly enough we've seen variations of this practice in various location around the globe.

This is one of the basic but inviting beach Posadas where you can cool off or get a quick drink.

Look at that pretty smile.

Here's Quercus at her anchor.

Some of our neighbors. The elite of Venezuela on their Mega Yachts came up for the weekend.

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A few days ago Alyson and I decided to do a tour of the island. It was a very windy day on the boat and conditions weren’t really good for doing any of the boat jobs we had planned for the day. As we get further into the summer months the winds have seemed to pick up much more here. The Skipper decided to give everyone a rest day in which we could do whatever we wanted. Alyson and I had talked about going around the island and taking in the sights, so we decided that we would go ashore and do a little exploring of the mainland.

Our plan was really vague. We weren’t sure where to start. We could hire a driver or rent a car of our own for around $100 US, but we eventually decided it would work out cheaper for us to just take the bus. We threw a few personal items into a backpack (camera, sunglasses, sunscreen, towels) and Donna gave us a ride to shore. There is a small town on the east side of the island called Grenville. We decided this would be our first stop although we weren’t really sure what we would find there.

We were dropped off at a little French marina ‘Whisper Cove” and hiked up the steep Grenadian hills to the main road. We were told there is a bus stop to Grenville located near a fruit stand on down the road. The day was already starting to warm up and after half an hour of walking there was still no fruit stand in sight. We eventually decided to hail a bus.

First let me explain how the buses in Grenada work. First of all, they are not the giant silver greyhounds or large yellow school buses that instantly come to the mind upon hearing the word bus. Think much smaller. They are more a kin to a mini van, but this doesn’t stop them from packing up to 18 people inside or more. The Grenadian bus drivers are very serious about collecting fares and seldom will turn a passenger away. We have been on buses that were packed with every seat filled, and we would still continue to pick up people. “Everyone suck in your guts and hold your breath.” I’m not complaining though. It beats walking and sitting in someone else’s lap is a great way to meet people. Once on a bus ride we were actually pulled over by a fat police officer because our bus was over capacity. Even I was surprised. We could have easily fit 5 or 6 more people in there. Making a stop is a little difficult when a passenger in the back needs off. The bus practically empties out and reloads every time.

Anyhow, if you happen to be walking down a Grenadian street or country road, eventually you will hear the short little beep of the bus. If you wanna ride, just hold up your hand and they will stop and happily make room (by any means necessary). So it came to be that after our brisk morning hike, we caught our first bus which took us on down the road to the small fruit stand that sits at the intersection where we could catch our next bus to Grenville. The bus ride cost $2.50 EC (Eastern Caribbean Dollars) or $5 EC for the both of us. $1 EC is exactly $2.67 US.

While at the fruit stand we decided to grab something for breakfast. This particular little stand offers delicious banana smoothies for $5 EC, so we had two. The lady was very sweet and so nice and she made sensational smoothies; however I couldn’t take my eyes off this little growth that dangled off her left hand. It was the size of a pecan and hung from a long piece of loose skin. I hoped she didn’t notice my stares, but I couldn’t take my eyes away from it (whatever it was) as it swung and flopped around as she made our drinks. I kept imagining it plunging into my smoothie and dipping back out. A cowardly thought I know, but I decided not to let my own ridiculous paranoia ruin my breakfast. It was perfect and I would definitely recommend it to all my friends (all of you). I drank every bit.

We caught the next bus shortly after. A ride to Grenville on this bus is $4 EC a person, so once again $8 EC for us both. Its really quite a nice way to see the country. Since there isn’t adequate air conditioning on the bus, they open up the large sliding windows and you get a really nice 50 mph breeze. The scenery is incredible as well. Towering hills covered in green jungle vegetation and on down the cliffs below to the open expanse of the sea. Brace yourself for the ride. The bus drivers know their routes very well and take the winding mountain roads at break neck speeds. It gives you the sensation of riding a roller coaster through the jungle, and almost made me regret not renting a car of our own. Although I admit that I’m too cautious a driver to speed along with the same enthusiasm.

