tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33599192024-03-16T11:50:19.090-07:00Ceilydh Set SailDiane, Evan, Maia and Charlie the cathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07607359149594812176noreply@blogger.comBlogger814125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3359919.post-3784700090634252162017-06-05T15:26:00.002-07:002017-06-05T16:52:24.037-07:00Are You Settling In? Do you miss the boat?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GAx0SyZE7AU/WTXYGXWgafI/AAAAAAAAIbI/CJVjO_9UwfMZ1g_D7iMt3dFPdqu7_dY5ACLcB/s1600/Ceilydh-6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1097" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GAx0SyZE7AU/WTXYGXWgafI/AAAAAAAAIbI/CJVjO_9UwfMZ1g_D7iMt3dFPdqu7_dY5ACLcB/s400/Ceilydh-6.jpg" width="273" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Are You Settling In? </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Do you miss the boat?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We’re asked this a lot. And I think the questions mean
something different to every person who asks. In some cases people assume that
we’ve given up an indolent life of beaches and BBQ’s to embrace one where we need
to get up everyday, on a schedule, and wear shoes (just like everyone else,
sucker.) Other people are curious about how we’re navigating the changes in
cultures and values, or settling into expensive urban living, or simply staying
warm. Behind every question is a bit of ‘why on earth would you give that up?’
combined with ‘I knew you’d come back.’</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4VNojfJc7kA/WTXYG-PKE9I/AAAAAAAAIbU/F1v3NXq-Xy0tXlnywcIMPlsuY0ludyx0gCLcB/s1600/Ceilydh-7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4VNojfJc7kA/WTXYG-PKE9I/AAAAAAAAIbU/F1v3NXq-Xy0tXlnywcIMPlsuY0ludyx0gCLcB/s400/Ceilydh-7.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At anchor on Raiatea</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So, ya, we miss the boat. But maybe not for the reasons you
might imagine. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Long ago, during one of our forays into shore life, we
realized that separating our life into sailing and not sailing was a false
divide. There are absolutely some big differences; we’re not floating, we’re
not able to sail to windward and the neighbours we go to sleep next to are
typically still there when we wake up. But the big things that we love about
cruising; friendship, living simply, exploration and adventure aren’t boat
dependent, they’re actually lifestyle choices. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Rv_yPfcdWkg/WTXYHKsEhRI/AAAAAAAAIbY/vV9d6SPfONsyd_03BHI27uRvHp3xIp2AwCLcB/s1600/IMG_2898.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="427" data-original-width="640" height="266" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Rv_yPfcdWkg/WTXYHKsEhRI/AAAAAAAAIbY/vV9d6SPfONsyd_03BHI27uRvHp3xIp2AwCLcB/s400/IMG_2898.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Walking donkey's with the first female governor of St Helena</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Over our 16-years onboard we’ve had lots of conversations, with
a lot of different types of people, about what makes life aboard special. For
many people it came down to the fact that living aboard is an uncomplicated way
to live intentionally. Simply put, cruising is a lifestyle that emphasizes
connection and shies away from consumerism. It’s just easier to spend time with
your neighbours and not glorify consumption when 1) you and your neighbours
have time for each other and 2) there’s nothing to actually buy (and nowhere to
put it).</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-84lZCjjuwSo/WTXYHdOEdsI/AAAAAAAAIbk/sTL2LzKdJGQ1mYW0AF2DfUi98EhaNsAuwCLcB/s1600/IMG_3080.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="427" data-original-width="640" height="266" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-84lZCjjuwSo/WTXYHdOEdsI/AAAAAAAAIbk/sTL2LzKdJGQ1mYW0AF2DfUi98EhaNsAuwCLcB/s400/IMG_3080.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">a few of the amazing friends cruising brought into our lives</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Some of my most-loved cruising moments are the connections
we’ve made with people we might not have ever met. We’ve had the chance to
befriend a much wider circle of friends than we might otherwise have: how else
could I have ended up with friends who range in age from teen-ish to 70ish and
who come from almost every continent in the world? Another thing I grew to love
were the spontaneous gatherings that came together organically. One of my
recent favourites was an Easter celebration for the boat kids in La Cruz: </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XCYgEK_Ct0c/WTXYFx_9iTI/AAAAAAAAIbE/jHGrlV4nw04_uMhs0s7ttXYvA4cfcd41wCLcB/s1600/IMG_0713.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="427" data-original-width="640" height="266" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XCYgEK_Ct0c/WTXYFx_9iTI/AAAAAAAAIbE/jHGrlV4nw04_uMhs0s7ttXYvA4cfcd41wCLcB/s400/IMG_0713.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spontaneous dinner out</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4BedQLzlZLU/WTXYGWnM1lI/AAAAAAAAIbM/oBpagt9isMMsxDfRXuFYFjPA_Nul0tcjACLcB/s1600/IMG_1171.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="423" data-original-width="640" height="263" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4BedQLzlZLU/WTXYGWnM1lI/AAAAAAAAIbM/oBpagt9isMMsxDfRXuFYFjPA_Nul0tcjACLcB/s400/IMG_1171.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">saying goodbye to our special life</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Because several families were around, one of the mums
offered to boil some eggs while another said she’d bring homemade dyes. This
doesn’t sound too atypical for Easter—but from that casual offer, a complete
party came about. <i>Without any back-and-forth,
or planning.</i> Me and another mum bought chocolate to hide along with the
eggs and came up with a simple craft. The older kids helped the younger kids
without prompting and everyone spent the afternoon playing together. I couldn’t
help but think that a similar ‘land’ party would need to be shoe-horned into
busy lives and would probably be made stressful with way too many details.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Being <i>too busy</i> is
one of the markers of modern adulthood and it’s the lifestyle choice we most
want to avoid. It’s also the hardest one to avoid—because being busy is so
wrapped up with our sense of being successful. The perception is if you have <s>too
much</s> any free time on your hands, clearly you aren’t living a full life.
But the full life we just spent eight years nurturing emphasized the value of
spontaneity. I love spur of the moment adventures and find having to plan to
make a plan is a bit soul destroying.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TLub7v0VVu8/WTXYGz6kfXI/AAAAAAAAIbQ/wemk__18No8Ut7_kHjMov77f7eCPxVnPQCLcB/s1600/IMG_1526.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="416" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TLub7v0VVu8/WTXYGz6kfXI/AAAAAAAAIbQ/wemk__18No8Ut7_kHjMov77f7eCPxVnPQCLcB/s320/IMG_1526.jpg" width="208" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">even a haircut is an adventure while cruising</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The weird thing though is no matter how little time we have
for each other, North Americans seem to have plenty of time to shop. I recently
read that the <st1:country-region w:st="on">US</st1:country-region> has 23.5
square feet of retail space per person (the next highest was16.4 square feet in
<st1:country-region w:st="on">Canada</st1:country-region> and 11.1 square feet
in <st1:country-region w:st="on">Australia</st1:country-region>—<st1:place w:st="on">Europe</st1:place> is down in the 2 foot range). Living space in much
of <st1:place w:st="on">Africa</st1:place> is less than this.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hIDvfc-kAMI/WTXYHQ5KhTI/AAAAAAAAIbg/t8nBvnK5mKYWgkeE0dBPBjow612VeONiQCLcB/s1600/IMG_8792.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="427" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hIDvfc-kAMI/WTXYHQ5KhTI/AAAAAAAAIbg/t8nBvnK5mKYWgkeE0dBPBjow612VeONiQCLcB/s400/IMG_8792.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">so much of what we bought over the past eight years came with a story</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Happily, unlike avoiding becoming too busy to spend time
with old and new friends—not shopping is an easy one for us. Currently we’re
living in a furnished sublet—surrounded by someone else’s stuff (which turns
you off of acquiring things in a big way). We’re also broke. So this means
we’ve been turning to thrift shops and craigslist for everything we need and I
can honestly say—we’re hooked.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-L8qyBfeCT0c/WTXYH2Ju4qI/AAAAAAAAIbo/yQa4FD4SDhUDvjZKq677OxO3t9laf-sVgCLcB/s1600/IMG_8810.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="441" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-L8qyBfeCT0c/WTXYH2Ju4qI/AAAAAAAAIbo/yQa4FD4SDhUDvjZKq677OxO3t9laf-sVgCLcB/s320/IMG_8810.jpg" width="220" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Alma told me how molas are made and talked parenting with me</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qtZ5Xbn89-g/WTXYHQ1Yu_I/AAAAAAAAIbc/PeY1RBMBMM0SLBTwrb9RCqHh2bngIBNkgCLcB/s1600/IMG_5931.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="427" data-original-width="640" height="213" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qtZ5Xbn89-g/WTXYHQ1Yu_I/AAAAAAAAIbc/PeY1RBMBMM0SLBTwrb9RCqHh2bngIBNkgCLcB/s320/IMG_5931.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the Sri Lankan fishermen danced and sang after trading for fish</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</o:p></div>
I think in part it comes back to connection. Most of the
shopping we did around the world was for food. A lot of that happened in
traditional markets, but even if it was in a grocery store we often shopped
with friends and got to know the shop clerks. Buying from craigslist means we
have to interact a little bit more than you do in a normal store (I’m sure were
not the only people who have had a decade-long friendship come out of a craigslist
purchase) and as science has told us, connection makes us happy.<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
So there’s lots to miss about the boat—also lots not to miss
(don’t miss those boat chores and I love flush toilets, easy access showers
& washing machines). But the aspects that make living aboard so special for
me aren’t just boat-life things. They’re just a little easier for boat people.</div>
Diane, Evan, Maia and Charlie the cathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07607359149594812176noreply@blogger.com92tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3359919.post-91500937111315618672017-05-12T11:59:00.001-07:002017-05-12T12:00:50.026-07:00Learning to Landlub--what happens after you move ashore<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-IOR-t4Kz04U/WRYFL4aNRMI/AAAAAAAAIak/I_bKKAyfDMMzWlJKHHkbI-ohrQx7aZYTwCLcB/s1600/vancouver-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="438" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-IOR-t4Kz04U/WRYFL4aNRMI/AAAAAAAAIak/I_bKKAyfDMMzWlJKHHkbI-ohrQx7aZYTwCLcB/s640/vancouver-2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
What strikes me first about life back on land is how far
away nature seems. I now know the day and time but have lost track of the phase
of the moon and the rhythm of the tides. I haven’t noticed the constellations
yet and half-wonder if they failed to follow us home. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We tracked Orion around the globe. In Australia, the
constellation was tipped on its head—and went by the un-majestic moniker, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Saucepan. </i>He regained his upright glory
by the time we reached the Caribbean. But we’ve
now been back in Vancouver
almost two weeks and I’ve yet to catch a glimpse of the great hunter.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It could be because of the rain—which has so far punctuated
but not overwhelmed the sun. But even the daily weather moods are lost to me. Where
we live, the sky is filtered through a canopy of trees. It's no longer an
endless vista, where we could see approaching changes long before they arrived.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We can’t hear the wind, or sense the shifts and changes that
are more a part of a day’s natural cycle than the clock we all use. How right it felt
to get up when the light brightened the hatch above our bed; to finish the
laundry before the afternoon breeze set in; to shop or do school in the cool of
the morning before we moved into the leisure that comes when the bright heat
makes the day grow languid. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There’s much to adjust to here—but there’s also so much
stress about things that just shouldn’t matter. It was remarkably easy to smile
through the adventure of having our car towed. To change our plans—knowing that
no plan should be rigid. I think the woman I paid the giant-ass fee to (so much
for a new bed this month…) was surprised to have someone happy to deal with.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We’ve also been through more hoops than expected to get Maia
back in school. But when the District Principal told me he bet I didn’t miss
all the bureaucracy all I could think was how remarkably lucky we were to be in
a place where so many people were invested in making sure my daughter received what
she needed from the school—even if it did take three school board visits, two
school visits, four phone calls and many, many hours…</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There is so much to be captivated by now we’re back. We can
take yoga classes on youtube, buy amazing new clothes at a second hand shop for
almost nothing, there are FOUR gorgeous produce shops within a couple of
blocks, there is still snow in the mountains and cherry blossoms in the trees.
We’ve seen our families and Charlie the cat shows us each day how much he loves
all his new space by racing from room to room meowing with enthusiam. Even at 4 am.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Houses are inefficient though. We have to be careful not to
yell for each other now we’re spaced more than an arms span apart. And I end up
walking from the fridge, to the sink, to the stove, to the table a long hallway away more than seems possible.
And, of course, we can’t go to windward if the urge came to sail away.</div>
Diane, Evan, Maia and Charlie the cathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07607359149594812176noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3359919.post-51491025023314436442017-05-09T14:53:00.002-07:002017-05-09T14:53:38.319-07:00Charlie the cat: Circumnavigator* extraordinaire<!--[if !mso]>
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’m not sure how many cats have sailed around the world—my guess
is not that many. Even Charlie the cat gets a “*flew across the Pacific” added
to his official circumnavigation certificate because of the way <a href="http://maiaaboard.blogspot.ca/2012/01/cost-of-bringing-cat-to-australia.html">we
opted to import him onto Australia</a>.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JSbeGX_mK4U/U4k-AxORTqI/AAAAAAAAF34/feVU7A0gqm8ybxP0U1ajUU-sbzjrYUIaQCPcB/s1600/sailing-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JSbeGX_mK4U/U4k-AxORTqI/AAAAAAAAF34/feVU7A0gqm8ybxP0U1ajUU-sbzjrYUIaQCPcB/s320/sailing-2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But now that all of us (including Charlie!) are back home in
Vancouver on
solid land here’s a recap of having him aboard.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Usually people want to know if he’s still with us (yes!),
what sailing with a cat is like, what documents he needs and how we manage to
care for him. If pets aren’t your thing—skip this post. But if you wonder what
it’s like to sail around the world from a feline perspective, read on.</div>
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</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Between Charlie and Travis the cat we’ve crossed two oceans,
sailed over 40,000 miles and had pets on board in over 30 different countries.
Which means we’ve been clearing cats in and out of countries and looking for
(but not necessarily finding) cat food and kitty litter in a lot of interesting
places.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Temperament</b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-t9YLG4SblDY/U9SOJ0iwT-I/AAAAAAAAGDo/ERN4B3SC2nQv86rjY5x9Ehf_puCHz0pcgCPcB/s1600/IMG_0816.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-t9YLG4SblDY/U9SOJ0iwT-I/AAAAAAAAGDo/ERN4B3SC2nQv86rjY5x9Ehf_puCHz0pcgCPcB/s320/IMG_0816.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Both our cats came aboard at young ages. We found Travis as
a starving kitten in Mexico
and he never really became a tame cat. He dove overboard to catch fish over 35
times (and required rescuing), sneaked out on deck during bad weather to catch flying fish, helped
himself to our guest’s rum drinks, once stowed away on another boat for a
holiday, broke into numerous boats, marred a good number of paint and varnish
jobs and gave us the reputation of being the worst pet owners ever.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VFeZdQQYTY8/VdANAOjQ7uI/AAAAAAAAHFY/-jkWLxann18zDATkfxb3V7TTHSQxGy8YgCPcB/s1600/IMG_4483.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VFeZdQQYTY8/VdANAOjQ7uI/AAAAAAAAHFY/-jkWLxann18zDATkfxb3V7TTHSQxGy8YgCPcB/s320/IMG_4483.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Charlie came aboard at a year old and completely redeemed
our pet-raising credibility. He was nice to visitors, was a great night watch
companion, didn’t realize he could actually get off the boat and roam the docks
at marinas until our last stop in La Cruz, was never that fussy about food or
had medical problems.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It may seem counter-intuitive—but for sailing cats, nervous
home bodies may make the better companions.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Care and Feeding of Fluffy</b></div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MVo2bNdiopo/U_rMeRiGTRI/AAAAAAAAGG8/X7nG4qz_RbUZ-Mxr_9Wc2nIxkwtGqdykgCPcB/s1600/IMG_1268.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MVo2bNdiopo/U_rMeRiGTRI/AAAAAAAAGG8/X7nG4qz_RbUZ-Mxr_9Wc2nIxkwtGqdykgCPcB/s320/IMG_1268.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Unlike North America—with its
wide variety of pet food choices, cats in the rest of the world seem to subsist on
Whiskas or Purina (and whatever they catch and kill for themselves). Charlie had
a bad experience with a bag of Whiskas going moldy—so he mostly ate Purina.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A couple of times I tried to stock up on healthier (less
filler) options—but be aware in the hot humid environment aboard a boat, even
sealed bags of food don’t keep that well.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Charlie ate lots of fresh fish when it was available and,
unlike 20-years ago when Travis was aboard, we found kitty litter often enough
that we never ran out. Typically though we bought enough food and kitty litter
to last until we would reach to a country where we knew we could get more.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
One thing that did surprise us (which shouldn’t have) was
how much more water Charlie drank. Especially when we had sailed into the
Southern Hemisphere but some odd biological signal told Charlie it was time to
grow his winter coat in October—he was really thirsty then.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Sea Sick Cats and
Other Perils</b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IUjWLH9N4eY/WPd0HnKxlhI/AAAAAAAAIZg/xrp4EeXBdREZCRZ1jxnFgj2pq93elAmHwCPcB/s1600/IMG_1096.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IUjWLH9N4eY/WPd0HnKxlhI/AAAAAAAAIZg/xrp4EeXBdREZCRZ1jxnFgj2pq93elAmHwCPcB/s320/IMG_1096.jpg" width="219" /></a></div>
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In most respects Charlie is a great boat cat. He’s super
cautious—so unlike Travis the cat we’ve never found him on the foredeck trying
to catch flying fish while we were underway. And he only learned about visiting
other boats when we got to La Cruz (bad kitty). He did catch a couple of bats
over the years—which made us glad we kept his rabies up to date. But he never
showed any interest in rum drinks or beating up our guests—including officials,
which we think is good.</div>
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</div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UUIcFC2OsEQ/WRI5SlPTU_I/AAAAAAAAIaI/BWiKOXp0pQokF2R2ax7dS2JodiAhasDcgCLcB/s1600/P1010022.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UUIcFC2OsEQ/WRI5SlPTU_I/AAAAAAAAIaI/BWiKOXp0pQokF2R2ax7dS2JodiAhasDcgCLcB/s320/P1010022.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
The only thing that Charlie the cat did that concerned us was get seasick on the
first day of a passage. So when we head out—he doesn’t get breakfast. And if he
looks sad and starts to pant or drool we get a rag handy. Other than that he’s
pleasant to have around—he’s sweet and cuddly and moderately playful. For those
who knew Travis—we think of Charlie as our reward for having given him a good home.</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NG2Z_3cpF7A/VdAMqQvpW_I/AAAAAAAAHFM/DXgMDliFrmY/s1600/IMG_1811.jpg"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;"><span style="mso-ignore: vglayout;"></span></span></a></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Clearing In to
Foreign Countries</b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-opR4Val2oSo/WRI5SMO4X1I/AAAAAAAAIaA/YdS_qIjDlLIOxKLAs1Xq3a4hT9Pq_s6tACLcB/s1600/IMG_7787.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-opR4Val2oSo/WRI5SMO4X1I/AAAAAAAAIaA/YdS_qIjDlLIOxKLAs1Xq3a4hT9Pq_s6tACLcB/s320/IMG_7787.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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Charlie was micro chipped and given a big fat file of
impressive looking paperwork when we imported him into Australia. We
covered what was involved in bringing Charlie into Oz in another post—so this
is more general. Most places don’t really care about Charlie. We don’t hide him
away—but we only bring him up if we’re asked directly if we have a pet onboard.
