Aeeshah

 

PHOTO ALBUM :—->>.   https://photos.app.goo.gl/FTkCrSXUmVKM9uJZA

Ethan arrives:

Ethan our 19 year old Grandson, arrived when when we were on our last day of our Antigua adventure. We met him in Guatemala City and then travelled back to Antigua where he was surprised by how much he remembered of the old town.

Back to the Rio

Ethan travelled back to the Rio with all of us on the Litugua bus. The ride was painless, no traffic jambs, no accidents, no bridges down, just a normal boring ride. 

For the first few weeks we were quite busy getting the last few projects finished and preparing to leave the Rio.

Cabinets in our cabin and rigging

I had wanted cabinets in our cabin to put our personal items and clothing away out of sight. Finally we had found a fellow Carlos, and he arrived the day after we returned to take final details. Carlos actually spent most of that day measuring, cutting, sanding fitting the cabinets and then he took the pieces away to varnish and perfect. He was back later in the week with the finished products and took the morning to install them. Now, they are exactly what I wanted, maybe not quite the perfect stain/varnish, but they are structurally perfect. Finally I was able to stow all our clothes, electronics, bits and pieces securely away in the cabin. 

John had ordered a new back stay for our rigging. He had Ethan help him replace the old with the new. The back stay had been troubling him for a while, he was suspicious that perhaps it was compromised and sure enough when he looked at the old one of the strands of wire had broken. John and Ethan did a great job replacing the back stay.

Ethan spent some time at the pool too. So he kept busy with helping and relaxing. And popping into Fronteras with us.

John’s cataract surgery/appointment

John and Ethan went to Morales to get John’s cataract surgery/appointment. They left at 6:00 got the 7:00am collectivo and arrived for the 7:30 operation. John did not want to spend any nights there so after the operation they returned. The eye operation was once again a success, so John now has 2 perfect bionic eyes. That second eye had also just about become blinded by the cataract growth so again he finds the change in his sight just amazing. 

Walks 

We managed to squeeze in a few early morning walks. And these times we saw the water buffalo, plus they were harvesting the palm oil crop.

We had a week of tremendous rains, one night getting 8 inches! It was supposed to be the dry season, but someone hadn’t told the weather systems. The Rio can get a bit tiresome with so much rain as mold starts to grow as does the green algae.

For us it was time to leave, the full moon was just a few days away. We finished up our few unfinished deeds and needs and said goodbye – “see you soon” to our friends and left Catamaran on November 22nd.

Chico was not as concerned as I thought he would be. He had been wandering free on the island for months, everyone spoiling and fussing him and being able to be independent. All he did was a few meows of protest and when we anchored up at Texas Bay he walked around and around the deck looking for a way off the damn boat.

After leaving Catamaran we headed down river and across El Golfete to Texas Bay.

The previous week, as said, had been rainy and this was the 1st day with a decent forecast and so the sun was peeking out from behind the clouds. At Texas Bay we found there weren’t as many boats as we had thought. We anchored and then after lunch set off to dinghy around the mangroves.

Dinghy riding through the mangroves

There are numerous channels that lead to large enclosed lake type areas, there are water lilies, with birds running on their surfaces, vines hanging from the trees, spider lilies, massive mangroves, dense foliage and of course numerous birds calling, soaring, roosting and watching from above.

These waterways are just lovely to explore. We all exclaimed at the reflections, the air was still with no breeze and so the shores were perfectly mirrored in the water making for a total abstract appearance.

We never did go to Texas Mikes’ for Thanksgiving, for one thing they ate at 3:00pm and for the other my guts had been unsettled for a few days.

Checking out of Guatemala

Up at 5:30 the next day and off for Livingston we were.

Down the gorge of the river with its steep steep sides of dense foliage with early morning mist arising, past fishermen in dugouts casting their early morning nets or pulling the ones previously set. The river is always a treat to travel, just stunning.

Poor Ethan now had the bad stomach so he missed the down river gorge trip. In Livingston we anchored up and set off ashore to check out. Paperwork wasn’t as ready as promised apparently bad communication between Raul and his nephew was to blame. Anyway, we checked out, got back to the boat, hauled anchor and headed to the bar.

Crossing the bar:

This is always a tense time, one has to time ones crossing to coincide with the moon’s highest high tide. We had the 8:45 November full moon tide of 1.5 feet which was the best it had to offer. We had waypoints from friends that had crossed 6 weeks previously and we followed the course very carefully. The lowest we had was 00.00 under the boat, we did slow by a knot, but we must have slid over the sludge as we made it across.

Mangrove Cays and Frenchman’s Cay  

We headed towards Belize as the wind was blowing westerly Tres Puntas would not offer shelter. Our first destination Frenchman’s Cay turned out to also not be as sheltered as we had hoped so we went into Mangrove Cays and found a very sheltered anchorage. We were more or less protected from all sides should the weather come up. Ethan really felt quite sick and my intestines were still protesting, John decided that the water must be to blame. So he assembled the water maker, dumped all of what water we had and made fresh. By the next day we were both feeling much better.

Some exploring….

Again the next day we made water and then set off to see what we could see. We dinghied through the mangrove cays to Frenchman’s Cay where we landed the dinghy on the shallow beach.

The story of this cay is that an American had a house and a few animals on it. Living there for some years like Robinson Crusoe…… We walked the beach and found lots of sand fleas, heading up into the bushes was a small path we followed finding boggy mangrove areas, plenty of coconut trees, hermit crabs and more biting bugs.

We did not hang around, I cannot imagine living among those no- see- ums, mosquitoes, midges and sand fleas. We took the dingy around the island and crossed back to the boat, later having another short dinghy ride and then a swim.

Placencia

The next stop was Placencia, leaving Mangrove Cays at 9:30 or so we arrived in Placencia at just after 3:30 on the Sunday afternoon of November 26th. We stayed on Aeeshah until dusk and then went in the dinghy to Yolli’s Bar to use wifi and have a drink. There were several locals that we had previously met still there propping up the bar. It was then in to the neighboring Paradise Hotel for dinner. 

Checking into Belize

John went over to the dock master in the morning to start the process of checking us into Belize. After he returned we went ashore and walked to the Hoiky Pokey ferry which we caught to get to Independence, where we got a taxi to customs, immigration and health where we got our papers stamped and sorted.

Back at Placencia we went for an excellent lunch at Rick’s Cafe, the food was the best in a long time. We finished the day by getting our wifi, a load of groceries and plenty of fresh fruit and veg and finally a great swim off the boat.

