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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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.

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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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(Continued from Post 1     and 2   of sailing to Colombia)

The seas grew minute by minute we raced to the boat and managed to pull up the anchor in record time. Especially considering that the swell of the seas had gotten so rough that the bow was now dipping into the sea before coming up high enough to see the beginning of the keel. With John man-handeling the anchor, Paul on the wheel and me waving a bunch of kids foolish enough to be swimming out to us away Sunrunner headed back out to sea. As we wearily watched Riohacha fade away behind us we prepared for another all-nighter until the next possible anchorage. Though we did get a few smaller squalls and some drenching rain falls in the early half of the night by the time the midnight watch was winding down the wind had disappeared completely. It is said that you always have either too much or too little wind when out sailing. This night was a case and point. My watch was from around 2 am for three hours, but as John had to practically pull up the anchor by hand in Riohacha, due to the rough sea conditions, I decided to let him sleep longer. Plus, I have always loved night-watch all alone with my trusty shuffle providing the background music. Enveloped by the dark night and sea with only Orian as your fellow company is not a bad way to spend a few quiet hours of your life.

With no wind we were barely making a couple of  knots. It did not truly matter  as we were off schedule anyway with the mad-dash out of Riohacha it worked out better to be barely moving and just waiting for the sun to rise. We were looking for Rio Palamino and were sailing only a mile or two offshore. In the dead of night as we were very, very slowly approaching land I started to see lights from shore. Not knowing the topography it was very disconcerting to see red lights hanging in various heights along the coast. Normally at sea you can tell a lot by the lights you see on the horizon. Red, green, and white at dirfferent alignments can tell you what type of ship going in what direction even if you can see nothing else. Thus seeing random placed red lights up high and low with randlomly flahsing white lights was starting to play games with my mind. When the sun finally began to rise I saw the reason for the floating lights, the land rose dramatically out of the water and shot up into mountains. The lights were from power poles strung through the mountains. The long and tiring night was rewarded by one of the most beautiful sunrises I have ever seen. From the ocean looking east onto land we saw rising up, white beaches, then lush tropical green jungle hills, then behind it the snow capped mountains of the Andes. We all got on deck and watched in awe for at least an hour while we slowly sailed along the coast.

Daybreak on Andes If you look closely you can make out the snow capped peaks

Sunrise

Unfortunately the river we were looking for was not visible from sea, meaning it was obviously too small for us to enter. Having watched the amazing landscape for several hours where we had hoped to anchor and explore this area (and also get some well needed rest). We continued sailing down the coast of Colombia all morning long. The landscape was one of the most dramatic I have seen from a ship before. Cliffs, mountains, beaches, palm trees, water falls, and jungles fought each other for our attention. After another spot we had hoped to explore turned out to be impossible to navigate, we headed for the five bays of the Tyrona National Park, one of Colombia’s biggest national parks. Since we were close to shore we were able to look into all the nooks and crannies that line the shore, hoping to find a good anchorage before the popular third bay where everybody was headed. As we were sailing past the first of the bays that looked iffy on the chart Paul looked back and realized that the bay actually went further back in between the cliffs. He turned the boat around to check it out and as we got closer and closer we all held our breaths…we were watching the depth meter closely…I climbed up onto the mast a little ways to get a better look…because it looked too good to be true. At the back of the bay was a small white sand beach lined with coconut trees with thatched roofed bungalows half hidden in the palms with not another soul around. “It looks like a movie set…” someone muttered.

Glimpse of "Secret Cove"

The BeachAn Excited Alyson

By the time the anchor was set John and I were re-energized enough to jump into the clear water and swim to shore. This is what we were looking for!

Sunrunner Happily Anchored

We spent some 4-5 days in this spot and named it “Secret Cove.” The area inside was a mystery to us, the compound must have been a holiday resort-camp site at one point. There were half-finished Tiki huts, half abandoned and falling apart Tiki huts, a house with a puppy and girly posters on it that looked like no one had been there in a few weeks but could come any moment, but with no road leading in or out. The mystery of where the grounds-men (we just assume) came from was partly answered on our last day there when an old man and boy appeared out of the jungle on donkeys with even more puppies in tow. But until that last day we had the place for ourselves and enjoyed it to the fullest.

