10/05/02

Trinidad

We had a great overnight sail down to Chaguaramas, or at least as good as overnight sails can be. I am still not crazy about sailing at night, but Allen loves it. The entrance to Chaguaramas bay is spectacular. As you approach you can see the coast of Venezuela & the islands almost connecting with Trinidad. The entrance, Boca de Monos (Mouth of the Dragon) is a narrow pasage between Monos Island & the mainland of Trinidad. There are cliffs straight up both sides covered with lush green. It's easy to see why it is called the mouth of the dragon. The wind & current switch around like boiling water through the passage. I'd hate to try this entrance without a motor, let alone in those old square sail ships.

Crews Inn Marina was nice enough to still hold a reservation for us even though our first reservation was June 1. We changed it twice before just giving up & telling them might not make it here at all. Some say it is too expensive here but it is about the same price as Waterford Harbor in Houston($20/day). Even if it is expensive by local standards it is worth it! There is an airconditioned room to sit & read, a laundry, a workout room, very clean showers, trash bins boatside & just right in front of us a well-stocked real grocery (with Rotel tomatoes!)& a very good restaurant. I am really getting spoiled. We have run our AC continuously & they even deliver a paper every morning! We have already extended our reservation.

10/29/02

We are still enjoing our stay here in Trinidad. We have now extended our stay for the 3rd time, waiting for parts. It is really hard to leave as we have made such good friends here. On one side we have Bob & Norma (Happy Ours) & on the other side Jane & Mark (Pegasus). Mark & Jane were at Waterford Marina in Kemah while we were there as were Sandy & David (Alexus), a few slips down from us here. Imagine coming all this way & just meeting them in Trinidad! We also ran into Rick & Nancy (Eternity) from our stay in Martinique.

There are many social activities to attend if you are so inclined. Dominos Sunday afternoon, pot luck Wednsdays, fresh swordfish dinners ($7) Friday, & ferry to Mexican dinner on an out island Saturdays. Jessie James (Members Only) runs a "Maxi Taxi" service going to Costco (like Sams) & a grocery on Wednsday, another grocery & Mall on Friday, & the farmer's market on Saturday along with many other services. The farmers market trip was a 6:30 AM so I only made it once! It was interesting though. The fish area was good & I got Allen some huge shrimp for about $3/lb. I only went because I was told I could get fresh cilantro there but I couldn't find it in the vegetable section. Finally one of the old ladies there told me that this endive looking thing was cilantro. Well it didn't look like it to me but it did smell like it so I bought some. It does taste like it too but it is called Shado Bene (sp?) & it will work if necessary. The strangest section (one I avoided) was the meat & poultry section. There were, as I might expect, whole cow & pig carcasses but the worst was that they had live chickens & ducks walking around. I guess if you wanted one they just killed it & plucked it for you right there! Nothing like a farmers market to remind me why I try to stay vegetarian.

I have been to Port of Spain several times to do some shopping. It is a large city with many American stores & restaurants. I have to admit that Jane, Sandy & I snuck off to Fridays for lunch one day. I really do try to avoid American chain restaurants but the temptation was too great! The big thing downtown is that there are many fabric stores with huge selections. I guess most of these women have never been inside a fabric store because they go crazy buying material. There are a couple of ladies that come to the marina weekly that do sewing for the cruisers. I had a bathing suit & a dress made but, to be honest, the quality was not any better than I could do.

Allen got the wind generator installed after a few false starts. At first the owner of KISS (Doug) said it could not work with our setup as our Questus radar mount was in the way of the blades. We then considered putting a full dinghy davit on the back of the boat to mount it on. The price here was about ½ of what we were quoted in Houston but it would take almost a month to install & at that time we actually thought we would be leaving in a week or two. (That's a joke here, everybody says they are leaving in a week or two & many are still here 6 months later!) After we rejected that & gave up on the idea completely another cruiser, Bill (& Carol on Laman) suggested we do what he did which was to turn the Questus mount around to face forward on the backstay. Allen managed to do this & reconfigure the radar. After that it was pretty simple to mount the wind generator with very good service from Doug. In the end the way it is mounted does not obstruct anything & it was a great installation.