Around Placencia

Tuesday dawned a lovely day. We went ashore after breakfast to walk and explore the town with Ethan. Placencia has an attractive shoreline and it is always pleasant to walk. There are always many crafts for sale, interesting buildings and people.

After a drink at the Tipsy Tuna, our favorite bar on the shoreline, we walked to the main road, stopping in shops for the last few items we would need for our trip. 

When we returned to Aeeshah we could see large clouds forming and approaching, sure enough the rain arrived turning the day into a cloudy, rainy late afternoon and evening.

Ranguna Cay

Off to Ranguna Cay in the morning leaving around 10:00am we arrived in the early afternoon. The wind increased and the sea got rougher on our way, sure enough windy rough weather was approaching. There we picked up a mooring buoy and secured for the night.

Then it was off for a snorkel despite the rough conditions we headed over to the reef to have a look.

Due to the rough waters the visibility over the shallows was very poor, however we did see a few sharks, loads of conchs, rays, and schools of jacks, so we were pleased we made the effort to go. The weather deteriorated until the wind was blowing up to and above 30ks, right through the night it howled, I was soooo very glad we were secured on a mooring.

Blue Ground Range and South Water Cay

The next day all was calm and off we headed to Blue Ground Range where we spent a peaceful night. The following day we arrived at South Water Cay early in the morning. This is a wonderful cay situated right on the edge of the reef and so we were off to snorkel for the morning. 

Off to snorkel

SouthWater Cay sits right on the barrier reef. It is a very beautiful cay covered in palm trees and with a few colourful buildings. We had visited here last in May. This time snorkeling at South Water was not quite as impressive, maybe because of the time of year but there were fewer schools of fish.

However I really enjoyed the corals on the reef and Ethan and John enjoyed going out to the deep blue reefs. That afternoon we again snorkeled, this time off of Carrie Cay across the cut. There we saw some large rays and more spectacular corals.

Long Cay

And then it was off to Long Cay. And again we saw dolphins swimming along side us as we sailed and motored. Plus we managed to catch a small tunny for Chico, it actually kept him with fresh fish for 5 days. 

Belize is full of wildlife! Long Cay was more of a convenient secure anchoring spot for the night than anything else, however we decided to dingy around and see what we could spy. Well the cay is 2 and 1/2 miles long and for some reason we went past a fishing camp, through a cut to the outside, and started up the rough, shallow outside shore and never stopped.

We just kept thinking that the next turn would be the “end of the cay”. However we did get to see a large group of manatees, Ethan was impressed with their size. Plus we saw all the lagoon entrances, many birds and a second fisherman’s camp. After an hours ride we had circumnavigated the whole of the cay.

Cay Caulker

The next morning was another early start this time for Cay Caulker, our final destination with Ethan. We headed out of the main channel into the deep blue, reason being to avoid Porto Stuck, the notorious shallows on the inside track.

Plus on the outside we could thrall and perhaps catch some Mai Mai or tuna, however we had strikes and near misses but not a fish was hooked that day. However the sail was brilliant, doing 8 knots at times we made excellent time. It was a bit hairy surfing over the reef and through a narrow cut back to inside the reef, but all went well and we were in Cay Caulker just after 2:00.

Once we arrived and anchored up we headed ashore to stretch our legs, have a look around, pick up a few supplies and of course…..to get the best ever Chinese dinner. We go to Yummy’s on the Main Street, the food is always freshly made and I love their Sweet and Sour Chicken. Again we were remembered and received a warm welcome. 

Ethan’s first day in Cay Caulker we walked about and showed him a good bit of the island. It really is a mini paradise especially for the young and adventurous backpackers. When he saw the tiny airport he suggested he fly to Belize City for his return. It’s easier and nearly the same price as the ferry and taxi, plus a heck of a lot quicker and nicer. So into the tiny office we went and booked his flight.We arranged for him to do the Shark Ray trip, the following day. This is actually a trip that takes you to numerous sites, provides food, drink and rum swizzles at the end. 

The next morning we said “see you later” to Ethan and off he went, while John and I did a long walk around the southern end of the cay. We then spent the day doing various chores, when low and behold our friends, Louise and Gary arrived on their catamaran in the anchorage. Later in the afternoon they headed ashore with us to look around and to meet Ethan from his tour. We had a very pleasant happy hour at a beach bar and were in place to meet Ethan’s boat. Ethan reported that he had a wonderful day! And saw loads of large sharks and rays.

Ambergris Cay

Louise and Gary joined us the next day as we went on the ferry to Ambergris Cay to rent a golf cart and tour the cay.

We all squeezed onto the golf cart and set off towards the northern end which is all parkland and reputed to be full of birds. The “road” turned from tarmac to sand and rock once we were a few miles out of the town so it became quite a bumpy ride. Along the shoreline for most of the way there were empty resorts either being built, or had been built which to me is very odd. Who would want to stay way out there with nothing around? Still further we found the road ran just behind the beach. 

Unfortunately for Belize they have had a massive amount of sargassum seaweed end up on their shores, nobody seemed to know why this has happened this year, but there it lies. The seaweed is lying in mounds and rotting on all of the ocean facing beaches and it reeks, so what would have been lovely white beaches are now piles of rotting weed with trash mixed in.

This road ran along the top of what would have been a lovely beach and then we got to a point, next to yet another building site and it just disappeared! No more road, so we couldn’t get to the parkland to possibly walk a trail.

Secret Beach

Back we headed, however we branched off on what was another road/track that headed across island towards what was sign posted “Secret Beach”, it sounded intriguing. The track took us to the inside – western side of Ambergris. There we found a very touristy set up alongside a constructed beach area, obviously this was the answer to the seaweed if you were looking for a beach to cook on or swim from. We had a stroll around, checked the expensive prices, climbed back into our cart and headed back to town for lunch. 

There we found a nice beach front bar/ restaurant and had great fish lunches, all except Ethan., he had beef quesadillas. After lunch we had a drive passed the airport, stopped at a grocery store, returned our cart, bought a new battery. From a hardware store and headed back on the ferry. It was a pleasant day even with Ambergris being somewhat boring and it ended with a spectacular sunset!

Ethan leaves us

The following morning we were up early and headed to the airport for Ethan’s tiny plane to Belize city. It was sad to see him go, but we are sure he will return again.