Tiki Hut

Colombian Jungle

Jungle Girl

We swam, snorkeled, hiked the overgrown trails around the area, cooked out on the beach one night, made friends with a skittish puppy, pretended to be Robinson Crusoe with huts already made, drank coconut milk, and just played around in the water as if we were kids again. On one of our exploratory hikes in the jungle around the area we kept coming upon large holes in the grown, since they were overgrown we thought it was just where the land had caved. Later on we found out a more interesting story behind the craters. Before the Spaniards arrived in Colombia there was a tribe that lived in this region, not well known and had mostly disappeared without much historical trace and forgotten about until the 1970s when people began discovering artifacts that they had left behind. Broken pieces of pots, tools, but most importantly gold. The holes in the ground come from modern day “grave diggers.” For several decades until regulation stepped in all sorts of people, from weekend tourist just digging for fun or more dedicated men dug around the park looking for gold. Though forbidden to dig today, there are rumors of clandestine grave diggers still. Too bad we didn´t know about this story while we were tromping around the place, I would of kept a much sharper eye on the ground!

mini-sailors launching!

One day we got the hard dingy out and got her all decked out in her sails and went for a sail around the bay. After a while I asked John to drop me off on the beach and while he continued to sail around (we had hardly a breath of wind ) I began collecting the large flat volcanic rock and went about building a camp site. I even found some flat boards left over from the construction of the huts and made us some little benches around the camp fire. By the time John got back from his sail I proudly displayed my handy work to him while we figured out what we had left in the fridge we could use to cook on a fire. I had found a rusty old blade of a machete laying around and a few coconuts. So while we sat around on the beach, John hacked open the coconut and with a cup made from a bamboo stem we had found, we enjoyed some very natural refreshers. The beach BBQ was set for the next night with ribs found still frozen in the bottom of the fridge. John and I went up early to the beach and got the fire started ( the best step) to “slow-cook” the ribs on hot stones. A few hours later Paul showed up with our last bottle of wine and we sat around the fire enjoying our ribs (which came out pretty good for a beach fire) and sharing the bottle of wine. Naturally we had remembered everything except for glasses!

Skills Learned From Robinson, Aly Proud with her beach set up

Coconut Milk With Bamboo Cups

Fresh Coconut

Captain Paul Relaxing

We were even were treated to a giant rainbow...

The bay was tranquil while we were there but due to the fact that it opened up into the north I imagine that when the wind blows like normal it would not have been as comfortable an anchorage as we enjoyed.

 After the forth or fifth day with supplies getting a little low, no more wine or beer onboard! We decided to head out and check out the “main” anchorage of the five bays. It was only about five miles away and in a few hours we set anchor in the third bay. Having not seen anyone other than ourselves for the past week it felt as if we had entered into civilization because of the seven other cruising yachts and a small village on shore. Though we were planning on staying for a few days the Coast Guard showed up around four in the afternoon informing us that since we were still not cleared into the country we had to leave by four in the morning. Though the Coast Guard was well within their rights and were decently polite, every cruiser and yacht was disappointed to leave the safe and picturesque bay. We debated stopping along some other points on the way to our final destination, Cartagena, but ended up deciding to just do an over-nighter and arrive in the morning in Cartagena.

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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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July 9th

Spanish Waters

As “Land Ahoy!” echoed through Quercus, our sailboat, a flock of neon pink flamingos flew past us headed back to Bonaire. We had sailed out of Kralendjik, Bonaire, earlier that morning and after another quick down wind sail we were rounding the southern tip of Curacao. The wind was 20-25kts with the waves around 5-7ft and we were under full genoa and main. Our destination in Curacao was Spanish Waters, one of the most protected natural harbors in the Caribbean. A perfect hurricane hole outside of the main hurricane paths. Curacao actually has two such natural harbors, and ever since Columbus’s scout “discovered” Curacao there has been a political tug-of-war between the Spanish and Dutch over the island. In the 1800s Dutch finally gained total control and it has remained a Dutch island for the past two hundred years.

The entrance to Spanish Waters is a very narrow channel no wider than 50-75ft at the most. It is extremely difficult to be certain exactly where the entrance is just by eyeballing it from the rolling ocean for the first time. As we neared the marked spot on our charts Mom and I went forward as look outs and John and Captain manned the helm and sails. Just as we were approaching this critical point in our trip I spied a Coast Guard cutter steaming full speed at us from our rear. While we had to contend with a stiff breeze and choppy seas this ship’s wake was twice as large as the waves in the ocean, some 9-11ft! As it continued toward us at that reckless speed I could see that it would cause wet and rough trouble for us.