It was about a 45 minute ride to Grenville including several stops. Luckily the bus wasn’t crowded so we enjoyed the large back seat all to ourselves for a good part of the way. When we arrived at Grenville we weren’t sure what to do next. This was a far as we had planned, so we decided to take a short walk around the town. Apparently, this is the place to buy DVDs. Street vendors are set up nearly every 5 feet selling their stock of movies, games and cds. We browsed a few stands, but decided that if we didn’t purchase DVDs when we had a tv, couch and player there really wasn’t much sense in building our collection now. The selection varies as well. You can purchase DVDs for movies that haven’t even been released yet in the States. You can also have your pick of the countless terrible movies as well. Since Alyson and I aren’t very keen on shopping, we didn’t stay at the stalls for very long. We are trying to travel as light as possible now anyways. We asked a security guard near the gate of a fishing harbor for a recommendation for lunch and he pointed us towards a cafeteria called the Melting Pot located upstairs above a small clothing boutique just a few blocks away. We thanked him and went on our way. On the walk there I found the strangest mens bathroom. It was built on the waters edge just beside the jagged rocks that tumble down into the bay. The bathroom must have been destroyed in a past storm, so when you walk through the door you stand looking out over the water. There was not much left of the structure. I wondered if anyone ever fell over the edge when going to the head at night.

At the Melting Pot we had a great lunch. Some of the best local food I’ve had on the island. For $35 EC we received two plates filled with Bar-B-Que Fish, Chicken, Cole Slaw, Stir Fry Vegetables, Macaroni Pie, Rice and a couple of Tings to drink. Ting is citrusy soda like a Sprite or 7up. I like Ting, but even more I like ordering Ting in the Caribbean. “ Give me some Ting to drink, man.” We discussed our options over lunch and decided that since shopping and vending was all there appeared to be in Grenville, we would make use of the rest of the day and try to go as far north on the island as possible. We got out our map and made plans to head north to the village of Sauteurs next. Alyson went to the bathroom to freshen up, while I decided what to do with our empty plates and trays. I didn’t see any waitresses or any place visibly marked for returning your plates. I decided it would be best to just leave them where they were. As I stood up a young girl walked over and looked as if she were going to bus our table, so I began to walk off. I hadn’t gone 3 steps when I heard her shout, “Security! Security!” I turned to stare at her with a blank look on my face. Out of nowhere 3 security guards surrounded us at the table. “My God, what have I done?” I thought. Surely, not busing your own table may be considered rude, but not illegal. The guards stared at me with suspicion until the young lady began making small talk with them inquiring about their after work plans for the day. I suppose she wanted to get their attention, but it nearly scared the Ting out of me.

Once we were back out on the street we asked a few vendors to point us in the direction of the bus terminal. A word of caution when boarding a bus at the terminal. Be prepared to wait. The bus drivers do not like to leave until every seat is full, which is quite a lot of seats to fill. There is fierce competition for passengers too. Once they knew we where headed for Sauters everyone wanted us on their bus. “Hey! Hey! Over here!” “No, No. You ride over here!” Even buses not headed to Sauteurs were trying to get us to climb in. Knowing that we would have to wait for the bus to fill, we climbed into the one with the most passengers. Unfortunately is was only half full (optimist) and it took another 20 minutes of waiting before we left. This also meant that the ride up the rest of the island would be on a loaded bus, but for a fare of only $4.50 EC a person it was a bargain.

If you ever go to Grenada, I highly recommend Sauteurs as a destination. Aside from Hog Island (Hog Heaven), Sauteurs is my favorite spot. It is situated at the north tip of the country, and its beautiful. We visited a little place called Leaper’s Hill. The island was once inhabited by a group of indians called the Caribs. When the French came in 1650 they fought the Caribs to the point of defeat. Rather than surrender the remaining Caribs jumped from a cliff and landed on the rocks below. Sauteurs is French for Jumpers. The island has changed hands many times in its history. The Caribs had driven out the original inhabitants the Arawaks, then the Caribs were replaced by the French, the French replaced by the English, then the French again, then the English again, then it Grenada became its own country and was at one time invaded by the United States. I suppose every body wants a piece of that sweet “Spice Isle” action.