 

PHOTO LINKS BELOW:-

1st, Visiting Antigua with friends

https://photos.app.goo.gl/5646D8ukDeJY1zae6  

2nd, Lake Atitlan, Panajachel, San Juan La Laguna and Santiago Atitlan

https://photos.app.goo.gl/VsBucmTzLmT3xPF87

3rd, Feria del Barrilete Gigante/Festival of the Giant Kite and All Saint’s Day religious rites and procession.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/TtnKa2BTCAogBHeG8

Visiting Antigua with friends

Along with our friends Pam and Don we agreed to head to Antigua for an adventure. Pam and Don’s friends Tamera and Scott made all the arrangements for a group trip. Tamera had worked as a travel agent and was able to make the bookings, plus Scott speaks great Spanish so could communicate well with the people involved, so we were all set up. Davinia also joined our group, and on October 28th we all set off from Backpackers Hostel aboard our private mini bus to Antigua. 

The journey was uneventful, just a stop for lunch and so we arrived at our home for a week, “Posada La Revolution” at around 3:00pm.

The place we called home for a week was a 4 bedroom home that is let as an AirB&B.

I just loved its decor. Being owned apparently by a fellow with Cuban connections the house was full of Cuban memorabilia and antiques. 

After settling in we set off for a walk around the area to the town square. Antigua was just as we remembered it, just as charming and bustling with activity. 

The day after we arrived poor Don was very ill with a stomach bug so he was confined to bed. Scott, Pam and John and I went off to get some groceries for the place and to confirm our travel arrangements for the coming days. It certainly made life more comfortable having a kitchen at our disposal. For the rest of the day John and I just roamed Antigua

 Cerro De La Cruz – Cross of the Hill

was our first stop. This is about a 15 – 20 minute walk uphill and is really well worth it as the vantage point looks out over Antigua.

We also had a great view of the Volcán Agua – Volcano of Water and to the right Volcan de Fuego – Volcano of Fire, which had erupted recently in June and continues to puff smoke daily, plus next to it Acatenango Volcano – also known as Tres Hermanas (Three Sisters) volcano.

We were a bit late for the clear sky of the early morning, but still the view was just lovely and well worth the climb.

Roaming the streets…

Our walk about took us past the oh so many gorgeous buildings and had us wandering for several hours. Antigua was first established as the capitol in 1543 then in 1773 there was a disastrous major earthquake which damaged most of then capitol. This is why a number of the buildings have ruins as part of their structure.

Parque Central is the central point/park. The north-south roads are avenidas or avenues. And east-west roads are calles or streets. Therefore we find it fairly easy to navigate our way around due to the avenidas and calles.

Lake Atitlan 

Our group were up and out of the house for 5:30 the next day for our trip to Lake Atitlan. The lake is a beautiful volcanic lake in the western highlands of Guatemala. It is well known for its beauty with some saying it is the most beautiful lake in the world. The lake has three volcanoes:- Volcan Atitlan at 3,537m, Volcan Tomiman at 3,158m and Volcan San Pedro at 3020m that are on the edge of the lake making for stunning scenery.

The formation:

My research told me that there was a tremendous eruption of 85,000 years ago called Los Chocoyos, which expelled so much magma from below the earth’s crust that the surface terrain literally collapsed forming a huge, nearly circular hollow which then filled with water and formed the lake we have today. FYI:- (apparently ash from that explosion was found as far away as Florida and Panama).

Enroute:

To get to the lake there was  a drive of a few hours passing what looked like excellent farming land with fields full of numerous crops. Then there was a downhill run of several hundreds of feet, we were more or less off the slope and onto the flat when the brakes failed and our transport rear-ended an older gentleman on a motorbike. Oooops, within no time help arrived, the gentleman was assisted to his feet and our driver was being questioned. It appeared that luckily not much damage had been sustained.

We were at Panajachel, the launching point for the various launchas that taxi folks around the lake, where we were met by our guide and taken for breakfast and to our launcha. 

When we approached the lakeshore just looking out over the water with the clear, blue, morning skies reflecting in its surface and with the volcanoes in the background really was awe-inspiring. It is an area of great natural beauty.

Across the lake we went to the small town of San Juan. The inhabitants are the Tz’utujil and are known for and proud of their textiles. 

After off loading we tracked up hill through the village. Our first stop was a small art shop, then we entered a women’s cooperative selling fabrics.

There we had a demonstration showing the production of the beautiful fabrics from the picking cotton being  hand spun. The dyes are all from natural sources such as plants, whose sap saturate the raw cotton thread, which is then soaked in a banana sap bath. This banana bath sets the dyes.

It was just fascinating, simply amazing how even the full moon affects the color of some plant dyes making for a brighter color.

The lady then showed us how the weaving takes place, all by hand on looms of various sizes. The products are really superb, I purchased a lovely wrap/shawl which is double sided and in divine blues.

Up the hill we continued to the local medicine woman. Again it was fascinating to see all the herbal remedies for simply any type of ailment. 

Still further up the hill we found the church and had an excellent view of the village and lake below.

Santiago Atitlan

Our next stop was around the lake shore to Santiago Atitlan. The Lonely Planet guide book says: “Santiago Atitlán is the largest of the lake communities, with a strong indigenous identity. Many Atitecos, (as its people are known), proudly adhere to a traditional Tz’utujil Maya lifestyle. Women wear purple-striped skirts and huipiles embroidered with colored birds and flowers, while older men still wear lavender or maroon striped embroidered pants. The town’s cofradías (brotherhoods) maintain the syncretic traditions and rituals of Maya Catholicism. There’s a large arts and crafts scene here, too. Boatbuilding is a local industry, and rows of rough-hewn cayucos (dugout canoes) are lined up along the shore.” All of which we found to be true. 

Here we all got into 2 tuk-tuks, yes 3 per vehicle in the back, it was quite a squeeze. Off we went stopping first to visit an elderly lady who had marvelously woven and embroidered fabrics and items for sale. She then demonstrated how the local ladies wore their hair bound in a band that twisted around and around their heads, quite astonishing I thought. 

Then we went a bit further to see a local “shaman” performing rituals, I am sure they do, but this seemed a bit “put-on” for the visitors to me. 

Off we went again visiting a memorial to slain Mayans and then to a vantage point to view the volcanic peak across the bay. It was a lovely view so we did a group shot.

Next stop was lunch followed by a walk through the streets passed the shops and market venders downhill to our launcha.

Across the lake we travelled back to Panajachel.

This time the waters were a bit rougher, but the scenery just as spectacular with the afternoon sun and clouds that were moving in from the highlands.

