My first hot Christmas

Christmas to me is a tradition. I'm not religious but I freely admit when Christmas comes around, I join the throngs of Western people that worship the material god. And I love it. Take away the Christmas music thrumming in the shops, take away the media that starts as early as September getting into the hype, take away family and friends, take away Ebay, Amazon, hell...the internet in general, take away the shelves and shelves of special Christmas produce (actually just take away shops...period), take away the bitter Winter chill and it leaves me at a loss for things to do when the festive season comes around. It was this exact situation that I faced when spending my first ever Christmas in the tropics, on a boat in the San Blas.

Ok so there were no shops, no snow, no music, no familiar faces but I was determined to make Christmas Day feel a little xmassy and had a few tricks up my sleeve to compromise.

Christmas music ~ ipod Christmas playlist

Christmas media ~ when in the UK back in October I stocked up on cheap, small decorations and collected Christmas cards from my well organised family so we had something to open on the day. Family and friends ~ arranged to meet up with two other boats we have called our 'cruising family' so we did have familiar faces to spend the day with.

No internet ~ homemade presents instead

Special Christmas produce ~ San Blas equivalent, a whole chicken which having being involuntary vegetarians for the past year, was by far a better treat than the usual Christmas dinner. Also rather than buying everything, I had to make everything from scratch. This included a gingerbread house!

Winter chill ~ not a lot we could do about that, instead we sweated the day away changing outfits every time we changed course.

My first hot Christmas just wasn't the same but I still had a great day and it made me realise that when we get back to land, one of my requirements is that in the month of December, the temperature is below 30 degrees, preferably with snow! Here's how we spent the day for those interested in what on earth you do on a boat, in the middle of nowhere:

7:00 – Awoke and attempted to swat a fly that had dared enter the v berth.

7:15 – Presented Dylan with his homemade Christmas present. A hand stitched pair of tight white speedos that he loves so much on the French. On the front it says 'I LOVE THE FRENCH' and on the back is the French flag. Due to the lack of material on the front (my inaccurate guesstimate) I doubt these will ever be worn in public!

7:30 – Dylan made us tea and coffee.

8:00 – Put 2 mugs and 2 plates into a bag and headed off for breakfast on Waka Irie. We had decided to do a Come Dine With Me Christmas where each course was eaten on a different boat. Tomato and cheese pancakes were consumed followed by vanilla and nut roll and then a second dessert course of fudge. All washed down with a cup of tea, quite a start to the day and a sign for things to come.

10:00 – Back to Orion where I enlisted the help of Dylan to glue (with icing sugar) my gingerbread house together that I had made the previous day. Thinking ahead I had to purchase the ingredients back in Colombia as no way I could have bought anything in the San Blas apart from bananas, fish and grapefruit.

13:00 – Dinghied to Cypraea where we had lunch. Homemade sushi to start with wasabi that made the eyes water, seafood chowder (we had sourced the seafood the day before on an epic speargun /lobster tickling adventure), 2 whole chickens, potato and aubergine side, gravy, cranberry sauce and smoked turkey, washed down with red wine and beer. Again, all this was thought of in advance apart from the chickens that were purchased from a Kuna who got them from the mainland.

16:00 – Starting to feel a little sick, we dinghied back to our boat for dessert. Tosca Tart, Gingerbread House, Vanilla Cheesecake and Chocolate Log, washed down with rum punch. By that point we were all uncomfortably full, the feeling you only get once a year when you feel obliged to partake in a food eating contest.

17:30 – We all dinghied to a nearby island where the rest of the anchorage had done a pot luck. It was such a hot day with no wind so it felt amazing to dip in the sea.

19:30 – Headed home where we walked straight past the huge pile of dirty dishes.

20:00 – Bed time, food induced!

Cartagena

Having paid to be in Santa Marta Marina and talking to other yachties, we decided to do a land trip to Cartagena and not take the boat. There are three different ways to get from Santa Marta to Cartagena; 1) Public bus but the bus terminal is a taxi ride away from the marina 2) Private bus (Marsol) that pick you up from marina and drop you off at your hotel 3) Taxi. We chose option 2, a little more expensive than the public bus but way more convenient given we speak limited Spanish to get around. We had read reviews that Marsol were always late and it took forever going from hotel to hotel picking up paying guests but we figured time was on our side. It costs COP$82000 /$45 /£28 one way for a 5 hour (if you're lucky) bus ride from door to door.

A mini bus picked us up at the marina 30 mins late – not too bad. It was air conditioned and despite the reviews, we had just enough legroom even if I was sat over the wheels with a funny little box on the floor bending my knees towards my chin. We were the last on the bus which meant we got the worst seats and had to stretch to hit the air conditioning but it did mean we didn't have to tour the rest of the hotels picking other people up. We had two rest stops en route, one just before we passed the Rio Magdalena. People here like in huts with no walls and their makeshift abodes sprawl for as far as the eye can see. Very similar looking to a favela, these guys make their money by peddling snacks and drinks to the passing traffic and buses that stop at roadside shacks allowing their passengers to stretch their legs. We must have passed at least 8 checkpoints along the route where you need to pay before continuing on, I can see where most of our bus fare goes!

Four hours from door to door we were dropped off at Casa Lucy, a gorgeous old house in the centre of Cartagena Walled City that had been recommended by other yachties who had also stayed there. Lucy the owner rents out most of her rooms. The front door is huge solid and wooden with an equally sized brass knocker. As you knock, the sound echoes around the courtyard inside. You step through a smaller door cut out of the bigger door (similar to Wizard of Oz!) and enter into another world. The place is full of antiques and your eyes instantly settle on the outside courtyard..inside...full of plants and tweeting birds. The smell of old things hit your nostrils as your eyes adjust to the dark interior.