We found a quaint little cafe/snackshop/nice restaurant to grab a few drinks. For $4 EC each we ordered a Carib beer and found a spot with the most ocean breeze. Alyson’s advice: “Girls, don’t wear anything other than waterproof mascara..and in this humidity that’s not even guarantee to stay on!” I suppose it was obvious that we were a little hot as the waitress gave us not only our cold beer but a couple of glasses with ice to pour it in as well. The afternoon was winding down and we were on the opposite side of the island. The buses on the island stop sometime after sundown and since we were in the boonies we decided that we better get back to St. George. After another 20min wait on a bench in the blazing sun we finally caught another bus headed south. This time in order to complete the tour we rode down the west side of the island through Gouyave. Gouyave is a fishing village famous in Grenada for it’s Fish Friday Festival. By this time the bus was finally emptying out so we grabbed the backseat and enjoyed the scenery as if it were our private tour bus.

That pretty much covers our around the island tour. Our tally for the day:
Bus Ride for two to Fruit Stand: $5 EC
Two Banana Smoothies: $10 EC
Bus Ride for two to Grenville: $8 EC
Lunch for Two: $35 EC
Bus Ride to Sauteurs: $9 EC
Drinks in Sauteurs: $8 EC
Bus Ride back to St. Georges: $13 EC

Total Trip: $88 EC or $32.96 US. Not a bad price to see a country.

Here are a few photos of our recent days:

Here I am with Rusty.  We went to his owner (Neil)’s boat and Rusty wanted to go with us up to the beach so he jumped in our dinghy with us.  He’s the perfect sailing dog.

John and Rusty

This is a photo of us with a really cool Irish couple we met.  John and Shelly are here on holiday.  They really know how to travel and gave us several good tips on how to it should be done.  Thanks, guys!

John, Aly, Shelly, and John

This band plays at the cruiser barbeque on Hog Island on Sundays.  The singer in the cowboy hat is in the Canadian Rodeo Circuit.  A very interesting person.

Band on Hog Island

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Hello to our meager but much appreciated following of dedicated readers. Greetings from the “Spice Isle”. Life here over the past few weeks has been quite nice. A few key points of which I will discuss in the following paragraphs. Alyson and I are slowly adjusting to the heat. As a matter of fact, because of the heat we are doing most things slowly now. I suppose that is just the life in the island. Its the ‘Dry Season’ right now too, which I suppose adds to the sensation of the heat. Its hard to image that its the ‘Dry Season’ since I have never been surrounded by so much water in my life. Gradually we are working on our tans so that we don’t stand out to much amongst the other sailors. We have already progressed from bright white to bright red. Hopefully, this color will permeate to darker shade of tan soon. Perhaps once the metamorphosis is complete we will post before and after photos. Just for fun. And for those of you who prefer visual imagery over reading, feel free to check out our photo section.

Quercus (our boat) is now anchored calmly in a beautiful little bay just off a small spot of land known as ‘Hog Island’. The past two weeks have been like a dream. Each morning we wake to the warm light of the sun. We usually sleep with the hatches open, so its like having an open skylight above you. Two feet above you. And at night we sleep to the cool breezes that are our form of natural air conditioning. The winds here have really picked up recently which keeps us cool in the island heat, and keeps the wind generator running. From my bunk I can see the stars and fall asleep with the gentle movement of the boat on the water.

The boat is constantly in motion. Always moving. Even though our anchorage is pretty calm, still the movement is always there. Its especially nice to sleep to, and I hardly ever notice it anymore. I was especially surprised today at how accustomed I had become to it. Everything seemed perfectly fine until I tried to cut a straight line in a piece of plywood with a jigsaw. I got it done, but the rocking just came out of nowhere, although it was always there. Actually, I notice it the most when I go ashore. Sometimes standing on the beach or on the dock I feel the urge to start swaying back and forth. I hope the transition to the movement comes as easy when we head offshore.