Preparing the tombs and graves in Antigua

The following day we had no outings planed, however it was the 31st of October, yes halloween in North America, but here, in Guatemala this time of year is the lead up to – Dia de Los Santos, All Saints Day, Day of the Dead – November 1st. A couple of days before Dia de Los Santos, families start to prepare the tombs and graves of the beloved to assure they look good for the big day, when the spirits of their loved ones return.

Many families spend time cleaning, painting, and decorating the graves with lively colors. By the time November 1st arrives the cemetery is adorned with everything from single roses to enormous wreaths. We wanted to visit the local graveyard and see the families preparing the sites.

We walked to the large graveyard in Antigua and as we approached we could see the approach road was lined with street foods and stalls selling trinkets even stalls set up for games.

When we entered the graveyard we were greeted by locals and given prayer cards. Further inside we could see that flowers abounded, families were cleaning, painting and sprucing up the grave sites and tombs.

Even the gold engraving was being refreshed on some tombs, there was a happy atmosphere as they converted the cemetery into a colorful garden.

In the background we saw Fuego puffing smoke while families prepared for the return of the spirits of the dead. I found the whole experience just fascinating…….

Antigua’s market

Then it was off to the market for a visit. We lucked out at the market, the stalls were fully stocked with absolutely every type of fruit and vegetable from mulberries, to plums, to fresh peas, all kinds of spices, herbs and nuts, just a feast for the eyes.

I just wish all places had such markets instead of plastic grocery stores. We bought very little, but wandered for a good while up and down the many aisles of stalls.

Iglesia de La Merced

We revisited a favorite ruins and church – Iglesia de La Merced is a baroque church and dates from the seventeenth century. It was established as a male monastery and suffered damage in the 1773 quakes. This damage remains and is where the old monastery stood.We walked along the second story for views of Antigua and down on the old fountains of the monastery. 

That evening we walked through Antigua looking at the various halloween festivities. To most folks it seemed like a good time to enjoy a night out dressed in costumes.

November 1st, Dia de Los Santos, All Saints Day, Day of the Dead

November 1st, Dia de Los Santos, All Saints Day, Day of the Dead, we had arranged to go with a guide to the Barrilete Gigante/Festival of the Giant Kite. Every year on November 1st, the people of Santiago and Sumpongo Sacatepéquez celebrate the Day of the Dead by flying giant colorful kites.

Sacatepéquez Barrilete Gigante/Festival of the Giant Kite

We arrived in Sacatepéquez in the morning and the town was already swarming with folks. Off we walked to 1st visit the famous cemetery. On this day, locals take their homemade kites to the nearby Sacatepéquez cemetery, to honor the departed. “The 3,000-year-old tradition of flying colorful kites on the Day of the Dead derived from various religious practices and locals believe it’s a way to communicate with the dead. They dress up in colorful clothes, clean-up the graves of their loved ones, cover them with colorful flower petals and even have picnics right there in the cemetery. It’s a happy celebration where people have fun and honor those who are no longer with them.” 

According to local legend, each November 1st evil spirits invaded the cemetery to disturb the good souls resting in there. The discomfort brought to the souls of the dead causes them to  rise and restlessly roam the streets and local homes. As this phenomenon persisted only on each “Day of the Dead”, the villagers decided to consult with the elders. The solution that was recommended by the elders, was to force the the intruders to leave by having a clash between pieces of paper in the wind. The elders advised that the impact of the wind against the paper takes away the bad spirits. For this reason, the locals spent hours making kites so the good spirits remain calm and they stop receiving unwanted visits from these bad spirits.

1st The cemetery at Sacatepéquez 

Arriving at the cemetery after squeezing in with the flow of people we could see that many grave sites were beautifully decorated and families were indeed enjoying time with each other. Some little boys were flying kites from a top of monuments, everyone was having a great time. 

Then we set off to join the flow of humanity heading to the kite festival where the giant kites were to be seen. It was just a human crush getting to the football field where the festival was taking place, but we all made it unscathed by pick pockets or such. 

The kites are an amazing sight! Just enormous, beautifully designed and created with great care. Known as “barilletas gigantes” in Spanish, the giant kites of Sacatepéquez are masterpieces.

They must take great skill and patience to complete as the detailed pictures are wonderful. Apparently months before the Kite Festival, teams of people begin work on the colorful kites that will bring them great honor and the respect of their peers.

The giant kites are made of cloth and paper tied to a bamboo frame, and features a colorful design, usually with a religious or folkloric theme. In recent years, designs have been hinting at the ever-growing corruption of the Guatemala government. Most of the kites we saw had messages for Mother Earth and caring for the natural world/environmental concerns.

The giant kites are brought to the Field near the cemetery in the morning, but they don’t take to the skies until dusk, when people have finished tending to the graves and enjoyed a good meal.

We however did not want to stay till evening and so after a few hours of watching and admiring the kites we set off back through the hordes of people to our van and Antigua.

El Fiambre

Once back we went to a wonderful restaurant close to our residence for lunch. Scott and Davinia ordered the famous dish of the day: El Fiambre.

This is a salad made with more than 50 ingredients that include vegetables, sausages, meats, fish, egg, and cheeses. It is usually eaten with the family gathered either at home or surrounding the tomb of a loved one. This dish takes about two days to prepare. The most common dessert is a sweet squash, sweetened with brown sugar and cinnamon, or sweet plums or chickpeas drenched in honey. Their salad – El Fiambre looked wonderful, but huge, and they only had the 1/2 dish.

The Escuela de Jesus procession

At 3:00pm there was to be an important procession from a nearby church that we were advised by Marco our guide, not to miss, as it was very special. Off we went a bit late, but we found a good vantage point along the street down from the church, Escuela de Jesus. 

The first thing we noticed was how everyone was dressed in black, some women had gold veils covering their heads, there were church persons dressed in various religious robes.

The atmosphere was somber, dark, serious, as we stood watching the procession slowly pass. There first approached folks forming lines along the route, again all in dark clothing, through them came others with large canisters billowing smoke, we guessed to ward off the evil spirits.

Then approaching slowly an enormous “float” made of wood and sculpture all being slowly carried or borne by lines of carriers.

They were proceeding at a steady slow pace to a very soulful dirge-playing marching band. The weight of the float must have been tremendous, the look on the faces of the bearers was of true suffering or deep concentration, maybe even prayer. It was absolutely incredible!!