We attended the International Pan Orchestra Finals here one Saturday night. I always thought of pan as something you hear in a tourist bar with about 5 Rastas playing Calypso music. I expected to be tired of it in about an hour. It was really fantastic. Each group consisted of up to 60 men & women dressed in formal wear & playing classic music. Allen & I said we could hear all sorts of instruments but all they had was precussion. The sounds they made were incredible. We stayed until the end at about 1:00 AM & enjoyed every minute. My favorite orchestra won by playing Tchaikovosky's Theme from Romeo & Juliet.

Another event we enjoyed was a Hindu celebration called Divali (festival of lights). It is the celebration of the triumph of good over evil. We started out in a Hindu temple with an explaination of the celebration then proceded to a small Hindu village. There most houses had small oil pots lighted & some had hundreds of them. There were Christmas lights up all over the streets & it looked like a fairyland. We ate a dinner at one of the homes served on banana leaves. It was all vegetarian & delecious, a real treat for Allen & I although others missed the meat. We walked around the streets for hours & watched small shows put on by the neighborhoods. It was kind of like a huge block party with the young girls dressed in the most beautiful saris parading around the streets. The boys seemed most interested in firecrackers & "bursting bamboo". They burst bamboo by soaking 4-6" x 6' bamboo poles in kerosene then scoring a small slit near one end. Then they would pull a lit match through the slot & it made a sound like a cannon. Usually a few kids end up in the hospital every Divali from these "games" but I guess no more than from our 4th of July celebrations. We had a great evening.

11/08/02

Chacachare Island

We finally checked out of Trinidad this morning. We had planned to go to Tobago for a few weeks then head back up the island chain but. Yesterday we got (another) e-mail from Lynn encouraging us to head west to Venezuela. I have been against heading that way due to the instability of the government & some reported crime. Lynn stated (again) that the reports were overblown & they were having a wonderful time in the islands off the Venezuelan coast, which are not much effected by the political situation. Within 15 min. we decided to head west not East & changed our whole plans for the next 6 months.

We are now anchored off a beautiful little island in sight of Venezuela. It is an old, abandond leper colony & we are alone for the first time in a long while. It is very pretty & blessedly QUIET. We are meeting up with another two boats in the morning & will head for Venezuela.

11/10/02

Venezuela

Punta Pargo

We left Trinidad with two other boats & anchored here for what we thought was an overnight stop. We decided it would be safest to travel in a group so we just asked around on the radio if anyone was heading this way. I guess we should have made our plans known because Bud & Judy (Gonzo II) planned to stay here for a while. Fred & Liz (Humbug) left the next morning for Isla de Margarita & we considered going with them but stayed anyway. I was a bit nervous staying on the mainland in an isolated fishing village but as it turned out it was a very nice stop.

Punta Pargo is a small fishing village with a beautiful harbor. There is a small beach at one end but most of the sides are beautiful rock formations with caves along the water. From there it goes almost straight up into lush green mountains. We did not do much exploring here but we did meet some of the kids that paddled out to see if we had any Coke. All we had to give them was some chocolate covered granola bars but they seemed to enjoy them. Otherwise we were left alone although the harbor filled up with fishing boats every evening.

11/13/02

Los Testigos

We sailed, with Gonzo II, overnight to Los Testigos (The Witnesses - apparently Columbus proved that there was an equatorial current here). We were approached by some small fishing boats about 20 miles off the coast. Before leaving Trinidad there was a report that one cruiser thought that he was being trapped by someone trying to look like a fisherman although that was immediately denied by another boat in a very similar situation. The second cruiser spoke Spanish & said they were only fishermen trying to warn him away from their nets. The story did make us cautious enough to travel with another boat. However, it turned out they just wanted to sell us some fish, preferably in trade for whisky. I offered them some cold beer & gave them an old hat & they were happily on their way. Our experience, plus things we have heard about the cruiser in question, tends lend credence to the second cruiser's verdict.

Los Testigos are a small group of islands about 40 miles off the Venezuelan coast with very few fishermen living here. The story is that five brothers from one island married five sisters from the island across the bay & these are the only inhabitants of the Testigos. Talk about a small gene pool!