We were lead to our room which was quite simple but decorated with molas. Made me even more excited about buying these in the San Blas! It stank of damp but I think that all added to the experience, it is a very old building after all. Our room wasn't ready so we put our things in the locked trunk in our room and headed out for some lunch. We found a stall selling bread looking items. Tried a maize ball with cheese in, breadstick with cheese in and an empanada with cheese in. Yep they like their cheese here! After dampening our appetite we went for a walk along the old walls, attempting to walk them all. We were greeted by gorgeous views but had to dodge a lot of cruise ship crowds, easily identifiable by their pasty white skin and tourist looking hats. When the sun was going down we walked back to the hotel for a shower then went out again for dinner. We wandered the streets looking for the cheap grub we love in Santa Marta but struggled so in the end we settled on a pizza overlooking a gorgeous plaza. A great spot for people watching.

Breakfast at the hotel was amazing. We had a platter of fruit, Colombian coffee on tap, orange /lulo juice, cumin bread, toast with fruit jam and syrup, carrot muffins, cereal then I asked for an arepa con huevo and Dylan had scrambled egg with bacon and tomato. YUM. We were thoroughly stuffed by the end of it. All of this is served in the pretty corridor outside of the rooms right near the courtyard. 

The second day consisted of more wandering about the town, going to the different plazas and more people watching. We tried out a coffee from Juan Faldez, a chain of coffee houses the equivalent of Starbucks in Colombia. It was great coffee but not cheap! Wandering about the town we marvelled at the gorgeous balconies that overhang the streets bursting with plants, painted vivid colours and backed by solid wooden doors with intricate carvings. Everywhere you look there is something of interest. You could spend weeks in this city just wandering the streets with your eyes to the sky. At one of the plazas we found a local guy selling fantastically bright watercolours of Cartagena. We bought one and look forward to hanging it in our home when we get one...At around 2pm we realised that we had seen all the major attractions and although it would be great to spend another day of wandering, our monthly budget would thank us greatly if we cancelled a night at the hotel and went home that day instead.

Sad to leave Cartagena but with the dented budget in the back of our minds, we boarded the bus at 2pm and headed for Santa Marta. Being first on the bus this time meant that we had the pick of seats so chose one right near the air conditioning at the front right behind the driver, also meant more leg room. The downside to being the first on the bus was that we got to visit every other hotel en route to pick up other guests. The return journey took us 6 hours! Looooong.

An entertaining moment on the bus was when we hit the highway after Barranquilla. It seems the drivers here participate in a game of chicken. The buses pull out in front of each other, revving the engine to max and using the opposite lane to overtake, with oncoming vehicles edging that bit closer. With front row seats to this spectacle, Dylan and I grimaced and clenched our teeth (and Dylan says sphincter...eurgh) when at the last minute, the driver cuts up someone in his own lane and swerves back in, narrowly missing the oncoming vehicle. No sooner had our heart rates lowered...he's at it again! Stopping at another of the roadside shacks, we tried out a snack - cheese flavoured styrofoam...I mean crisps. What was most fascinating was driving past the hundreds of shacks at night. Bearing in mind these shacks didn't even have a door or four walls, without exception they all owned a television! Each hut was almost identical, a huge TV (in comparison to size of shack), a christmas tree or fairy lights or both, two plastic chairs opposite the TV and in some, a coffee table at the side. No basic infrastructure, no roads, no sewerage system but they were able to watch a moving talking box. Although I see that as an odd priority they probably likewise see my priorities equally baffling!

Santa Marta

A city in itself, Santa Marta has many small alleyways bursting with old rundown South American architecture – but you have to look for it. That's what I love about this place, its subtle, its local, its colourful, its friendly, its laid back, its fabulous. Santa Marta is South America's oldest surviving city illustrated by the crumbling colonial architecture you are greeted with around every corner. There are few attractions here so tourists simply use Santa Marta as a jumping off point to visit the Lost City, a nearby jungle trek to lost ruins. This is great news for us as it gives us an insight into Colombian life without having to look through the throngs of pasty cruise ship crowds or pesky market sellers. We were often the only foreigners around and with my blonde hair, got treated extremely well by the locals who were fascinated by the hair colour and strange pigmented skin! The only other tourists we saw here were Colombians themselves, who come to the beach in throngs to soak up the sun, sand and aguardiente (aniseed liqueur) by the bottle full, congregating on the beach front across from the marina.

After a rolly, windy, creaky three nights at anchor, we went into the marina and stayed there for our entire stay (10 days) before we left for the San Blas Islands. Santa Marta marina was a god send after Orion got covered in sand and dirt on our passages from Bonaire to Colombia. An IGY marina, it really is top notch with some of the best rates in the entire Caribbean. We never go to marinas preferring to save our money at anchor but with the cheap rates, friendly staff and pristine facilities, it was hard to resist. The ladies in the office were extremely helpful, especially Diana who spoke immaculate English and can organise anything. Diana booked our bus trip and hotel for Cartagena as well as dealing with any questions we had on logistics, gas bottle refills etc. Mauricio the marina manager was always around asking for feedback and the marina staff could easily be found for any errands we needed running. Even the harbour master, John, came by numerous times to ensure we were having an enjoyable stay! It seems to be a popular place for cruisers to land prior to heading on to San Blas and Panama, rather than stopping in Cartagena. Golf cart trips to fill jerry cans, cheap water on tap, air conditioned bathrooms, big cubicle showers, air conditioned Captain's Lounge with huge plasma TV and even an on site mini mart selling essentials – it was easy to spend the days in the marina rather than venture into the city!