I was very curious as to why and could only imagine they were atoning for sins. What I did find out was that the procession through the cobblestone streets of Antigua, marks the end of the Day of the Dead, All Saints and All Souls.The Roman Catholic Church: Escuela de Jesus, created the float with the lifeless body of Jesus being mourned by the Virgin Mary and the Angel Gabriel at hand.

It is borne by numerous men and women – the faithful – throughout the streets. It is carried down the cobblestone streets these numerous bearers, honoring the spirits of their ancestors, those who had suffered and died, and for those who still carry great burdens/sorrows. While the accompanying band plays somber music which are laments thus expressing mourning or grief, as would be appropriate at a funeral. They set off at the church at 3:00pm and continued until mid-night, finishing at the same church.

One of the most incredible processions, the atmosphere was all encompassing.

After that unforgettable scene we went back to the house for a excursion to Scotts friend’s place for a very nice pizza dinner.

Saturday found us going to Guatemala City where I got my hair cut, we picked up a few supplies and headed to the airport to meet Ethan, our Grandson. All went painlessly and by the afternoon we are back in Antigua with Ethan.

Sunday we all tracked to the bus and started our return journey.

It again was a painless journey. 1st to Guatemala City the to Rio Dulce.

We all were back by 6ish. Us to Aeeshah and Chico, from a perfectly wonderful week in Antigua and surrounding area.

Mere colour unspoiled by meaning, and unallied with definite form, can speak to the soul in a thousand different ways. – Oscar Wilde

This journey has always been about reaching your own other shore, no matter what it is. – Diana Nyad

 

PHOTOS LINK —>>    https://photos.app.goo.gl/BeFUcfNHHjDnLoif9

We arrived in the Rio Dulce on the 1st June after our month in Belize.

We had checked out from Placencia the day after Alan left having caught a water taxi up river. Our last night outside the Rio was spent at Cabo Tres Puntas which is just near Honduras enough that you are relieved when you see other cruising boats there too. This is the popular launching point to make the early morning run across the Bay of Honduras to catch the high tide of the full or new moon to gain just a few inches of extra depth…..why….because there is a mud bar that is about a mile wide and runs across the river mouth.

That night we had one of those thunderstorms from hell, lightning, thunder, wind gusting up to 42 knots accompanied by heavy rains. We weren’t hit by lightning nor did we drag and the weather eased by 9:00ish thank goodness!

Crossing the bar….

So off we set, in the early morning, to the bar and river mouth. Me, being worried, as per usual, John being confident, “stop worrying!” He says. We were the forth boat approaching, we could see the first boat had slowed and stopped, the second came to a full stop beside the third, three down. John was completely confident as we started over the bar, waving as going passed the third boat stuck in the mud, when we too slowed and we stop moving. “Humm, John we are not moving, we are stuck!” So he revs the boat fully we ease over one, two, three humps and then get stuck fast, even leaning over slightly.

Well along come the locals with their pirogue, (a long pointy 15 ft boat with a 75 hp engine), this is business as usual, saving visitors stuck in the mud. The method of extraction used is the main halyard, (rope), that’s attached to the top of the mast is tied to another line, which they then attach to their boat and they pull us over sideways so we were heeled over (leaning sideways), while John revved the engine while heading/stearing forward.

Quite an experience, Chico was howling with anxiety, I was hanging onto the up side just being as relaxed as was possible, under the circumstances. We made it over, checked in and headed up Rio.

The trip up the river is always wonderful!

The sides are tall, steep, thickly forested in lush tropical foliage and tall trees of all types. The bird life is prolific, herons, egrets, cormorants, swallows, birds of all types on the sides roosting in the trees, swooping, calling, singing. And the sounds of the insects, the cicadas screeching, crickets squeeling makes for a wonderful up Rio Dulce journey.

Of course you also have your locals fishing and casting nets from their canoes and the water taxis occasionally whizzing by too.

Once we reached the end of the gorge we headed to Texas Bay for the night where we anchored and had a very quiet evening.

The next morning we headed across the lake and into the area where all the marinas are located.

We checked into Catamaran, were welcomed back as family, welcomed by the locals we knew, even Chico had visitors at the dock to see him.

The marina is busy this year with a very nice bunch, Canadians, Americans, Austrailians, South Africans, Braizilian, Bermudian mix. We’ve met up with many of our old friends too, we’ve done lots of reconnecting with Guatamalan friends and craftsmen.

Catamaran Marina

Is the most wonderful place to have Aeeshah during the hurricane season. It is situated on an entire island, just across the water, far from the center of activity, that it is both convenient but quiet. It is also a resort with attractive, little cabanas that hang over the water.

The gardens are wonderful, orchids, bromeliads, air plants, climbing vines, palms and shrubs that are meticulously cared for by the grounds men. There are several restaurants/eating areas, an excellent reception, bar and recreation area plus the pool and bar area make for real luxury for us wanderers.

Chico is very happy to be back. He goes into the gardens and relaxes in the shade or can be seen chasing butterflies. And I do think he is shedding some of the weight he gained while in the USA. But he sure finds it hot here, he comes back panting, with his tongue hanging out and jumps up to lay under the AC vent.

I just love to wander the gardens looking at the many flowers, seeing Jesus Lizards, and spotting birds.

As said, there are many more folks here this season, so there are many more activities. Here at catamaran we have had movie nights, where we have watched several excellent films played on the big screens plus had our dinner served to us at the same time – real luxury!

There has also been a pool party at Catamaran, it was a huge success, with many folks attending and there is Mexican Train Dominoes on Sundays. John plays and I hope to play next Sunday.

John’s eyes have been seen too.

He’s had two visits to Dr. Morales, in which he had eye exams and was hooked up to all types of eye equipment. Then we travelled on a collectivo to the town of Morales to stay a night before and after his operation.

The “operation” was carried out at Dr. Morales’s surgery.

We arrived at 7:30 and along with 9 others he had his old lens removed and the new inserted. Apparently the eye lens he received works like a camera lens, an excellent lens at that. John had been assessed as blind in the right eye, could not even read the top letters of the eye chart. Anyway his new eye has a 1,000 year guarantee and is rated worldwide as the best available, the cost…..14,000Q which is $1,900 for the whole lot, examination, surgery and bionic eye, just amazing! When he had the eye patch removed the day after the surgery he said it was miraculous! Just unreal, the colours were so bright, everything so crisp with details he had not known were missing.

What do we do?

We are and have been kept busy with boat maintenance, and cleaning that was way over due. However we had also been walking the bridge for exercise. This bridge spans the river at Fronteras is quite high and so is fairly good exercise especially in the heat.