Then we pass along his paperwork for perusal. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
One complication we’ve found is that while countries may
want up to date medical records it’s hard to find places to take pets to get
their vaccines updated without potentially exposing them to other pets with
illnesses you don’t want to encounter. He did see vets in Australia and South Africa for updates. But for most
countries just the volume and official-ness of the paper was enough and even
though we got him his updated vaccines and a health certificate in Mexico neither the US
nor Canada
seemed concerned.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Shedding and General
Hassle </b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fxmr6E2lZSA/WRI5SaAKDoI/AAAAAAAAIaE/plorz9aEO3Qlhru4Pcq5dUYLIMMxxyVygCLcB/s1600/IMG_7479.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fxmr6E2lZSA/WRI5SaAKDoI/AAAAAAAAIaE/plorz9aEO3Qlhru4Pcq5dUYLIMMxxyVygCLcB/s320/IMG_7479.jpg" width="213" /></a></b></div>
<br />
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Charlie was an excellent boat cat—and other than the Australia importation
bit he was affordable to have aboard. For reasons known only the universe
Charlie shed way more than the extremely fluffy Travis. Part of it may have
been he never did manage to sort out his winter/summer coat schedule and seemed
to always try and grow a winter coat at funny times. The result though was our
boat often seemed hairy inside. But, if you like pets you learn to tolerate it.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We also found that it was pretty easy to find him pet
sitters when we wanted to go places (lots of sailors crave kitty time). He does
fairly well on his own for up to two nights. But in hotter weather is was
important to have someone checking the boat’s temperature and making sure he
had enough water.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qukoBFj2ud4/WRI5RyaGtHI/AAAAAAAAIZ8/JefcIYnB7aYKQHpI9sqtlA43xmaANF33wCLcB/s1600/IMG_7635.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qukoBFj2ud4/WRI5RyaGtHI/AAAAAAAAIZ8/JefcIYnB7aYKQHpI9sqtlA43xmaANF33wCLcB/s320/IMG_7635.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
For the record it turns out Charlie is also an excellent
road tripper. He loved the hotel rooms on the trip up to Canada and was
pretty patient with his box time. Let me know what else you like to know!</div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
Diane, Evan, Maia and Charlie the cathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07607359149594812176noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3359919.post-15083800124130928062017-04-19T07:29:00.001-07:002017-04-19T07:31:22.467-07:00Travels with Charlie--preview<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IUjWLH9N4eY/WPd0HnKxlhI/AAAAAAAAIZc/SMu0dl528EIhznKompGA5L4JGAFEOXncACLcB/s1600/IMG_1096.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IUjWLH9N4eY/WPd0HnKxlhI/AAAAAAAAIZc/SMu0dl528EIhznKompGA5L4JGAFEOXncACLcB/s640/IMG_1096.jpg" width="438" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Packing up</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
By popular demand (Charlie was actually next on the list) this is a teaser for my next post.Diane, Evan, Maia and Charlie the cathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07607359149594812176noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3359919.post-78956144894436059442017-04-18T18:02:00.001-07:002017-04-19T07:32:34.777-07:00An Only at Sea<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Oi28U9yhltw/WPauFfopePI/AAAAAAAAIXg/dQKBolEtqOwBgFYbvITBQkhVKBQEg3cvACEw/s1600/cartoon.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="256" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Oi28U9yhltw/WPauFfopePI/AAAAAAAAIXg/dQKBolEtqOwBgFYbvITBQkhVKBQEg3cvACEw/s640/cartoon.PNG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our cool Sarah Steenland comic--we're not done with boats, it's just time for a little landlubbing</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Over the years we’ve had a lot of different questions come
up—and for the next while I thought I’d try and reflect back on some of the big
ones that we were asked about most often (between prepping the boat to sell,
moving back to Canada, finding a place to live, going back to work, traveling
to Ireland and getting Maia sorted for school—so bear with me). </div>
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<br /></div>
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</div>
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</div>
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</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
What’s it Like Having an Only Child on a Boat?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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It used to surprise us but there are a LOT
of only kids out here. In some ways it’s probably just a reflection in the rise
in single families in general (20 percent of US households with children are
one-child families) but it’s also easier to hit the traveling sweet-spot
age-wise when you only have one child to take into consideration. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This means that through the years I’ve been fortunate enough
to touch base with lots of one-child families. We’ve had the chance to compare
notes on how our kids are doing, what challenges we face and what the positives
are:</div>
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</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cFY2UEDwsOU/WPaxdZs7B9I/AAAAAAAAIX8/aCxz81oyid4ygQvpJkbO0rtbdWW7wwkugCLcB/s1600/IMG_8700.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cFY2UEDwsOU/WPaxdZs7B9I/AAAAAAAAIX8/aCxz81oyid4ygQvpJkbO0rtbdWW7wwkugCLcB/s400/IMG_8700.jpg" width="277" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">through the years Maia's become a more than capable crew</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Do you have to constantly entertain your kid?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Maia was seven when we left and was an avid reader with a
very busy imagination. She’d also already been an only child for a while ;) and
was pretty awesome at entertaining herself. There were times when I would have
rather read my book than read her another chapter of hers, and I may have
played a few board games I might not have played otherwise, but I think this is
on par for most parents. I don’t have the alternative to compare her to, but it
seemed like she was pretty self-sufficient. (Plus Evan loved playing play-do
with her ;)</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vNovqk_WKjI/WPaw28mPfJI/AAAAAAAAIX0/sAERKIa-Y8gh4Kjaw1ClCA0Pfdnf_QgHwCLcB/s1600/IMG_1002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vNovqk_WKjI/WPaw28mPfJI/AAAAAAAAIX0/sAERKIa-Y8gh4Kjaw1ClCA0Pfdnf_QgHwCLcB/s400/IMG_1002.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Did she get lonely? </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Lonely happens for almost everyone who is social and who
sails. Sometimes we’ve been out of season, or just had the urge to do something
different from the crowd—and there’s been no one to share it with. Usually we
enjoy the time where we’re a family of three—but as Maia got older she felt the
need to have friends around more often. Fortunately if you stick with common cruising
routes it's not hard to find kids. With some planning it’s even possible to
have long term friends. We're almost always with 'kid boats' in Mexico
and crossed the Pacific in the company of a couple of dozen families. We were
off-season in Indonesia so
had a couple of months with only a few kids here and there, but crossed the
Indian Ocean and explored South
Africa in company. So in our eight years we
planned our routes so we spent more time more time with other kid boats, than
without.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Qd3qW0I1rBA/WPawv54w0PI/AAAAAAAAIXw/StOV1Qct2iESQxZn0ABNJRUsZKQkseyfACLcB/s1600/IMG_1042.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="242" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Qd3qW0I1rBA/WPawv54w0PI/AAAAAAAAIXw/StOV1Qct2iESQxZn0ABNJRUsZKQkseyfACLcB/s400/IMG_1042.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
What about shyness? </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Maia is reserved by nature and it’s a constant effort for
her to put herself out there. She’s also a bit introverted so she takes a while
to warm up. But over time she’s learned she has to make an effort and that age
and gender aren’t that big a factor. Currently in La Cruz there are about 20
kids from 5-17 and they roam around as big happy bunch. They split off into
smaller groups more by interest than anything.</div>
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</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QaSXFH_sF6s/WPa1TF0hVuI/AAAAAAAAIYU/bK5-8TELTDoDja2PyQdUq89Dxy9bUza5wCLcB/s1600/IMG_5116.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QaSXFH_sF6s/WPa1TF0hVuI/AAAAAAAAIYU/bK5-8TELTDoDja2PyQdUq89Dxy9bUza5wCLcB/s400/IMG_5116.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">thanks to the wonder of the internet--this fabulous Fijian family is still in our lives</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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What about meeting local folks?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
One of the things we discovered is that as a small family is
that we had a lot of opportunities open up to us. I think it's easier for a
local family or person to make an invitation to a small family for dinner or a
stay in their home or for another cruising family to take along one extra kid
on a special outing. We often discovered people were happy to adopt the three
of us (or just Maia) and Maia has stayed in contact with people she’s met from
all over the world.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qgVCTFUEo1s/WPa1NCOLXuI/AAAAAAAAIYQ/2FjYbZ0p7wgCQHxcMD0eSJaKQn_GX2WbgCLcB/s1600/IMG_1242.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qgVCTFUEo1s/WPa1NCOLXuI/AAAAAAAAIYQ/2FjYbZ0p7wgCQHxcMD0eSJaKQn_GX2WbgCLcB/s400/IMG_1242.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This year we plan to get the 'band' back together with a reunion with some of the best people in the world</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Do you think changing locations and intermittently
hanging-out with other kids could make it hard to maintain long-term
relationships? </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I think it could—we do know kids who don't seem to bond
really well—but these have often been kids in larger families who don't
necessarily have the flexibility to change plans to nurture each child’s friendships.
In Maia's case she still has some of the friends she made as an 8-year-old (now
15). Most friendships last a season or more—so 6-8 months and as she’s gotten
older she’s used social media to stay in contact with the friends she really
connected with. I think one of the tougher discoveries for her was realizing
that some friendships just don’t last—even when you have geography in your
favour.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-UESm2x55-98/WPaxsi8Lo4I/AAAAAAAAIYE/C3tMrLW_94g2sMfn3wQj1MxkQYafCdKpwCLcB/s1600/IMG_8738.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-UESm2x55-98/WPaxsi8Lo4I/AAAAAAAAIYE/C3tMrLW_94g2sMfn3wQj1MxkQYafCdKpwCLcB/s400/IMG_8738.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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What are the best ages for an only afloat?</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’d say from the time they can read until they say they’re
done—broad, I know. Last year I was certain we kept going too long—but seeing
her and the other 15-17 year old boat kids this year, I think it was worth
riding out her 13/14th year aboard. More importantly, she's happy she stuck it
out. I think the transition from 12-15 is hard no matter where you are and in
many ways being aboard gave her the freedom to grow-up at her own pace. Part of
it though is we are currently with an incredible group of families and kids. There
have been a good number of older teens and they are a remarkably happy, well-adjusted,
socially conscious, super nice bunch. Being somewhere long enough for them to
become <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>involved in the local community
has also been a gift. They've been volunteering in a variety of things around
town here.</div>
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</div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wrEaPAh-GhQ/WPa2bZDV08I/AAAAAAAAIYg/OpXzIpeCc3ItQpuCj4hLot70MHj9ZWvUgCLcB/s1600/Ceilydh%2B%25281%2Bof%2B5%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wrEaPAh-GhQ/WPa2bZDV08I/AAAAAAAAIYg/OpXzIpeCc3ItQpuCj4hLot70MHj9ZWvUgCLcB/s400/Ceilydh%2B%25281%2Bof%2B5%2529.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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How has cruising been for your family?</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We've grown into a very close, happy, playful family and have
learned to keep an eye on how each of us is doing (we’re not always happy and
playful). It's always been a group decision to keep going from one year to the
next. We love the times when there are fewer people around and have great
memories of things just the three of us do. This contrasts nicely with when
we're in bigger harbours with heaps of families because those become social
whirlwinds. It's often a relief to go to sea just to have family time.</div>
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<br /></div>
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What else?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This all said—Maia is still an only child—and it's been pretty
essential she develop solitary hobbies. Fortunately she’s had no problem with
this. I actually think it's helped her thrive—she's shy and reserved by nature—but
a childhood afloat is a pretty gentle and freeing one so I think she's much
more outgoing because of it.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I'd also hazard the guess that Maia has had way more
sleepovers, dinners with friends and hours of unstructured play time than your
average North American kid. A typical day usually includes school to about 1 or
2pm and then the kids are gone until dinner, or longer.</div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Diane, Evan, Maia and Charlie the cathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07607359149594812176noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3359919.post-71847025398919543122017-03-27T14:53:00.001-07:002017-04-18T18:14:44.671-07:00Ceilydh is for sale !<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4ZHi5saLIF0/WPa23Bg_BII/AAAAAAAAIYk/_o0auz-Gb7sWSmmT-SBxs5KWSi7sw6U2ACLcB/s1600/IMG_1072.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4ZHi5saLIF0/WPa23Bg_BII/AAAAAAAAIYk/_o0auz-Gb7sWSmmT-SBxs5KWSi7sw6U2ACLcB/s640/IMG_1072.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<br />
<h2 align="center" style="mso-line-height-alt: 14.4pt; text-align: center;">
<i>Ceilydh</i> is a well equipped and affordably priced 40 foot cruising catamaran. She's in great condition and is
ready to help you to fulfill your sailing dreams. Asking price: </h2>
<h2 align="center" style="mso-line-height-alt: 14.4pt; text-align: center;">
$108,000 USD. </h2>
<div class="font7">
<br /></div>
<div class="font7">
Lots more photos and details here: <a href="http://ceilydh.wixsite.com/cat4sale">http://ceilydh.wixsite.com/cat4sale</a></div>
<div class="font7">
<br /></div>
<div class="font8">
After a successful 8 year, 31 country circumnavigation our
growing teenage daughter is ready to finish high school on land. <span class="wixguard"></span>Built in Canada
in 1987, the hull and deck are made with Klegecell PVC foam core and laminated
with biaxial stitched/mat fiberglass. The vessel was extensively refitted and
had a diesel engine and bridgedeck cabin and cockpit constructed from vacuum
bagged Corecell foam core, triaxial stitched fiberglass, and epoxy resin. This
was added in 2008.</div>
<div class="font8">
<br /></div>
<div class="font8">
<span class="wixguard">Major equipment:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yanmar 3GM30F 27 HP diesel in port hull,
Tohtatsu 6 HP Sailpro (manoeuvring thruster motor) stbd hull. Quick Windlass,
45 Manson Boss anchor, A130 Spade Anchor, FX37 Fortress anchor. 550 watts solar
panels. All self tailing winches. Spectra 16 GPH watermaker. Whirlpool gas
instant water heater. Propane BBQ. Diesel heater. Iridium Go satphone/internet
device. JRC radar. Two autopilots. 10’ RIB with 15 HP Yamaha outboard. Main, genoa, staysail, spinnaker. Harken furlers for
genoa and staysail.</span></div>
<div class="font8">
<br /></div>
<div class="font8">
Located in Puerto
Vallarta, Mexico
we'd like to sell her as an offshore purchase (just outside Mexican territorial
waters). We're also willing to discuss a delivery to US west coast ports.
Should you fly to Mexico
and buy the boat, we'll defray the cost of travel up to $1000 USD, by deducting
your expenses from the final purchase price.</div>
<div class="font8">
<br /></div>
<div class="font8">
We want you to start off with confidence and will provide up to
three days of handover/instruction at the time of purchase. We look forward to hearing from you.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-t3OfewbTMpQ/WNmJimaPDgI/AAAAAAAAIV4/8DkR79jQRlsysMZmKPswnM1lxmKY5aehgCLcB/s1600/Ceilydh-6.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-t3OfewbTMpQ/WNmJimaPDgI/AAAAAAAAIV4/8DkR79jQRlsysMZmKPswnM1lxmKY5aehgCLcB/s1600/Ceilydh-6.jpg" width="273" /></a></div>
<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WvgBl9mpxNE/WNmJislfkMI/AAAAAAAAIV8/hlZZMM4P_O4t06tHF1imk1UFaZC4ESF6wCLcB/s1600/saloon.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WvgBl9mpxNE/WNmJislfkMI/AAAAAAAAIV8/hlZZMM4P_O4t06tHF1imk1UFaZC4ESF6wCLcB/s1600/saloon.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />Diane, Evan, Maia and Charlie the cathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07607359149594812176noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3359919.post-40294595680848981352017-03-08T19:23:00.003-08:002017-04-18T18:43:24.935-07:00We need your help!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rS37-9-x36U/WPbAi0cofvI/AAAAAAAAIZM/fVDUt7JUAWAjBJ2z6f-0m5MU4Ph99s6XACLcB/s1600/IMG_1072.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="427" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rS37-9-x36U/WPbAi0cofvI/AAAAAAAAIZM/fVDUt7JUAWAjBJ2z6f-0m5MU4Ph99s6XACLcB/s640/IMG_1072.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
We have a paint job!<br />
<br />
As we get ready to sell the boat, we're painting the entire outside and lots of the inside. It was frankly, time, especially for the exterior.<br />
<br />
But our current hull wavy stripe paint scheme might not appeal to all potential buyers - so we are asking your help. <b>Please email us or post in the comments section which is the hull stripe scheme you think would appeal to most buyers</b>.<br />
<br />
The bridgedeck cabin on our boat is a bit tall (I'm 6'-1") and has pretty good clearance above the water. The hulls are low and sleek. Which makes the cabin a bit bulky looking. So the best stripe scheme will help minimize this too.<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-G4cRHU07b1I/WMDKbfTkOfI/AAAAAAAAIVE/vBhyppZd7-QekQvW8S77OFKsWqNZothMACLcB/s1600/new%2Bpaint-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="228" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-G4cRHU07b1I/WMDKbfTkOfI/AAAAAAAAIVE/vBhyppZd7-QekQvW8S77OFKsWqNZothMACLcB/s400/new%2Bpaint-1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yRH7gcKeL4E/WMDKcBctW_I/AAAAAAAAIVQ/p3rl0c935aENVxQbCzqOQxKQ7bmhwX8lgCLcB/s1600/new%2Bpaint-option4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="228" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yRH7gcKeL4E/WMDKcBctW_I/AAAAAAAAIVQ/p3rl0c935aENVxQbCzqOQxKQ7bmhwX8lgCLcB/s400/new%2Bpaint-option4.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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- EvanDiane, Evan, Maia and Charlie the cathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07607359149594812176noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3359919.post-70137445116910435482017-03-06T15:04:00.001-08:002017-03-07T07:40:09.435-08:00Passing the Baton—Puddlejump Fleet of 2017<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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One of the coolest aspects of being back in La Cruz has been
having a chance to get to know the fleet of 2017 (plus a whole lot of other
boats). Having made it the whole way round, and still smiling, gives us a
perspective that a lot of the crews here don’t have yet. We didn’t fall off the
edge, get swept up in storms, we weren’t captured by pirates and didn’t succumb to
dragons.
<br />
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<br />
And we managed to eat well, the whole way around.<br />
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<br /></div>
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As I mentioned before, in many ways, La Cruz is our ‘home’
port. We first spent an extended stay here in 1997 and over the years we’ve
built up a little network of local friends and favourite things which make it
clear that even when we don’t have a boat down here—we’ll still find our way back.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fCiWu2WnRSg/WL3nFHtRkpI/AAAAAAAAIUE/VWTvpFFBLHEHaICKtZDzDUzQK6ySgncNQCLcB/s1600/IMG_0318.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fCiWu2WnRSg/WL3nFHtRkpI/AAAAAAAAIUE/VWTvpFFBLHEHaICKtZDzDUzQK6ySgncNQCLcB/s400/IMG_0318.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The kids thanking Cat for all the great things she puts together for them</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2crIzEmrQLs/WL3nFTLjAtI/AAAAAAAAIUI/scs50ocnU541N2J1ZFbOUJAugWV-Yz_YQCLcB/s1600/IMG_0325.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2crIzEmrQLs/WL3nFTLjAtI/AAAAAAAAIUI/scs50ocnU541N2J1ZFbOUJAugWV-Yz_YQCLcB/s400/IMG_0325.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">burgee painting--to let other kids know there are children aboard</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
Our pivotal year here was 2011—the year we jumped. Between planning
our Pacific Crossing with friends, buying way more stuff than we needed to, and
prepping the boat (while stressing more than we should have) we attended
seminars and parties which were coordinated by Mike and Cat (PV Mike and La Cruz Marina
Cat).</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-juR2TJQGcAg/WL3nGgeKr6I/AAAAAAAAIUc/LBuv5LnrzbszO84ZfkrqRRK9N7YpNfF5QCLcB/s1600/IMG_0490.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="321" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-juR2TJQGcAg/WL3nGgeKr6I/AAAAAAAAIUc/LBuv5LnrzbszO84ZfkrqRRK9N7YpNfF5QCLcB/s400/IMG_0490.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The kids ran a taco restaurant for the day, for tips. Afterward they were able to donate a portion of their tips back to the community.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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I’m not sure the fleet here (or the management at Marina Nayarit for that
matter) has any idea of the incredible wealth of skills, knowledge, energy and generosity that Cat and Mike bring to the community. They are the
sort of quietly giving people who are easy to take for granted—despite the
fact that between them they volunteer to coordinate and run dozens of free
puddlejump and WWS seminars and workshops—something we haven’t encountered in
any marina outside of La Cruz.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Ta5d39XvUsI/WL3nGLpoTmI/AAAAAAAAIUY/vSinJVEkjcMhFAHESBDHL5PO3ge9wcRUACLcB/s1600/IMG_0419.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Ta5d39XvUsI/WL3nGLpoTmI/AAAAAAAAIUY/vSinJVEkjcMhFAHESBDHL5PO3ge9wcRUACLcB/s400/IMG_0419.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Evan and Darrell on Wiz running a hand-on fibreglass workshop</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OlCNDydswq8/WL3nGGg1cUI/AAAAAAAAIUU/k1uHy54Etaod-hXW8nDRU3QJs_YAGRJLgCLcB/s1600/IMG_0422.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OlCNDydswq8/WL3nGGg1cUI/AAAAAAAAIUU/k1uHy54Etaod-hXW8nDRU3QJs_YAGRJLgCLcB/s400/IMG_0422.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Their enthusiasm for getting the annual fleet educated and
ready to go is inspiring. Thanks to them--hundreds of sailors leave here each year a little more confident and a lot better educated. Thanks to them we’ve been lucky enough to
share our knowledge and experiences in over a half-dozen talks and seminars
over the past two months including Pacific Provisioning, Hands-on-Fibreglassing, Being a Kid on a Boat
(Maia), Repairs in Exotic Locations, Travel Writing and Ocean Routing.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sVGoqC30uBU/WL3nHW2zshI/AAAAAAAAIUo/5dDCoFipbpkWctPcUvSWhdd8qvBHS-4nwCLcB/s1600/IMG_0542.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="263" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sVGoqC30uBU/WL3nHW2zshI/AAAAAAAAIUo/5dDCoFipbpkWctPcUvSWhdd8qvBHS-4nwCLcB/s400/IMG_0542.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dozens of people came out to hear me and Deb on Coastal Drifter talk about how we provision-she's organized, I'm not.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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The experience has been a blast (though super labour
intensive—it takes a long time to plan a two hour talk…). As a family we’ve
been able to go back through our memories and really savour them—thinking about
the highlights, the challenges and the successes. From the memories we've been able to build up talks of lessons learned and ideas we want to pass along.</div>
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While the talks have taken a lot of time away from prepping
the boat for sale—something that we need to keep at the forefront of our
planning if we're ever going to get home. And from my writing work—I have so many cool stories on the go right now that I fell quite divided up. It has been an absolute honour to be part of other people’s dreams—if only in
a small way.</div>
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Maybe that’s what keeps Mike and Cat giving so much of their
time and energy to the fleet year after year—that chance to help someone else
make their dream come true. </div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-y_4zcy1avVI/WL3nG3qRp5I/AAAAAAAAIUg/9dhIWty0IAAvpu_eGW_PUDb3apxeIjcJwCLcB/s1600/IMG_0523.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-y_4zcy1avVI/WL3nG3qRp5I/AAAAAAAAIUg/9dhIWty0IAAvpu_eGW_PUDb3apxeIjcJwCLcB/s400/IMG_0523.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">As always--along with the work, there's lots of fun</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eXYmddxbAEY/WL3nHDbmiEI/AAAAAAAAIUk/Z9cs1AFwImggyQbtIkoUx15LzUKraHhhgCLcB/s1600/IMG_0539.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eXYmddxbAEY/WL3nHDbmiEI/AAAAAAAAIUk/Z9cs1AFwImggyQbtIkoUx15LzUKraHhhgCLcB/s400/IMG_0539.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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For us—the past couple of months have been a chance to give
back. We've had the opportunity pay forward all the small moments where people helped us meet our
goals and fulfill our dreams: It's almost like saying thank-you in reverse.</div>
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It takes a village to get a boat across an ocean—and La Cruz
is still one of the best villages we know.</div>
Diane, Evan, Maia and Charlie the cathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07607359149594812176noreply@blogger.com24tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3359919.post-88734684515333057062017-02-04T11:52:00.002-08:002017-02-04T11:52:47.068-08:00La vida La Cruz<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YEgsLTf-S2E/WJYuah1tDzI/AAAAAAAAIR8/pWIn5O05wKcmMrcvqjRv1g7jjdZ2eYPzwCLcB/s1600/IMG_9504.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="280" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YEgsLTf-S2E/WJYuah1tDzI/AAAAAAAAIR8/pWIn5O05wKcmMrcvqjRv1g7jjdZ2eYPzwCLcB/s400/IMG_9504.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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</div>
Our weeks in La Cruz have been a bit of a whirlwind. Between
catching up with old friends, meeting new friends, giving various talks (between
the three of us, we’re up to six) and prepping the boat for sale, we’ve been
joyfully re-engaging in La vida La Cruz.