I started waving frantically to get them to either slow down or to move away from us. They seemed to get the message about their wake and slowed down at the niche of time but inched closer to our boat and began calling out to us on their megaphone. After a few minuets of chaotic gesturing, while we were also busy trying to lower the sails, not run aground, spot the entrance, the captain finally was able to get them on the radio. The Coast Guard then proceeded to ask for detailed information regard the people on board, passport numbers, saftey equipment, ship documents, all the while we are trying to stay oncoarse. Unlike when you get pulled over in a car, on the ocean, especially when so close to shore you can’t just stop and sit still. The boat keeps moving. Thus by the time the Coast Guard were satisfied and turned to go chase down other ships we had already passed our entrance by several miles! Heading around and clobbering upwind we finally were able to turn into the channel. The weather was slightly overcast and the visibility through the water was nearly zero. Even with depth sounding equipment, the best practice on board when entering new and shallow harbors is to keep a sharp eye out. As we wound our way up the narrow path and avoided running aground some very shallow patches the channel opened up wide and revealed Spanish Waters.

Anchor down, coffee water boiling, and we are finally safe and sound in Curacao. Looking around there are more sailboats anchored here than we had seen in the past few months. There are ships of every shape and size anchored, windsurfers racing around the boats, and tiny little sailboats with white sails roaming around the bay. The first thing we noticed was that the color of the water was brown. After being spoiled by pristine ocean waters filled with color and life, we were a little dissapointed by the pond like water in Spanish Waters. With only the small channel connecting this body of water with the ocean, the water is stagnant and still. We were rather surprised when we threw out some moldy bread over the side and there was no mob of fish devouring it. The sad pile of bread crumbs just floated away. We have found that just a few min. walk over the spit of land reveals the pristine waters we left behind so we are still able to swim and snorkel, just not as easy as jumping of the boat had been! Oh how spoiled indeed we have become. Another thing we noticed coming around the bay was that this was a major island, the bay was lined with summer homes, and at night we are surrounded by the twincle of the city lights. Boy have we entered something different!

Photos From Spanish Waters:

Quercus at Anchor

Windsurfers

Spanish Water Summer Homes

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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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Scene of Kralendjik from the boat

Welcome to Bonaire…Land of Flamingos, Topless Dutch Girls and Free Rum Punch.  The above is all true, but actually Bonaire is really famous for its diving.  Renowned internationally as a scuba paradise people come from all over the world to explore the waters of this exceptional diving mecca.  It was Sunday, June 21st (the first day of summer, Fathers Day, and my little brothers birthday) and we had just motored into the alluring bay of Kralendjik (pronounced Kra-len-???).  We had spent the past month making our way west through the windward islands of the Lesser Antilles.  Finally, we had arrived in Bonaire (the B of the Netherlands ABC isles).  We couldn’t have been more ready.  As we eyed the colorfully painted buildings along the waterfront, we couldn’t help but salivate over thoughts of ice cream, cold beer and cheeseburgers.  Soon those dreams would be coming true, but first things first.

Our passage from Los Roques was one of easiest we’ve made.  The seas were relatively calm and the winds kept us moving along at an average of 5 knots, which was perfect for us making landfall the next morning.  We had decided to pass over visiting the small island chain of the Aves or “the Birds” in order to get to Bonaire much sooner.  And we all felt we had seen plenty of birds on the trip already.  The bay of Kralendjik is a wide expanse of water and would be really easy to sail into, but since we had little information on the area and had not been here before we played it cautious and motored in instead.  The Skipper complimented me by requesting that I helm the boat as we made our way in, since I keep such a steady compass heading.  What can I say…I’ve always liked to drive.

Parking your boat in Bonaire is different from most places you will find in the Caribbean.  The westward side of the island is fringed with spectacular coral reefs.  This is the reason Bonaire is so popular among divers; however, dropping a 50 pound anchor onto these reefs would be a real bummer for the fish, divers, sailors…everyone.  So anchoring is not allowed.  Instead, in Bonaire, you moor.  For those inquisitive minds who are unfamiliar with this concept, a mooring is a fixed structure (usually of substantial weight) that sits beneath the water.  A rope or line runs from the weight up to the surface where it is attached to a floating buoy.  Simply tie off your boat to these lines and “Voi la”…you’re moored.