Fronteras, (meaning Frontier)

Is the little town on one side of the bridge where we go every other day or so to get our fresh supplies of veg, fruitas, eggs, milk and such.

To us it is a colourful, busy, busy, town that is full of character and surprise. The main road leaves the bridge and goes right through the center street…….

So you get semis towing trailers, sometime full of cattle, sometimes laden with lumber or tankers of oil or container trucks coming off the bridge or heading towards the bridge leaving very little room either side where there are venders selling practically anything one can think of, while pedestrians try to squeeze by or cross to the other side of the road……

With folks pushing trolleys or have small stalls where they are cooking foods, making tortillas, fellows squatting to have their shoes polished while the polishers sit roadside with their little polish boxes, and folks waiting for the collectivoes – mini buses/taxis. And meanwhile we go shopping…

We also went to Tortugal Marina one evening for the trivia evening…and believe it or not but our team won!

Plus we have met friends for lunch and others, Don and Pam, for mid-morning coffee or the famous local hot-chocolate.

A new walk for us…

We were chatting to some folks at the marina they mentioned a public dock across the way.

Off we went to explore and low and behold, a public dock giving us access to a whole new world – a village, lanes to walk passed rubber and palm oil plantations, up and down hills and with wild open space too.

This is our new walk of choice, but in the heat it is only sensible and possible to hike in the very early morning. A regular day has temperatures in the 90s – that’s in the shade.

Humankind has not woven the web of life. We are but one thread within it. Whatever we do to the web, we do to ourselves. All things are bound together. All things connect.

Chief Seattle

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BELIZE

Ambergrise Cay/checking in

We arrived in Belize on May 5th, crossed the cut in the reef at Long Cay and sailed north to Cay Caulker where we anchored off the fuel dock and dive resort as per usual.

As it was a weekend we decided to leave checking in until the Monday, as we knew the officials in San Pedro would be few and far between. Monday we got the 9:00am ferry from Cay Caulker to Ambergris Cay and made our way to the airport and the immigration officials.

Upon arriving we were given hell from 2 nasty officials. They told us we had to enter via the cut in the reef of Ambergrise Cay, anchor off San Pedro, and then call in or tie up to one of the marinas and get an agent. We explained we can not enter by the poorly marked channel – it only has 1 yellow buoy marking it, the anchorage is too shallow for us, plus it has poor holding, we are not able to call as we have no phone time, nor can we go along side docks that have very shallow waters. Well this nasty woman would not hear it; she said we should not have come. Finally she spoke to her associate who again spouted off a list of to dos that we cannot do with our boat. I noted they did not even have VHF for us to call them on. Finally they got on with what they were there to do – checking us in.  Our next two stops customs and Port Authority were very welcoming and easy going. However we will not be entering Belize via this port ever again, next time when we enter from the north we will go to Belize city.

Cay Caulker

Is a lovely laid back community. We spent our time getting the boat ready for John’s brother Alan’s arrival, doing all the usual chores and rearranging the boat to have him in the bow cabin. Plus we walked around the cay, enjoyed a few excellent sweet and sour chickens from my favorite Chinese eatery, and made friends with other cruisers in the bay.

One couple Derrick and Carol off Latitude from South Africa and another couple Daniel and Brigitte off from France ended up traveling with us off and on all the way to Placencia. We had several fun evenings and wanders around with them – they are all headed to the Rio Dulce too.

Alan arrived Wednesday 16th May; we had taken the ferry to Belize City to meet him. The brothers were happy to be reunited after several years; they had much to catch up on.

We headed back to Cay Caulker and Alan explained that his niece, Gabby was backpacking in Central America with a boyfriend, Laurence, they were diverting to hook up with him for a reunion.

So upon arriving on Aeeshah we went back ashore to meet Al’s niece Gabby and Laurence who had arrived on the next ferry from Belize City. It didn’t take too long for Alan to find his niece and her boyfriend so we proceeded to a popular outdoor bar/ restaurant to have a drink.

The following day Alan went off with his Gabby and Laurence to do a popular water site seeing excursion, John and I got the boat ready to leave the next morning. So finally May 18^th, we left to explore the cays of Belize while heading to Placencia.

Drowned Cays

Was our 1st destination with Alan. We sailed south towards Porto Stuck the notorious shallow channel in the company of Daniel and Brigitte on their boat. Actually going through the channel of Porto Stuck was absolutely fine we had at least a foot below the keel at all times. In the Drowned Cays we anchored in the brogue off of Gallows Point.

Once the anchor was set we went for a dingy ride around through the mangroves looking for manatees. That evening we went aboard Daniel and Brigitte’s boat for drinks and snacks, having a lovely evening as the sun set around us.

Colson Cays

Was our next destination. These are a small group of 5 mangrove cays that were said to offer good snorkeling, 3 blue holes, a bird nesting cay plus a mangrove lagoon.  We spent 2 days exploring the area.

On our first day we went in the dingy around the lagoon and the southern most cays. The mangrove reflections were lovely as the waters were dead calm. As we passed the lobster/fishing camp we were under the observation of 2 older local fishermen and their dogs. The dogs were very curious about our presence they even tried to swim to the dingy to say hello.

Back at the boat we swam and snorkeled around. There was little to see except large colourful starfish living in the turtle grass. After we got out I spotted an enormous green turtle surfacing not far for the boat.

Day 2 in the Colson Cays found us circumnavigating the northern cay and Nesting Bird Cay. At Nesting Bird there were a few late nesters, numerous cormorants took to flight as we rounded the mangroves and several frigate birds were roosting and soaring on and above the mangroves.

We found the blue holes and snorkeled the first. Above the water they appeared blue, but under the water all was green. You could see how the ground had literally shifted and collapsed and cracked where once there must have been underwater cavern.

There were all types of fish hiding along the ledges, a shark, snappers and other reef fish. The depths varied around the hole with the top edges being turtle grass and the bottom being a mix of grass and soft debris. I found the experience to quite eerie.

After lunch we snorkeled a reef area off of the southern cay that was supposed to be excellent reef snorkeling. I found it to be moderately good as there was quite a bit of algae and several large lionfish present, meaning the reef was under threat. We then went back to snorkel the other blue holes.

Again the blue holes were fascinating, following the edges and cracks with the fish hiding and peering out of the crevices. This time there was a huge school of rainbow runners circling and stingrays to watch.

We also snorkeled the mangroves that were nearby which again was a new experience. I had some small type of crustaceans attach themselves to me and they bit me! Looking them up the closest creature looked to be a ghost shrimp that burrow in the shallows.