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BJk9C5xdJhs/WJYubM_TBGI/AAAAAAAAISA/lrDBE__dGbwbReirquLpbhA7-HgkF1qpgCLcB/s1600/IMG_9511.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BJk9C5xdJhs/WJYubM_TBGI/AAAAAAAAISA/lrDBE__dGbwbReirquLpbhA7-HgkF1qpgCLcB/s320/IMG_9511.jpg" width="213" /></a><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mDXOd5C_6C8/WJYubd3ZbcI/AAAAAAAAISI/5bZ1LhriUG0KPkdSRI5MtOeciod3NcOrQCLcB/s1600/IMG_9614.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="210" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mDXOd5C_6C8/WJYubd3ZbcI/AAAAAAAAISI/5bZ1LhriUG0KPkdSRI5MtOeciod3NcOrQCLcB/s320/IMG_9614.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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La Cruz has felt like one of our international homes for
over 20-years now and though my Spanish is nowhere near what it should be for
the number of years I’ve spent in this country, my love of Mexico and Mexicans
continues to grow.</div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sD4_a_uIiMg/WJYubDJb9PI/AAAAAAAAISE/xhK1YMF6O7YaBfzquSggIBU2A1c0_vuEACLcB/s1600/IMG_9582.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="263" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sD4_a_uIiMg/WJYubDJb9PI/AAAAAAAAISE/xhK1YMF6O7YaBfzquSggIBU2A1c0_vuEACLcB/s400/IMG_9582.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0633kTdjrNg/WJYuaKNYu1I/AAAAAAAAIR4/mzfOQ768w5YnXgPoDO-zVGdlh3DY5xQmACLcB/s1600/IMG_9496.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="262" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0633kTdjrNg/WJYuaKNYu1I/AAAAAAAAIR4/mzfOQ768w5YnXgPoDO-zVGdlh3DY5xQmACLcB/s400/IMG_9496.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Last week was the <a href="http://maiaaboard.blogspot.mx/2011/01/buceriasfestival-of-our-lady-of-peace.html">Our
Lady of Peace Festival in Bucerais</a>. Our first memories of the festival, a
parade of <span class="st">toritos shooting of fireworks and a yummy warm rum
drink served in a clay mug,</span> date back over twenty years. </div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KuIkJ3qqHuc/WJYuenYGuaI/AAAAAAAAISc/Uk_ic_SEP-YM7K9pPwKnm44t7lSMbNVnACLcB/s1600/IMG_9707.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KuIkJ3qqHuc/WJYuenYGuaI/AAAAAAAAISc/Uk_ic_SEP-YM7K9pPwKnm44t7lSMbNVnACLcB/s400/IMG_9707.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
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Back then I don’t think we had any idea that the tradition
of our Lady of Peace goes back to a December night in the 7<sup>th</sup> century
when a fellow called Ildephonse entered the Cathedral of Toledo and found the
Virgin Mary sitting on the archbishop’s chair. She gave him a cloak and he
interpreted the gift as her approval of the work he was doing. Ildephonse died
on Jan 23rd, and the next day, Jan 24th, was dedicated to remember the miracle.</div>
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How Saint Ildephonse became the patron saint of a wee west
coast fishing village in Mexico
is a detail that’s no doubt lost to time. But while no one seemed to have a
clear reason for the celebration—it doesn’t stop the fun. </div>
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Day and night-time are very different in the town: daytime
is the domain of gringo tourists. There’s a Catholic mass (not so gringo)
followed by a ceremony and dance by indigenous people (a little more gringo) and
by the time the fishing boats make a high speed run for the beach filled with
sunburnt faces I think most of the Mexicans have headed home for a siesta in
preparation for the night’s festivities.</div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TW9u_AZuquc/WJYucovm1II/AAAAAAAAISQ/2vihR1H4VroiXovJaHqSW7xBJsNKh8WhQCLcB/s1600/IMG_9665.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TW9u_AZuquc/WJYucovm1II/AAAAAAAAISQ/2vihR1H4VroiXovJaHqSW7xBJsNKh8WhQCLcB/s320/IMG_9665.jpg" width="235" /></a></div>
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This is where most gringos go wrong. We keep wandering
around the festival, fading in the heat. <a href="http://maiaaboard.blogspot.mx/2011/01/bucerias-festival-celebrating-life-by.html">By
the time the sun sets</a>, the multiple competing brass bands show up (or it
could be one really big band that plays badly together), the gambling stalls
open and the drinks start to flow the gringos are at home soothing their sore feet
and the locals are dressed in their best and just getting started.</div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VFqdpo-Cm-w/WJYub2VDSSI/AAAAAAAAISM/fsvsz9y4tYcSkz1x5rY2FtRklmPKWFlSQCLcB/s1600/IMG_9663.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VFqdpo-Cm-w/WJYub2VDSSI/AAAAAAAAISM/fsvsz9y4tYcSkz1x5rY2FtRklmPKWFlSQCLcB/s320/IMG_9663.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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It’s worth doing the festival the Mexican way. After strolling
streets and checking out the rides and stalls the highlight is always the Castillo—a
three-story fireworks structure that spins, whirls and explodes. It never grows old. Part
of the spectacle, as sparks fly into the crowd, is making sure your neighbour
doesn’t catch fire.</div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-29At9pqTiQ0/WJYue4RvS4I/AAAAAAAAISg/_Vx04qAoeEkaYBCwMm0u3dnePRDs9qNzgCLcB/s1600/IMG_9786.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-29At9pqTiQ0/WJYue4RvS4I/AAAAAAAAISg/_Vx04qAoeEkaYBCwMm0u3dnePRDs9qNzgCLcB/s400/IMG_9786.jpg" width="266" /></a> <a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bFZolqBIqGU/WJYufTUquJI/AAAAAAAAISk/zY83oZyb5VkXGhNrqB1x_HbTIHMIdg4NACLcB/s1600/IMG_9820.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bFZolqBIqGU/WJYufTUquJI/AAAAAAAAISk/zY83oZyb5VkXGhNrqB1x_HbTIHMIdg4NACLcB/s400/IMG_9820.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
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After the fun of Bucerais (with a few excellent taco and
music nights in between) we found a charreada. If we hadn’t <a href="http://maiaaboard.blogspot.mx/2010/02/charreada.html">been to one in the
past</a>—and known they were worth seeking out, we may have missed out. But
luckily we caught day two of a four-day International competition in the new
Arena Vallarta. </div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-w5EyqM18zvU/WJYuggOcAsI/AAAAAAAAISw/XHYtxY_TWkswLxrbJCz5l_rTFLrjSFK7gCLcB/s1600/IMG_9936.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-w5EyqM18zvU/WJYuggOcAsI/AAAAAAAAISw/XHYtxY_TWkswLxrbJCz5l_rTFLrjSFK7gCLcB/s640/IMG_9936.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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The setting was gorgeous. And while the rodeo is probably
similar to rodeos around the world—it’s really the atmosphere I love. Between
the charros in their stately (but vaguely ridiculous) sombreros, the women in
the colourful adilita costumes, the mariachi bands and the gorgeous animals it’s
hard not to be entranced by the scene.</div>
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This time we knew a bit more about what we were looking at—and
even recall a few of the scoring details. Mostly though we just soaked it up
and shared it with friends.</div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4LMtXsm_pxI/WJYuYEeQVBI/AAAAAAAAIRo/0DT4CJVObrg_oKa5vwkFi8Im5EsbYpODwCLcB/s1600/IMG_0196.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4LMtXsm_pxI/WJYuYEeQVBI/AAAAAAAAIRo/0DT4CJVObrg_oKa5vwkFi8Im5EsbYpODwCLcB/s400/IMG_0196.jpg" width="286" /></a></div>
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Diane, Evan, Maia and Charlie the cathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07607359149594812176noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3359919.post-4270778899974019442017-01-29T19:22:00.003-08:002017-01-29T19:22:35.018-08:00Parachute Flare Testing!A recent festival in the neighboring town of Bucerias gave me a good excuse to fire off some expired parachute flares. Nobody will notice them with all the fireworks going off right? To my surprise they gathered a big crowd on the beach when I started firing them in rapid sequence (after the main fireworks were all over). Lots of Mexicans wanted to know where to buy them - but were disappointed that they cost over 800 pesos each!<br />
<br />
<b>Test Results</b><br />
<br />
Comet SOLAS flares - 4 flares<br />
Expiry date 7/2013<br />
<br />
2 flares fired and 2 failed to fire at all. 50% success rate<br />
<br />
nice molded hand grip, simple operation, fairly skinny<br />
<br />
<br />
Ikaros SOLAS flares - 2 flares<br />
Expiry date 9/2014<br />
<br />
both flares fired, but one of the red flares was a lot dimmer than a proper flare. 50%+ rate?<br />
<br />
bit chunky, and method of firing is a bit harder to figure out, though the direction on the side is clear enough. Lots of backblast (Comet had none). If fired from inside a liferaft it would have filled the raft with smoke for a few minutes I think.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Conclusions:</b> Based on these very limited tests I'd pick Comet flares in the future mostly due to size, simple operation, and no backblast. <br />
<br />
- EvanDiane, Evan, Maia and Charlie the cathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07607359149594812176noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3359919.post-15855978694182850552017-01-23T16:15:00.000-08:002017-01-25T06:19:15.452-08:00Facts and Figures from Eight Years Afloat<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU">It’s been a while since we’ve done a
tally—but I know some of you love these sorts of nitty gritty details. So the
facts:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-I7TkvHDdyXw/WIfGn-kueTI/AAAAAAAAIQY/IwZKl3_rZZsMV3ZTNbEgSj6tjeioKGM3wCLcB/s1600/IMG_8738.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-I7TkvHDdyXw/WIfGn-kueTI/AAAAAAAAIQY/IwZKl3_rZZsMV3ZTNbEgSj6tjeioKGM3wCLcB/s400/IMG_8738.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Country 29: Colombia</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU">We’ve sailed 37,000 nautical miles which
equals 68,524 kilometres or 5,710,000 boat lengths.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU">We departed Puerto
Vallarta April 9, 2011 and crossed our outbound track January 11,
2017 (as an aside, Evan and I met at Sailing
Instructor School
January 11, 1986).</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU"></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-a6tMXxmreDw/WIaZBI_s3-I/AAAAAAAAIOM/KlqScwoYUgYgkxCX2AFYdTEOW1dbzqNUACEw/s1600/IMG_1526.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-a6tMXxmreDw/WIaZBI_s3-I/AAAAAAAAIOM/KlqScwoYUgYgkxCX2AFYdTEOW1dbzqNUACEw/s320/IMG_1526.jpg" width="208" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Getting a trim (with the works) in the Seychelles</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU">In that time we’ve visited 31 countries,
learned to say hello in 15 different languages and negotiated haircuts in seven
of them.</span></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_7OjyMaNkXI/WIe_Uimdu9I/AAAAAAAAIPc/otGGVRMnxPYl8pt5KeHKfndnGFhm36WkQCLcB/s1600/IMG_0896.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_7OjyMaNkXI/WIe_Uimdu9I/AAAAAAAAIPc/otGGVRMnxPYl8pt5KeHKfndnGFhm36WkQCLcB/s400/IMG_0896.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dinner in the Marquesas. God only knows what we ate...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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</div>
<span lang="EN-AU">When it comes to food, there were lots of
things we ate that you won’t find in a typical North American grocery store:
some of the more memorable items included itty bitty crabs (which were either
still alive or just wiggled reflexively when you picked them up), a really
not-delicious fermented breadfruit called mahie or poi, Morton Bay Bugs (if only for the name) iguana, lion fish, zebu
and kangaroo.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-l1Om9kLPizA/WIfHFWqzFUI/AAAAAAAAIQg/7HrHfu1mtdsawsLEoCoRT6RGoErMHNjrgCLcB/s1600/IMG_8792.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-l1Om9kLPizA/WIfHFWqzFUI/AAAAAAAAIQg/7HrHfu1mtdsawsLEoCoRT6RGoErMHNjrgCLcB/s400/IMG_8792.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">not your traditional grocery store</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU">There were lots of new foods on our
journey—including about ten different versions of a leafy green vegetable that
always went by the name spinach, even though none of them actually looked like spinach—but eggs,
onions, green beans, rice, lentils and chicken were universal.</span><br />
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU">For reasons known only to giant processed
food corporations Magnum ice cream bars, Mentos and Pringles chips are treats
you’ll never have to go without when you sail around the world. If that’s your thing…</span><br />
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU">Onboard, among our other stores, we carried
(and consumed) 34 litres of maple syrup. We’re Canadian. Don’t judge.</span><br />
<br />
<span lang="EN-AU">We paid for all the maple syrup using bank cards and credit cards which were cancelled or expired before we managed to get replacements four times. We discovered our cards should have been activated in Canada *before* they were sent to us on one occasion. In case of emergencies we carried about 1.5k in USD.</span><br />
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xZpUrni6610/WIaZDGx8iAI/AAAAAAAAIOw/oC_mElC1DO0FxrLmbwrg9lkVqMrmfsf4ACEw/s1600/IMG_6755.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xZpUrni6610/WIaZDGx8iAI/AAAAAAAAIOw/oC_mElC1DO0FxrLmbwrg9lkVqMrmfsf4ACEw/s400/IMG_6755.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The entertainment at Hacienda San Angel</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU"> On the topic of food our most memorable
restaurant meals were at <i><span class="st"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Hacienda
San </span></span><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-style: normal;"><i>Angel</i> </span></i>in Puerto
Vallarta and an underwater restaurant called <i>Sea </i>at Kihavah
Huravalhi in the Maldives.
Both had incredible ambience and amazing food. The pizza place in Nuka Hiva
gets an honourable mention because who doesn’t love pizza after their first
major ocean crossing.</span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-A2gLNsaHvWw/WIaZDtEaZ8I/AAAAAAAAIO4/85XOtjzamlMkoWy40yFjBUgcKZPUyGK1ACEw/s1600/IMG_7765.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-A2gLNsaHvWw/WIaZDtEaZ8I/AAAAAAAAIO4/85XOtjzamlMkoWy40yFjBUgcKZPUyGK1ACEw/s400/IMG_7765.jpg" width="267" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">drinking the Vin de Constance was completely okay at Longwood--Napoleon's residence on St Helena</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU"> The most memorable cocktail which we
absolutely didn’t imbibe in at Napoleon’s tomb on St
Helena in commemoration of his death because the French consul
doesn’t allow that sort of thing was definitely not a 2010 Vin de Constance. But had
we snuck into the tomb after dark, with friends who won’t be named, on the 195
anniversary of Napoleon’s death, I think it would have been fitting to drink
the same wine from the same vineyard which he had shipped to him. But it didn’t
happen.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7dQSHLrvyVQ/WIaZBV8dvzI/AAAAAAAAIOQ/HUK7bfxNGysN0tg4TCgDsoJ92IwS2JGrQCEw/s1600/IMG_1242.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7dQSHLrvyVQ/WIaZBV8dvzI/AAAAAAAAIOQ/HUK7bfxNGysN0tg4TCgDsoJ92IwS2JGrQCEw/s400/IMG_1242.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-09fMAAUreNo/WIaZCVbT1dI/AAAAAAAAIOg/X13xX4sveMs2fTvNIz-iM3BjSYB8NlT3gCEw/s1600/IMG_3080.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-09fMAAUreNo/WIaZCVbT1dI/AAAAAAAAIOg/X13xX4sveMs2fTvNIz-iM3BjSYB8NlT3gCEw/s400/IMG_3080.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Different friends, different parts of the world but the commonality was great food and lots of love</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU">Most incredible potluck with friends: a tie
between one of our goodbye dinners on St Helena, Amanda’s birthday on ‘the best
day ever’ in the Tuamotus and the last potluck of our Pacific crossing which was on the
beach in Chesterfield Reef with the remnants of all our fridges (because we
all wanted one final day).</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VGJGSbqaVgM/WIfEcnjt01I/AAAAAAAAIP0/oZG_AsntZ6YnxNVb-OHbVRyk9ZuGYA6FwCLcB/s1600/IMG_5116.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VGJGSbqaVgM/WIfEcnjt01I/AAAAAAAAIP0/oZG_AsntZ6YnxNVb-OHbVRyk9ZuGYA6FwCLcB/s400/IMG_5116.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">a lovo feast in Gunu</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span lang="EN-AU">Favourite</span><span lang="EN-AU"> Village: Gunu Village
in Fiji.