We anchored off of Testigo Grande at the foot of the sand dunes running from the other side of the island. They were a blast to play on & (try to) climb. The other side of the island had great rolling waves to body surf & the sand dunes coming up from the water formed a huge beach to play on. It would be packed anywhere else but Allen & I were alone on the beach the whole afternoon.

It is good to be back in a clean, pretty place after all that time in the marina. We had some pretty good snorkeling right off the back of our boat & some great snorkeling just a short dinghy ride away on a small reef.

11/15/02

Isla de Margarita (Porlamar)

We left Los Testigos very early (5:00 AM ) and had a nice sail to Isla de Margarita. It was still dark when we left & we managed to clip a lobster pot float on the way out. No more buddy boating for us. From now on we will leave when WE want to, meaning after it is light! As we came into the anchorage we noticed Miss Gale anchored near the outer edge so we anchored right beside them, our usual spot. Then we noticed that the boat on the other side of us was our old friends on Nine of Cups. It just felt like home. It's nice to have friends who know your boat around you.

Check in here is easy. You must take your ships papers to Marina Juan (Juan Baro) & he will have your clearance papers back around 4:00 PM. Of course there is a bit of a fee ($45) but that's the way it is done here. Marina Juan has a safe dinghy dock guarded by Angel during the day. Three days a week there is a special bus to a shopping mall with a huge grocery (Sigo). There is also internet access & a tour operator in the office. Right up the beach is Jak's Thai, fish, hamburger joint & bar. She knows what the cruisers want, cold, cheap (.35 or .21@ happy hour) beer. Her husband runs a rigging shop & the cruisers net @ 8:00 AM. You can also get propane tanks filled here. Just a few steps down the beach is VEMESCA, a pretty good ships chandlery. There is also a really good restaurant there, La Pescador de la Marina, with excellent fish & cesar salad made tableside. It is very elegant & considered expensive here. Allen's huge plate of grilled seafood with vegetables was almost $7! The exchange rate (1400 B/$1) makes this a haven for cruisers on a budget.

11/20/02

Marcy & David (Nine of Cups) left today but we did enjoy their going away party at Jaks. We met Glenn & Michele (Borealis) there. We are anchored right in front of them & since I was too familiar with their boat it was nice to meet them. Earlier that day Allen was working on the generator (again) & I heard the now familiar plink, plink, splash, #@*#! One more wrench into the deep bilge (AKA the black hole). I went to borrow a wrench from Slim (Miss Gale) & on my way back I made a not so graceful landing in the dinghy bouncing off the boat & killing the motor. Of course I panicked & flooded the engine so it would not start so I tried to paddle back to the boat. Did I mention that just that night we had lost one of the dinghy oars? Dinghys do not paddle well. I was loosing ground quickly & heading out to sea when Allen yelled to tie off to Borealis so I paddled that way & tied up to their boat until I could get the motor started. My first move when I was back on the boat was to get out the spare set of oars & fasten them securely to the dinghy!

11/24/02

Our first boarding by thieves! I went to Jaks to play "Mexican Train" dominoes (I came in 3rd). Allen was alone on the boat & apparently, since the dinghy was gone, the "fisherman" decided that the boat was abandoned. Allen was meditating in the Vee-berth & heard someone on the boat. He assumed that it was me, returning, until a hand reached under the awning I had over the hatch. (I am a bit insulted that he did not recognize the difference from my anatomy but I'll let that go.) He called out "Anne?" & the arm froze then the kid started to scramble out from under the awning. By the time Allen got out on deck the kid had dived into the water & was swimming for a fishing boat. They picked him up & took off around the anchorage. Allen got on the radio to alert other cruisers & they followed the boat to the fishing village where they got away. Apparently they were after our scuba tanks. Allen had them strapped down with huge hose clamps so it would not have been an easy task to get them anyway but they are now below decks. There was blood all over one tank & the deck so I guess the thief cut himself on the clamps. Maybe that's how they could find him, a fisherman with cuts on his hands.

Another boat had the exact same experience the same day so I guess we need to be more aware of what we leave on deck here. We had been warned to take the tanks off the deck but we were lax. There they were, neon pink & green sitting on the deck just screaming "take me"! We do raise our dinghy up by a halyard every night as they have a nasty habit of disappearing here. Some friends here had theirs go one night & the next day a local brought it back to him (sans motor) & said he had found it on the beach. The "founder" was very offended that the cruiser talked him down from $100 to $30 "reward".

