Although we would have like to spend much more time in San Juan tyo visit its numerous museums, the second rental car day was dedicated to the mountains and the coffee growing regions of the island. The drive was wonderful, different from what we saw so far as the island does not have a volcanic origin…on several parts of the stretch, the bamboos were forming a dome like roof over the road. We had intended to visit the caves of the Rio Camuy in the northwest of the island…we had to change our plan however as the drive too much more time than anticipated! The road #10 from Ponce to Utuado was amazing, especially the stretch from Adjuntas to Utuado! Narrow and curves non stop…with big trucks honking to announce their presence and rolling down the hills! We therefore decided to stop at Caguana, an indigenous ceremonial park dedicated to the first inhabitants of the Caribbean, the Tainos Indians. The Tainos inhabited the Caguana region for about 300 years from about 1200 to 1500 AD, when it was abandoned after the Spanish conquest and colonization. We were impressed by the site, the largest insite in the Caribbean . There were numerous plazas where the Tainos attended their religious activities: the areito (ritual dance) and the ball game (batey). We saw petroglyphs – engraved on cemis or three-pointed stones - portraying animals and humans, with one of the most known the Mujer de Caguana…It was a magical place, with huge trees, and a backdrop of majestuous mountains (la Cordillera central). After this inspiring visit, we went back to Utuado to take part in a fair organized by the community for the high school graduation! We were the only tourists, of course and were welcomed by the local population. We got to taste their delicacies, and of course the local coffee! The region has numerous coffee haciendas and we got to taste the wonderful café con leche of Gran Café El Batey, a familial enterprise of Utuado. The taste was amazing...

As planned earlier, we decided to rent a car to visit San Juan and the mountains…we use Herz (Aponte Collision Center) as it was suggested to us by so many cruisers…Sydney Gonzales has a reputation among the cruising community!

Our first day is dedicated to San Juan and it is incredibly pleasant to be surrounded by great architecture and city life! Old San Juan is indeed a gem and our first day is simply filled with strolling through the streets, tasting local delicacies such as mofongo, and admiring the wonderful buildings to the point that we feel like in a European city!!! As we are marvelling at the ocean from the San Felipe del Morro castle, it feels a bit like being in Rio de Janeiro…the poor neighbourhood beneath the castle is called La Perla together with the cemetery and the old stone walls, the place has an incredible feel to it…The garitas or sentry boxes are emblems of San Juan and each one of the 40 towers is unique! They were built at different times (beginning between the 17th and the 19th century) so their architectural styles do differ…

Easter Monday.. Marleyne, armed with her dictionary, makes a first incursion in little community of Playa Salinas…the streets are deserted but the panaderia is open: locals play video poker (usual in the panaderias) and eat sandwiches. I buy a loaf, very long and very white of the local bread for $2.00…many restaurants in that small place but all closed! Later on that day, we walked to the larger supermercado…and we discover a side of the Puertorican culture that was unknown to us! Is it such a dangerous place to be?

Or is it the love of the once popular Spanish wrought iron gates and ornamentation? It just feels very strange..as if people were living in a cage!

We waited for decent sunlight in order to leave the anchorage and sailed towards Salinas, the anchorage where we planned to stay for a while in order to visit Puerto Rico. Upon arrival to Salinas, we are surprised to see the (large) size of the anchorage ! Locals party in the mangroves! Several cruisers are anchored here…from Belfast, Canada, Germany, US, and we easily find a spot in this large “hurricane hole”..also home to manatees! That evening we hear a lound thump on the hull…Bienvenidos marineros!

Northerly winds of the cold front are still present but not as strong as the day before…they actually are quitting on us in the passage between Vieques and the mainland of Puerto Rico…after one hour or so of using the engine, onshore winds come up and bring us to Punta Patilla, our first anchorage on mainland Puerto Rico. The locals are on the beach, or speeding through the anchorage on jet skis or in small motor boats…they come close by and find it great that a Canadian boat is called La Buena Vida. A German boat s/v SuAn with Gaby and Lutz arrives in the anchorage and visits with us shortly after their arrival. We go onshore together to explore the small village…the park grounds are very animated and we get to taste our first pastellitos (turnovers filled with fish or meat)! Delicious! We are very disappointed by the prices of rum, however…liquor is highly taxed here! We love the mountains in the background…and the royal palms lined beaches: the place has a different feel to it…

It is Easter Saturday and we slipped quietly out of the Dakity anchorage in Culebra in direction of Punto Ferro, on the southern shore of the island of Vieques, the largest of the Spanish islands. Punto Ferro is a bioluminescent bay lined by mangroves and we were only few boats anchored there…a contrast to the Spanish armada anchored in Culebra ! Very possibly due to the strong and cold winds of that period, but there was very very little bioluminescence that night…and we left next day, quite disappointed! Yes, we are noticing more and more the coolness of the nights …reminding us that we are 600 miles north of Grenada!