For so many reasons; we were warmly welcomed and made to feel part of the village.</span><br />
<span lang="EN-AU"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-E-ZtzcLanMk/WIaZD9tWALI/AAAAAAAAIPA/ELdb_vf6yKQKJLEAuTNGhjl89R3gwqU5gCEw/s1600/IMG_7797.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-E-ZtzcLanMk/WIaZD9tWALI/AAAAAAAAIPA/ELdb_vf6yKQKJLEAuTNGhjl89R3gwqU5gCEw/s400/IMG_7797.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">with a manta ray in the Tuamotus</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7b0bXOZb34E/WIaZEdgJoJI/AAAAAAAAIPI/Ex-31idu7TkUJTAeigUyEt2SKYpX4wFawCEw/s1600/PICT0018.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7b0bXOZb34E/WIaZEdgJoJI/AAAAAAAAIPI/Ex-31idu7TkUJTAeigUyEt2SKYpX4wFawCEw/s320/PICT0018.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">a turtle in Chagos</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU">Favourite snorkelling, in no order:
Motupuapua pass on Tahanea in the Tuamotus (black and white reef sharks, giant
manta rays, gorgeous coral and crazy clear water), the reef off of Ile Mapou in
Chagos (turtles, sharks, more turtles and so. many. fish.), The Alors in
Indonesia (so clear, so much colour), Chesterfield Reef (BIG sharks) and
Tanikely in Madagascar (we really love turtles and there were so many turtles).</span><br />
<span lang="EN-AU"> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RtCSyYxZOxQ/WIe_WKax0_I/AAAAAAAAIPk/m-HsKLYAeB0K2SYWUmqQ82dtR-axPpd8QCLcB/s1600/IMG_2398.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="297" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RtCSyYxZOxQ/WIe_WKax0_I/AAAAAAAAIPk/m-HsKLYAeB0K2SYWUmqQ82dtR-axPpd8QCLcB/s400/IMG_2398.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">monkeys in Kupang Indonesia</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</span><br />
<span lang="EN-AU">Maia hung out with the cats, dogs, monkeys and burros in every country we visited except the Maldives (mainly because we didn't see animals there) and Chagos (unpopulated).</span><br />
<span lang="EN-AU"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hCB7NPt7WQ4/WIaZB8V-ZQI/AAAAAAAAIOY/dJBE9WI03wgDIy2GCfEclSe7z_TasY6YwCEw/s1600/IMG_1819.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hCB7NPt7WQ4/WIaZB8V-ZQI/AAAAAAAAIOY/dJBE9WI03wgDIy2GCfEclSe7z_TasY6YwCEw/s400/IMG_1819.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">whale shark in Mexico</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU">On the topic of snorkelling, we swam with:
sharks, stingrays, dolphins, manta rays, lion fish, whale sharks, turtles,
wobbegone sharks and a whole bunch of other cool stuff.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OSmM-NlJTOI/WIaZDf61qkI/AAAAAAAAIO0/RXbWos-5W7AinUz65OA6jnKe6hFeXHJEQCEw/s1600/IMG_7377.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="310" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OSmM-NlJTOI/WIaZDf61qkI/AAAAAAAAIO0/RXbWos-5W7AinUz65OA6jnKe6hFeXHJEQCEw/s400/IMG_7377.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">gorgeous Nuka Hiva</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU">Our favourite hikes were a combination of
gorgeous, historical and interesting: The peaks on Nuka Hiva, Cook’s Look on Lizard Island, Australia,
Nosy Komba, Madagascar and
Jacob’s Ladder on St Helena.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-AU"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-iqHYcaM_QYQ/WIe_VS8J21I/AAAAAAAAIPg/Y_LkPcI6h0oXc4_UkOWuSWOckScrF3lUACLcB/s1600/IMG_0869.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-iqHYcaM_QYQ/WIe_VS8J21I/AAAAAAAAIPg/Y_LkPcI6h0oXc4_UkOWuSWOckScrF3lUACLcB/s400/IMG_0869.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div>
<br />
<span lang="EN-AU">We participated in a cultural event which included some sort of dance in 15 different countries.</span><br />
<span lang="EN-AU"> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7h6Uecp-Hug/WIfpzY0fS6I/AAAAAAAAIQ4/0-tZjpFCagIb8LX4z4c9_Mix8jrhRW61wCLcB/s1600/PICT0041-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7h6Uecp-Hug/WIfpzY0fS6I/AAAAAAAAIQ4/0-tZjpFCagIb8LX4z4c9_Mix8jrhRW61wCLcB/s320/PICT0041-4.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">incoming squall</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
For weather, we only had two passages where we experienced extended winds of 20-25 knots. Most of the time we sailed in winds in the 15 knot range. The least wind we had was on the passage from Sri Lanka to the Maldives (a couple of days of 0-4 knots) while the windiest was the Seychelles to Comoros.</span><br />
<span lang="EN-AU"><br /></span>
<span lang="EN-AU">The warmest waters were in the Indian Ocean, we saw temperatures around 30C and the coldest were of South Africa's west coast where it was a chilly 14C.</span><br />
<span lang="EN-AU"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU">In boat related stuff we went through three
used outboard engines: our old Enduro died in the Marquesas, its replacement was
stolen in Australia
and that engine’s replacement is still going strong.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU">For dinghies, our original plywood dinghy
was stolen and the replacement was later retubed in South Africa.</span><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Wq7dv_jl4WY/WIfEczFX6OI/AAAAAAAAIP4/RjNapl-4TAUjgm7eQqi4MDOXzULM70PcgCLcB/s1600/IMG_5150.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Wq7dv_jl4WY/WIfEczFX6OI/AAAAAAAAIP4/RjNapl-4TAUjgm7eQqi4MDOXzULM70PcgCLcB/s400/IMG_5150.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">our original dinghy and second motor before they were stolen in Australia</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span lang="EN-AU"> As far as theft goes our dinghy
was stolen in Brisbane and we were boarded and
inefficiently robbed in the Seychelles.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU">Our most reliable piece of equipment was
our Spectra watermaker.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU">The least reliable was the bloody Quick
windlass. It’s Italian. We should have known better.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU">We put 3700 hours on our engine—a
reasonable number of which were used to provide power on cloudy days in Brisbane. We kept it
running by using a total of six fuel filters.</span></div>
<br />
<span lang="EN-AU">Our most comm</span><span lang="EN-AU">on repair at sea was fixing
our kick-up rudder (until Evan changed the design so it was no longer able to
kick up) or untangling from a floating fishing net.</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XcmReh3sqwk/WIaZED68VmI/AAAAAAAAIPE/4tMOx4F5imMRYZ5uLT28-QlN7R8g3czlwCEw/s1600/PICT0006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XcmReh3sqwk/WIaZED68VmI/AAAAAAAAIPE/4tMOx4F5imMRYZ5uLT28-QlN7R8g3czlwCEw/s400/PICT0006.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rescuing a boat from a reef in Chagos</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU">We were involved in rescues which ranged
from bringing an engineless boat into harbour, searching for a boat which was
firing off flares, recovering an elderly man who had fallen in the water and
assisting a boat which had gone up on a reef.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU">In random trivia we experienced 1 flood, 3
tsunamis, 2 earthquakes and discovered uses for palm coir that include being
made into bricks for a ‘mattress’ in a Sri Lankan guesthouse and being mixed
with epoxy for a rudder repair.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-m1drkM_wuf8/WIaZCldkJrI/AAAAAAAAIOk/P--YdDcxbi8mRJ0_w-1kTXeJY-uzTbB4gCEw/s1600/IMG_4125.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-m1drkM_wuf8/WIaZCldkJrI/AAAAAAAAIOk/P--YdDcxbi8mRJ0_w-1kTXeJY-uzTbB4gCEw/s400/IMG_4125.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">giving sevu-sevu to the oldest female chief in Fiji</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tyNqtcwEkOg/WIaZCPQTG8I/AAAAAAAAIOc/5KXvKEVB114OSxJ-GDYtissrIf-zoMTlgCEw/s1600/IMG_2898.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tyNqtcwEkOg/WIaZCPQTG8I/AAAAAAAAIOc/5KXvKEVB114OSxJ-GDYtissrIf-zoMTlgCEw/s400/IMG_2898.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">and walking donkeys with the first female governor of St Helena</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="_GoBack"></a><span lang="EN-AU">Our lap of the planet
gave us the chance to meet a mayor, a governor, dozens of scientists,
incredible artisans, philanthropists, activists, plantation workers, fishermen,
musicians, teachers, farmers, vintners, cooks, authors, film makers, doctors,
nurses, world-class sailors and so many more. Our lives are immeasurably
richer—much more than this count can ever show.</span></div>
Diane, Evan, Maia and Charlie the cathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07607359149594812176noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3359919.post-72245935084780007312017-01-14T09:36:00.001-08:002017-01-14T09:50:51.348-08:00Thoughts from a Circumnavigation<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-iPBfrFcrUYg/WHpZPuFQtII/AAAAAAAAIKU/m7sYJ4PgBQ8qKLZ-ViZT_SxvBdgX1_3uQCLcB/s1600/circumnavigator%2Bcertificate.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="258" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-iPBfrFcrUYg/WHpZPuFQtII/AAAAAAAAIKU/m7sYJ4PgBQ8qKLZ-ViZT_SxvBdgX1_3uQCLcB/s400/circumnavigator%2Bcertificate.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU">Maia and I were asked to speak at the Women
Who Sail meeting in La Cruz yesterday-which was a fantastic experience. Several
of the women asked me if I’d post my speech—so here it is.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU">Cat asked me to talk a bit about what I’ve
learned on this journey—and how my thoughts changed from the time I first set
off to cross the Pacific to now. Well, that’s a biggie. And what I’ve learned
has a lot to do with what’s happening around me. Right now I’m giddy—we’ve just
completed our circumnavigation and not only that, it’s been months and months since
anything broke on our boat. So right now I can tell you this life is way easier
than you can imagine and everyone should go.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-q812PhF706c/WHpZtIhhpzI/AAAAAAAAIKc/mOb6ozcpQTAFe-5TeJsuC8YDniOgBFCBACLcB/s1600/IMG_8973.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-q812PhF706c/WHpZtIhhpzI/AAAAAAAAIKc/mOb6ozcpQTAFe-5TeJsuC8YDniOgBFCBACLcB/s400/IMG_8973.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But
if you’d asked me the same question mid-passage between the Seychelles and Comoros, just after a wave washed
away a portion of our slatted foredeck and Charlie the Cat and I were seasick
and taking turns throwing up, I would have told you travelling by sailboat is
really stupid and planes were invented for a reason. Sometimes this life is
sublime and sometimes you should really get on that plane. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DGxlos-cNW0/WHpZtAj60wI/AAAAAAAAIKg/3IOxRprRmbAkLnmfmDPULFUKXUNcE0qlQCLcB/s1600/PICT0041-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DGxlos-cNW0/WHpZtAj60wI/AAAAAAAAIKg/3IOxRprRmbAkLnmfmDPULFUKXUNcE0qlQCLcB/s400/PICT0041-4.jpg" width="400" /></a><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1sXhjQL6f_s/WHpZst0-rBI/AAAAAAAAIKY/s6YIIxUJaxYf0HdhfuB5YGO1fStLMm5lgCLcB/s1600/IMG_7459.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1sXhjQL6f_s/WHpZst0-rBI/AAAAAAAAIKY/s6YIIxUJaxYf0HdhfuB5YGO1fStLMm5lgCLcB/s400/IMG_7459.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU">But I’ll try to cover a few of my biggest
lessons in between.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU">About me: I'm a sailor and mum, obviously—and I
came to my love of sailing early: When I was a little girl my dad used to take
us down to the docks in Comox harbour to look at boats. My sisters liked the
colourful fish boats and my dad liked classic day sailors but one day I found a
boat I liked even more: it was dark and sleek and had Hawaii as a hailing port, a place I’d only
ever associated with holidays and pineapples. That’s when I learned it was
possible for normal people to sail across oceans. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU">My intrigue with sailing stuck—despite
having no boat in the family, I spent my adolescence dinghy racing and taught
sailing to little kids in the summers. My plan was to someday sail around the
world. So after high school I went to sailing school to become a Coastal
Cruising instructor. While there I met a cute boy who told me he also wanted to
sail around the world. A few years later we decided we might as well make the
trip together.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1_IvUheLwCw/WHpaCO4275I/AAAAAAAAIKo/n09qhWu5Xy0PacEQdtr4_qOYn0MsuqIVwCLcB/s1600/Ceilydh%2Bat%2Banchor%2B1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1_IvUheLwCw/WHpaCO4275I/AAAAAAAAIKo/n09qhWu5Xy0PacEQdtr4_qOYn0MsuqIVwCLcB/s400/Ceilydh%2Bat%2Banchor%2B1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU">Evan and I’s first boat was a Fortune 30’,
a heavy displacement cutter which was really 28’. Our budget was $500 a month.
That trip lasted 3.5 years and we ended up as live aboards in Annapolis—where Evan worked as a yacht
designer and I worked on boats and started forays into being a writer. A couple of years later, Maia
joined our crew. Once she began toddling around we realized that between
her and Travis the 30lb cat we’d grown out of the little boat. So we headed
back to Vancouver—there
we purchased our current boat and spent 5 years prepping her for sail.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-E0YRzWODANI/WHpaCSb7QYI/AAAAAAAAIKs/Mi05LHUsQu0Oc3ZT1njMBT4YGgdVklCDgCLcB/s1600/Di%2Band%2BMaia2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-E0YRzWODANI/WHpaCSb7QYI/AAAAAAAAIKs/Mi05LHUsQu0Oc3ZT1njMBT4YGgdVklCDgCLcB/s320/Di%2Band%2BMaia2.jpg" width="206" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU">There was a huge difference between
prepping 20 years ago and then again ten years ago. Not only had the boat options
and technology changed; but the first time round all the answers to our
questions came from books, boat shows, sailing mags and a couple of seminars.
Perhaps it was ignorance, or youth, or not being a mother yet—but it seemed
like cruising was something that simply sorted itself out as we went. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU">Because there was less information to sift
through it was easier to trust ourselves—when Charlie’s Chart showed us where
to anchor, there was no way to double check the way point against a satellite
image and multiple blogs so we looked at the spot ourselves and followed our
instincts. When we found another cruising boat—we befriended them. When
deciding where to go next--it often came down to how we interpreted a daily
weather fax and vague descriptions of places other people had been. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU">Usually we didn’t have much of a plan at
all.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MHocbNLUTes/WHpagdq0CMI/AAAAAAAAIK0/D_QcpiGzaeMvyA9gvaTJXFHCYo9kle_XQCLcB/s1600/IMG_8155.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MHocbNLUTes/WHpagdq0CMI/AAAAAAAAIK0/D_QcpiGzaeMvyA9gvaTJXFHCYo9kle_XQCLcB/s400/IMG_8155.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU">This time round there were way more
resources and at some point in our first year of this journey I was lucky
enough to connect with Charlotte Kauffman, founder of WWS. A small group of us
who all had kids and were in various stages of our cruising journeys all came
together online. What Charlotte observed in our early conversations was were there were
aspects of what we wanted to talk about that just didn’t fit on the
male-oriented sailing boards. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU">The questions we had for each other went
beyond the mechanics of sailing (though many of us were interested in those
too) but many of them were more subtle; how do we make a boat a home?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What would happen to our relationships when
we were isolated from our families and friends? What if we’re afraid? How do we
cope with burnout? What happens if one member of the family is unhappy?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU">For me—this was the first time I’d
even articulated the questions. As our group exchanged ideas and experiences
there was a sense of relief. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/--PoxuOIcTW8/WHpaqewZQhI/AAAAAAAAIK4/0bfxPG-IXqsyTNa0FOj0M3gai4VoB4bzACLcB/s1600/IMG_3019.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/--PoxuOIcTW8/WHpaqewZQhI/AAAAAAAAIK4/0bfxPG-IXqsyTNa0FOj0M3gai4VoB4bzACLcB/s320/IMG_3019.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU">After all, there’s simply no way can you tell a
friend at home that you really need a break from sailing the world’s most
beautiful tropical islands on your private yacht without getting a rude
response, or worse. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-C4Y410dSBpU/WHpbJb8swbI/AAAAAAAAILA/pVFS-hyumN80Mmto-vncNBW5xdwZ712KQCLcB/s1600/IMG_9819.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-C4Y410dSBpU/WHpbJb8swbI/AAAAAAAAILA/pVFS-hyumN80Mmto-vncNBW5xdwZ712KQCLcB/s400/IMG_9819.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU">But when you’ve spent enough uncertain
nights at anchor, wondering if you or your neighbour might drag. Or shopped in
enough places where the only fresh food that’s familiar are eggs, green beans
and withered onions (but oh, my goodness you would kill for spinach and don’t
even talk to me about mushrooms…). Or you've once again bypassed a harbour you’ve
been dreaming about for weeks because the weather was wrong. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU">Sometimes you need an ear that gets it. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU">That sounds like such a small thing.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qh1MiPK2nwg/WHpbd_cxkSI/AAAAAAAAILI/H2GwBh3GNfgltKTWZ8HAIqHTOnqiksPkgCLcB/s1600/IMG_6250.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qh1MiPK2nwg/WHpbd_cxkSI/AAAAAAAAILI/H2GwBh3GNfgltKTWZ8HAIqHTOnqiksPkgCLcB/s320/IMG_6250.jpg" width="226" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU">But cruising is a life that’s often lived
at the very edge of our comfort zones. And to cope, and to thrive… sometimes we
need comfort.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU">Three days out of the Marquesas on our
Pacific crossing we lost a rudder. Initially, after getting over the sense of
disbelief and convincing Evan the loss of our rudder was real, and not an
optical illusion: we did what was needed to balance the boat and alerted our
SSB net and the authorities to the situation. Then, for me, the fear kicked in.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-oS7YDTPh_h0/WHpd9KjdAGI/AAAAAAAAIL4/TAXWm4FNOGE2gpfpt_Fj_R0V_G5UsMJ8gCLcB/s1600/IMG_9903.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-oS7YDTPh_h0/WHpd9KjdAGI/AAAAAAAAIL4/TAXWm4FNOGE2gpfpt_Fj_R0V_G5UsMJ8gCLcB/s320/IMG_9903.jpg" width="237" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU">I’m not sure how the dynamic in your
relationship goes, but in mine it’s a bit like this: I feel an emotion related
to an event—often quite intensely. Evan, who usually experiences the same event
a little differently, points out that my reaction might be an overreaction. In
the case of our rudder loss he tried to give me information to combat my fear:
we’re a cat so we had two rudders; our second rudder most likely wouldn’t break
off too; <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>we were managing to do fine in
current conditions; but if it all went to hell we’ll call for help. So I had
nothing to worry about. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU">Now I was terrified and annoyed.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ukOzJ5tTYac/WHpd8mhzfAI/AAAAAAAAIL0/fk9UEsMN7ssjjAZT537jgg6_HG9LS6EPQCLcB/s1600/IMG_9816.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ukOzJ5tTYac/WHpd8mhzfAI/AAAAAAAAIL0/fk9UEsMN7ssjjAZT537jgg6_HG9LS6EPQCLcB/s320/IMG_9816.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU">Emailing friends at home didn’t help
either. Even with Evan’s explanation—they were pretty sure the next place
they’d be seeing us was on the evening news, after our rescue.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU">But other sailing women got it: One sent
bad jokes and puns about being rudderless; one encouraged me to write out every
worry I had, no matter how ridiculous; the sailing mums commiserated about the
importance of keeping my fear in check so would Maia stay calm. One friend, who
I met on our first voyage, reminded me of her own technique for managing fear.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU">She reminded me to take stock of our
situation and look at exactly what was happening in that very moment that made
me afraid. Not what could happen, not what had previously happened just what
was occurring now? What was happening is we were fine—the boat was chugging
along under reduced sail. The authorities were checking in with us regularly.
We had our contingency plans in place.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU">Her reminder to stay in the moment is
always a balm to my fears. And the advice and commiseration other women offered
made me laugh and made being rudderless seem okay.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-n9eZ01jGH6s/WHpbwb1o2VI/AAAAAAAAILM/Y_CzTk4QDAMTkbMlGmkbqENXGKMnyPMHACLcB/s1600/IMG_7375.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-n9eZ01jGH6s/WHpbwb1o2VI/AAAAAAAAILM/Y_CzTk4QDAMTkbMlGmkbqENXGKMnyPMHACLcB/s320/IMG_7375.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dK3oYCb-OXE/WHpbwXYK8ZI/AAAAAAAAILQ/ekcROU9HLj0N8HmXV1xcu0Id1mJI_248gCLcB/s1600/IMG_7393.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dK3oYCb-OXE/WHpbwXYK8ZI/AAAAAAAAILQ/ekcROU9HLj0N8HmXV1xcu0Id1mJI_248gCLcB/s400/IMG_7393.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU">They gave the comfort I needed as we made
our way in to Nuka Hiva. Then once we were safely in harbour they even
understood the frustrations of being stuck in once place waiting for a new rudder, even though it was a
really gorgeous place, when what I wanted to be doing was be out exploring different anchorages with
our buddy boats. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU">Evan pointed out I needed to get used to
this uncertainty of cruising again and being frustrated wouldn’t help. My sister sailing women reminded
me that even though the uncertainty would always exist—it would still sometimes suck.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU">The problem with that kind of comfort is it can be hard
to let it go.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hfwknmMoC5M/WHpcBNFSKZI/AAAAAAAAILY/zzdqpkSXJII2L-nWu3KIdpBz8kSQxIn9ACLcB/s1600/IMG_1242.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hfwknmMoC5M/WHpcBNFSKZI/AAAAAAAAILY/zzdqpkSXJII2L-nWu3KIdpBz8kSQxIn9ACLcB/s400/IMG_1242.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-q2BpYEgnOpQ/WHpcBHjcsAI/AAAAAAAAILc/-MxZseyuGHU57SPdNNSrI2kLk-VJ_P9DwCLcB/s1600/IMG_1915.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-q2BpYEgnOpQ/WHpcBHjcsAI/AAAAAAAAILc/-MxZseyuGHU57SPdNNSrI2kLk-VJ_P9DwCLcB/s400/IMG_1915.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU">Hundreds of boats cross the Pacific each
year and it can seem impossible to find a harbour of your own. But my cruising
dreams were built on the classics—I read Slocum, and Smeeton, Roth and Pardey.
