Costa Rican - Rainy season!

Puntarenas, Costa Rica

Located at the tip of a long, sandy peninsula, once known as ‘The Pearl of the Pacific’, but now a rugged fishing port,  is the city of Puntarenas. The narrow, and extremely shallow(!) estuary was teeming with ferries, fish boats and pangas going in all directions. Organized chaos! We cautiously steamed ahead and were relieved to finally see the yellow panga pilot boat, and Miguel, from the Costa Rica ‘Yacht Club’ appear to guide us down the channel. Shortly afterwards we were tied to a floating dock and gave a deep sigh, and did what we always do, cracked a cerveza!

As is often the case, the most unlikely places can turn out to be the most interesting, and this was no exception. After a warm reception at the clubhouse and a refreshing dip in the pool, we were ready to go exploring. Our first priority was tracking down someone to build us a Bimini (cockpit cover), as the monsoon season is now upon us. Every afternoon the clouds roll in and a torrential downpour ensues, made even more dramatic by a backdrop of thunder, and lightning bolts. A constant reminder of the awesome power of nature and that we are a mere blip on the ocean!

The cruisers have really thinned out at this point, but we have met up with two boats to keep us good company;  ‘I Yam What I Yam’, (no not Popeye and Olive Oyl), but Sandi and Larry from Vancouver BC,  and Cindy and Adam of SV Bravo. Two local fellows, Malbey and Oscar have now put in some long hours making our Bimini frame completely from scratch, and stitching it together on an antique Singer sewing machine, right beside us on the floating dock!  After a few minor hiccups with the new Bimini, we bid goodbye to our hard-working  Trabajero’s,  and set the pointy end south for Quepos,  and the world-renowned  Manuel  Antonio National Park. 

Manuel  Antonio  National Park

The verdant rainforest setting of tropical beaches and rocky headlands lured us ashore as we dropped anchor at Manuel  Antonio National Park.  We set out early with Rick and Roseanna to hike the park before the tourists descended en masse, and the jungle was alive with life! Treading softly and peering carefully into the canopy we were delighted to see Howler monkeys, sloths, squirrels, lizards, iguanas, birds, and raccoons scurrying about. Taking a break on the white sand beach we were surprised by a family of Capuchin monkeys frolicking on the shoreline, oblivious to our presence, their little ‘old man’ faces reminiscent of some wizened old sage.

Surf and Turf!

After a very satisfying day in the park we returned to the beach for a swim in preparation for our dinghy ride back to the boats.  A lump rose in my throat as we took in the full impact of the giant surf and breakers that had developed during the day and awaiting us. Huge waves were crashing on the beach right before our eyes! After much deliberation we hatched a plan: The four of us would haul one dinghy as far out in to the surf as possible to get it over the first wave before it crested. Then Rick was elected, (the best swimmer in the group) to row it out to the boat and swim back to help with the second dinghy. It worked. One down and one to go!  Next we all heaved the second dinghy out towards the surf, lifting it up over the first wave in the nic of time. Then paddle like hell!   The fab four had done it again! Back on board ship I listened to the sound of my heart pounding as I watched the surf from the safety of Chantey V.  Just another day in the life of a cruiser!

Bahia Drake: Named for Francis Drake, the real life pirate who landed here in 1589 with a cargo full of gold bullion stolen from the Spanish galleon Our Lady Concepcion. Today it is a peaceful village that caters to the new class of Eco-tourists, hiking the jungles of the Osa Peninsula.  We dinghied ashore and tied to the dock of a beautiful resort/wilderness camp on the edge of the forest. A two hour hike along the coast led us through an amazing  ‘Indiana  Jones’ style jungle rainforest. Delicate lime green lizards slithered along hanging vines. Crimson red and yellow parrots cackled from the tops of 

enormous Banana palms, and furry beetles as big as your fist eyed us uncertainly. Daragh gave me a slow smile...”This is what I signed on for!” he said.   

Enchanting El Salvador

Under the Volcano,   El Salvador

    Central America is dotted with dozens of impressive, conical-shaped volcanoes, many still quite active. We visited one close up at Lake Coatepeque, El Salvador, recently with our friends on SV Tension Reliever crew Rosanna and Rick. With helpful guide, Leo, driver Carlos, and, yes,  personal police escort for the trip, Raphael, we toured the Santa Ana Volcano, the village, and nearby 'agua cascadia'  (waterfall).  We also checked out several Mayan ruins covered by ash , including Jaya de Ceran and San Andres (600-900BC). Our accommodation that night was what you could call minimalist; an older 'one star' hotel, crumbling into the lakeside below.  You could see that once it had been a charming colonial building with a cool, breezy veranda and a stunning view of the pristine lake and volcano . We were the only guests and seemed to cause a minor intrusion to the cocina staff.