I don’t know if we have blogged about it before, but arriving in a new country by boat is quiet different than arriving by plane.  There is a process for coming into a new port.  Its not as simple as grabbing your luggage off the conveyor belt, hailing a cab, and then hitting the beach.  But I have to say that having arrived by both boat and plane, nothing beats sailing into a new place.  There is a feeling of accomplishment and pride at having made it in.  You think, “Wow! Yesterday we were on an island 85 miles away, and somehow we’ve used only the wind to bring us here.”  I suppose next, I will have to actually fly the plane and land it myself in order to make a comparison,… but I digress.

After we come into a new place, and the boat is safely anchored (or moored) the crew gives each other congratulations and thanks to Quercus for a job well done.  Then the work begins.  Sails are covered.  Valves on the boat must be opened.  The log has to be completed.  Awnings must be put up.  Life vests and harnesses are stowed.  The dinghy has to be untied from the foredeck and lowered into the water.  Next comes the outboard and fuel tank to mount on the dinghy.  Our Quarantine flag must be run up until we have cleared in with customs and immigrations.  Technically, we’re not supposed to leave the boat until the Skipper has gone to shore and made sure the boat and crew are all checked in; however, he usually allows us a jump in the water and a swim around the boat to cool off.  For about half an hour, its a real production aboard.  I remember our anticipation waiting for the Skipper to return from the Bonaire customs office.  Alyson and I sat in the cockpit looking longingly at the populated shoreline and desperately trying to pickup a free Wi-Fi signal on our laptops.  And the waiting is the easy part.  I can’t imagine having to sail 22 hours (all night long) to arrive in a new place, and then immediately go to a customs office and fill out paperwork.  And you’d be lucky to find a customs and immigration office that are not on the exact opposite sides of town.  Generally, the process ends with long and well deserved naps.

Getting the dingy ready

Alyson and I were too anxious to sleep, so we decided to forego a nap and do a little exploring instead.  On our way in we had spotted a place called Krael’s, which was a wide pier that supported a large drink bar.  We had seen the relaxed customers sitting in the shade of the canopies and umbrellas drinking large and colorful frozen cocktails.  Naturally, this was our first stop.  We tied our dinghy right to the pier and climbed up to join the groups of sunburned tourists and vacationers.  Our first temptation to old familiar pleasures was a chocolate milk shake.  On the boat we occasionally will buy a small carton of milk, but we have to drink it within the day or it won’t keep.  We have powdered milk too, but thats not really the same, is it?  Its been said that absence makes the heart grow fonder, but this could also apply to the tongue as well.  I was surprised at how the sweetness of our frozen desert almost shocked my taste buds.  Its an interesting part of this unique lifestyle.  It gives you chance to experience what life is like without such comforts as constant refrigeration, a car, indoor showers, air conditioning, AC power, television, reliable internet, etc. and so on.  Its a different lifestyle, and while I occasionally miss some things, its good to know that life isn’t dependent upon them.

Along the boardwalk

The town of Kralendjik was really nice.  Everything was centrally located which made it very easy to get around town by walking.  The buildings were constructed in colonial fashion and all painted in bright Caribbean colors.  We scouted out all the various locations we wanted to visit in the coming days.  The post office, grocery store, ice cream stand, laundromat, internet cafes, corner markets and souvenir shops.  Then there was the variety of restaurants: Argentine Steakhouses, Japanese Sushi, Caribbean Rib Shacks, Spanish Cafes , a Cuban Bar, and even a Dutch What-a-Burger.  Later that night we met Alyson’s parents back at Krael’s to celebrate Father’s day and have those cheeseburgers and ice cream.  God, I had forgotten how much I love cheeseburgers.  We spent three amazing weeks in Bonaire.  We made some good friends,  did some unforgettable snorkeling, and even rented a scooter to tour the island.  We’re a bit behind on our blog, so we’ll fill you in on the details of these exploits over the next few posts.  So keep reading and I’ll let you know about those flamingos, topless dutch girls and free rum punch.

Welcome to Bonaire

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