I formed my ideas on their descriptions: I’d ghost into an unknown harbour at
dawn, anchor off the beach, as the only boat in sight. Onshore I’d be greeted
by children and they’d take me to the village elders.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yvoUra6C264/WHpdn5aiIvI/AAAAAAAAILo/SoHAsjTyyREkAmGUFIp9MXGjXQcaP-LQACLcB/s1600/IMG_6688.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yvoUra6C264/WHpdn5aiIvI/AAAAAAAAILo/SoHAsjTyyREkAmGUFIp9MXGjXQcaP-LQACLcB/s400/IMG_6688.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU">Not long into our second journey I realized
we’d given up this old-style of cruising for something more rally-like. Often
4-6 (or more) boats<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="_GoBack"></a> travelled in company and we’d arrive
en mass in a little harbour. As a group we were enough to overwhelm a village.
And in many ways we were self-contained. We’d shop together, hike together,
snorkel together, have sundowners and potlucks together on the beach.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU"></span></div>
<br />
<span lang="EN-AU"> </span><span lang="EN-AU"></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-AU"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wXCNlHVGI6w/WHpdoHX3JrI/AAAAAAAAILs/0r-3UGGUXAgOvp0O8BEuEdGnOHY6r1ubQCLcB/s1600/IMG_7218.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wXCNlHVGI6w/WHpdoHX3JrI/AAAAAAAAILs/0r-3UGGUXAgOvp0O8BEuEdGnOHY6r1ubQCLcB/s400/IMG_7218.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div>
<span lang="EN-AU">
<br />
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-AU"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pnX8hT3_qeI/WHpdoDE07AI/AAAAAAAAILw/ebxQNRyJldEQctn37ahnSSvNr_AuqJyMwCLcB/s1600/Tuamotus%2B2011%2B%25281%2Bof%2B1%2529-7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pnX8hT3_qeI/WHpdoDE07AI/AAAAAAAAILw/ebxQNRyJldEQctn37ahnSSvNr_AuqJyMwCLcB/s400/Tuamotus%2B2011%2B%25281%2Bof%2B1%2529-7.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div>
<span lang="EN-AU">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU">It was incredibly fun—but the places we
were and locals we met had begun to feel a bit more like a backdrop to our
journey—rather than the purpose of it.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU">Leaving the well-trodden path, especially
with a child in tow, is more difficult. But we always found it was worth it.
The moments when we struck out on our own, or with just one other boat, led us
to some of the most compelling encounters of our journey. After a while the
sundowners and potlucks blend together. But the time that we spent in places
like Gunu village in Fiji
is still crystalline.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UjcvvuJhFFA/WHpeTvjDYFI/AAAAAAAAIME/NUXI3Imd9gkoDpN5mSdelGl1Wu1e88JLwCLcB/s1600/IMG_4125.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UjcvvuJhFFA/WHpeTvjDYFI/AAAAAAAAIME/NUXI3Imd9gkoDpN5mSdelGl1Wu1e88JLwCLcB/s400/IMG_4125.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU">Along with another kid boat we chose Gunu
village in Fiji’s
Yasawas because the bay wasn’t particularly pretty and it wasn’t written up in
any of the blogs we’d found. Knowing nothing about the village we erred on the
side of courtesy and assumed it might be a traditional sevu-sevu village. So we
dressed in sulus, skirts and shirts that covered our shoulders and took our
bundle of kava to shore.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU"></span><span lang="EN-AU"></span><span lang="EN-AU"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU">Once there, we were greeted by children and
then brought to the village elders. Sitting in a circle in their hut we spoke
the Fijian words and asked permission to visit the village and swim and fish in
their waters.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XwjBHJ1P6HY/WHpeTEfb1sI/AAAAAAAAIL8/UBJ-Y0u6flA300xPhTBtI6-Xbghx8VM5gCLcB/s1600/IMG_5039.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XwjBHJ1P6HY/WHpeTEfb1sI/AAAAAAAAIL8/UBJ-Y0u6flA300xPhTBtI6-Xbghx8VM5gCLcB/s400/IMG_5039.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU">When you do the sevu-sevu ceremony in a
traditional Fijian village you become family. And in Gunu we were quickly
adopted. If we walked past a home—we were often brought in for a visit. If it
was mealtime—the food was stretched to accommodate us. We tried to do our part
in turn—bringing supplies for the school and then having what seemed like half
the village kids aboard our boats for a breakfast of juice and muffins.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-w-tommMMoMk/WHpeTU_BnEI/AAAAAAAAIMA/bMNwy-4reRYZPImbLqVlU9g1vv340IMDQCLcB/s1600/IMG_5095.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-w-tommMMoMk/WHpeTU_BnEI/AAAAAAAAIMA/bMNwy-4reRYZPImbLqVlU9g1vv340IMDQCLcB/s400/IMG_5095.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU">The highlight came when the village invited us to a lovo feast. We were encouraged to come to shore early to see the meal dug
up from the earth where it had steamed all day. Then we were draped with flowers
and brought into a home, which had been transformed into a feast hall.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Ib8yzNJfP70/WHpeT0S0PfI/AAAAAAAAIMI/UEJ8OugmfhEwsRj3OL0XiioYZBm-tpvtQCLcB/s1600/IMG_5116.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Ib8yzNJfP70/WHpeT0S0PfI/AAAAAAAAIMI/UEJ8OugmfhEwsRj3OL0XiioYZBm-tpvtQCLcB/s400/IMG_5116.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU">As guests, we ate first—tucking into though
rourou (taro leaves with coconut milk) pumpkin, chicken and fish. Then the men
ate, then the children and finally the women who cooked for us. I felt like I
had stepped into the pages of the cruising books I had read so long ago. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU">And you know what? It was just as magical
as I had imagined. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU">The dreams we’ve brought to this life are
worth pursuing. They’re worth stepping out of our comfort zone and venturing
off the well-known cruising path for. But my biggest lesson, the one that comes
back over and over, is I can’t be too specific about my dreams. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XaJT0Hx5f60/WHpetpTajNI/AAAAAAAAIMQ/XBSsxDpZ3lcBA5piirQl0CEMNtHNMcyawCLcB/s1600/PICT0005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XaJT0Hx5f60/WHpetpTajNI/AAAAAAAAIMQ/XBSsxDpZ3lcBA5piirQl0CEMNtHNMcyawCLcB/s400/PICT0005.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KZ_FCieg0eU/WHpet6NtXuI/AAAAAAAAIMU/8Z53nstSR7Ip17_0hf5SnOT4_RVNNFTqwCLcB/s1600/PICT0018.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KZ_FCieg0eU/WHpet6NtXuI/AAAAAAAAIMU/8Z53nstSR7Ip17_0hf5SnOT4_RVNNFTqwCLcB/s400/PICT0018.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kF8PQCKL--A/WHpeuNBbovI/AAAAAAAAIMY/b1KglF5GYC0gdN-4ipRW2Exm-IIJS8JrQCLcB/s1600/PICT0038.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="305" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kF8PQCKL--A/WHpeuNBbovI/AAAAAAAAIMY/b1KglF5GYC0gdN-4ipRW2Exm-IIJS8JrQCLcB/s400/PICT0038.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU">On our first journey we learned the value
being adaptable. I’m sure you’ve heard the phrases that remind us we’re not in
control: “Cruising plans are written in the sand at low tide; You can choose and
port or a date, but not both; The most dangerous thing on a boat is a calendar;
DHL will always lose the most important boat part”. But the same focus and
drive that got us to the point where we’ve shrugged off land life and moved on
a boat is often confronted by the requirement we chill out and just let life
happen. Among a few other things, this conflict can be frustrating.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU">All these years in and I still get wistful
when weather or scheduling forces us bypass a port I wanted to visit. Or when
something breaks and all our friends set off without us. To be a cruiser you
need to be a both a focused type-A and an easygoing romantic. And sometimes,
especially in the first year—but honestly it never really goes away—that
combination of constant uncertainty and desire for control can lead to burnout.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU">The tricky part is I’ve yet to meet a crew
where everyone hits that sense of being frustrated and overwhelmed at exactly
the same moment. On our boat we’ve learned to see the signs in each other.
Evan—rather than being the eternal optimist who can fix anything begins to
catastrophize about all the ways the boat could break. He won’t sleep well and
he gets grumpy. Maia withdraws and there’s a lot less singing and far fewer wry
comments around the boat. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU">Apparently I become short tempered.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XC_LFAQGPP4/WHpf2euKWdI/AAAAAAAAIMo/JYFmhiJVuHkF_i_T9-Cm3UxbrxdwYpvjQCLcB/s1600/IMG_2945.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XC_LFAQGPP4/WHpf2euKWdI/AAAAAAAAIMo/JYFmhiJVuHkF_i_T9-Cm3UxbrxdwYpvjQCLcB/s400/IMG_2945.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dqf0fH8CFbw/WHpf21UDJqI/AAAAAAAAIMs/kQFT_vmECQAET1QIk4NdXc_YlAR9_xQOACLcB/s1600/IMG_4344.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dqf0fH8CFbw/WHpf21UDJqI/AAAAAAAAIMs/kQFT_vmECQAET1QIk4NdXc_YlAR9_xQOACLcB/s400/IMG_4344.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU">These are the moments when we’ve learned we
need to look out for each other. It’s easy to make mistakes when you just want
to be somewhere else. We’ll speed through a repair, or risk the weather or
decide this whole effort just isn’t worth it. We know some people who
permanently and prematurely burned out.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU">The solutions are individual—but they come
back to comfort. Sometimes a week in the marina helped us. Other times we took
an inland trip where we banned boat talk. Sometimes just immersing in the
familiar is enough. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU">When we reached Bali
we hadn’t been with other cruisers or encountered spoken English for months.
When we went out for dinner we had a choice of delicious looking and affordable
Indonesian food, or burgers and rootbeer floats at an A&W. The A&W won.
It was in a mall—so we wandered through looking at all the glossy shops,
slurping our floats.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU">It only took 5 or 6 visits before we
realized our energy and enthusiasm were back and we all wanted to get back
underway. We wanted to see what was next. We didn’t mind the uncertainty.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Kv0Qq_p5GKA/WHphdJ2dIJI/AAAAAAAAIM4/M42_Owu_rVQDcKmfVAsqbsrAOxKVAVgwgCLcB/s1600/IMG_7072.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Kv0Qq_p5GKA/WHphdJ2dIJI/AAAAAAAAIM4/M42_Owu_rVQDcKmfVAsqbsrAOxKVAVgwgCLcB/s400/IMG_7072.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU">So—I’ll leave you with this. This is a
remarkable way to live but it’s not always easy. So take comfort in each
other—but also give each other courage. And keep honouring the dreams that
brought you this far.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Diane, Evan, Maia and Charlie the cathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07607359149594812176noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3359919.post-38666669390690804772017-01-03T15:52:00.003-08:002017-01-03T15:52:27.465-08:00Where We're Meant to Be--Puerto Escondido<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-m5nODrnYoAM/WGwyl_jt-FI/AAAAAAAAII8/g0PGE95ZTYgy4TlopUDeQInSbQCuoWj5wCLcB/s1600/IMG_5288.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-m5nODrnYoAM/WGwyl_jt-FI/AAAAAAAAII8/g0PGE95ZTYgy4TlopUDeQInSbQCuoWj5wCLcB/s640/IMG_5288.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
When I woke—I saw a fishing float right outside the window and
realized I’d fallen asleep on watch. Panicking I tried to reach out for the
autopilot to turn away from the float, but I was frozen in place. Then I woke
up again and realized the float was a buoy and I was about to run up on land. Then
things got really weird—the boat wouldn’t turn, it morphed into a kayak, and I
paddled up some rapids to where I could see the boat at anchor. When I tried to
I call Evan on the radio I realized the radio was broken.</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4VqMR3DjJeY/WGwzQGVuqnI/AAAAAAAAIJI/6dTnNImxQAwE0LkxbnBxMqewi1NG8YhSwCLcB/s1600/IMG_5331.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4VqMR3DjJeY/WGwzQGVuqnI/AAAAAAAAIJI/6dTnNImxQAwE0LkxbnBxMqewi1NG8YhSwCLcB/s400/IMG_5331.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Martin saved us the effort of setting up the dinghy for a surf landing while carting 100 litres of fuel</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4yN2P3zrl2c/WGwzKzuzd5I/AAAAAAAAIJA/ava4ZZ7QH-QnRhzmlJUbo2wd7G2CCGs8ACLcB/s1600/IMG_5325.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="268" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4yN2P3zrl2c/WGwzKzuzd5I/AAAAAAAAIJA/ava4ZZ7QH-QnRhzmlJUbo2wd7G2CCGs8ACLcB/s400/IMG_5325.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I recall getting exam anxiety dreams. But then the fear of
showing up in the wrong room for the wrong test gradually gave way deadline
anxiety dreams where I’d wake up realizing that four interviews and 1200 words
were due yesterday. Navigation anxiety has been slow to seep into my
dreamscape. But these days it seems there to stay. It might be the new
seasickness medication I’m taking (my dreams are so crazy—but I’m vomiting less,
so hey…) or it may simply be the fact we sailed a whole lot of miles this past
year. Whatever the cause, making a safe landfall in both my dreams and in
reality has become an even bigger cause for celebration.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_U887ym5Vco/WGwzVxTBB4I/AAAAAAAAIJc/fm1tpQ4MZZgLA28LZG5KEcy3DlBn24K3QCEw/s1600/IMG_5409.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_U887ym5Vco/WGwzVxTBB4I/AAAAAAAAIJc/fm1tpQ4MZZgLA28LZG5KEcy3DlBn24K3QCEw/s400/IMG_5409.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">gorgeous anchorage--in the right conditions--if it's not crowded</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Our current landfall wasn’t on the list. This situation
actually isn’t new to us. On our first boat we set out expecting we’d go to the
South Pacific but then ended up in the Western Caribbean.
On this voyage there’s been about a 50/50 chance we’d land in the port planned
on the day planned.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BtZWTPNL4eI/WGwzVaeDVeI/AAAAAAAAIJk/XADQi4lFI344IV9E3kFAjehuO3vqyxOsQCEw/s1600/IMG_5363.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BtZWTPNL4eI/WGwzVaeDVeI/AAAAAAAAIJk/XADQi4lFI344IV9E3kFAjehuO3vqyxOsQCEw/s400/IMG_5363.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0aXJMbu9n00/WGwzVkxPbDI/AAAAAAAAIJk/MSsXjYPybrAUNlmjUEXjn_kainMTwzLpQCEw/s1600/IMG_5382.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0aXJMbu9n00/WGwzVkxPbDI/AAAAAAAAIJk/MSsXjYPybrAUNlmjUEXjn_kainMTwzLpQCEw/s400/IMG_5382.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My goodness we've missed 'neighbourhood' Mexican food</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Long distance cruising is an ongoing exercise in giving up
control. You can plan all you want—but the weather, the currents and random
luck are all going to dictate what you'll actually experience.</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-F3K-OUhD8Uc/WGwzT5qT31I/AAAAAAAAIJk/ccfGc8QlcxUlfGjZ8iq-S0Q20JpQpuwrQCEw/s1600/IMG_5338.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="328" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-F3K-OUhD8Uc/WGwzT5qT31I/AAAAAAAAIJk/ccfGc8QlcxUlfGjZ8iq-S0Q20JpQpuwrQCEw/s400/IMG_5338.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the best beach life anywhere...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-IX5Lsz4Ln1o/WGwzVec5z5I/AAAAAAAAIJk/hJeltMzPguA_18dA-NezE7nAMvA8SIWJgCEw/s1600/IMG_5343.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-IX5Lsz4Ln1o/WGwzVec5z5I/AAAAAAAAIJk/hJeltMzPguA_18dA-NezE7nAMvA8SIWJgCEw/s400/IMG_5343.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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In this case, we set out from Puerto Chiapas
with the plan to cross the Tehuantepec and then take on more fuel in Puerto
Hautulco. But then the winds were lovely and the current was in our favour and
it looked like we could skip the fuel and press on an additional 300 miles for Zihuatanejo. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It was a great plan.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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But then we came into choppy seas, headwinds and 1-2.5 knots
adverse current and we spent over 10 hours going 2-3 knots—with the odd dip down
to 1 knot. The journey started to feel like Groundhog Day. Every time I started
watch or ended watch I could see the same landmarks. So we thought maybe we’d
stop for fuel in Acapulco.
But then Evan did the calculations again and Puerto Escondido started to look
good.</div>
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<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/--reE4Ln46c8/WGw222nYtRI/AAAAAAAAIJw/2x1wpPbrNrUJ0hAoSxqLJLlTLecAO_LpACLcB/s1600/IMG_5392.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/--reE4Ln46c8/WGw222nYtRI/AAAAAAAAIJw/2x1wpPbrNrUJ0hAoSxqLJLlTLecAO_LpACLcB/s400/IMG_5392.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gorgeous Zicatela beach--I think it's one of the prettiest we've ever visited</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-V55sXcfwi5s/WGw14MlIpxI/AAAAAAAAIJo/i9AnRZ7xbXMX4ssuiRkRcjjhOQDptIDOQCLcB/s1600/IMG_5387.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-V55sXcfwi5s/WGw14MlIpxI/AAAAAAAAIJo/i9AnRZ7xbXMX4ssuiRkRcjjhOQDptIDOQCLcB/s400/IMG_5387.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Puerto Escondido is a great town—with a terrible anchorage.
But we knew there was a 40-50 foot patch somewhere in the bay—so we motored in
circles until we found it (it’s at 15°51.39'N 097°03.85'W if you're interested). Then we called the
awesome Martin Mora (mobile #954 103 2273)—who is actually a sport fishing
guide—but he’s also more than happy to help cruisers get fuel, ferry you to
shore, take you to his favourite neighbourhood taco stand and show you the
sights.</div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-u1QXqUt4OFU/WGw26E6p7HI/AAAAAAAAIJ0/gI631D0_zKsuChIB7xdWxVuKuWRc7bkZwCLcB/s1600/IMG_5434.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-u1QXqUt4OFU/WGw26E6p7HI/AAAAAAAAIJ0/gI631D0_zKsuChIB7xdWxVuKuWRc7bkZwCLcB/s400/IMG_5434.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">our awesome hosts</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We had a great day with Martin, his girlfriend Carmina
and her son Carlos. We saw just enough of Escondido
to make us wish we were staying longer—and enough to decide it will make a great destination
for a future Mexican holiday. And we’re off again. This time I’m not going to
declare a destination (somewhere north) or predict when we’ll arrive (hopefully before we
run out of fuel). </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It’s awfully pretty out there though. And when we’re not
pounding into it, the miles are as dreamy as ever.</div>
<br />Diane, Evan, Maia and Charlie the cathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07607359149594812176noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3359919.post-92225464804453778532016-12-23T15:45:00.000-08:002016-12-23T15:52:44.173-08:00Chiapas—Mayan Ruins, Waterfalls and the Christmas Spirit <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-29yiIcxOXbg/WF2wCCd1THI/AAAAAAAAIHU/zDELb6mp6IsFvvHHA1B23gEprJo7dclCgCLcB/s1600/IMG_5158.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-29yiIcxOXbg/WF2wCCd1THI/AAAAAAAAIHU/zDELb6mp6IsFvvHHA1B23gEprJo7dclCgCLcB/s640/IMG_5158.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
Twenty years ago, our bus ride from the anchorage in Puerto
Madero to the Chiapas town of Tapachula went through multiple military
checkpoints. At each one, soldiers wearing black balaclavas and carrying
automatic weapons would check ID papers, looking for rebels. The people were
the poorest we’d seen in Mexico—the
countryside was stunningly beautiful, but it barely provided subsistence-level
living. The Zapatista rebels, who were pushing for social justice and improved
rights for indigenous people, were active throughout the region. And thanks to
a broken ceasefire the big billboard reading “1996 The Year of Peace and
Reconciliation in Chiapas”
was filled with bullet and mortar fire holes.
