Today’s post is a little different. Instead of me droning on for an hour, for you slow readers, or twenty-eight seconds, for those realizing they got the wrong site, I would like to present you with a cinematic master piece. A MONTAGE!!!

But before you cringe let me also say that it has music, and dolphins jumping, and oceans, and an amazing car race with scantly clad women….OK the last part is a lie.

It’s a video re-cap of our sailing journey across the southern Caribbean from Grenada to Colombia, over 1000 nautical miles, 7 months, and 2 sailboats later.

So go pop some pop-corn, sit back and relax!

Sailing The Southern Caribbean from Hop & Jaunt on Vimeo.

It’s also on YouTube if you have a preference.

I think your pop-corn is ready now.

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.

We have now been in Curacao for over three months and the time has come to move on. The situation with us, however, is very different now than it was when we entered the island. My parents, Michael and Donna, have decided to return to the States where they will pursue a whole new adventure and life on the mainland. The reason we are even in Curacao right now is due to their one comment over ten months ago. “If you are looking at having an adventure or going off sailing, why don’t you come with us for a while and see if you really like this life style.” The rest, as they say, is history. We sailed and lived aboard their 36’ steel sailboat, Quercus, for over five months and have sailed across the Caribbean together. John and I not only had a blast but we were able to learn a lot in a short time that other wise would have taken us years and far more painful mistakes to get. Thank you Mom and Dad. P.S. My Mom is a photographer and she took some amazing photos from our trip and also from around the Caribbean, go check out her site at djkphotos.

My parents left roughly a month ago and since then John and I have been onboard alone. Quercus has been sold to a nice young Australian couple. They could not get to the boat for a month and so we agreed to watch over her and take care of her while we lived here. It has worked out great, not only did we have a nice safe place to stay but we got to truly experience what living on a boat on your own is like. We were expecting this period to be rather quiet and maybe we would even get a lot of personal projects done, such as updating this blog more! But as it turned out this month has been the busiest we’ve had in some time. We started our design “business” and have bartered free windsurfing lessons for some graphic design work. (p.s. From now on just click on photos in blog to view larger or for slideshow!)

Curacao Windsurf Diploma

I also designed a website for an amazing luxury yacht, named Astahaya. If you ever want to ACTUALLY sip on a cocktail while watching the sunset in paradise on a boat this is the way to do it. John worked on setting up and teaching a couple of close friends how to use and manage a blog. When we were not doing “office” work we (and I mean mostly John) also stumbled upon a thriving business, cleaning bottoms….boat bottoms that is. The water in Spanish Waters is like a warm lake, it is not the prettiest waters in the world. In these warm waters thing grow incredibly fast. A sailboat, in order to operate efficiently, needs to have a clean hull and prop. While we had no scuba gear, during this trip we have discovered that John is a good free-diver. So off he went diving under boats with nothing but a mask and a scraper.

One of the most pleasant aspects of these past months in Curacao is that we have met a ton of amazing people and have become close friends with many. Due to the people we have met we have also been able to take part in and enjoy a lot of new experiences. Here’s a short re-cap of the past few weeks.

We met Tom and Christian in Curacao, but they had actually been family friends for a while. Over the past few months we have become close friends and have spent a great deal of time together. When they found out that not only was Curacao hosting a gay pride week “Get Wet” but that we have never been to one before they insisted that we go along for the ride. Luckily for us, the event was advertised as “straight friendly!” It turned out to be a great weekend between having dinners in swanky restaurants, watching a movie by the beach in a designer bar, and several surprises along the way as well.

Tom & Christian

Tom is a kitchen wiz, and so is Christian, so when we invited them over to dinner I was a little nervous about their reactions. They are sweet but I can imagine they would be brutally honest as well! I cooked a few Japanese home style dishes since I figured it would be new for them. After some juicy Kara-age (fired chicken)

Kara-Age, Ummm Yummy

and Hiyashi-Chiyuka (summer noodles). It was a big hit if I may say so myself. I gave Tom the recipe and he has even cooked it for his guest…not bad for a girl who still can’t make white sauce. The first night’s reception was held in the historic and beautiful Hotel Kulanda.

Kulanda

The hotel is more like a miniature city preserved since the colony began as you wonder around the cobble stone streets.

Hotel Kulanda BuildingHotel Kulanda

Hotel Kulanda

Dance

Africa Shaped Statue

Night Out With Tom & Christian

Rainbow

Reception Night

Pride Week

The second day was a movie night at the designer bar and club, The Moon, where we lounges on sofas watching a movie outdoors. By good timing the full moon was actually out as well. The Moon is a must see for those interested in good design and cool spots while on Curacao.