Early next morning the intrepid travelers were off again.

    When the driver announced we had a flat tire which would take a while to fix, we all piled out and ambled down the dirt road where we encountered a primary school. They were just out for recess and peeked through the fence at us. Soon many little smiling faces were gathered around and the principal invited us in for a visit. Everyone Ooo-ed and Ahhh-ed at  Rosanna's photos of the Acapulco cliff divers, and wanted their picture taken with the Gringos. We bid them adieu and were off to a cascading waterfall deep in the forest. A tuk-tuk (tin can on wheels), took us careening over a dirt track, the last few hundred yards, as the roadway petered out. Then after traversing an extremely rickety ladder across the falls, where one could easily plunge down the abyss to certain death with one false step, we pulled our overly-safety-conscious Canadian selves together, and scurried home to the relative security of SV Chantey.

Back in the estuary we decided to take a dinghy ride to a small village nearby for provisions. Mangrove swamps are a maze of channels and we were soon all but lost. We called out to a couple sitting on an attractive patio in their lovely home, and to our delight  she responded in English. We were soon back on the right track. The next day there she was at Bahia del Sol with her husband Alex and beautiful daughter Nadia!  Sana invited us to join them for tea next morning at their lovely home. We discovered to our surprise, that Sana was born in Bethlehem and met Alex on a business trip there. They live with Nadia, 15 and their other daughter in San Slavador, and visit the summer house when they can. Sana and Alex welcomed us in like family and will have a lasting impression of the warmth of the Salvadoran people. That makes two people we know of that were born in Bethlehem!

Recess at Coatepeque!

Killer Bees!

     We arrived home to the buzzing of bees circling our V-berth. We shooed them all away, or so we thought. In the morning we found that our neighbour SV Bravo had been driven out of their boat at 5am by a swarm with thousands of bees! Apparently, the new queen was seeking a home for her entourage, and chose their boat to set up shop. The stern was literally covered with an army  of very busy yellow jackets preparing to build a hive! Somehow they managed to stuff the bees in black garbage bags and then suck them up using the nozzle of a vacuum cleaner. We also discovered  if you get swarmed at sea, just go the the 50 mile offshore mark and they will suddenly disappear knowing they are getting too far out to return to shore. Wow! Another close call for Chantey V.

Jam session with Bill and Espiritu

The Honeymooners in Costa Rica

We are now buddy-boating with Rick and Roseanna on SV Tension   Reliever down the blustery Nicaraguan coastline to Bahia Santa Elena, our first anchorage in Costa Rica. A scenic, landlocked bay unfolded around us with burnt siena tinged mountains and aqua blue waters loaded with fish and sting rays swirling around us. Absolute silence engulfed us, except for sounded like the intermittent sounds of small children giggling in the mangroves. Turned out to be the small  Mackaw Parrots, almost invisible with their lime green plumage, cackling in the trees. A log in the estuary suddenly opened his big yellow eye at us. Yes, there are Crocodiles lurking about in the weeds! Next day we went snorkelling on a glistening white shell beach. As we dinghied ashore one last time, Georgie spotted two jet black Howler Monkeys swinging through the tree tops! They slipped away into the canopy, but a little one's white moon face still peeked out from above taunting GP. Finally he too swung his long, curly tail into the trees and was gone.

Howler Monkeys Hangin' Out

An Imperfect Storm

On arrival in El Coco we were stunned to hear that we had narrowly missed un unseasonably late Papagayo windstorm which blew through Bahia del Sol a couple days earlier!  Storm force winds gusting up to 70 knots reeked havoc on the docks, pulled boats off their moorings, and dragged anchored boats hundreds of yards! One cruiser was having dinner on the dock with friends when the wind piped up. He watched in horror as his own boat drifted by dragging the anchor! One poor sailor hit the concrete dock and his J36 sailboat boat is now a total write off.  Our hearts are really feeling for our fellow cruisers today, whom we had left enjoying such a peaceful anchorage only days before.