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-h8YUtrMXkxU/WF2v_NROKtI/AAAAAAAAIHA/X19yXNtHgFgNnrKYlsuvIiJ-PKQYVy94gCLcB/s1600/IMG_5062.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-h8YUtrMXkxU/WF2v_NROKtI/AAAAAAAAIHA/X19yXNtHgFgNnrKYlsuvIiJ-PKQYVy94gCLcB/s400/IMG_5062.jpg" width="282" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">pretty Comitan</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Despite the unrest, I wished we could explore. This was the
land where ancient Olmec, Toltec and Mayan peoples had built huge cities; a
place of colonial cathedrals, soaring mountains, wild rain forests, jaguars, toucans
and rivers and lakes of brilliant blue.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UBixRqNr11Y/WF2wATCnSTI/AAAAAAAAIHE/z3IUy8WKtEciNg5uKRQOkERIiqZTzd9lQCLcB/s1600/IMG_5081.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UBixRqNr11Y/WF2wATCnSTI/AAAAAAAAIHE/z3IUy8WKtEciNg5uKRQOkERIiqZTzd9lQCLcB/s320/IMG_5081.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">locals enjoying the square</td></tr>
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By the time our visit finally rolled around, peace had
thankfully taken hold but the magical places I once wanted to visit had become
tourist attractions. Nothing’s wrong with a tourist attraction. But if you’ve
ever been fortunate enough to explore the ancient avenues of a forgotten city
by yourself, it’s hard to go back to sharing one with hawkers and tour groups.</div>
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<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-eCwJcLQi__g/WF2wBU5bH8I/AAAAAAAAIHM/OFUGJKG0yBMnL-3vz2I1AufXiXjia4T4gCLcB/s1600/IMG_5124.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-eCwJcLQi__g/WF2wBU5bH8I/AAAAAAAAIHM/OFUGJKG0yBMnL-3vz2I1AufXiXjia4T4gCLcB/s320/IMG_5124.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The centre of the square came with a fairly creepy nativity scene</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PazxAEjmWk8/WF22K0JT6bI/AAAAAAAAIIM/9JoumpYyOVkCKpA3DOg4H8DD4-J5CjX2gCLcB/s1600/IMG_5125.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="236" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PazxAEjmWk8/WF22K0JT6bI/AAAAAAAAIIM/9JoumpYyOVkCKpA3DOg4H8DD4-J5CjX2gCLcB/s400/IMG_5125.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Even if they still had been my dream, we didn’t have quite
enough time to head to San Cristóbal and then Palenque and do them justice.
Palenque is 10
hours away on roads that cut through several mountain ranges—a gorgeous, but
exhausting trip. So instead of following the now-standard gringo trail from
Puerto Chiapas, I did some research: Five
hours away, I found the mountain town of Comitan,
a favourite with Mexican tourists because of its historic central square and
the surrounding Mayan ruins, waterfalls and multi-hued blue lakes. </div>
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It’s also popular with locals because international tourists
haven’t discovered it yet, so it’s affordable even by local standards: A nice
hotel room was $30 USD. Dinner at one of the town’s best restaurant came to <$40
including artesian cocktails, appetizers and Comiteca-style main dishes, while
a more typical restaurant meal of chicken mole and enchiladas (with margaritas
and rompope) was <$20 for the three of us. The parks we visited ranged from
free to $1.50 a person.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-e1bcLrdPzTI/WF2wEW4fgZI/AAAAAAAAIHg/bxx-JahrxBMBI1G8H9EqzNlkaLVX8GpdgCLcB/s1600/IMG_5241.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-e1bcLrdPzTI/WF2wEW4fgZI/AAAAAAAAIHg/bxx-JahrxBMBI1G8H9EqzNlkaLVX8GpdgCLcB/s400/IMG_5241.jpg" width="282" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">one of the new pedestrian bridges to the villages on the other side of the valley and beyond</td></tr>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
The route to Comitan was a reminder of all that the
Zapatistas had petitioned for. Chiapas,
with its large indigenous population, has historically been underserved by the
Mexican government. But now, the road that winds through mountains of jungles
and coffee plantations is studded with signs pointing out new schools, road
construction, rural health centers and pedestrian bridges, which span deep
river valleys and replace old rickety suspension bridges.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-o5V9LrRDFV0/WF22LDWL0tI/AAAAAAAAIIQ/v5RwSuSIE-chqGZBNY3tWvVy5Np6GRNYACLcB/s1600/IMG_5252.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="403" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-o5V9LrRDFV0/WF22LDWL0tI/AAAAAAAAIIQ/v5RwSuSIE-chqGZBNY3tWvVy5Np6GRNYACLcB/s640/IMG_5252.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">high in the Sierra Madre Mountains</td></tr>
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Despite the improvements, the road is still a challenging
one. But we were happy to discover drivers seem to look out for each other. The
vehicle ahead of us would frequently flash his tail lights to alert us to
car-sized potholes, locals on horse back or one of the routes more than 300
topes (we counted)—the dreaded speed-bumps marked every Pueblo, school, bridge and store.
Entrepreneurial locals take advantage of each traveler’s need to slow at a tope
by setting up market stalls beside them—while stopped you could buy honey,
coffee beans, mangers (for Christmas) as well as the standard drinks and
snacks.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-49yvYQH6Ll8/WF2wGUiNNdI/AAAAAAAAIH0/0zoB0vgCc8Y1SV2UZ9O3Yy5h6T-u1Q3iACLcB/s1600/IMG_9282.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-49yvYQH6Ll8/WF2wGUiNNdI/AAAAAAAAIH0/0zoB0vgCc8Y1SV2UZ9O3Yy5h6T-u1Q3iACLcB/s640/IMG_9282.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking across from one pyramid to the next in Tenam Puente</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OftwwLFyxCY/WF2wApUEBkI/AAAAAAAAIHI/jlrE4ymm_dwC7oYDu_dKq3pLwww3g5t-QCLcB/s1600/IMG_5032.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OftwwLFyxCY/WF2wApUEBkI/AAAAAAAAIHI/jlrE4ymm_dwC7oYDu_dKq3pLwww3g5t-QCLcB/s400/IMG_5032.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Comitan was a lovely surprise. Most of what I had found
about it was written in Spanish and between my bumbling efforts and Google
Translate—I didn’t know much more than that town was historic and did Christmas
well. What I hadn’t expected was how pretty and how blessedly non-commercial it
would be. The only vendors sold food, drinks and warm clothes or shawls. That’s
it. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sD0yZZU3Eto/WF2wFIYpEgI/AAAAAAAAIHo/XfkJdZ2bDFEdzo9fsoO-Lkpa16eT2v8SgCLcB/s1600/IMG_9138.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sD0yZZU3Eto/WF2wFIYpEgI/AAAAAAAAIHo/XfkJdZ2bDFEdzo9fsoO-Lkpa16eT2v8SgCLcB/s400/IMG_9138.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">some of the waterfalls at El Chiflon</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Instead there was music, children playing and families
strolling through the lit up square. We watched the posada—a procession of kids
carrying a statue of Mary and Joseph. Each night before Christmas Eve they
search for lodging, only to be turned away. In one shop we tried several
samples of Comiteca—the local agave brew that’s sweetened with cane syrup and
flavoured with various herbs.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OOmyBqLpXyQ/WF2wFvcnwnI/AAAAAAAAIHs/NtjXQZp4gdwcfN8dhVK9axHC-WZp_zq9wCLcB/s1600/IMG_9198.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OOmyBqLpXyQ/WF2wFvcnwnI/AAAAAAAAIHs/NtjXQZp4gdwcfN8dhVK9axHC-WZp_zq9wCLcB/s400/IMG_9198.jpg" width="271" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">$7 for the zip line seemed like a bargain until Evan's abrupt landing sent us to the pharmacy for pain meds</td></tr>
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From Comitan we visited El Chiflon. The cascades are the big
tourist attraction in the area and Mexican families travel here to be awed by
the huge waterfalls and to picnic along the river’s edge. Evan and Maia decided
to give the zip line a whirl and rediscovered that adventure in Mexico lives up
to its name: the zip line’s ‘brake’ was a manual wooden one, and when it began
to smoke Evan knew he might land a little more firmly than hoped. In fact, he
hit the platform and bounced off, traveling back up the zip line about 60 feet.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6YlXxWdZmsU/WF2wDVx4SGI/AAAAAAAAIHc/02dKBGX6BwIiCZs7QC8RYy7UzAIVXsPfgCLcB/s1600/IMG_5235.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6YlXxWdZmsU/WF2wDVx4SGI/AAAAAAAAIHc/02dKBGX6BwIiCZs7QC8RYy7UzAIVXsPfgCLcB/s640/IMG_5235.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The hike up to the acropolis at Chinkultin offered up a few of the valley and lakes below</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rgkPUN2FURI/WF2wHImzfOI/AAAAAAAAIH4/9fkS7FzJMIQYfzG1mec3O3QpTzOgBb8JgCLcB/s1600/IMG_9340.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rgkPUN2FURI/WF2wHImzfOI/AAAAAAAAIH4/9fkS7FzJMIQYfzG1mec3O3QpTzOgBb8JgCLcB/s400/IMG_9340.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">as well as way down to a sacrificial cenote</td></tr>
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Even with a sore neck and few bruises he was still up for
our visit to Tenam Puente—the first of the two Mayan ruins we visited. Located
on the outer edges of the Mayan empire, both Tenam Puente and Chinkultic are only
partially excavated and rebuilt. There are multiple mounds around the sites
which make you realize just how much archaeological effort went into making the
sites look like cites again.</div>
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Still, there was more than enough excavation to imagine how
the cities would have appeared in the past. And they were large enough and
uncrowded enough that we were free to stroll through the forested settings and
daydream in peace.</div>
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Back at the boat, we’re now preparing for Christmas. I never
found ‘a few more gifts’ on our trip (no vendors selling stuff means it’s
tricky to buy stuff) but somehow a family adventure seems like it will last
longer in our memories than any trinket would.</div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JcEyH62W7D4/WF226YQR6BI/AAAAAAAAIIc/yDLPofowYoYah5UkrSH1DeYqf3zjMBxvACLcB/s1600/IMG_5152.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JcEyH62W7D4/WF226YQR6BI/AAAAAAAAIIc/yDLPofowYoYah5UkrSH1DeYqf3zjMBxvACLcB/s400/IMG_5152.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
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So from Ceilydh to you—we wish all of you the very best of
this season.</div>
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Diane, Evan, Maia and Charlie the cathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07607359149594812176noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3359919.post-55241643229355934952016-12-13T07:16:00.000-08:002016-12-13T07:16:16.055-08:00Hopping up the Central American Coast<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4cOt3Gr2K7A/WFANrH6NBnI/AAAAAAAAIFk/NXAtBRl-9bA_q6HEXs9gXezeujC7eqk3wCLcB/s1600/CA%2BCoast.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="392" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4cOt3Gr2K7A/WFANrH6NBnI/AAAAAAAAIFk/NXAtBRl-9bA_q6HEXs9gXezeujC7eqk3wCLcB/s640/CA%2BCoast.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From Panama to Puerto Vallarta its about 2000 gorgeous miles (and 15-20 travel days)</td></tr>
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The immigration official was surprised we were checking out
of Costa Rica
after only ten days. And while it’s been an excellent ten days—I see her point.
Most cruisers spend far more time in this pretty country. And we know we’ve
only scratched the surface.
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In fact we’ve spent our entire stay mainly in one anchorage.
We’ve been in Bahia Culebra anchored off of Playa Nacascolo. We’ve swum ashore and
wandered the beach—listening to howler monkeys and watching parrots cavort
overhead. For two days we hired a car out of Marina Papagayo and went rafting
on Rio Tenorio* and then explored Playa del Cocos—trying to recall how it
looked 20 years ago (very, very different.)</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It seems like we just arrived in Costa Rica--we've typically spent a minimum of a month in a new country and often 3-4 months</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Green Season" in Golfito</td></tr>
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While we’d love to stay—we’ve hit the point in our journey
where we’re not quite on a delivery passage but we are on a schedule. We
passed a boat doing a delivery just outside of Golfito. They had left Puerto Vallarta two weeks earlier and planned to hit St Thomas for Christmas.
That’s a serious number of miles. We’re not in that big of a hurry—but we’re
also not keen to let a weather window pass us by.</div>
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For the most part, moving up and down this coast is pretty
straightforward. There’s not much wind—so we’ve been motoring about 90% of the
time. There is some adverse current, which has slowed us down and we have had some wind in our face. The two areas we need to time the most carefully are just ahead of us. The Gulfs of
Papagayo and Teuhauntepec are both subject to
ferocious winds.</div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KgFmsX0U7Xc/WFANrbGxLGI/AAAAAAAAIFo/inqmrxWq_rYbRDRCHOr_EnaY2CSCKFDlQCLcB/s1600/IMG_4844.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="250" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KgFmsX0U7Xc/WFANrbGxLGI/AAAAAAAAIFo/inqmrxWq_rYbRDRCHOr_EnaY2CSCKFDlQCLcB/s400/IMG_4844.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hFyFlePLxwY/WFANrS0Xb_I/AAAAAAAAIFs/XRNsdtswqqEIoTorBvCayMxRkNvfYR_AwCLcB/s1600/IMG_4849.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hFyFlePLxwY/WFANrS0Xb_I/AAAAAAAAIFs/XRNsdtswqqEIoTorBvCayMxRkNvfYR_AwCLcB/s400/IMG_4849.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Swimming to shore gave me this view</td></tr>
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Twenty years ago when we came down the coast both winds were
considered somewhat unpredictable. The trick was to sail with ‘one foot on the
beach’ so that if the winds suddenly sprang up—you wouldn’t have the big seas.
When we crossed the Teuhauntepec it was so calm we were lulled into cutting the
corner. Then a puff of hot wind, which is said to precede the blow, came up and
we headed straight back to the beach. The Teuhauntepecker never did blow up,
but a few weeks later we got caught by a Papagayo. The rough seas were enough
to hurl our pressure cooker across the cabin where it missed Evan’s sleeping
head by inches.</div>
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These days, weather reports for the region are fairly
accurate. High pressure in the Gulf of Mexico
contrasted with lower pressure in the Pacific causes wind to flow into the
Pacific. The land form of Central America:
high mountains with only a few gaps, accelerates the wind through the gaps. The
result is strong winds and steep seas across the two gulfs—something we like to
avoid.</div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lrNEbr4HXGs/WFANrhCkPhI/AAAAAAAAIFw/_vLL5PQsGR460OT3lvvW0-NqgL8tXs7PgCLcB/s1600/IMG_4864.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="250" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lrNEbr4HXGs/WFANrhCkPhI/AAAAAAAAIFw/_vLL5PQsGR460OT3lvvW0-NqgL8tXs7PgCLcB/s400/IMG_4864.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cbesArhW_-M/WFANr7cxENI/AAAAAAAAIF0/LqXVDgKCQIcddDt3j6Z9RfX9y55kwgfDACLcB/s1600/IMG_4873.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cbesArhW_-M/WFANr7cxENI/AAAAAAAAIF0/LqXVDgKCQIcddDt3j6Z9RfX9y55kwgfDACLcB/s400/IMG_4873.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">When caught in an unexpected traffic jam of hundreds of dancing horses it's best just to enjoy the spectacle</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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This week though both the Papagoyo and Teuhauntepec are calm—so
it’s time to move on. If it weren’t for Christmas the window looks big enough
to push on past Puerto Chiapas
for Haultulco—but that’s where the part about not being on a delivery comes in.
As much as we’re eager to ‘tie the knot’ and complete our circumnavigation
among good friends in Puerto Vallarta
we still have adventures ahead of us and memories to create.</div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">*note to self: a class
III IV river at the end of the euphemistically named ‘green season’ and shortly
after hurricane Otto, the first hurricane in history to make landfall here, is a
angry looking thing. Evan and Maia called the boisterous ride 'fun!". I called it a
wee bit intimidating…</i></div>
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Diane, Evan, Maia and Charlie the cathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07607359149594812176noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3359919.post-40775514777101130982016-12-02T06:57:00.000-08:002016-12-02T06:58:23.158-08:00Costa Rica BoundWe took advantage of the calm winds to motor to Golfito, Costa Rica. Lots of adverse current and bumpy seas coming out of the Gulf of Panama--so we took a break and anchored off one of the islands. My zika symptoms shift a bit the way Maia's did- mostly I have a killer headache, sore joints, increased seasickness and an endless capacity for sleep. Perfect for a motorboat passage. Should arrive early tomorrow.
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<br>This e-mail was delivered via satellite phone using Iridium Mail & Web software. Please be kind and keep your replies short.Diane, Evan, Maia and Charlie the cathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07607359149594812176noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3359919.post-86418356564455984812016-11-18T12:06:00.001-08:002016-11-18T12:28:57.173-08:00Panama City: it's better than you think!<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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Until recently, Panama
City often brought to mind the global shipping
industry and the imprisoned cocaine-trafficking dictator Manuel Noriega. While
for us it brought back memories of our 1996 stay in an unsafe city, just a few
years post-US invasion. As well as the most terrifying taxi ride we’ve ever had
to endure (no, we’re not paying you extra for getting hopelessly lost and
taking us through a slum where the car was menaced by locals…)</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_OGzNz5dN1s/WC9XZPraXlI/AAAAAAAAIDc/Hu41LQkIxY4IcG_rGr6Y0hInAqObD-lvACLcB/s1600/IMG_4529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="276" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_OGzNz5dN1s/WC9XZPraXlI/AAAAAAAAIDc/Hu41LQkIxY4IcG_rGr6Y0hInAqObD-lvACLcB/s400/IMG_4529.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An old colonial mansion in Casco Viejo which has yet to be developed</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/--gxRK0ArdTM/WC9XmNtFQRI/AAAAAAAAIDk/49CucduOUZwu9n8jnBitUtY0SPS0B6mQgCLcB/s1600/IMG_4540.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/--gxRK0ArdTM/WC9XmNtFQRI/AAAAAAAAIDk/49CucduOUZwu9n8jnBitUtY0SPS0B6mQgCLcB/s400/IMG_4540.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the ruins of an old convent now house a museum of religious art</td></tr>
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But the oceanside capital has re-emerged with a glittering
new skyline to rival Miami’s, Casco Viejo, the colonial-era quarter where
centuries-old ruins are being transformed into boutique hotels, art galleries
and cafés, and one of the liveliest waterfronts we’ve had the good fortune to
explore. In short: Panama City
is incredibly cool.