The city is just on your doorstep, a 2 min walk got you to the promenade with all the Christmas lights on display. It looks very pretty at night, the lights twinkling and the place is buzzing with Colombians on holiday. We wandered many a night up and down the front, stopping to see the street acts with crowds of people gathered to watch. We passed one guy dressed as a woman that people seemed to find hilarious but we wouldn't know as his Spanish was far too advanced for our comprehension!

We quickly realised that eating out was actually cheaper than buying food from a supermarket and then having to cook it. Our favourite place was a hole in the wall we found where locals sat stuffing their faces. Figuring this must be a good spot, we sat down at an empty table and looked at the menu that was written on a whiteboard high above everyone's heads. I didn't understand one word. No chicken, rice, vegetables that I had learnt via Rosetta Stone - we had no idea what was on offer...our kind of adventure! We instead chose to shop by price and settled for mid range prices, which was still less than £2 for a main meal. When the food came, turns out I had ordered chicken (pechuga = breast) and Dylan had ordered beef. A very local affair, the plates were piled high with good hearty food. For a starter (soup) and main each with 4 cokes it set us back £7, and that included a 10% tip! Needless to say, we returned more than once to sample the rest of their menu and weren't disappointed.

On the topic of cheap food, it seems timely to describe the street vendors on the beach front. Wow. A walk along the front at night is an assault on the senses. Yes there are pretty lights and yes the views out to El Morro are great but what really interested us was the food sizzling on the food stands, mmmm it smelt soooo goooood. We had been warned not to touch the food and drinks sold by these men as many yachties had fallen ill, but when in Rome...Skewers of meat, yes RED meat sandwiched between potatoes were Dylan's favourite. He ate 6 in a row one night, at a mere 30p /$0.55 each, it would be rude to leave any on the grill! My favourite were these big doughy cheesy grilled beauties, mmm my mouth is watering just thinking about them now. They are round, rather flat flour cakes grilled on both sides. The vendor then cuts them open and puts in grated cheese and queso blanco before grilling them again for a few minutes. Hoooaaaa they are so good and again 30p /$0.55 each. I watched the locals ordering a white-ish liquid from a squeezy tube rather than 'con queso' so I decided to copy them. Big mistake, it was condensed milk. Eurgh. Just no. It was like sprinkling sugar on your cheese on toast and makes my teeth ache just thinking about it now. I soon twigged that most things in Colombia are preferred sweet, there is a whole aisle of condensed milk in the local supermarket! Not to be deterred though we also had dessert street vendor style; shaved ice, pineapple syrup and yep...condensed milk. That too was unbelievably sweet but very refreshing.

One day a kind yachtie offered to show us where the fruit and veg market was. Apparently not many of our kind go there as it is meant to be in the dodgy part of the city but in broad daylight and from what we had seen so far, we weren't intimidated. Glad we took the risk as its a delightful place only reached by zig zagging a load of back alleys. I can see why you just need to go with someone who has already been rather than asking for directions as they would sound a little like this 'turn right at the guy with the large sewing machine, turn left at the large oak door, turn right at the crumbling brick wall, turn left at the ladies that always sit out in the street, turn right by some graffiti, left at the store selling speakers, right at the fire hydrant and then cross the road where there are big green bushes and there should be a bunch of umbrellas on the opposite side of the road. Yep, I kid you not. When going there by ourselves for the first time, we wandered up and down scratching out heads until we were greeted by the big green bushes!

This market is cheap cheap cheap. We filled our bags with fresh produce, marvelling at the variety on offer but also the price. Before we left for the San Blas I filled 4 big bags with produce; 1 kg cheese, 5 tomatoes, 10 potatoes, 2 pineapples, 5 apples, 6 passion fruits, 20 onions, 10 garlic, 2 pumpkins, 2 cabbages, 24 eggs, 40 limes, 1kg green beans, a yam, 2 peppers, 2 coconuts, bag of chillis, 10 carrots and 20 oranges. How much? £12 or $22. It was an experience to have a wander around here, not only were there fresh produce but further down the road was the meat section with huge chunks of the stuff hanging from bits of wood and buzzing with flies. We passed a whole cows head, trotters sitting out in the sun, blood oozing down the make shift table onto the floor where cats and stray dogs were licking it up. It didn't really smell though, lets just say, health and safety isn't really a big deal here and we decided that we were quite happy having vegetable pie that night! The main place to stock up in Santa Marta is Exito, a large supermarket with everything you need. Not the cheapest prices but a convenient walk from the marina.

As well as the hole in the wall selling local food, we loved a particular cafe on the way to the market. Didn't have a name or road number near it but was recognised by the derelict building opposite it. Here old men hung out on metal chairs put out on the street, watching the world go by whilst sipping a local beer. We mimicked these guys, found 2 chairs and did the same. Dylan was fond of the local brew, Aguila, a light beer that he easily demolished in 2 gulps. Anyway the best bit about this cafe apart from the urinal that was used constantly by male passers by (had to position the chair just right so that wasn't in your peripheral vision) was their empanadas. We discovered them by chance when I eyed up a local munching on something tasty looking. Having no idea what I was asking for I just pointed to one in the heated counter and gave it to Dylan for the taste test. Inside was minced beef, rice and a whole egg and it tasted amazing. It cost COP$1000 /0.33p /$0.55 but Dylan didn't believe me so I had to go and buy another one to prove my point! Ha, from then on anytime we ventured near that end of town no matter what the time was, we went and ate one of those. No other empanadas we tried matched this at all.