The Moon The Moon Pool

The Moon Private Dining

The Moon BarMovie Night by the Beach

Night Out

The last night was a beach party. It was to be held right by where we were anchored. We just took the dingy over and watched a live DJ spin tunes in front of the beach while people danced or got thrown into the kiddy pool. Alot of the people we had met in the island over the last few months showed up, and we all talked danced, and sometimes swam until late at night.

On the 29th of September John turned 27. That morning, as we talked about in this post, we baby sat Sully, the pilot whale. What we had to do afterwards with barely any sleep was to head downtown to the immigrations office. We were in the process of requesting an extension to our visas so that we could sail out in a safe weather window. So we spent several hours in the office to find we had not only gotten nowhere but that the Coast Guard had been trying to find our boat for a week and had not been able to. I figured this was due to the fact that a U.S. Diplomat for Curacao had mysteriously gone missing near Spanish Waters just that week. I am guessing the C.G. had bigger issues to work on than finding our boat for a paperwork related matter. After a quick lunch in town we got back on the bus going home and wearily made our way back to our safe heaven, good ol’ Quercus. For this special occasion we had stopped at the grocery store on the way home and had bought cake mix, whip cream, and fresh cold milk! A rare treat in our current life. Unfortunately getting off the bus means you have to wait an hour for the same bus to make his lope and get back to you. The poor milk.

Safely back on board and after a nice nap I woke up and began cooking a sponge cake for John. Since we had no candles I had gotten some red plums and sliced them to spell 27…somewhat.

John turns 27

Happy Birthday!

27th Cake

We sat on the cockpit and enjoyed our cake and milk in the first moment of calm since leaving for town hours earlier. Not three bites into our second piece did we spy the giant inflatable Coast Guard boat coming up beside us. So much for a break! We then spent the next hour going through paperwork, and looking over the boat before they wished John a happy birthday and left us in their wake. We had originally planned on taking the extra cake up to the cruiser’s social to share and have a drink to celebrate. But after the ordeal of the day we just turned off all the lights and radios, plugged in the computer and settled into for a movie night. We found out days later that several good friends of ours, Tom, Christian, Otto, and Lilly had planned on a surprise birthday party and had even baked a beautiful cake for us but couldn’t get a hold of us! Don’t worry though, Tom & Christian have a big fridge and the cake was much appreciated a few days later. Thanks again everyone!

In the last weeks we managed to wrap up our windsurfing lessons, and are now ready to surf! For his birthday, and with his bottom cleaning money John was able to get his diver’s certification through another friend we had made on the island, Andy the Divemaster. In three short days John was able to get his certification, on his last day Andy even gave us a free tank so that we could go dive together alone. The water was crystal clean and as we descended downward near 60ft. we were in a dreamlike world of colors. While I was lost in the dreamlike world floating around I saw John’s eye’s pop out and he started pointing at something right behind my shoulder. Half hoping he was playing another one of his hilarious pranks on me I turned around to face a White Spotted Eagle Ray swimming right behind me! The Ray glided through the water and with it’s unique beak-like mouth and soaring motions there is no other description than to say it was flying. It circled around us several times and we watched in awe. As it slowly disappeared into greater deaths we turned back towards the shore and began swimming up. On the way back we did get to see a giant green Eel hiss at us from it’s hole. Those things really are as evil and mean looking as the Little Mermaid led me to believe years before.

These last few days we have truly began to feel like traveling nomads for the first time. The new owner came to pick up Quercus a few days ago and since then we have been bouncing around from friends to friend’s couches. However, since everyone has been so fun to be with it has helped ease the tension of being slightly homeless. Giancarlo and Luisa let us stay onboard their boat and we spent the next day running around town getting boats sorted out. We ended up on the breath taking coast line. Joost, even though he had a huge deadline that night let us stay at his place for a few days. Thank you everyone again!

Cliff Hugger

Coast Line John

Cliff Walkers

Windy Day By The Ocean

Resort Juust

Tomorrow we move aboard s/y Sunrunner with Captain Paul to begin our journey westward to Colombia. We will be sailing along the coast and having heard such great things about it we are excited to get started. Fair seas to all.