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Exploring the Calzada de Amador<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;"></span><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
No one is more surprised by this than us. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When our line handlers, Russ and Diane, told us they had
settled in Panama City after exploring a huge range of expat communities, I was
pretty sure they should look around a bit more. But then we set off for our
first day of exploring.</div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CEhFgUd5Ph0/WC9YpyjUCLI/AAAAAAAAIDs/ubWVqfc4vLgeKpe2y61lXmY68QXfThF0ACLcB/s1600/IMG_4619.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CEhFgUd5Ph0/WC9YpyjUCLI/AAAAAAAAIDs/ubWVqfc4vLgeKpe2y61lXmY68QXfThF0ACLcB/s400/IMG_4619.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Once considered too dangerous to visit, the old quarter has found a new life</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vznJ1kqdK8A/WC9YgVAs4NI/AAAAAAAAIDo/uxb_qxeU4TYhoqh-22BZjLql-AalTwR8gCLcB/s1600/IMG_4601.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vznJ1kqdK8A/WC9YgVAs4NI/AAAAAAAAIDo/uxb_qxeU4TYhoqh-22BZjLql-AalTwR8gCLcB/s400/IMG_4601.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">a boutique hotel expanding into the adjacent building </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nOsk_kCuhZY/WC9XjcQHuBI/AAAAAAAAIDg/PafcdEsEPGQ3ReVyFZOo6jGKzScXV9RrQCLcB/s1600/IMG_4608.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nOsk_kCuhZY/WC9XjcQHuBI/AAAAAAAAIDg/PafcdEsEPGQ3ReVyFZOo6jGKzScXV9RrQCLcB/s400/IMG_4608.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Casco Viejo turned out to be that traveller’s fantasy of a
neighbourhood just on the cusp of becoming the next hip thing. It’s also a
photographer’s dream of impeccably renovated colonial mansions tucked between ruined
buildings that are still adorned in wrought iron and faded pastel paints. The
streets are populated by shaved ice vendors, musicians, and kids playing
soccer. It’s picturesque and delightful without being overtly touristy--yet.</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8VKMK9DSNXw/WC9YsUvkDfI/AAAAAAAAIDw/KEnSmz0oOu0oq3azfwuY-cF_KNQ5hGqJACLcB/s1600/IMG_4677.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8VKMK9DSNXw/WC9YsUvkDfI/AAAAAAAAIDw/KEnSmz0oOu0oq3azfwuY-cF_KNQ5hGqJACLcB/s400/IMG_4677.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">ceviche at the fish market</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RYwVUqg2YR4/WC9i_61UhsI/AAAAAAAAIEg/eqOqdy0vgQg3IHFrUtFuGKW6iXvcIM0-wCLcB/s1600/IMG_4653.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RYwVUqg2YR4/WC9i_61UhsI/AAAAAAAAIEg/eqOqdy0vgQg3IHFrUtFuGKW6iXvcIM0-wCLcB/s640/IMG_4653.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
From the Old Quarter it’s a short walk to the seafood
market. I loved the look of the traditional fishing boats with the glittering
backdrop of a modern city and made a b-line there to photograph them—but it was
the seafood restaurants that made us determined to return. A big serving of
fresh (and oh, so yummy) ceviche and glass of sangria came to less than $5. The
people watching was free.<br />
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-oMb6poD3dzk/WC9jrjUIAUI/AAAAAAAAIEo/aNXhxjw9UpY-p3bE8u8nkDJJtHGB_MKkQCLcB/s1600/IMG_4706.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="446" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-oMb6poD3dzk/WC9jrjUIAUI/AAAAAAAAIEo/aNXhxjw9UpY-p3bE8u8nkDJJtHGB_MKkQCLcB/s640/IMG_4706.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">a freaking adorable sloth who graciously opened his eyes for us</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Each outing has been a treat. We read mediocre reviews of
the Smithsonian’s Punta Culebra nature center—but looked like the best place
for us to see sloths (and the island is across the street from the ‘dinghy dock’
where we go ashore). Happily the center was well worth the $5 entry fee. We
spotted three sloths and the young volunteers were eager to show us the marine
exhibits. Even though we somehow missed the signature frog exhibit—spotting sloths
in the wild was enough to make me happy.</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ftSrn4ptUBg/WC9dnTbNw8I/AAAAAAAAIEI/zV-2nQzkmX0AqnXaN4rIO_izSnvJuQMBgCLcB/s1600/IMG_4766.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ftSrn4ptUBg/WC9dnTbNw8I/AAAAAAAAIEI/zV-2nQzkmX0AqnXaN4rIO_izSnvJuQMBgCLcB/s400/IMG_4766.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Frank Gehry designed Bio Museo</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Every Panamanian we’ve spoken to is thrilled with how their
city has evolved—and rightly so. We should all live in places that become not
only more beautiful but safer, cleaner and more welcoming. Our stay here was
extended by the uncooperative weather and Ev’s uncooperative heart and we’re
happily making the best of it. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-P0Ud24-KZ-E/WC9jDMH1WII/AAAAAAAAIEk/fclHJPyCPHQ85d4RJb5c6KRs-TjkHAzugCLcB/s1600/IMG_4723.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-P0Ud24-KZ-E/WC9jDMH1WII/AAAAAAAAIEk/fclHJPyCPHQ85d4RJb5c6KRs-TjkHAzugCLcB/s640/IMG_4723.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
Diane, Evan, Maia and Charlie the cathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07607359149594812176noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3359919.post-72190693917324352952016-11-17T08:04:00.000-08:002016-11-17T08:13:11.069-08:00The Best Places in the World for a Heart Attack—a roundup of international healthcare<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
Okay, there really isn’t a good place for a heart attack, or
any medical emergency. But with almost eight years of international travel
under our keels, we’ve now experienced medical care in far-flung destinations that
ranges from the biopsy and diagnosis of skin cancer, to treatment for ear
infections, eye infections, pneumonia and whooping cough, to the ongoing
management of Evan’s heart issues.
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
What we’re found is that in most places, basic health
expenses were easy for us to cover out of pocket. But short of full travel
insurance, having some sort of back-up plan; whether it’s evacuation insurance,
catastrophic insurance or self-insurance (aka a credit card with a very high
limit and the ability to pay it off)—is also pretty essential. What we’ve done
has varied depending on where we are, but for the most part we’ve relied on
self-insurance and paid expenses out of pocket. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Curious about the standard rate for an EKG and visit to a
cardiologist? Read on:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Mexico
is one of the countries that’s considered great for routine healthcare. Both La Paz and La Cruz are
popular for check-ups and prescription updates. Typically treatment is
excellent and modern—my skin cancer checks (I went for two, Ev had one) were
accurate and affordable ($125 for a full screen and biopsy with Dr Alma Vargas
in PV). Treatment for pneumonia was straightforward--two doctor visits ($30,
$50), x-rays ($25), inhalers ($50).</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
During our 18 months we also visited local dentists every
six months—basic cleanings were around $30, fillings another $30 and Evan
needed a root canal which ended up in the $600 range. Keep in mind Mexican
dentists rarely use x-rays and rely on physical signs of decay. So our rule of
thumb is to visit the same dentist at the same time as another family. If too
many cavities are found we know we’ve hit on someone who’s too enthusiastic
with the drill and we all move on. (Note this was five years ago so prices have
likely gone up some.)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Crossing the South Pacific we carried DAN evacuation
insurance which has evolved into DAN Boater. This insurance can evacuate us to
a place we can be treated—but it doesn’t cover treatment costs once you’re
there—so having a plan about where to go is vital. We did get some prescription
drugs—anti-malarials in Vanuatu
($20), cream for a skin infection in French Poly ($30) and free vaccinations in
the Marquesas.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In Australia
we were required by Ev’s work visa to buy basic insurance (from $150/per month
per family). Dental was out of pocket—Ev and I went to the local dental school
and had checkups ($60 each), Maia went to a local dentist and her check-up
and cleaning ($200 and a filling was $210). But before our insurance went
into effect we paid out of pocket. I had a ‘well-woman’ check-up ($110) and a
skin check ($185). Evan saw a Dr. for sore knees ($75 plus $133
for x-rays).</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We left Australia
with updated vaccines including jabs for rabies. These were all out of pocket
and the total cost was about $1000. We also updated our First Aid kit with new
antibiotics. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Our first medical experience in Malaysia was when Evan began having
heart problems. He saw a private cardiologist in Penang ($80), then a short
while later ended up in the emergency room at the public hospital in Lankawi for blood
work, and an EKG ($20).</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Crossing the Indian Ocean
we opted for insurance with Skymed, which evacuates you to the country of your
choice, a detail that made it preferable to DAN. Some sort of evacuation
insurance was also a requirement for visiting Chagos (and later St Helena and Ascension Islands).</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In South Africa we looked into visiting both a cardiologist
(Ev) and a skin doctor (me) both had long wait lists and high fees ($400 for
the cardiologist) as well as questionable records (one friend paid to see a well-regarded
skin doctor then returned to Australia for surgery, only to learn the skin
check had missed a melanoma). Evan did see a doctor to get prescriptions (about
$50) and Maia saw an optometrist for new glasses ($50).</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In St Helena, Maia
developed an eye infection and visited the hospital—where her care was free
because of her age. In Suriname
I had an ear infection treated (two appts at $45 each + prescriptions) and Evan
had his suspected heart attack: three days in Cardiac Care Unit an angiogram
and other tests: $2800.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Since the episode in Suriname Ev has required ongoing
cardiac care. Luckily both Curacao (Bloodwork $70, EKG and Cardiologist visit
$70) and Panama
(EKG and Cardiologist visit $125) have well-trained, English-speaking
cardiologists who he was able to get next-day appointments with.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So all this said—there really is no one medical insurance
answer. It varies according to how long you are away from your home country and
where you spend your time while away. Our basic plan has been to stay up to
date on all preventative healthcare—we vaccinate for whatever the locals are
vaxing against (assuming we may be even more susceptible), we get check-ups, we
don’t let things linger (too long…) and we buy insurance when we're in more
expensive countries.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
What we’ve learned though is in countries of mid-level
affluence, healthcare options are usually often both excellent and affordable.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
* all amounts USD<br />
<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" /></div>
Diane, Evan, Maia and Charlie the cathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07607359149594812176noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3359919.post-38518909274687375802016-11-08T09:25:00.001-08:002016-11-08T13:25:23.003-08:00We’re in the Pacific, Man: Panama Canal Transit<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
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<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-craCH1UDF8c/WCIG0Zd2OJI/AAAAAAAAICI/FPJf3B0im9AOTqMRRd8LojRP2efSlM5lwCLcB/s1600/IMG_4389.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-craCH1UDF8c/WCIG0Zd2OJI/AAAAAAAAICI/FPJf3B0im9AOTqMRRd8LojRP2efSlM5lwCLcB/s640/IMG_4389.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The lock gates close on the Caribbean</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Transiting the canal is a highlight for most yachts and
we’ve been fortunate enough to do it twice, in two different boats. Both times
were mostly drama-free (we’ll get to the minor moments of excitement) and for
far less effort than going around Cape Horn—after two days in the Canal we’re
again back in the Pacific.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Unlike traveling by cruise ship or tourist boat, on a yacht
it’s all hands on deck. Transiting can be a fairly busy experience. To transit
we’re required to have a skipper (me), four line handlers (Evan and Maia + two
volunteers, Russ and Diane) and our advisor. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The first time we transited advisors were still pilots—the same
guys who take the big ships through. But with pilot wages reaching up to 1k per
day, yachts were costing the canal money. So ten years ago a new system was put
in place and canal employees who were interested could apply to train as
advisors. 400 people applied for the gig and 60 were selected and trained. Both
of our advisors do the transits on their days off and both call it the best job
in the world. Their expertise and enthusiasm made our transit a joy. They
really understand that yachtees are not just moving a boat—but transporting
their hopes and dreams.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1JEVnfvl9w0/WCIGvNdBN_I/AAAAAAAAICE/6oL4GOqSxSQkIeCyQhbtkUvC0Ki24q4hQCLcB/s1600/IMG_4394.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1JEVnfvl9w0/WCIGvNdBN_I/AAAAAAAAICE/6oL4GOqSxSQkIeCyQhbtkUvC0Ki24q4hQCLcB/s640/IMG_4394.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Russ and Diane adjust the lines as the lock fills</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
For boats that travel under eight knots a Canal transit
takes two days. You transit the first three locks up to the lake, anchor in the
lake over night and then transit the next three locks back down to sea level. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
On the first day of our transit we were told our advisor would
join us at 2:30pm for a 4:10pm lock time at the first of the three Gatun locks.
So we arranged to pick up Diane and Russ—who were joining us for their 10<sup>th</sup>
yacht trip through the Canal. We were super fortunate to get Diane and Russ (who run the <a href="http://madaboutpanama.com/" target="_blank">Mad About Panama </a>website), not only only are they self-confessed Canal geeks, but they were great company.<br />
<br />
Our advisor Moises joined us once we moved to the Flats anchorage. He arrived tight on time--a shock to everyone (Canal transits are all about hurry up and wait). He asked us if we’d
transited the canal before and we told him it would be our second time. “That’s
great!” He told us, “This is my third time.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kk2ez4Xc5C0/WCIHimJ5YKI/AAAAAAAAICM/5UsSc7M1UXcetY9hnqO4R9915qBq9VLAACLcB/s1600/IMG_4414.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kk2ez4Xc5C0/WCIHimJ5YKI/AAAAAAAAICM/5UsSc7M1UXcetY9hnqO4R9915qBq9VLAACLcB/s400/IMG_4414.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">near the top of the lock after rising 30 feet--you can see the current in the water</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In truth—he stopped counting at 500 transits. So between him and Diane and Russ we were in
good hands. Because this is low season, not many yachts are transiting and we
went centre chamber behind a small freighter (yachts are often rafted together
and side tied or put centre chamber as a group). </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
To get secured in the centre of a lock I first drove us to
one side of the lock—where men threw down two messenger lines which were
attached to our heavy mooring lines. Then I drove to the other side of the lock
and got the other two messenger lines. After we had the messenger lines I drove
into position at walking speed—because the guys who threw us the lines also
walk our lines into position.</div>
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<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UJ1RE5GgQKg/WCIHzSWTLDI/AAAAAAAAICQ/a-XbwH64xZIPmuDO4nNqYUjVNRXKFc7twCLcB/s1600/IMG_4421.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UJ1RE5GgQKg/WCIHzSWTLDI/AAAAAAAAICQ/a-XbwH64xZIPmuDO4nNqYUjVNRXKFc7twCLcB/s400/IMG_4421.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Maia watches her line and adjusts it to keep us straight</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Once we were in place the men at the top of the lock walls
pulled up our heavy lines and secured them in place. As water floods into the
chamber (we were lifted about 30 feet in each lock) the line handlers pulled in
the slack.</div>
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In many ways while going in the centre chamber alone is more work it’s
the safest for a yacht. Especially when you’re going up. There are a lot of
currents in the locks and boats get pushed around. Having a line handler on
each corner helps to keep the boat straight and centered. </div>
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<br /></div>
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Even still—the mixing of the salt and fresh water in the
first lock combined with the prop wash from the boat ahead of us meant that
when our lines were released and we first got underway we skewed sideways and
were headed directly at the lock wall. We had rented eight tire fenders for our
transit—so were fairly well cushioned, but the bigger risk of getting turned
around in the lock is needing assistance to get out and slowing down the
locking process—something yachts can be charged for. Luckily we missed hitting the wall and I straightened us out.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yw-KGDxpNf0/WCIH79SVoXI/AAAAAAAAICU/A4USr72wWnwqprH0CsGBIY21i_WUV1BxACLcB/s1600/IMG_4429.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yw-KGDxpNf0/WCIH79SVoXI/AAAAAAAAICU/A4USr72wWnwqprH0CsGBIY21i_WUV1BxACLcB/s640/IMG_4429.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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The next two locks were drama-free. Russ and Diane were
expert line handlers and we felt really fortunate to have them aboard. They’ve
seen all the things that could go wrong and offered tips as we went.</div>
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<br /></div>
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After exiting into the lake we anchored for the night.
Moises went home and we shared a nice dinner with Russ and Diane. The next day
dawned with a bunch of work boat wakes as the Canal sprang back to life. Roy,
our new adviser for the day, arrived. The day also dawned with heavy cloud and
by the time we were underway at 9am, the rains had started.</div>
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<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mkVM6P9GBHU/WCII0yVxv5I/AAAAAAAAICg/Y9NMikMR9JsdmT2BSQu451v54RFYFYJHwCLcB/s1600/IMG_9093.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mkVM6P9GBHU/WCII0yVxv5I/AAAAAAAAICg/Y9NMikMR9JsdmT2BSQu451v54RFYFYJHwCLcB/s400/IMG_9093.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I haven't worn these foulies since Vancouver</td></tr>
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By 9:30am, it was clear the rains were unusual. Roy was advising me on
how to make my way through the lake. We were traveling from buoy to buoy—which
are fairly closely spaced, but the rain was so heavy we often couldn’t see the buoys.
We also couldn’t see the ships, and they couldn’t see us. </div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DjEVZNV-Ma0/WCIIsOg_5QI/AAAAAAAAICc/AWUTsCB9SzIrgJqZqrFf-8LbXp0Ts27hQCLcB/s1600/IMG_4433.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DjEVZNV-Ma0/WCIIsOg_5QI/AAAAAAAAICc/AWUTsCB9SzIrgJqZqrFf-8LbXp0Ts27hQCLcB/s400/IMG_4433.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Q&A session with tourists</td></tr>
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In low visibility conditions (fog) all shipping in the Canal stops
and when one big freighter was caught broadside by a squall and skewed sideways
across the channel (requiring a tug to straighten him—and driving us well out
of the channel to avoid him) the command went out to stop all the big boats.</div>
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It was strange to drive though the lake alone. Occasionally
we’d catch sight of an anchored freighter—but for the most part the rain was so
heavy we only caught the odd glimpse of shoreline.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xRN7C5zQlk4/WCII6vvlZMI/AAAAAAAAICk/Hax0K7JDGh88YTpNV_zwhxgqZ1Cnrg54ACLcB/s1600/IMG_4440.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xRN7C5zQlk4/WCII6vvlZMI/AAAAAAAAICk/Hax0K7JDGh88YTpNV_zwhxgqZ1Cnrg54ACLcB/s640/IMG_4440.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our advisor assured us he wouldn't crush us, but if he did, we'd be compensated</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Roy
let us know we’d likely be three or four hours behind schedule once shipping
started again. The rain had been so heavy—they needed to spill excess water from the lake to
lower it. In the end, when we reached the lock at Pedro Miguel, we were able to
enter the lock almost immediately and were side-tied to a tourist boat. We
waited about a half hour (and were subject to an extensive Q&A with the
tourist boat passengers) and then a big Ro-Ro (car carrier) showed up behind
us. Meanwhile the lock started to buzz with excitement when a bunch of US
military boats arrived and a submarine pulled into the chamber beside us.</div>
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<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YDioqtCrURQ/WCIJe_ArgVI/AAAAAAAAICs/FNCKZ3fmoaYushnNuvg3zfip8fS3PTcRACLcB/s1600/IMG_9098.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YDioqtCrURQ/WCIJe_ArgVI/AAAAAAAAICs/FNCKZ3fmoaYushnNuvg3zfip8fS3PTcRACLcB/s640/IMG_9098.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">an unexpected lock mate</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Down locking was almost anti-climatic—but when those big
Canal doors opened on the Pacific I had to wipe away a few salty raindrops.</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1Gf_EKvtPHY/WCIJWQKQeHI/AAAAAAAAICo/2_RWn4K976kYAfmZ_fgQGCHz378DCLavQCLcB/s1600/IMG_4489.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1Gf_EKvtPHY/WCIJWQKQeHI/AAAAAAAAICo/2_RWn4K976kYAfmZ_fgQGCHz378DCLavQCLcB/s640/IMG_4489.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Pacific!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<![endif]-->Diane, Evan, Maia and Charlie the cathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07607359149594812176noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3359919.post-25207937325375122982016-11-05T15:03:00.004-07:002016-11-05T15:18:03.100-07:00Favourite Souvenirs: Guna Yala Molas<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ahVqpu-_Q-s/WB5JjlDJuVI/AAAAAAAAIAo/36yYQS82fP8T92tImxRfzNzDhAOER2tEQCLcB/s1600/IMG_9074.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ahVqpu-_Q-s/WB5JjlDJuVI/AAAAAAAAIAo/36yYQS82fP8T92tImxRfzNzDhAOER2tEQCLcB/s640/IMG_9074.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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In our years of travel we’ve never been big souvenir
collectors. Mostly we’ve limited ourselves to consumables (food makes a great
souvenir), a mask collection, some textiles and a few sparkly things (these
have been more for Maia & I than Evan.)