Another street side delicacy is the tinto. Men walk around the city with up to 4 thermos flasks swaying from each arm filled with sweetened Colombian coffee. They serve them in plastic espresso cups and lace the coffee with condensed milk (now there's a surprise). It is really nice, strong yet sweet and gives you the energy boost needed under the midday sun. A large one is COP$500 / 15p / $0.27...yes I'm banging on about prices here but its just so nice to be surprised by a price that is so cheap for a change rather than so expensive!

One more random snack and then I promise I'll change the subject from food. A pastry filled with guava jam and....queso blanco. Odd. The pastry is sweet, the jam sweet and then the cheese, well, very cheesy! I wouldn't have it again and certainly wouldn't think of putting the two together but it was very interesting and very different from what I thought I was about to eat – a cheese and tomato pasty!!

We didn't spend the whole time eating despite how this post may appear. With being in a marina we made the most of the water on tap and shelter by getting on with our chore list. Mould was scrubbed, anchor chain was remarked using 3 different methods, inside and outside of the boat was thoroughly cleaned, wear patches repaired in all the sails, climbed the mast for an inspection, filled the gas bottles, filled the water tanks, filled the fuel tank, cleaned the head, cleaned the water tanks, repaired cup holder in cockpit, repaired boom cover, researched San Blas and made the most of the fresh water showers!

On our chore list for a while now has been 'stock up on medical kit'. A lot of first aid items came with the boat when we bought her but not much in the way of ocean crossing items such as antibiotics, strong pain relief, burn wraps etc - things you normally need with a prescription. We were waiting until we got to a place that was pretty slack on regulations when it came to medicine and would happily sell them to you over the counter. Colombia was our place! It wasn't cheap but I did manage to find and purchase most of the must have items on our to get list. The process was hilarious. I had no idea of the medical terms in Spanish and the pharmacist couldn't speak a word of English so Dylan and I started a game of charades. I'd tell Dylan the word, say 'burn', then we would both act out a burn on ourselves whilst the pharmacist stood there, not knowing whether to kick us out or take us seriously! Luckily for us he had a sense of humour and after him producing a lighter...erm not what we were after...Dylan managed to successfully mime getting burnt, running around with his hands in the air trying to blow on his skin. Aha, we purchased some burn cream! And onto the next item...charcoal tablets. Yep that baffled him as we pretended to be poisoned by a fish, grab our necks, turn purple and fall to the floor. That particular item remains on the list but I think we got some kudos from the staff who had a throughly entertaining afternoon!

Santa Marta is full of photocopying places. It became an ongoing joke that we would turn to the other as soon as we saw said shop and ask if they were doubly sure they didn't need anything copied. It was unbelievable, almost every shop we passed, even if it sold toys...also did photcopying. I want to know what on earth the Colombians like to photocopy that calls for such demand in service! Yet to find out the answer...

The other thing that made me giggle was the MCs in shop entrances. All the clothes stalls had a guy at the entrance with a mic hooked up to two big ass speakers. He would then use it to constantly tell shoppers passing by of his offers or just comment on the music they was currently playing. If anything, this scared me away, it certainly didn't lure me in!

Dylan hadn't had his haircut since Bonaire and the new clippers I bought in UK don't like to work on 110V so we treated him to a haircut Colombian style. The women in the salon all wore a mask around their mouth as if Dylan was contagious but they did do a good job. I was kept entertained by a transvestite working there and colouring his own hair whilst pulling out clumps and depositing them in an easy to reach bin. I was most disappointed when Dylan finished as I wanted to see if he/she had any left on his head by the time the dye had washed off.

We could have stayed in Colombia for a lot longer, loved the country but San Blas was calling and we wanted to get there in plenty of time for Christmas. The weather is still renowned to be rough from Santa Marta to Cartagena so we wanted to leave in a weather window and attempt to go straight from Santa Marta to San Blas without stopping. Dino (the agent) cleared us out within 24 hours, I washed, dried and put away all the fresh produce, dug out baskets to store them in and tied bananas to the hand rails as we had totally maxed out the space. A final skype to the parents as we may be offline for up to 4 weeks and we were away, next stop Coco Bandero Cays, San Blas, Panama.

p.s. Despite 48 knot winds and a couple of rain showers, my first handmade flag passed the test with flying colours (excuse the pun). It's a little faded but all colours are still recognisable, no stitching has come undone and not even the ends have unravelled. It was well worth the effort! Once again, hats off to the gang that helped me with this immense task!

Clearing into Colombia

A favourite topic of all cruisers considering Colombia is the clearance process and fees. We wanted to clear in to Santa Marta, do a bit of sight seeing and then continue on to Cartagena. We soon found out this is only do-able if you clear into the country twice = twice the fees, twice the bureaucracy…not going to happen. Instead we paid Dino (recommended from Noonsite) at the marina US$100 for him to clear us in to Santa Marta. He is an agent and you have to use one in this country, no getting around it. Go into the marina office and ask them to call him or even email him in advance (we weren't that organised). The $100 includes everything; clearance papers, cruising permit, exit zarpe and intermediate permit to visit other places in Colombia after Santa Marta en route to Panama. You cannot however, enter Cartagena in your vessel (if you have already cleared into Santa Marta) without declaring yourselves (again) and paying another $100…although we have heard of boats going in for one night, flying the Q flag and clearing off early the next day. 

Another way of keeping costs down is to ensure you only stay in the country for no more than 15 days, if you wish to stay longer, you have to pay a further $105 to import your boat. Less than 15 days stay rewards you with a temporary importation of your boat for free. Dino takes all the necessary paperwork from you, does his thing and hands it back to you up to 5 days later, although we got ours back the next day…must be a quiet time for Dino at the moment. Not only do you get it back, but he presents it in a plastic folder complete with 2 ziplock bags - total bonus! 