El Coco, and Granada, Nicaragua

The funky, beachside village of El Coco has been a cheerful, and safe haven to chill out in for a few days.The Costa Rican shopkeepers keep the streets swept immaculately, and always have a friendly smile ready. We took an excursion inland to Granada, Nicaragua, thanks to local tour operator, Eric, who offered to take Georgie for a few days so we could go! The tour escorted 8 of us Gringos to a crater lake and active volcano with gases wafting up all around us. We also visited the town of Masaya on sprawling Lake Nicaragua, for lunch , before arriving at Granada, the oldest city in Central America. Granada is a faded remnant of its' former glory, The tourist are now trickling in after many years of civil war, but many of the historic buildings are in disrepair and the waterfront seems lonely and desolate.  However, our accommodation at the Alhambra Hotel on the square was exquisite. The antiquated colonial hotel with its' breezy palm-shaded  courtyard and pool were just the thing to rejuvenate two sea-weary sailors. From the verandah we watched the small ponies and carts carry supplies and people up and down the alleys just like in the wild west, and observed the families and merchants passing sultry afternoons in the central plaza.

Pony Rides with Winston

Ancient Granada

Alhambra Hotel

Back at Marina Papagayo we prepared to say goodbye to our dearly beloved First Mate, Georgie. George is flying home to Victoria this week due to the high temperatures, which, when they reach 85 degrees, will bar him from flying as cargo from anywhere in Central America for several months. This has been major dilemma for us as it was unpredicted, and therefore quite a commotion. Thankfully, our dear friends (and saints) Michelle and Gary have agreed to watch over the little fellow until our return. We will surely miss him, but know he is in good hands and happy to be back on Terra Firma.

Farewell to the First Mate Georgie!

 Quote for the day

"If you think you can, Begin!

Boldness has genius, power and magic in it."

Goethe

Bahia del Sol, El Salvador

Crossing the Bar!

Crossing the bar into Bahia del Sol proved to be a somewhat hair-raising experience, as we watched the massive surf break over the bar. The surge is such that a pilot must come out in a sea doo to guide you through the shallow channel . Chantey was second of the four boats waiting in trepedation to go through after the long double overnighter from Chiapas, Mexico.  We got the signal and turned our bow to face the wall of water coming at us. Taking a deep breath,  Daragh went full power and plunged into the surf, white knuckles gripping the wheel! In a matter of minutes we were through and had crossed into the tranquility of lovely Bahia del Sol. We anchored off the marina and headed ashore to a warm welcome from the 27 sailboats here for the Rally to El Salvador.

Tom and Lori of SV Camelot

El Salvador

After 12 years of civil war, life in El Salvador appears peaceful and the people are hopeful for a bright future. The new local government sponsored a dinner/dance for the cruisers in anticipation of more tourism from North America in years to come. We enjoyed 'pupus', the native munchies (tortillas filled with bits of meat and pickled veggies), hamburgers, and, of course,the Rally tote bag, filled with useful sailor paraphernalia. Then we danced in to the night to the rhythm of the Salvadoran version of The Macarena.

San Salvador and Antigua, Guatemala

After a couple of days lolling by the pool and catching up with cruisers, we planned a trip inland. Our first day trip took us into the the urban sprawl of San Salvador, the capital. Once there we deposited our Mac computer  at the Apple Store for repairs, after a wave splooshed through an open hatch during a crossing and doused the electronics. Dang!

Antigua jazz

      Bouncing along country roads on a Chicken Bus, one would never suspect that El Salvador had recently suffered through a civil war. There is still much work to be done, but it is obvious that these bright, hard-working people are eager to move on. Gazing out the window at the interplay of rural and urban life, one sees a herd of cows meander aimlessly down the center of the road, a peasant woman with a massive bale of sticks perched precariously on her head, a family making totillas on a wood stove at a stand outside KFC off a modern freeway.   Just another day in the life of Central America.

      A seemingly endless five and a half hour bus ride through La Libertad and Guatemala City, brought us to the quiet, refined streets of the old colonial capital of Antigua. The name conjures up ancient times....
crumbling edifices, narrow cobbled streets, quaint store fronts and casas with cool, green interior courtyards, coffee houses selling demi-tasse and delicacies, and all the amenities you would expect from a small European city transposed to Central America. Delightful!

    We spent 3 days visiting our Irish friend Turlough, at his exquisite home in the old quarter of the city. With Turlough as guide we wandered the ornate corridors of the city peering into tiendas and shops, checking out the wares and the colourful Guatemalan arts and crafts scene. We sat under a shady canopy of trees by a fountain  in the palaza , and enjoyed an evening jazz concert amid 15th century ruins, backlit with a stunning array of coloured lights.