I think everyone here has been a bit lax lately. There was one thief stealing small items off of boats at night (fins, shoes etc.). He made the mistake of trying to steal an anchor off the stern of a boat that had been boarded previously. (He was swimming out & attempting to steal an anchor, figure that one out!) The woman went crazy on the radio yelling for help & the other cruisers got into their dinghys & hunted the guy down. They started beating him with paddles & nearly drowned him. Finally someone dove in & pulled him into his boat. They took him over to the Guardia boat & had to pound & pound on the boat to wake them up (so much for the Guardia protection). After that the cruisers heard the Guardia beating the hell out of the guy for a few more hours. I'm not sure whether it was because he was a thief or because they were woken up in the middle of the night on his account. Anyway, since that episode there have been no more thefts in this anchorage, until today. Still, it's a petty theft & no real harm done. Some of these people are so poor you can almost excuse it.

We have witnessed some small kids digging through the trash bin & eating what they find there. Since then when we have food that we consider stale we put it in a clear bag & mark it as "comida" & put it beside the bin. I'm clearing out some of our canned goods we have not eaten & giving it to them too. It's hard to see that & not want to do something to help.

11/26/02

We took an island tour today ($17) with Carlos (Top Banana Tours.com). We had a nice group of people, Bud & Judy (Gonzo II), Anna & Cliff (Concerto), & Rose & Harvey (visitors to Escape Cay). This is really a beautiful island. Our first stop was the second oldest church in Venezuela. It houses the Virgen del Valle a statue that survived a tidal wave intact. She was found floating in the wreckage undamaged & thus considered a miracle & is now the patron saint of sailors. It can't hurt to pay a visit there! The museum houses many thousands of gold items donated to the virgin & beautiful robes (some covered in pearls) worn by the priests during the yearly festival. There is also a framed pearl (roughly) in the shape of a foot donated by a fisherman. Apparently he had an injured leg & prayed to the virgin to heal it so he could continue to support his family. It healed & when he went back to pearl diving he found this pearl & donated it to the church. Good story but it takes a bit of imagination to see the shape of a foot in the pearl!

We also visited the Capitol, la Asuncion in the center of the island. There is a fort (they like to call it a Castle) overlooking it where Juan Batista won a battle of independence from Spain. After that victory they moved the Capitol there as a memorial. Next we went to Cabo Blanco, a beautiful beach. There are many pretty, all inclusive hotels along the coast. Again, they are very cheap due to the exchange rate ($45/night) but nearly empty due to the poor Venezuelan economy. Margarita is a tourist spot & duty free port for Venezuela so they are really hurting.

We also visited some shopping spots (surprise, surprise). I got some local pearls at one spot & probably paid too much, pearls are everywhere here. Another place had some cute painted mirrors so we bought a couple to brighten up the boat. During the purchase my good "ultimate hat" blew off my head & landed right in the paint. Cleaning it was impossible so Carlos suggested that the painter (also Carlos) paint the splotches into a picture. It turned out beautiful so now I have a custom hat. Of course now I am afraid to wear it since I am always loosing hats!

The next stop was Juangriego (Juan the Greek), a small fishing town, for lunch at a good pizza restaurant. It has a pretty harbor & we wanted to visit there since we may sail around the island soon & stay there for a while.

After a long lunch we visited a small village bordering the National Park, up in the mountains. What a beautiful, peaceful place to live. They live in small houses built into the rock sides of a gorge. There are small footpath bridges across the gorge & a paved path leading up to a small campground where they all picnic on Sundays. It was like living up in the rainforests of Guadeloupe or Dominica.

When we returned we offered to give Harvey & Rose a ride back to Escape Cay since their dinghy was being repaired. It was dark & pretty rough & we were all getting soaked riding around trying to find the boat in the dark. Since they were guests they had not really paid attention to where the boat was so we wandered around in the dark for a while & finally decided we had to go to our boat (at the outer edge of the anchorage) & call for directions. With the help of the hand held radio we finally found the boat & got to meet Mary & Lee (Escape Cay) & had a very nice end to a great day!

(updated 12/09/02)