We still want to go to Cartagena so rather than sail there, we are going to take a public bus (5 hour trip) then stay in a hostel. From talking to other cruisers here, this seems to be the norm except most people splash out on a hotel rather than slum it in a hostel…hint hint Dylan.

There is of course the option to by pass Santa Marta altogether and just go to Cartagena to clear in. Again second hand information but opinions on Club Nautico and the surrounding anchorage seem to be quite scathing with talk of a run down marina, a 'cess pool' anchorage and it being unsafe to leave your boat at anchor if it blows over 15 knots as very poor holding.

In summary, yes it is quite pricey for a 15 day stay but the process is slick and from what we have seen from the country so far, totally worth it!

Sailing from Curacao to Santa Marta

There are many blogs out there that discuss the passage between Curacao and Colombia as it includes one of the top 5 worst passages in the world according to Jimmy Cornell. When doing my research before departing, I couldn't find any blogs or articles that were up to date so here is our recent experience day hopping the Caribbean Colombian coast in November 2012, sailing as a flotilla of 3 (Orion, Dolphin of Leith and Waka Irie).

Day One

We left Curacao early morning and headed to Los Monjes (Venezuela), an overnight passage of 120 miles. A pleasant downwind sail the only thing we needed to watch out for was the freighter traffic off the south coast of Curacao and Aruba. There is a shallow bank (60ft) as you pass Aruba where we got many strikes on our lure. We managed to reel in 3 tuna but threw them back as they were too small. Good job I took sea sickness tablets as this passage was incredibly rolly!

Day Two

With Aruba behind us and Los Monjes way in the distance I was asleep with Dylan on watch when he yelled for me to join him in the cockpit. We had got a large strike on the lure and he was having trouble pulling it in so I slowed the boat down whilst Popeye used his muscles. He spent 15 minutes fighting it and within a hundred feet from the boat, all of a sudden either the fish got a massive second wind or it got hit by something bigger and the line ran like hell, stripping it with the ratchet on full. Eventually the line broke (at the swivel…a shoddy knot) and we lost fish, lure and trace. Expletives peppering the air, I confiscated the rod and Dylan had a good sulk about another one that got away.

Approaching Los Monjes (12˚ 21' 70"N 70˚ 54' 15"W) a little after sunrise we started the engine…only to have no cooling water emerge from the stern. OPTIONS…we ran through them and decided the best would be to sail in and anchor under sail, hopefully repair the issue and then move to the designated mooring area which was a tighter space. This is not a new issue to us, it has happened before so the option wasn't so daunting. After a few exciting moments beating under jib alone to get into and area even vaguely anchorable (less than 40 ft) we found a spot away from lee shore and dropped the pick. All the while the Venezuelan coastguards posted on this island were looking on in confusion as a yacht completely ignored their offered help to tie alongside the dock and tried to make sense of our 'engine broken' charades. 

Approaching Los Monjes

As Dylan sat sweating away changing an impeller with his head in the engine, the Coastguard paddled their large skiff out to us with long strips of driftwood as paddles. Two friendly guys boarded us to check our paperwork whilst another 4 guys sat waiting in the boat alongside. They didn't speak a word of English so we got by with my dodgy Spanish. Giving them all a piece of my leftover birthday cake and a glass of water, they went away smiling, waves all round.

Impellor changed, the engine purred into life and started spitting out the water we needed. Now for the tricky part of picking up a sunken polyprop line in an enclosed space. Luckily for us, a big Venezuelan fishing boat that was tied up to the line had since moved whilst we were tinkering with the engine. Motoring towards the patch a line should be I started plunging the boat hook into the water hoping to snag something, and as luck would have it, I did. Attaching an 8 ton boat to a small piece of polyprop really didn't feel like the best idea in the world but previous research had told us it was fine and we were going to dive on it anyway to check. But before we got to that part, we noticed we were dragging two weather buoys out to sea with us…much shouting and gesticulating from the Venezuelan fisherman told us that is why they had moved and they motioned for us to come alongside the wharf where they were secured. Uh ooooh. 

We had a few trying attempts to get her alongside the wharf, helped by a lovely, attentive and toothless Venezuelan fisherman. With a swell similar to that found in St Helena, we moored alongside with every fender we owned out. This was the 3rd time we had ever manoeuvred Orion alongside a wall so we were very proud of ourselves! 

Orion moored alongside the wharf

As we sat admiring our job we were a little concerned with the groans and creaks of the lines and cleats as Orion was picked up and shoved against the wall with every swell coming in. Deciding to stay put for now until the other boats arrived and happy with the amount of protection we had wedged between the boat and the wall, we went for a look around the island.

Lighthouse at the top of the island

View from the top of the lighthouse

Los Monjes is literally a rock coming out of the sea. It used to be two small rocks but now a man made bank links the two islands together. Home to 12 Venezuelan coastguards stationed there for 3 week stints and flocks of egrets, there isn't much to see here. We walked up to the lighthouse for a better view of the islands and to see if we could spot the other boats coming in. We watched Waka Irie roll their way into the bay and Dylan ran back down to help them attach to the 2" polyprop. Eventually we too joined the mooring line as we were certain Orion would have ended up under the lip of the wharf, damaging the toe rail. There is no charge for being here.

With all 3 boats safe, secure and snug in the man made bay, Dylan went out hunting for our dinner and came back with 2 giant barracuda whilst I went for a leisurely snorkel. Once you get past the extremely inquisitive giant barracuda that swim round you in teams and every so often dart straight for you with their mouth open, teeth exposed (eeek), the snorkelling here is very good. The best spot is to swim to the large cave where there are huge schools of fish amongst the cuda.