John giving Sully a belly rub

Today is John’s 27th birthday.  We celebrated by getting up at 3 am to go babysit the rescued pilot whale baby.  Sully is a 3 year old baby boy whale that was found a few months ago beached on a popular beach resort.  When they found him he was very sick and weak, but now after a group of volunteers have been nursing him back to health he is a friendly 10ft long giant baby.  They made a sort of pen for him in the water.  Every morning at 6am George, an American dolphin trainer from the local dolphin academy, comes by on his boat and takes Sully “for a walk”.  Sully follows the little boat going full speed out for three miles and back for his daily excercise.  Sully can choose to swim free any time during these excursions but always follows George back for his belly scrub and hearty breakfast.  The local group is working with sailors and the Coast Guard to locate a pod of whales that Sully may join.

Sully the baby pilot whale

Pilot Whales are like giant dolphins, very social and incredibly intelligent.  But they need their groups in order to hunt, which is why Sully is waiting for a pod to swim along with.

While on whale watch we are responsible for making sure that Sully doesn’t hurt himself or get caught in the enclosure, since he loves rubbing up along the net for a good scratch.  During the day as it is a popular beach resort we are busy mostly making sure curious or drunk tourists don’t jump in the pen or get too close to the net.  Sully is incredibly friendly and normally likes to lounge around, but he is also a ten foot animal with breath taking speed and agility.  If he grabbed you to play, he could take you under water for over 15 minutes, which is a problem for humans.  One of the best aspects of being so close to Sully is that we get to scrub him.  There is this six foot pole with a brush on it.  When Sully wants a good belly rub he comes right up to where we are and swims back and forth with half closed eyes and squeals of contentment.  The noises melt most peoples hearts.  His squeals are close to the high pitched gurgles and squeals of a human infant.  It would be so tempting to reach in or jump in just to play with him; however, once in a while when he swims past with his dorsal fin out of the water and his ten foot black body easily gliding by, you can’t help but get a jolt.  At night if you saw him glide by you would instantly think of a giant shark.  It makes you step back and truly realize the awesome power that these animals have.

Ten Foot Baby

For me, dawn on the ocean is one of the most peaceful sights.  Especially if you’ve been on watch for several hours before.  This day we watched the sun rise up behind us with Sully swimming in front and across the small bay a group of local fishermen hauled in their nets.  All the birds rose around the same time and the silence of the night gets interrupted by bird songs.  Not a bad way to turn 27, right John?

At around 6:30 am several girls from the local aquarium showed up and so did George on his skiff.  They opened the gates and Sully raced out.  Instead of heading off towards the open ocean, however, he turned around and waited patiently by the boat until it got going as well.  Even with the 50hp skiff crashing through the ocean swells at full speed, it was no match for the speed at which Sully swam.  They covered 6nm within 40 minutes and sully came happily right back for his breakfast.

TGeorge the whale guy feeding Sully

It seems he’s napping now. Though we’d do the same we’re off to town to do something little Sully will never have to deal with in his life: paper work!

Island Tour of Curacao

 

The Fort atvSpanish Water

Hello, Hop&Jaunt fans! As you dedicated readers are well aware, Alyson and I are currently in Curacao (pronounced Curacao). Though we have been here for quite some time, we have been extremely busy. Over the past few weeks, we have had few spare dates available on our social calendar. Our growing network of friends and acquaintances have kept us well entertained and occupied. This has left us with plenty more stories to tell, but unfortunately less and less time to write to you. But to quote Steve Martin…”Hey! What do you think I do? Write letters all day?”

Being anchored in Curacao for so long has definitely been great! If you saw the photos from our last blog post, you can see that the scenery here is very much different from our excursions through Venezuela’s outlying islands. Big colorful buildings, outdoor cafes, and hundreds of restaurants and shops make living here long term much more convenient. Although, without a car of our own, maneuvering about the island requires long periods of waiting at various bus stops. And while we haven’t had any major Jaunts in a while, Hopping from bus to bus has helped keep us true to our name.

As we’ve probably written before, the boat is anchored in a protected little bay known as Spanish Waters. It is located on the southwest side of the island. Basically, it is very much like a large salt water lake with only one narrow channel that leads out to the sea. Large, rocky hills covered with green shrubbery and cactus surround the bay on all sides, and of course interspersed along the landscape sit several water front homes. The anchorages here have been filling up steadily over the past few weeks with transiting sailboats and motor trawlers. Sailors on their voyages west to Central America stop here to wait out the hurricane season and look for decent weather windows before continuing on to Aruba, Columbia or Panama. Naturally, this is our reason for remaining here, as well.