Tobacco Range

Was our next destination. There we had planned to spend the day anchored off Tobacco Cay and the nights in Tobacco Range, but plans changed and as the weather was settled we spent a night off of Tobacco Cay. The cay is an attractive isle, fringed by palm trees and colourful cabanas of a small resort.

The story behind its name is that early English settlers tried to grow tobacco here. The cay sits right on the barrier reef so the waters are beautiful blues and turquoises with shallow reefs beneath. We snorkeled the inside shallow reef. Again it was an average reef, some lovely coral and again I found a shark snoozing under a reef ledge.

South Water Cay

Located just 10 miles beyond Tobacco Cay was our next destination. This cay is very beautiful with lovely beaches, immaculate grounds surrounded by tall palm trees it sits on the barrier reef, but also has a large cut to the ocean on its southern shore.

After arriving we went ashore to explore the cay. Landing at the southern beach area we walked along the western shore following a pathway towards the north.

The isle is beautiful and the locals even rake the sandy pathways and under the palms making patterns on the sand. There are a few small eco types of resorts and a research station for students studying the oceans. The atmosphere was one of complete relaxation. The next day we snorkeled the cut on the southern end of the cay.

Leaving the dingy off the beach we snorkeled out the cut and along the outside of the reef. It had been unusual weather with winds from the west so outside the reef was relatively calm compared to the usual seas crashing in. The corals were amazing, in excellent condition, the fish life was also wonderful, many many schools of fish of all types. John and Al even saw a group of large friendly tarpon. It was an excellent snorkel.

Carrie Bow Cay

Is right across the cut from South Water Cay cut, so in the afternoon we took the dingy across and went for a snorkel. This cay is used by the Smithsonian Institute along with Cambridge University as an atoll and reef research station. It too is a small, lovely palm fringed cay.

I found the snorkeling here to be some of the best! The corals were magnificent, the reef and fish plentiful and varied. It was wilder, with a stronger flow over the reef. John and Al even had the thrill of being surrounded by a school of barracudas, I was happy to miss that experience.

South Water Cay Pass, Queens Cays Pass and Hatchet Cay

From South Water Cay we passed through the cut and headed south towards Queens Cay Pass. It was a very still day; the seas were dead calm and glassy with just a slightly rolling swell. We hoped to catch a fish, but the seaweed was still rolling in large quantities.

We also hoped to sea a whale shark as it was the time and place for them, but there were none about. Arriving at Hatchet Cay, I was very happy to see mooring buoys as the previous night we had spent at anchor when thunder, lightning, winds and rain passed. We didn’t go ashore, but we could see that there was a small resort with a restaurant. The winds did increase during the night and turned to the west along with a nasty chop it was quite rough by the morning. Our plans were to head to Ranguana Cay, however that was now where the wind was coming from…..

Placencia

Our 10 mile, 2 hour passage to Ranguana turned into an all day passage/slog to Placencia. The wind was blowing right into most anchorages, the seas were up and we needed a safe anchorage, so Placencia it was to be. In Placencia the seas were rolling in, so much so that at the usual landing dock at Yolli’s had the seas rolling right over the dock and up to the bar. Placencia has very good holding and we anchored off the town dock with the cut behind us and we’re happy to be there.

In Placencia we found that Daniel and Bridgit had arrived too. He had suffered a back injury when he had a fall and was in a bad way. We got them ashore and I spoke to Yolli and her husband Regan, they then arranged a trip to the doctor, plus helped them get much needed supplies.

Then one evening we noticed a local boat trying to reach the town dock. It was under sail, heavily laden with canoes and men. It was one of the local fishing boats. John took the dingy over to ask if they needed help. He was the only cruiser that went, despite the fact that there were a good 13 boats in the bay. It turned out that they had been out at Lighthouse fishing. The engine had stopped working 3 days previously and they had been trying to get back in ever since. They were very grateful for the help as were their families all waiting on the town dock.

Meanwhile the 3 of us walked and toured Placencia, which is just a wonderful little village. The people are very friendly, the buildings and signs are colourful, the pace of life is dead slow, it’s a village one never tires of wandering through. At Yolli’s Al was taught the ring game, we all enjoyed a cold drink and relaxing.

Monkey River tour

We arranged to do the Monkey River tour on the Monday, the day before Al left. We met our boat and driver at Placencia town dock for 8am and sped off towards Monkey River town.

This “town” is quite a small settlement just off the beach at the mouth of Monkey River. The settlement has a small reserve up the river where they have Eco tours.

After reaching Monkey River Town for a brief stop and to pick up our guide we headed up river to see the wildlife. We proceeded slowly, stopping to view iguanas in trees, Jesus Lizards, egrets and other birds, plus Howler Monkey playing in the treetop.

At the reserve we stopped to walk inside the jungle. There we saw and were told about the many differing plants and their uses and our guide called the howlers.

Edmund made a similar call to the howlers plus banged his machete against the tree trunk and sure enough he got a response and soon we head and saw the howlers above us feeding in the treetops. I guess we spent about an hour in the jungle and then headed back to the boat.

We then headed down river searching for the crocodiles. We found a crocodile sunning itself on the riverbank and then it was off to lunch at Monkey River Town.

The lunch was an excellent spicy grilled chicken leg with side salad and beans/rice.

After which we headed out to look for manatees. We sped along mangrove canals and across the inner bay to our destination.

The driver knew where the manatees grazed and sure enough we soon saw the manatees surfacing. There were various groups or families of manatees.

To me they seemed to be trying to get away from their visitors….. Overall it was an excellent tour, a fun day.

The next morning we went via taxi to the tiny airstrip where Al got a local flight to Belize City and home to the UK.

We prepped the boat for leaving and next day, May 30th we checked out ready to head to Guatemala and the Rio Dulce.

“Every morning when we wake up, we have 24 brand-new hours to live. What a precious gift!” — Thich Nhat Hanh

 

 

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Isla de La Juventud

Our route when leaving Cayo Campos was to go the inside route, heading northwest to La Pasa de la Manteca crossing the Golfo de Batabano.

Then to head into the anchorage in the bay next to Punta Colombo off of the north of Isla De La Juventud – Isle of Youth. The Golfo de Batabano is all shallow waters so we stuck to the given track or waypoints when crossing, but we found the waters all quite deep enough. The channel La Pasa de la Manteca is through the mangroves and had a number of Cuban fishermen heading to the fishing camp, many of the mangroves were dead possibly from previous hurricane damage, the area was still turquoise calm waters with the hills of Isla de La Juventud in the distance.