We all have been working pretty hard to get the boat ready to head offshore in a few weeks. Today Alyson and I dove on the boat to scrub the barnacles forming on the keel, prop and rudder. This is the second time in two weeks we had to perform this task. I’m surprised at the rate at which these little bastards form. The increased winds have made the current quite strong too. So its quite a work out having to hold your breathe, dive under the boat, swim against the current and try to pry the barnacles off the hull. We must have swam for nearly an hour today, which is giving us the exercise we were looking for. Is not a bad job. I also saw some interesting fish swim by while I worked. A strange round fish with a long snout came swimming by spinning like Woodstock from a Peanuts comic strip.

We also learned to splice a rope today in order to put a loop in the end and re-twine the line back in on itself. It seems like a handy thing to know how to do. Especially on a boat, but I love learning how to do things like that.

The people of the island and the other cruisers here have all been extremely cool. Everyone seems so nice and willing to help out a stranger in need. One day while Alyson and I were running errands in the mainland we got lost. We walked nearly a mile in the wrong direction, but then we ran into a very friendly guy who stopped to give us a lift to our destination. Last night Alyson and I took the dinghy over to Hog Island and built a little campfire to cook hot dogs for dinner. It was a pretty spartan meal, but good. While we were there a few other cruisers invited us over for drinks. We’ve met people from all over: Italy, Germany, Norway, Australia, New Zealand, US, UK and France. They have all been really generous by offering tons of food and wine from their impromptu bar-de-ques and parties. We have been trying to repay the kindness while we can. As a matter of fact as I write this from the little French restaurant over looking the bay, I’m watching Alyson help rescue a Catamaran that motored right onto a reef. She’s using our little dinghy with a 5 Hp outboard to push them off. Alyson to the rescue. It looks like they are stuck pretty good, but she seems to be making progress.

We really seem to like this lifestyle. I like waking up in the mornings and jumping off the boat for a nice refreshing swim. We take all our showers with fresh water that we carry back to the boat in jerry cans. We purchase the fresh water from marinas across the bay. For less the $1.00 we can buy 50 liters. We use a solar shower, which is essentially a plastic bag with an attached nozzle. After leaving the bag warming in the sun all day, you can get a pretty warm shower right around sunset. Most of the other cruisers shower in the nude right on deck. Its not an uncommon thing to see, especially on the European boats. Not really a common practice on Quercus though. Alyson, her parents and I aren’t completely comfortable with that yet. Though I have to admit that I did give it a try while everyone else was ashore. I kinda enjoyed it.

We have a head (toilet) on board as well, but I prefer just pissing off the side (something that Alyson seems to be jealous of). Its just nice to stand there looking up at all the stars stretching out over the water and relieve myself. A much better view than the plain bathroom wall. My evening micturition is something I look forward to. The constellations are really evident out here. The Southern Cross is spectacular.

We’ve been doing a lot of reading too. The most popular pastime here next to swimming and drinking. Every marina has a little library where you can borrow books, even without a library card. Currently I’m reading ‘A Dead Mans Walk’, one the books of the Lonesome Dove series. It reminds me of my family since Lonesome Dove is a favorite of my father. I suppose that is the hardest part. Being away from family is never easy. Especially a family that is as great as mine, but Alyson is part of my family now, and as long as we are together I feel home. If anyone has any good book suggestions, please send them my way. I’ll see what I can find on the shelves here at the marinas. My sister is a huge fan of the Twilight series. We’ve read a couple of the books but newer books are harder to come by.

It looks like Alyson was successful in her rescue attempt. The catamaran is motoring away and Alyson tells me that the owner of the restaurant if going to give us a few rounds of free drinks for her good samaritan efforts. Keep checking back to see how things are goind and we will drink one for you. Cheers!

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