 Next day we were off south for an overnight stay at the popular resort town of Panajacuel on Lake Atitlan. Guatemala is a country of vast mountain ranges, jungle foliage and volcanoes. We traveled to a summit of 6500 feet before descending to the picture postcard , azure blue lake below , set amongst 3 volcanoes. Simply breathtaking! Five small villages ring the lake. The Mayan villagers are very petite and gentle folk with ready smiles. All the women wear traditional dress; decorative, hand-woven, long skirts with bright , multicolored, adorned blouses and head scarves. Beautiful to behold! The homes are basic cinderblock and corrugated steel, with one simple woodstove, but as the weather is warm and balmy the construction needs are quite simple. We left Marios' Rooms, an inexpensive mini-hotel (basic breaky and dinner included for $32), for our return trip and last day with Turlough in Antigua. He introduced us to Jeremy and Sonia, an interesting sailing couple from England and Africa, living in Canada and traveling down the East Coast, who happen to own a Moody 376, the same boat as us! Daragh's eyes lit up and the boat banter was on! We hope to meet up again one day, perhaps at the Rio Dulce, on the Caribbean side.

    Early Saturday morning we reluctantly packed our bags and said farewell to our dear friend. Turlough had a picnic lunch tucked away for us and perfect for a long day on hot Chicken Buses.
    

Mexican Riviera - > Hualtulco update

Zihuatanejo

The idylic setting of Zihuatanejo lived up to its’ exotic name with a mound of soft green hills encircling a protected harbour. At night it simply sparkles with the lamps from the houses that reach right to the top all around. Although it has grown rapidly into a large city, it still has that small town feeling on the cobblestone streets and markets of the old town. We arrived on a boisterous overnighter from Maruata, nursing a jury rigged throttle which had broken inside the binnacle along the way. It was the last day of Sailfest, a mostly cruiser-run education fundraiser for the children of Zihuatanejo,and met up with cruiser friends on the boardwalk, Bob (Kuan Yin 1), Ian and Ellen (Kasasa), as well as Debbie and Mark (Younger Girl). We spent a couple weeks waiting for now 3 boat parts (a familiar theme it seems), swimming and strolling the beaches, and nibbling tacos. A great discovery was the lovely Playa de Ropa beach, a dinghy ride across from the Z-Town anchorage - pure white sand and clear warm waters, so salty even Georgie floats! While walking the dog we met a friendly Vancouver couple, Madelaine and Nils, down for a week of sun and escape from the gloom, with whom we enjoyed chatting and sharing travel stories.

Apart from the charms of this lively and unpretentious city by the sea, the highlight has been playing our music and jammin’ with Liz and Chris on Espiritu. With Chris and Daragh on violin and mandolins and Liz and I on guitars, as well as flute, we make quite a musical quartet. It brought to mind the duets of Captain Jack Aubrey and Dr.Maturin of the Patrick OBrien maritime novel series (ie. Master and Commander), Jack on cello and Stephen on violin, playing classical duets well into the night.

Fun in Acapulco!

At last our parts arrived and we heaved-ho and set `Otto``(the autopilot) on track for Acapulco. We med-tied to the slip at the very toni, Acapulco Yacht Club, compliments of Royal Vic, for a couple of days reciprocals, and a well-needed scrub down (boat and crew)! Lounging poolside, Daragh recalled his early memory of Acapulco, as a wee lad growing up in Ireland, and reading the dreamy Hollywood movie posters at the local cinema....`Èlvis Presley in Fun in Acapulco``. Wow! Intrigued, we looked it up on YouTube, and watched with glee as a very buff Elvis strutted his stuff to a Hollywood set of Mexican senoritas, breaking into song at every opportunity.  Later we followed the movie trail to El Mirador Hotel, Cliffside to observe the famous Divers of La Quebrada plunging hundreds of feet down sheer, narrow canyons to the surging waters below. Stupendo!

Puerto Angel

An angel actually did appear to us at the cove of Puerto Angel, by the name of Antonio, as we were attempting to raise anchor. The anchor was firmly wedged to the bottom, and was not budging no matter what. While we were tugging and scratching our heads, out of the water appeared a snorkeler, Antonio, swimming across the bay home. We waved him down and he cheerfully agreed to dive down 35ft. and check out the problem. He surfaced momentarily with a large mass of old mooring line and kelp, and quickly cut it away with a hacksaw. With their amazing prowess in the water, and incredible lung capacity, these Mexican pescadores make it look so easy. As soon as we were cut loose the wind carried us off, waving gratefully to our very own Mexican angel!