The large cave, good for snorkelling

Day Three

We had heard from the coastguards that there was wifi ashore, wanting to download a zygrib for the most up to date weather forecast, we went to investigate. Miming us using the laptop to a friendly coastguard, he gestured for us to follow him as we trailed towards their facilities. They really are hospitable guys here, waving as we passed and patting the head of little Petra with a nest of bright blonde hair. The coastguard ushered us into their canteen and we were greeted with air conditioning. Aaaaah. So yes there is internet, if you ask nicely. The signal is just strong enough to download a grib file but not emails or web browser. As we were sat there enjoying the cool air, the guards started playing loud music and dancing around. Brought a right smile to my face when a bunch of macho men started swaying in time to Shaggy's 'You're My Angel'! Most surreal. The main guy, Ely, who had insisted on taking a photo of us earlier that day came over to us and gave me a piece of paper complete with his twitter, email, Facebook profile, whatsapp and blackberry ID. His calling card, I guess he gives this to all the cruisers he encounters on this remote outpost. 

Another round of speargun hunting saw us well fed for a second night running.

Day Four

Next stop Cabo De Vela for our first taste of Colombia, an 80 mile sail. We left Los Monjes at midday, waved off by the friendly toothless Venezuelan fisherman who were busy untangling eagle rays and sharks from their nets. Had a great sail during the day but as soon as the sun went below the horizon, the wind dropped right off and we were doing 3 knots max. 

Day Five

A slow passage but as we neared the coast of Colombia, a huge pod of dolphins came to greet us. We spent a good couple of hours on the bow taking photos and watching their acrobatic skills surfing the bow waves, I don't think I will ever tire of seeing these mammals in their natural habitat.

Me speaking Dolphin

Desert meeting the sea

At 9am we were anchored behind the point in 14ft sand (12˚ 12' 25"N 72˚ 10' 58"W). We had to watch out for plastic bottles that marked a plethora of fish traps and were barely visible above the water. The Lonely Planet Guide describes this area better than I can - 'the remote Wayuu fishing village of Cabo De Vela juts out from the Guajira Peninsula like the hump of a long lost camel, wandering in the desert for days without catching sight of a fellow mammal'. The first time I had ever seen a desert meet the sea, the land was extremely barren so the village huts were the only prominent thing on the landscape. An old fishing boat paddled out to our boat and gestured that they would like fizzy drink (gasiosa), food or fishing equipment. These guys reminded us of the Kuna indians we are hoping to meet in the San Blas Islands. With very similar features to them, they look nothing like their Colombian or Venezuelan brothers. Reluctant to just give things away but realising they have very little in this part of the world we opted to give them a chocolate bar each and a reel of fishing line that was too short for us to put on our rod. They seemed pleased with this and paddled away to inspect their gifts.

After an afternoon of snorkelling around a nearby mushroom shaped rock in murky water (gosh aren't we spoilt now?!), we had enough spear gunned fish for a good grub ashore. Piling 8 adults, 2 children, food and braai equipment into our dinghy, we (very slowly) puttered ashore to make a beach bonfire. Our fire attracted the attention of 4 local teenagers from the village who cycled out to check what was going on. They sat with us for a while but they couldn't understand English or our pigeon Spanish and we couldn't understand the dialect they were communicating in. It was a silent conversation full of hand gestures and smiles. 

Jen (Waka Irie) is a New Zealand lass that you would definitely want with you if marooned on a desert island. She knows just about everything there is worth knowing about eating off the land and tonight was no exception, introducing us to barnacles and sea urchin! Shame I didn't have my camera with me as those at home will gawk at what we ate. Apparently barnacles are part of the crayfish family and they tasted that way. Jen had found some particularly big barnacles that to me just looked like a lump of rock but once cooked in the fire, the tops became soft and you could dig out the flesh on the inside. A little gritty but if you had a big pile of them you would know no difference between crayfish and barnacle! Now I wonder if you can eat goose barnacles, something useful to come from those annoying hangers on under our boat…

The second new experience of the day was sea urchin aka kina. Now these urchins you see everywhere and I never once even thought they could be edible judging by the thousands of spikes. You eat them raw, crack them open with a rock and eat the strips of yellow goo on the inside. Certainly an acquired taste, they are sweet yet bear a resemblance to that bitter polish you paint on one's nails when wanting to stop an annoying biting habit. I won't be eating it again, put it that way!

Kina - mauri for Sea Urchin roe

Day Six

Wanting to have a mooch around the Wayuu village but with little fuel left in the dinghy, we all sailed our boats to the other side of the bay and anchored in 8ft - again, watching out for those plastic bottles. 

Securing the dinghy to a stick in the sand, we were met by two inquisitive young boys who appeared to have never seen one before. Little 2 year old Petra wasn't so impressed with 2 strangers touching it and proceeded to toddle towards them, shaking her finger and saying 'not your dinghy, not your dinghy'! O it was funny but these boys, intimidated by a little blonde creature a good 4 years younger than them, soon shuffled off!

The Wayuu village is very rustic, solar street lights line the main street, electricity is by generator only. Whilst we were there, phone lines were being installed so unfortunately, life's distractions seem to be creeping into this remote community too. The locals live in traditional huts that are made out of cactus and there are 1 walled huts that line the beach complete with hammocks to while away the day. Cabo De Vela according to Lonely Planet is now a number one destination in Colombia for eco tourism. The government has backed a project for the locals to build a number of traditional huts on the outside of the village where tourists can stay. We must have been there during off season though as they all appeared to be empty.

Huts on the beach

Their version of a speed bump!