<br />
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Living in a small space on a small budget is part of the
reason for our lack of consumerism. The other element is that unless we buy
directly from the artist it’s hard to know if our purchase is actually beneficial
to a community. Often we see the same mass-produced items (though with a
different city or country stamped on it) in every gift shop and market we
visit. Nestled between the ubiquitous trinkets are often ‘handcrafted’ products
of questionable origin.</div>
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In Cartagena
we encountered a particularly cheeky version of the ‘handmade’ scam. While we
were enjoying an evening mojito in the old town, an artist called Roberto
stopped by our table to show us his sketchbook. As he talked about his work I
noticed the man at the table beside us seemed particularly interested. Our
fellow tourist encouraged Roberto to show him everything in the book—and when
Roberto came to a particular picture the tourist started to laugh and unrolled
an identical ‘original’ which had been drawn and signed by a different
‘Roberto’.</div>
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Unoriginal originals aside, we’ve seen enough mass produced knickknacks
catching dust in shops around the world that we’re not in a rush to have them
catch dust on our boat. So with that in mind we set out with the goal that any
memento we acquired should fit into our mask collection (no more than one per
country) and be ethically produced, or it should be somewhat useful and when
possible purchased either from the artist or from an artist’s co-op.</div>
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<h3>
Molas</h3>
</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Ae3BFpH9TLk/WB5Jio6BFsI/AAAAAAAAIAk/hkwTw9Yg7EockM-8wz4jrP819864CyQlwCLcB/s1600/IMG_9039.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="484" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Ae3BFpH9TLk/WB5Jio6BFsI/AAAAAAAAIAk/hkwTw9Yg7EockM-8wz4jrP819864CyQlwCLcB/s640/IMG_9039.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Learning about molas from Venancio in Guna Yala-each top and bottom panel makes up the front and back panel of two separate blouses</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Luckily one of my favourite souvenirs from our first trip
meets our criteria. Originally Guna women used plant-based dyes to draw complex
designs on their torsos. At some point after contact, the designs were
transferred to fabric. The oldest molas (mola literally translates to clothes
of the people) found in museums are from around 1900. But women were likely
wearing the gorgeous blouses for the hundred years prior.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Nineteen years ago I fell in love with the handcrafted Guna
Yala molas. We were lucky then to spend time with master mola maker Lisa who
explained how molas are made (mola makers are often described as women, but a
few of the most skilled makers are men or transgender people, like Lisa). Lisa
showed us the difference between traditional designs; intricate geometric patterns
which often contain stylized symbols that either have a specific meaning, or
represent something from the maker’s life, and tourist molas; colourful
tropical images that are appliquéd onto a fabric background.</div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wtff7grIZfI/WB5KUU-Sw-I/AAAAAAAAIAw/7onSimgiWuws5R3ArqRrrBHrdETVr2mLACLcB/s1600/IMG_8810.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wtff7grIZfI/WB5KUU-Sw-I/AAAAAAAAIAw/7onSimgiWuws5R3ArqRrrBHrdETVr2mLACLcB/s400/IMG_8810.jpg" width="275" /></a></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PgcO5CCn1OY/WB5KLQ1hnmI/AAAAAAAAIAs/IWtAr880uU4qaBVT5wCTsAYXnxRyPh80wCLcB/s1600/IMG_8804.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PgcO5CCn1OY/WB5KLQ1hnmI/AAAAAAAAIAs/IWtAr880uU4qaBVT5wCTsAYXnxRyPh80wCLcB/s640/IMG_8804.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">our friend Alma shows us her molas which are made in the tourist style</td></tr>
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Because of the region’s then isolation (before mobile phones
and regular cruise ship visits) there were also a fair number of unexpected
molas (which in retrospect I wish I had bought an example of). Back then mola
makers would often get images ideas from second-hand magazines, so some of quirkiest
molas we came across contained random images of Smurfs, obscure actors, fire trucks
and cityscapes.</div>
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Choosing a mola is really about taste—if you like one, buy
it. There are specific things to look for though. This visit we got to spend time
learning from another master mola maker named Venancio Restrepo. He explained
many of his designs come from a book that was assembled by his grandmother.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HHV0HUiUfAw/WB4k7mETOEI/AAAAAAAAH_g/1x1sjHZnL0YhckmlYlyLR9YJ9gbCS-o0gCLcB/s1600/IMG_4299.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="472" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HHV0HUiUfAw/WB4k7mETOEI/AAAAAAAAH_g/1x1sjHZnL0YhckmlYlyLR9YJ9gbCS-o0gCLcB/s640/IMG_4299.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Maia's mola--this one is three layers and has a simple design and visible stitches--it cost $20 in the outer islands</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Traditional molas often have a black, red or orange backgrounds
and the best are three or more layers thick. They use reverse appliqué and tiny,
near-invisible stitches. The smaller more even the stitching the better the
quality. Molas are made in panels of two—for the front and back of the blouse.
The panels will be near identical but will have subtle differences. You don’t
need to buy both panels—but some people prefer them for matching pillows and
the like.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0T3rdShxGr0/WB5O2cuKHMI/AAAAAAAAIBQ/10iqImAP2Mo6xxKCVLDGHMKs-uw9AcH-ACLcB/s1600/IMG_9030.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0T3rdShxGr0/WB5O2cuKHMI/AAAAAAAAIBQ/10iqImAP2Mo6xxKCVLDGHMKs-uw9AcH-ACLcB/s640/IMG_9030.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Venancio points out the detailed decorative stitching on an elaborate five-layer mola</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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</div>
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</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7WPCbTdkndI/WB5Q8qmVYFI/AAAAAAAAIBc/nROOvbM9OTgMTivJp2hLlbfv040csdM6ACLcB/s1600/IMG_9020.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="414" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7WPCbTdkndI/WB5Q8qmVYFI/AAAAAAAAIBc/nROOvbM9OTgMTivJp2hLlbfv040csdM6ACLcB/s640/IMG_9020.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">a detail from a mid-priced four-layer mola--the orange scallops are particularly complex, they are hand cut, folded under and sewed with near-invisible stitches. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Once you’ve looked for quality you also need to look at
complexity. Parallel rows should be narrow and evenly spaced, cut-outs should
be the same size and shape, and images should be clearly identifiable. The
image should also be balanced within the panel—if the illustration is mirrored
it shouldn’t be identical, but it should be similar.</div>
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The more complex the work, the more a mola will cost. Some
of Venancio’s molas, which are six and seven layers thick, include multiple parallel
rows of curved and zigzag design and intricate embroidered stitches took over a
month to complete. These can cost well over $100. His work is exceptional—but we
did pay a bit of a premium. The molas he charged $50-60 for were not
dramatically better than ones that women in the outer islands charged $30-40
for.</div>
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</div>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This said, an hour with Venancio, or Lisa, can deepen your
appreciation for the art form. Venancio carried a half-finished mola with him,
which he works on during lulls, and used it to show us how he makes a piece. He
was also able to tell us about some of the meaning behind the patterns and
symbols.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Jk0bzK3X1yY/WB5T5U5XkyI/AAAAAAAAIBo/3bIp6cMuA3oV3o_knbDWHECYWhnai6PCQCLcB/s1600/IMG_4298.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="442" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Jk0bzK3X1yY/WB5T5U5XkyI/AAAAAAAAIBo/3bIp6cMuA3oV3o_knbDWHECYWhnai6PCQCLcB/s640/IMG_4298.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A $30 four-layer mola from the outer islands--the flags are various Guna medicine symbols. The backward looking swastika is said to represent the octopus that created the world. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
The outcome may be that we paid a little more for a couple
of our molas than we might have—but we have great memories of time we spent
with Venancio. Every time I look at any of the panels we bought I’ll recall our
time in Guna Yala, our interactions with the locals and the story behind our
souvenirs—which is really the whole point.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Pnu-vDpC8PQ/WB5UAJZh6uI/AAAAAAAAIBs/VArDitUhtpAeR_TvmoCtqrxZ3si6bW0pACLcB/s1600/IMG_9036.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="412" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Pnu-vDpC8PQ/WB5UAJZh6uI/AAAAAAAAIBs/VArDitUhtpAeR_TvmoCtqrxZ3si6bW0pACLcB/s640/IMG_9036.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The hardest part was choosing</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
Diane, Evan, Maia and Charlie the cathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07607359149594812176noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3359919.post-52367652491754884502016-10-31T15:01:00.000-07:002016-10-31T15:01:09.338-07:00International Motherhood—finding a kindred spirit in Guna Yala<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TK2zZkkX-Uk/WBez90joMqI/AAAAAAAAH-Y/74IefeTxIKMUVi2Tg372V-6Y8qmGiXQuwCLcB/s1600/IMG_8910.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TK2zZkkX-Uk/WBez90joMqI/AAAAAAAAH-Y/74IefeTxIKMUVi2Tg372V-6Y8qmGiXQuwCLcB/s640/IMG_8910.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Maia exploring BBQ island</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Alma
was sitting in the breezy shade of her palapa. She had agreed to sew a narrow
mola to cover a tear on my favourite skirt. While we waited, Maia and I decided
to walk the circumference of BBQ
Island. BBQ Island
is the ‘ultima’ island (last) in the Holandes Cays and Alma’s extended family
takes turns living on the pretty outpost—running a casual restaurant and beer
concession for cruisers and other tourists.
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-q8hwuWTrQGQ/WBe0DxbtCFI/AAAAAAAAH-c/4IXrvIi_VDAqfG92I92IHLHjqfjTp_u8ACLcB/s1600/IMG_8920.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-q8hwuWTrQGQ/WBe0DxbtCFI/AAAAAAAAH-c/4IXrvIi_VDAqfG92I92IHLHjqfjTp_u8ACLcB/s320/IMG_8920.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Alma sewing molas</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Maia and I returned from our short walk just in time to see
Alma’s son Manuel rescue our dinghy—we hadn’t tied it up, thinking we would
only be a few steps away, but then the sweet island beckoned and our dinghy
took a runner for the reef.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sm2Anw16U-U/WBe1eGOMphI/AAAAAAAAH-s/bcQiSmNSrso7eSj0KjE7oL15ujgpcjtrACLcB/s1600/IMG_8940.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sm2Anw16U-U/WBe1eGOMphI/AAAAAAAAH-s/bcQiSmNSrso7eSj0KjE7oL15ujgpcjtrACLcB/s400/IMG_8940.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Manuel, Maia, Alma and Alma's mum</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
After tying up our dinghy for us, Manuel plunked himself
down in a chair under the palapa and started to thumb through his phone. Alma asked if we wanted a
cold drink—they have a ‘machina’ that makes electricity and keeps them cold.
Knowing the only options were beer and a sweet strawberry pop, I asked for a
coco pipa—a drinking coconut. Like teens everywhere, who have been asked to climb
a tree and fetch a coconut after having just dived in warm tropical water to
rescue a dingy, Manuel rolled his eyes. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Pp91YGqkLLY/WBe1_o1XC5I/AAAAAAAAH-w/5X2Pdhp996MV9DJBTLFXylM-sG5Xx9v1QCLcB/s1600/IMG_8874.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="263" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Pp91YGqkLLY/WBe1_o1XC5I/AAAAAAAAH-w/5X2Pdhp996MV9DJBTLFXylM-sG5Xx9v1QCLcB/s400/IMG_8874.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9zfd9VejQ6Y/WBe2CkZCtdI/AAAAAAAAH-0/uHutckwL_u0PBSmm8emaruBJUqIfI64CwCLcB/s1600/IMG_8879.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9zfd9VejQ6Y/WBe2CkZCtdI/AAAAAAAAH-0/uHutckwL_u0PBSmm8emaruBJUqIfI64CwCLcB/s400/IMG_8879.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">BBQ Island seen from the anchorage</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I knew the look—it was the same as one I’d later see when I
suggested Maia might want to snorkel the gorgeous reef rather than watch bad
TV. Alma caught
my eye and we both laughed. This was why she and Manuel were on BBQ Island.
Her three younger kids were on course in life—but Manuel, who never identified
with the Guna culture (to the point where he’s refused to learn his family’s
first language), also wasn’t thriving in the Spanish culture. He hadn’t made it
through high school in Panama City
before getting kicked out for fighting.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So Alma
was embracing tradition by bringing him back to their land. Despite not being
the most traditional Guna woman—Alma finds the
mola (literally ‘clothes of the people’) too fussy for daily wear and has sent
all her kids to Panama City
for schooling and hopefully university. But now she was living in a thatched
hut—a couple days’ cayuca ride from the nearest city and a half day’s paddle
from her parents. Manuel, she hoped, would find his path on the island.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-diRZEYzYr0I/WBe2fYL0DfI/AAAAAAAAH-4/U5f7xFBQVvwhVgrrs7I9B6ZMJk-fFJ6UgCLcB/s1600/IMG_4344.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-diRZEYzYr0I/WBe2fYL0DfI/AAAAAAAAH-4/U5f7xFBQVvwhVgrrs7I9B6ZMJk-fFJ6UgCLcB/s400/IMG_4344.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the daughters of our favourite fisherman</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Most of us travel with the hope of encountering these small
moments of connection: sitting under a thatched roof, with a woman from one of
the world’s last remaining traditionally-living indigenous cultures, talking
about the challenges of parenting in a rapidly changing world.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In truth, it was both precious and surreal. It’s easy to see
people as little more than the colourful characters who make our travel photos
look exotic. But with Alma
we were lucky enough to share a second language (bad Spanish) and a universal
moment of parenting angst. From there we got a window into the Guna culture. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sK9bvwpQn3k/WBe2kS2y7xI/AAAAAAAAH-8/ZdiVCYoExJcUjDXA75E3e5GP1AmRArSmwCLcB/s1600/IMG_8792.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sK9bvwpQn3k/WBe2kS2y7xI/AAAAAAAAH-8/ZdiVCYoExJcUjDXA75E3e5GP1AmRArSmwCLcB/s400/IMG_8792.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the veggie boat--everything was $1 a pound</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So once again we shifted our cruising plans. Rather than
exploring more islands we stayed in the Holandes. Each day we’d snorkel a new
section of the reef. Cayucas would stop by bringing lobster, conch, vegetables
or molas. We’d buy from the same fishermen each day and then head in to see
Alma and Manuel and play volleyball, swim, share snacks or just sit in the
breezy shade and talk about life.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The Guna survived culturally intact and unconquered by
adapting to the changing world, never giving up their core identity and by
being a mean shot with a poisoned arrow. They number about 50,000 people—spread
over 250 small islands and several mainland settlements. The women tend to only
speak the Guna language while the men often learn Spanish in school.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xNIoqzrcMvY/WBe3Hf9H_MI/AAAAAAAAH_A/evTEfK3brQEuGnmNEC5rFRY8g9SZGVMxwCLcB/s1600/IMG_4288.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xNIoqzrcMvY/WBe3Hf9H_MI/AAAAAAAAH_A/evTEfK3brQEuGnmNEC5rFRY8g9SZGVMxwCLcB/s400/IMG_4288.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our visitor showing the traditional mola outfit. Many women still wear it daily while some just save it for celebrations </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wdjBzed2BFU/WBe3VobEX3I/AAAAAAAAH_E/cxy5PToZO5wF4upZy7LzMN2YFEpdRdstgCLcB/s1600/IMG_4295.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wdjBzed2BFU/WBe3VobEX3I/AAAAAAAAH_E/cxy5PToZO5wF4upZy7LzMN2YFEpdRdstgCLcB/s400/IMG_4295.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Local women visiting the boat--they only spoke enough Spanish to talk about molas. They really are this short btw, Guna people are the second shortest indigenous group in the world</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Like many indigenous and island cultures the Guna have the
most to lose with climate change: Their reefs, which provide the lobster which
make up a good part of their income, are showing stress from warming water and
overfishing. The islands are barely above sea level, and though they are out of
the hurricane zone, they have been subject to vicious storms, flooding and
erosion.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
On our last night off of BBQ Island Maia, Evan and I talked
about what might become of Alma, Manuel and their family. Under the bright
stars I watched as the ‘machina’ shut off and the island’s three lights went
out. Manuel can’t wait for his time on the island to be done so he can return
to his friends in the city. Alma
hopes that by showing him something different she’ll plant the seeds that will
allow him to survive and thrive in the world he inherits.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I hope that both she and I have gambled the right way with
our children.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<![endif]--><br />Diane, Evan, Maia and Charlie the cathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07607359149594812176noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3359919.post-72255067257091761902016-10-27T07:45:00.000-07:002016-10-27T07:50:38.486-07:00Lovely San Blas<p class="mobile-photo"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aSS9wB553A4/WBIUQHRtL4I/AAAAAAAAH8s/RkjjRRH_rlsmYyTeHoPh52eQGnGJy_-AACK4B/s1600/366d39f1-a67a-4066-af39-c39f2fa139d7-1249206433-738487.jpg"><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aSS9wB553A4/WBIUQHRtL4I/AAAAAAAAH8s/RkjjRRH_rlsmYyTeHoPh52eQGnGJy_-AACK4B/s320/366d39f1-a67a-4066-af39-c39f2fa139d7-1249206433-738487.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_6346157091982225282" /></a></p><pre class="k9mail">After the Mola saleswomen came the lobster sales canoe, the beer canoe and the veggie canoe. I think we like it here.<br /><br />This e-mail was delivered via satellite phone using Iridium Mail & Web software. Please be kind and keep your replies short.</pre>Diane, Evan, Maia and Charlie the cathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07607359149594812176noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3359919.post-90344560670629995422016-10-24T09:57:00.000-07:002016-10-24T10:16:41.869-07:00The World is Round!<p class="mobile-photo"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QNuuA7OXu6Q/WA5B-7gnHWI/AAAAAAAAH8U/w9rVsKttdq8iFJnqOr8m_-VVWsSDhi1awCK4B/s1600/c3a3e653-68a8-411d-9e96-2023dfc3f7fe-466075272-701870.jpg"><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QNuuA7OXu6Q/WA5B-7gnHWI/AAAAAAAAH8U/w9rVsKttdq8iFJnqOr8m_-VVWsSDhi1awCK4B/s320/c3a3e653-68a8-411d-9e96-2023dfc3f7fe-466075272-701870.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_6345081474393775458" /></a></p><pre class="k9mail">Turns out if you go west far enough you don't fall off. Arrived in San Blas and crossed the eastbound wake of little Ceilydh, 19 years after our first visit.<br /><br />This e-mail was delivered via satellite phone using Iridium Mail & Web software. Please be kind and keep your replies short.</pre>Diane, Evan, Maia and Charlie the cathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07607359149594812176noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3359919.post-34207386359910312432016-10-24T09:42:00.000-07:002016-10-24T09:47:12.302-07:00San Blas Bound with a Hitchhiking Peeping Egret<p class="mobile-photo"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4CM6q5c24s8/WA47EZAhIFI/AAAAAAAAH8E/v01TG0mLBfcQFb4WMzhPkKw9Zt9Gokc_ACK4B/s1600/5d66352d-29e0-4e56-b676-642cee01e950-1318733696-732303.jpg"><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4CM6q5c24s8/WA47EZAhIFI/AAAAAAAAH8E/v01TG0mLBfcQFb4WMzhPkKw9Zt9Gokc_ACK4B/s320/5d66352d-29e0-4e56-b676-642cee01e950-1318733696-732303.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_6345073871630180434" /></a></p><pre class="k9mail"><br />Not our standard hitchhiker, but our most amusing. 'Gretel' joined us for 50 miles and left when we got her closer to land.<br /><br />This e-mail was delivered via satellite phone using Iridium Mail & Web software. Please be kind and keep your replies short.</pre>Diane, Evan, Maia and Charlie the cathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07607359149594812176noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3359919.post-31837359761469652412016-10-22T07:12:00.000-07:002016-10-22T07:12:11.840-07:00Magical Cartagena<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
The clip-clop of our horse’s hooves, as they echoed off the cobbles
of the unlit street, were almost enough to transport us back one hundred years—to
a time when it would be normal to be transported by carriage on a street with
no lights. In our case, there was a problem with the electricity, or the government,
or both. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Fz5VEDtMWvE/WAtrQcEm_gI/AAAAAAAAH7M/LbLVPtGpnqkvesClwpo2EGRC4yAvcoItgCLcB/s1600/IMG_3945.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Fz5VEDtMWvE/WAtrQcEm_gI/AAAAAAAAH7M/LbLVPtGpnqkvesClwpo2EGRC4yAvcoItgCLcB/s320/IMG_3945.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The reason half of the old-town was shrouded in darkness was
lost between Spanish and English. But the fact remained, traveling by
candlelight smoothes out the seedy bits, which keep the town authentic, and
dims the veneer of tourism and gentrification, casting enough of a magical glow
to last the evening.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A night out at the Teatro Adolfo Mejia for the International Guitar Festival</td></tr>
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Night in Cartagena
is filled with life. Storefronts we never notice during the day offer
everything from tourist trinkets and Cuban cigars, to high end fashion and
emerald jewellery, to discount groceries and hardware supplies. Our carriage
guide pointed out some of the most famous shops, some lit some not, as well as
historic buildings and squares.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dancers in the squares around the town</td></tr>
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We plodded past the home that once housed Garbriel Garcia
Marquez then later walked back to Plaza Fernandez de Madrid—one of the settings
from Love in the Time of Cholera—and watched as young couples strolled past,
stealing kisses in the shadows of the almond trees.</div>
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People watching is the prime activity in Cartagena at night. Dancers weave their way
into the city’s multicultural story by filling the street with folk dances, musicians
play concerts for audiences as small as two and even the food vendors are on
display—hawking their wares with the flair of an actor.
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You can choose between fine dining or street food--arepas stuff with meat and egg cost about $1</td></tr>
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For me, it’s the private moments that intrigue.
Catching a quiet smile between a new bride and her groom or watching another
couple, grey haired with years, dance an elegant salsa are enough blend the lines
between reality and imagination. Enough to make this place magic.</div>
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<b>Cruising Notes</b></div>
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The anchorage is busy with ferry traffic but holds several dozen international cruising boats. There are also a good number of boats running charters between here and Panama. We were able to get updated San Blas charts from one boat.</div>
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Club Nautico charges 70,000 pesos a week (about $25 US) for safe dinghy moorage, free wifi, showers, garbage drop off and laundry service. </div>
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There's a good grocery store a five minute walk away and a large mall (Caribe Centre) with an excellent hardware store a 20-30 minute walk. The Basruto public market is near the mall.</div>
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We used the services of agent Manfred Alwardt to check in and out. His email: manfred.al@gmx.net</div>
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Taxis are cheap and plentiful and while we used them often we never felt unsafe walking in the neighbourhoods near the marinas. </div>
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We did hear that a few dinghies have been stolen from boats--but nothing atypical for the Caribbean.</div>
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Diane, Evan, Maia and Charlie the cathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07607359149594812176noreply@blogger.com2