Once again we are ever thankful to Charlie and Margo, authors of Charlie’s Charts, for their excellent guidebook. Puerto Angel was not only a beautiful and serene haven, but also a most hospitable anchorage with kindly ‘mermen’ to help out in times of need

.

Ever wonder how the Pescadores get the Pangas parked so high up the beach? Check this out and you may be able to retire your dinghy wheels!

Huatulco, La Cruceita

 The cruisers are hunkering down here at Marina Chaue, Huatulco, awaiting a weather window to cross the Gulf. We passed the hot, langourous days visiting the darling town/village of LaCruceita, and the lush greenery of the town square. The town caters to the cruise ships which dock at Santa Cruz Bahia nearby, so there is a sense of understated affluence, not often seen in these difficult economic times. The next leg of the trip could be a bit rocky. The formidable reputation of the Gulf of Tehuantepec leaves us with a slight trepidation, since the winds sweeping over the Isthmus maintain a yearly average of force 6 on the Beaufort Scale, and can actually blow you out to sea! The crossing means two days overnight and possibly, a long, bumpy ride. The map below probably expresses the situation best.....

  

I am sailing, I am sailing,  home again, across the sea.

I am sailing, stormy waters, to be near you, to be free.

Can you hear me, can you hear me, through the dark night, far away,

I am dying, forever trying, to be with you, to be free.

Rod Stewart

``Mi Casa es su Casa”

Yelalpa to Tenacatita





We arrived at the tranquil bay of Tenacatita with John and Kim (Naglecorp) on board from Puerto Vallarta. We are traveling with them down the coast for a spell and enjoying the low-key vibe of Mexico, Sud. We braved a wicked surf here, with Ian and Ellen on Kasasa, to make a rather hairy dinghy bar crossing and explore the estuary. We spied a baby Cayman,(small crocodile) in the mangroves, quite adorable, and a wide variety of birdlife. Another morning we joined a group for a panga ride into the quaint, bustling arts community of La Manzanilla. We viewed the Crocodile farm and watched mesmerized as the ‘not so adorable’, ten foot beasts, licked their chops and waited for a snack to happen by!







Malaque, Barra de Navidad





Around the next corner we headed into Malaque (Malarky?), to seek out a pint of Guinness and the reported Irish connection. Unfortunately the handful of Irish rebels from San Patricio have long departed from participating in the Mexican Revolution here, and the only thing green in town was the salsa! The recent hurricane has really taken its’ toll on the coastline and many of the waterfront hotels were left crumbling into the ocean, a testament to the immense power of the winds and seas in this part of the Pacific. Happy to push off again, we rounded the point into the impressive Barra de Navidad, settled on Christmas Day 1567.







We spent a couple of days of total luxury with John and Kim at this old Mediterranean style resort hotel, The Grand Bay, lolling beside the pool and enjoying all the perks of a 5 star resort on a cruisers budget. In the late afternoon of the following day we reluctantly let go the lines and anchored in the Barra de Navidad lagoon. Here we said our fond goodbyes to Kim and spent our last few days with son John before he also had to fly back to Vancouver. This turned out to be a real cruisers paradise, as the lagoon is so peaceful, and the cruiser-friendly old Sands Hotel was a welcome haven to lounge and swim in with fellow sailors. A pleasant surprise came early next morning when we heard “BonJourno!’ from the upper deck and met The French Baker, El Horno, bearing fresh-baked baguettes and hot croissants from his skiff, which we devoured readily with pleasure!







Los Hadas, Manzanillo





Our next port of call was Los Hadas Resort at Manzanillo, of Bo Derreck fame for the movie ‘10’ filmed here years ago. But that was then and this is now, so I quickly informed Daragh that he would have to settle for a 7.5! From the view from the anchorage you would think you were in Santorini, Greece, with the white-domed copolas and villas dotting the hillside. On closer inspection, it is more of a Moorish theme with minarets, spiral staircases and intricate coloured mosaics in every nook and cranny. Kuan Yin 1, a Victoria Bluewater boat, was in the harbour when we arrived, with Bob and Bobbie aboard. We decided to practice our Man-Overboard drill with them as the weather was calm and water temperate. Daragh volunteered to take the plunge while Bobbie manned the helm and circled towing the Lifesling, then winched him up with the halyard. Not as easy as it says in the guide! Then we switched boats and chucked Bob overboard for a repeat performance on Chantey V. Quite a performance, but in the end a perfect rescue!