Being in this holding pattern has its benefits. We’ve been able to see much more of the island and meet more of the people; however, with Spanish Waters being remotely located on the southwestern side it can sometimes be difficult to maneuver about. Most businesses, restaurants, bars, cafes, theaters, and public services are located in downtown Wilemstad, which is about a 30 minute bus ride away. Other attractions, beaches and points of interest can be spread across the island and tucked away in hard to reach places. To visit just one beach or plantation house in the north by bus could literally be an all day event. Fortunately for us…we have the time…and friends with cars.In our interest to find work doing freelance graphic design, we have been making an effort to meet the local designers of Curacao. A few internet searches and casual introductory emails to various people were met with quite a positive response. One particularly friendly and hospitable designer named Evert Jan Boon or Ejpeg invited Alyson and I along to an industry wide, social gathering at a hip, upscale bar called Omundo. People in general may be hesitant about driving out of their way to pick up two strangers they’ve only just met on the internet and take them out to a business association meeting; however, Evert is an exceptionally welcoming person. He also told us that he read our blog before hand and we seemed like good, legitimate people. (Having a travel blog has its advantages sometimes!) We were so lucky to have met Evert because in our efforts to meet some designers from around Curacao, he took us right to the one event where they all gather together each year.

New friends we made at the Marketers/Designers meeting.

This was a great opportunity for us and we had a blast. It was refreshing to step away from sailing and travel for a night, and just talk with other graphic designers, marketers, and advertisers over beers and cocktails. It has really opened a lot of new doors for us here in Curacao. We met some many people that night that our networking goals were accomplished within just a few short hours. Plus, we made a ton of new friends which has led to several more nights out and about over the past several weeks. A few friends we met that night, Ervina,  Marijn, and Joost (pronounced yoast…trust us, it took a month for us to get that one right!) have been so kind as to regularly invite us on Friday nights to the popular hangouts at Mambo and Cabana Beach.

Cabana Beach is a large, outdoor beach club and it is the Friday night hotspot for people on the island. Since the public buses stop running at 9:30pm, its definitely a place we never would have been able to visit without a friend with a car. Alyson loves the night life, socializing and dancing. Also I think she enjoys the time spent talking with other girls about…you know…girl stuff (like clothes and ribbons and hand bags?) I’m not a big club or disco person myself, but I have to admit that I was overly impressed by Cabana Beach. I’ve never been any place like it. I wanted to take a ton of pictures, but Alyson convinced me that it wouldn’t be cool, so I’ll try to explain the scene. The club is all outdoors and right on the beach complete with crashing waves and swaying palms. On the center stage sits a baby grand piano where a man and woman duo perform all the popular songs of the 80s, and they are actually really good. Around the stage is the crowded dance floor, and enclosing this area lounge groups of socialites on plush wicker couches, arm chairs, and day beds. Scurrying about the place are waiters and waitress carrying large buckets of iced champagne with lit sparklers spouting from the cork and giant plate glass trays of fresh sushi and sashimi. Its definitely a posh, ritzy place so Alyson and I require a little preparation before going out. The past few months of cruising has left me a little, rough looking. Even our cleanest clothes are stained with traces of boat paint, engine oil, and rust. But, hey! we are sailors now.

On our nights out, Ervina and Marijn have introduced us to several people from around the island. One night at the Cabana we met Michel, a young local guy who had done some extensive backpacking through South America. Since Alyson and I both hope to continue on our travels backpacking, we immediately began questioning him on his experiences. Michel had a lot to tell us about how he backpacked, which places he visited, and where he stayed. We are always trying to gather information about new places by talking with people who have actually been there. We told Michel that we interested in seeing more of the island, but had trouble getting around by bus. He kindly offered to drive us around the island that Sunday as a favor from one traveler to another. Below are the pictures from our private island tour.

Riding around Curacao in Michel's car.

Curacao Landscape Inland. Its very dry here.

St. Christoffel Mountain, the highest point in Curacao.

Aly & Michel

a church on a hill

Michel took us to some of the popular beaches on the northwest side of Curacao.

Dive shop at Playa Grandi

Roses, Rig, & Water

Rig, Tug, & Cliff

Groete Knip Beach

These boys were jumping from the cliffs and into the water below.

We weren't brave enough to try.

Michel & John

Michel took us to a look out point over Santa Marthabay.  It looks a lot like Spanish Waters without the boats and houses.

Santa Martha Bay

Santa Martha Bay

Later that afternoon we headed for the beach at PortoMari.  We had some lunch and did some snorkeling.  We were impressed at how much coral and fish there was.  It reminded us a lot of the waters in Bonaire.

Playa PortoMari

Sunset at Playa PortoMari