Isla de La Juventud, (Isle of Youth) otherwise known before 1976 as Isla de Pinos, (Isle of Pines), is the largest of all the isles in the south of Cuba. The population live in the smaller northern region of the isle where there is mainly farming and large citrus groves. The island is bisected by military checkpoints. The military check points are designed to protect the southern swamplands which a forms the Siguanea Nature Reserve a pristine area.

Punta Colombo

Our anchorage off of Punta Colombo was just under the slopes of the punta/point, which was vegetated with brush and the endemic Cuban palm. The bay shallowed out to what looked to be a rocky beach where there were a few fishermen. The inlet to the town of Nueva Geroma was just along past the bay and we could see roofs from the town in the distance. When anchored there that evening I watched 2 men wade out into the bay, one had a large piece of Styrofoam and a net atop, and the other had a black float inner tube. They floated across the bay and began to lay the net. As it grew dark I lost sight of them but after dawn they were still there and they were hauling the net. It was an incredible sight, one that truly shows the hardship in Cuba, which the people seem oblivious to or maybe just used to.

Leaving Punta Colombo we were unsure where to head, John wanted to get some lobsters from the fishermen in the Cayo Cocos and Cayos Del Perro, but the weather was changing again. So we decided to head to Caleta Puerto Frances a large bay on the south west point of Isla de La Juventud that was reputed to be magnificent especially underwater. It was an excellent choice.

Caleta Puerto Frances

We anchored in the large sandy area off of the eastern bay. The waters, the beach and the shoreline were just stunningly beautiful and there was once again nobody around.

It had been nearly 2 weeks since we had seen another sailboat. And the next evening a small sailboat came in with the single sailor from Norway. We enjoyed his company after not having any for so long.

This bay is used by divers who arrive in dive boats, which round the point from a dive resort on the other side. There are supposed to be underwater caves, black coral beds and a wall, which is popular with divers. Plus apparently once a week a small cruise ship arrives and uses the large yellow mooring buoy in the western most bay. However all the days we were there we saw very little human activity.

On our first day we took the dingy and cruised along the shoreline and then ashore to the beach where we beached it and started to walk the beach.

We found a sandy track above the beach and walked it for a short way, but as it led away from the beachside we returned to the shoreline. John then decided to go back to get the dingy and meet me at the structure that we could see in the distance of the second bay.

So off he went and I continued walking the beach looking for shells and beans. About 20 minutes later I met John at the structure on the beach where he was chatting to the caretaker, Peter and his companion Soul.

They were there for 20 days at a time and then the other crew took over. Their job being keeping an eye on the area, and being available for the small dive cruise that comes in once a week. In the off-season they would see nobody at all.

Peter spends his time carving all different wood into wonderful sculptures of sea life. He was sat there at that time carving a lump of cedar wood that he determined would be a turtle.

During our chat he said how they were having problems with the inverter, the piece of equipment that was attached to the solar panels providing energy to their communications – radio. Could John help? Plus he asked if we had any extra sand paper for his woodwork, any spare matches, maybe a knife and lastly he would love some rum, which he called vitamin-R. We replied we would return after lunch with what we had aboard.

Back we went after lunch, Peter was thrilled by the different grades sandpaper we gave him, some of which he had not been able to get in years. And with the matches to light his cigarettes, his biggest smile came from the rum, which he started to drink. He said he would gift us the turtle he was carving for the items we had given him and could John return at 5:30 or so to pick it up.

We spent the rest of the afternoon snorkeling along the waters were the cliffs were part of the shoreline. The corals were numerous in variety and quantity with schools of fish of all types. The water being crystal clear it was a great snorkel.

John went and picked up our turtle carved by Peter. It really is a wonderful carving. He is very talented and to think he created it in less than a full day, just incredible.

Another day we walked the shoreline past the cliffs where there was a bit of beach and then a jagged, rocky shoreline. I was amazed when I looked behind and advancing towards me were 2 Cubans in homemade wetsuit clothing, carrying a buoy, lines, snorkeling gear and large spear gun. Here we were in the middle of nowhere, miles and miles from anywhere and on the rocky shoreline out of the wilds they appear.

They continued in flip-flops to the point where the seas were breaking, climbed off the sharp slippery jagged rocks and disappeared into the swell. – We never saw them till the evening when they swam past our boat towards the shoreline and clambered up the cliff to the top carrying a line holding a batch of fish.

This was a good few miles from where they went into the ocean and at least 5 hours later. Just incredible to go through that for fish!

Anyway on this walk I found dozens of lovely shells and sea biscuits that had been thrown up into the tide pools. It was amazing they had not been broken.

Later we snorkeled the deeper reef and again the corals and fish life was excellent. John saw a ray that was a good 6-foot span, plus it was easy to approach.

We both loved Puerto Frances, it is incredibly beautiful.

Maria La Gorda and Cabo de San Antonio

Off we set to cover the 82 odd miles to Maria La Gorda. We had decided to start early and get into the bay late as we felt it would be easy to pick up a mooring buoy in the dark. We sailed most of the way and for just the last few hours motor sailed. As we entered the bay so the clouds started to cover the moon, it was darker than we had anticipated. After nearly running over a buoy we finally managed to hook it and tie up for the night. The next day we set off for Cabo de San Antonio.

We had thought to go into the mangroves for the first day. John hoped to find the fishermen and trade rum for lobsters. He so wanted to fill the freezer with lobster. Well we did not see a single fisherman. So we headed in to the dock to start our checking out process. The staff we knew were not on duty and we found out that it was the Easter weekend, Cuba was having a Holy week, everything was closed for the week, even the bar at San Antonio. So John was very sad to find out there was little chance of getting lobsters. Meanwhile arriving from Isla Mujares was “Tomorrow’s Dawn” with Mike and Jean our friends from 3 years back. We spent time catching up with them and enjoyed our last day in Cuba.

That evening we were approached by a couple of young guys who asked if we wanted to buy lobsters……John bought all 8 that the guys had and we filled the freezer with wonderful lobster tails.

Cuba is a very special country. It is culturally rich, development poor with many wonderful uninhabited areas. We both would love to return. We both never fully appreciated what freedom was until we traveled into Cuba. However the people of Cuba seem a very happy lot, contented with less at least they appear to be…..

Life should be touched not strangled. You’ve got to relax, let it happen at times, and at others move forward with it.

Ray Bradbury