On a visit to the small town of Santiago we hit the local market to sample their wares and munch on fresh shrimp tacos with JeanGuy and Fran from Gosling, and Nicky and John from Seychelles. From behind came a familiar voice and turned to see Jacynth and Richard from Nanaimo BC! We have an invitation to partake in Richards` gourmet cooking at Casa Luna, their home-away-from home these past 12 years. The world gets smaller yet! This is the last stop for many of the cruisers before turning north again, so there have been many get-togethers, and dinghy raft-ups, saying ‘Farewell and following seas” to the new and old friends we have met on our travels.


Desiderata

Go placidly amid the noise and haste and remember what peace there may be in silence....
Be gentle with yourself. You are a child of the universe, no less than the trees and the stars;You have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should. Therefore, be at peace with God, whatever you conceive Him to be, and whatever your labours and aspirations, in the noisy confusion of life, keep peace with your soul. With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be cheerful.
Strive to be happy.
(excerpts) by Max Ehrmann

My Big Fat Mexican Wedding!

Daragh and I have arrived at our destination, Puerto Vallarta, with wedding plans still intact. We met with our 'wedding planner', Abigail at the Westin, to finalize the details for the Big Day. The beach was packed with people enjoying their Christmas holiday so we quickly made changes to the original location to avoid being smacked in the head with a Frisbee while reciting our vows. The attention to detail by Abigail made our ceremony a memorable one for us all. As the guests arrived at the Westin for the ceremony, Taylor, the charming flower girl along with Mary, my maid of honour and I told stories and giggled in our hotel room. Brother John was on hand to take my arm down the aisle, with parents James, and Irene, we are sure looking down from above. It was a magical day for us both as the rest of our families arrived; My  sisters Mary and Tes with brother John, along with Kim, John and Brian, with girlfriend Donna, from the Nagle side. Daragh's brother  Kieran and Kay arrived from Ireland to handle the best man duties. We also had friends Michelle, Christine and Craig, Jos and Barb, and blue water cruisers John and Nikki and Barb and Lionel. A good time was had by all as we ate and drank to  our hearts content, and danced into the night. The next night was New Years Eve so we invited the gang to join us for a night of champagne and fireworks atop the lighthouse restaurant El Faro, with a panoramic vista of the twinkling city below.

Michelle and I visited the Dreams Resort south of PV compliments of the very generous Christine and Craig, for a day of total self-indulgence poolside. It was a pleasure sharing a modest Christmas dinner repast with the O'Neills at their lovely villa at Calle Emilliano, in the heart of Old Town Puerto Vallarta. Later we spent a day snorkelling at Los Arcos with the Nagle clan, and savouring our last days together. Finally on January 5th we set out with Kim and John on board for the next chapter of our journey to Yelapa, and beyond to Manzanillo. 

Yelapa

Yelapa was a delightful discovery. We entered this secluded cove and dinghied ashore in search of a nearby waterfall.We wandered through a maze of cobblestone streets with nary a car in sight, as there is no road access into this isolated village. A pleasant surprise! Back on the golden, sandy beach we ordered a cerveza and contemplated the next leg of the trip.  We spent a peaceful night at Punta Ipala and again at Bahia Chamala, tiny coastal villages on the beach. Kim put a line over the stern and caught a very respectable 20lb. Dorado, which we filleted for a tasty feast for dinner. A pod of Humpback whales were frolicking in the waves, and we settled in for a leisurely passage south.

The Owl and the Pussycat went to sea on a beautiful pea-green boat.
They took some honey, and plenty of money, wrapped up in a five-pound note.
The Owl looked up to the stars above and played to a small guitar,
Pussy, oh Pussy my love what a beautiful Pussy you are,
Oh Owl, said Pussy, you elegant fowl,how beautifully you do sing!
Let us be married , too long we have tarried,but what shall we do for a ring?

They sailed away for a year and a day, to the land where the Bong trees grow,
And there in the wood, a Piggywig stood, with a ring in the end of his nose!
Pig,if you're willing, will you sell for a shilling, the ring? said Piggy,I will!
So they sailed away, and were married next day, by the turkey who lived on the hill.
They dined on quinze and plenty of mince, Which they ate with a runcible spoon,
And there on the strand, on the edge of the sand,they danced by the light of the moon.

Edward Lear