The inhabitants of this village were very friendly, approaching us to say hi or sell us something but in a non imposing manner. The local Wayuu ladies were peddling their wares of hand made bracelets and headbands, at US$5 a pop though we politely declined! We found two guys selling fruit and veg out of a wheelbarrow. Excellent value and we filled our bag with cheap garlic, onions, oranges and the white unrefridgerated cheese we had found in Curacao. 

We only had US$ on us and wanted to change some to Colombian Pesos. With no shops here and definitely no banks we started asking locals whether they would swap. US$100 seemed to be the lowest amount which we certainly weren't carrying around with us until we found a young English speaking local who ran a bar and agreed to swap $50. Clubbing together our dollars we finally got some local currency to buy a beer! Sitting on a wooden bench watching the world go by, passing the time of day with the 2 english speakers and sipping a cold beer - what more could you want!

On the way back to the dinghy we went to check out the beach. Certainly not the nicest beach we have seen by a long stretch but fantastic for shell collecting, I wish we had more time to do a proper comb but unfortunately the clouds were coming in and thunder was threatening. As we approached the dinghy to our dismay the right side was totally deflated. Uh ooooh, our stomachs sank as we were thinking the worst. As it turned out, the local kids that Petra had earlier warned off must have returned in her absence, and had a play about unscrewing the hole where the pump goes and pushing on the safety valve. Using iron lungs (aka Dylan) we soon had a working dinghy again and as we pushed off towards our anchored boats, we were waved off by the locals, congregating on the beach and watching us disappear.

Day Seven

We left at 8am to commence a 125 mile sail from cape to cape to the Five Bays. Renowned to be one of the top 5 worst passages in the world, we were in for an exciting ride!

For the first 2 hours we moved 2 miles…absolutely no wind, spinnaker out for the first time and Dylan refusing to turn on the engine (leaky water pump) so we did many 360s. After 2 hours we gave in and wacked on the engine to motor towards some breeze.

A slow passage until late afternoon when the wind finally appeared and we started doing a cruising speed of 6 knots. A straight rhumb line from cape to cape meant we weren't planning on doing any sail changes but the wind had other plans. West, East, North, you name it, we experienced it. Flukey winds meant although we had the wind vane on, we had to constantly keep our eyes peeled for changes in direction or speed, reefing and at one point, we took the main down entirely for a more comfortable sail with less of a heel. 

As the sun went down we were treated to a fantastic light display over the mountains of Colombia as lightening lit up the sky spoiling our night vision, widening our pupils and plunging the surrounding seas into total darkness. I took first watch and watched in amazement as the winds picked up, the seas picked up and the light display moved right over our head. Normally on land, this weather at night and out at sea was common and having done our research, we were expecting it. I reefed the jib but with the wind now gusting 36 knots and Orion surfing 9 knots down impressive swells, I woke Dylan up so we could decide our plan of attack to get the boat more stable. Deciding to bring the mainsail down completely, Dylan clipped on and wobbled his way to the mast whilst I brought the boat around into the wind. Beam on to the swells poor Orion was rocking violently but pros as we are (ha!) we had it down in no time and Dylan was straight back into the safety of the cockpit. Now with just a handkerchief up we were still doing 6 knots but it was much more comfortable. Dylan went back to sleep and I sat in the cockpit clinging onto the roller coaster ride, watching the lightening strikes right by us and getting absolutely drenched in the torrential rain. Needless to say, visibility was almost 0 so I was popping below every 10 mins to check the radar for vessels en route. 

By the way, the weather forecast was 15 - 20 knots for that evening. Goes to show how much leeway you need to give when transiting this bit of the ocean!

After a further 2 hours, the worst of the storm was over and by daybreak, the sun rose and we were greeted with the majestic mountain range of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta. One of the highest peaks actually has snow on it year round but there were low clouds over the range so we didn't get a glimpse.

On Dylan's 5-8am watch, he caught a small tuna and a dorado. Losing another lure to mother nature, we tried live bait recycling the dead flying fish on deck and it worked a treat. We shall be trying this free option again in future!

As we neared the Five Bays, we chose to anchor in Ensenada Guiraca, the third of the Five Bays that offered the most protection from the swells. The wind howls in from the land (called Willywaws) so we dived on the anchor to ensure we were firmly bedded, just as well as that night we saw 40 knot gusts sweep through the bay. A gorgeous anchorage, people liken the scenery to the Norwegian fiords, the countless headlands wiggling their way in and out of the water, all covered in lush vegetation. As we motored into our chosen spot, tons of white and yellow butterflies came to greet us, checking out my bright pink hat. With no one else around, we had this part of paradise all to ourselves. I must admit, being so remote and with small fishing shacks ashore, we did sleep with our washboards in that night for peace of mind. Can never be too careful and anything to ensure that we got a decent night's sleep after the previous tough sail! In hindsight it was probably fine, no one came near us.

Day Eight

Late morning start to Santa Marta. As we exited the relative shelter of the bay, the winds started gusting and our 12 mile leisurely passage turned extremely windy! We saw winds of 46 knots as Dylan steered dead down wind, surfing the swells. As we neared the anchorage area, we saw total nutters competing in a regatta! Later when speaking to said looneys, they mentioned they saw average winds of 35 knots and many boats blew their headsails, took on water from the big waves and took various knocks to the body with stuff flying all over the place down below. Why did they even go out in this weather? Well cruisers were offered a 50% marina fee discount if they took part, so ever the bargain hunters, they presented themselves that morning regardless of the weather!

Nearing Santa Marta anchorage

Back to Santa Marta anchorage…if you could call it that. We are loath to spending money on marinas, it seriously eats into our daily budget. So when I was researching this area I was searching and searching for a mention of anchoring spots, and found only one mention in all the blogs I came across which just says, anchor near the local fishing boats. Nearing the breakwater to the Marina Santa Marta, there is a shallow spot of 10ft just outside the buoyed entrance to the marina, behind the local fishing boats and clearing the rather large freighter lanes behind you. It is a sandy bottom, good holding but boy does it blow! And when those huge cargo ships come in to berth or the power boats come zooming out of the marina, it sends poor Orion rocking and rolling all over the place. A small price to pay though for getting near the city for free. 

Cargo port at night right by where we are anchored

The marina fees as of November 2012 are US$0.60 per foot and this marina is an IGY, new and very clean. We are considering going in for a few days as 50 knot plus winds are forecasted for this area. Having walked around Santa Marta on our first day, we can easily see why people choose to spend their time here. We had lunch which included a starter, main and 2 soft drinks each…for $11 from a small hole in the wall family run cafe. The South American culture and architecture found in the back streets are breath taking and we look forward to exploring this place further, but first we must brush up on our Spanish! 

I've intentionally excluded the Colombian clearance process from this post and shall elaborate further in my next blog.

Cruisers in Curacao

Curacao was a place where we were left underwhelmed. It seems to be a cruising spot where retirees go to grow barnacles. If in a hurry to head West, you wouldn't be missing out if you passed the island by and continued on to Colombia.

We spent a week on the island and that was more than enough time to stock up on European provisions and replenish our water tanks (no good enough squalls for a while now). Sailing from Bonaire to Curacao, we stopped off at Klein Curacao, a mere 15 mile sail away from Spanish Waters.

Klein Curacao is a small white sandy beach island home to the day tourists. It has little on it apart from a derelict lighthouse and a couple of wrecks but it made a welcome stop for us to drop anchor and swim ashore. Once the hoards of day tourists from the main island disappear at 5pm, you can truly appreciate the small island. and gorgeous leeward beaches. We spent a few nights on the beach with cocktails watching the sun go down and Dylan had a great time salvaging teak from an old wreck with Iain. I'd aim to spend a couple of days here and by that time you would have been able to fit in a snorkel and a bit of exploration. Not for one minute could we pretend we were on a deserted island though, as the Dutch coastguard were constantly circling in their helicopters.

Wreck on Klein Curacao

The lighthouse

Orion at anchor

Willemstad

Doesn't look like immigration surely?

On the main island of Curacao, we chose to anchor in Spanish Waters, its a fantastically protected crowded bay with plenty of hidey holes to choose from if you fancy a change of scenery. We were anchored in area A nearest to the Fisherman's Wharf where a decent dinghy dock is just a 2 min walk to a local bus stop and a free shuttle bus to a supermarket. The internet here is run by a boat called Isis and for $10 /week you can get a scratchy internet connection. Good enough to download emails during off peak times but thats about it although apparently they are switching to a new provider soon for a better service.

I must mention the clearing in process as a good few calories are lost whilst you traipse about Willemstad to the various offices of bureaucracy. Possibly the most drawn out, spaced out procedure we have completed so far! As usual, customs is the first port of call and everyone must be present whilst you fill in 3 forms, all with the same information. Once stamped you then need to commence a 20 min walk across the floating bridge to the ferry terminal. Here you will need to show your passport to a guy in a hut who proceeds to write you a notice, allowing you to venture nearer the dock in search of the immigration office.



Perhaps another 10 mins walk along the inlet, you will arrive at a white building with an inconspicuous 'immigration' sign. The best directions would be, once through the ferry terminal hut, turn left when you hit the river and keep going until you get directly underneath the big blue bridge.


Aaaah immigration has fantastic air conditioning after your trek across town and even a water fountain to guzzle from.  Here you fill in 3 more pieces of paper, all with the same information on but just in a different format. The final part of the process is to visit Harbour Authority which can be found upstairs from immigration. They shut for an hour and a half lunch break from 12 to 1:30 and woe behold anyone that arrives with 5 mins to go, they will not stay open for you. Just one form to fill in here and at the bottom they ask you for a drawing of your boat… I kid you not. Here are Orion's and Dolphin of Leith's attempts at drawing our respective boats:

As you can see, Iain put a great deal of effort into his and even thought it necessary to include his signature. 

My opinion sounds quite scathing so far but there was one part of Curacao that I loved - the Venezuelan floating fruit and veg market. These guys pile their boats to the brim with all sorts of fresh goodies and then sail over to Curacao and raft up in Willemstad. Walking the street you can visit stall after stall piled high with apples, oranges, avocados, melons, bananas, onions, potatoes…I could go on. Not only is there fantastic variety, it is also cheap. We haven't come across cheap good quality produce like this since Grenada. In keeping with our quest to try anything once, we purchased queso blanco. OK that is just Spanish for white cheese…but this cheese has never been refrigerated and just lies in the heat sweating away in cling film. Turns out it is great stuff! Lasts forever, has a sharp mature tang to it and is best used when cooking it first to melt else it has the consistency of rubber. I'd probably liken it to halloumi. Shall definitely be looking out for more of that stuff when in Colombia. PS: its made from goats milk but doesn't taste like goat.

I turned 26 in Curacao and Dylan threw a celebration on our boat. Dolphin and Waka Irie joined us and we munched our way through braai food complete with our Caribbean fav of rice and peas, Vicki even baked me the mother of all chocolate cakes. I have never tasted anything so good, yes even better than M&S AND it was still fresh 5 days later! No birthday of mine would be complete without a game of Articulate so out came the cards and I introduced the gang to the best description game ever. Dylan had to take it a step too far though and introduced us all to the game Poker Face too, wow I felt rough the next day.

As the middle of November neared, our twitchy feet started up again so we picked up the hook and continued heading West, next stop - Los Monjes.