April 1, Culebra, Puerto Rico

We have now been here for a couple of days. We were happy to meet our friends Ulrike and Thomas of the s/v Toriba who have been spending their winter here in the Virgin Islands. Marleyne has been reopening her Spanish books although everybody here on Culebra is bilingual. The little town is colourful but the beaches are what make this island famous. It was a great coincidence that Thomas and Ulrike celebrated their anniversary on April 1...OUR anniversary date! What a good excuse to drink ceremonial sparkling wine in the turquoise waters of Dakity Beach...Maria and Konrad of s/v Katamaria II joined us for the special occasion.

St. Thomas, VI!

Back again. Well, it was quite a ride. We had checked out with St. Martin authorithies and wanted to leave on Friday, March 19, only to realize when we were outside in the Marigot Bay anchorage that the forecast did not agree with the reality. It was blowing hard, steady 25 and 35 kn in gusts ... well, was this really the time to go and do an overnighter to the Virgina Islands. We thought no ... and spend the rest of the day to explore the island again, hike up to the fort, have a coffee at the phantastic boulangerie "Serafina", do some Internet ... and postpone the departunere until the next day.

And we left as planned the following noon. The forecast was mixed, but ... well, the wind was ok, 20+kn. But miles out, we experiencend seas coming from different directions, making terrible cross-seas along the way. We rolled gunnel to gunnel through the next 20 hours. Marleyne was unable to rest down below at night, so I took the opportunity to take a nap - if you can call it that. In the middle of the night we got caught be a very, very confused sea which did through me out of my berth and violently into the lee cloth, which, in turn, ripped the attachment points out of the wood, and I ended up on the floor. My comment was ...: ok, something else to fix! Never mind the scratches and bruises.

We arrived mid-day in the BVI and anchored behind Salt Cay and had a swimm to relax and to refresh, followed by a long nap.

We checked in at Cruz Bay the next day, moved over to Great James for the night, cleaned the bottom of the boat in the morning, and went on to St. Thomas with strong easterlies behind us.

Today, while still blowing hard in the anchorage, we fixed the things we had broken on the passage and did some other work we had not time to attend to.

... and are still working on our decision to go back home or stay another year.

But we love St. Thomas and very much look forward to go on land tomorrow! I have to get some T-shirts, mine are getting a bit old and holed ...

Do we really want to go back????

St. Martin, Marigot Bay

Yesterday morning we left the lagoon anchorage and re-anchored in the Marigot Bay for our overnight departure to the Virgin Islands .... but with winds gusting well over mid 20s and into 30s we decided to stay for another night. Today, the weather looks much more promising and we will be on our way later on in the afternoon.

At the moment we enjoy another coffee at the La Sucriere ... and Internet.

On friday afternoon, we took a bus towards Zion but asked the driver to drop us at the Golden Rock plantation...we read that one could hike from there. And we did...in addition to visit the hotel site (there are only 20 some guests..), we hike the nature trail in yet another tropical forest setting. It was a magical place, with huge trees, old stone buildings covered with vines, and dry river beds with moss covered boulders ...We met the owner of the estate and she gave us an interesting hidtory of the plantation that used to belong to her ancestors.

When we arrived to the Carribean last year, we went from St Martin to Antigua and skipped the small island group to the west...this time around, we decided to have a look at them, beginning with Nevis. It took quite a while to do the check in with Customs, Immigration and Port Authority as two of the individuals were not available at the time of our arrival. We explored town, went to the tourism Office (staff of 8!), and then were finally successfull doing the clearance. Everybody was courteous and nice but they are a bit "penible" about formalities here...Nevis has a definite British flair with its old stone buildings and quaint squares.

This stone alley used to be the site where slaves arrived in Nevis, a "shipment" could be as high as 7,000 people! The actual island population is 12,000...

The nature trail of the plantation offered an easy stroll in a verdoyant forest...

We motored almost all the way from Guadeloupe to Antigua...at least we know now that our engine is doing well! There were not too many boats in English Harbour ..then this mega yacht arrived! Wow, it looked like one of James' (Bond) gadget...only in Antigua!

Nous aimons Antigua ...avec ses grands yachts classiques...quand celui-la s'est montre dans le mouillage, tout le monde s'est exclame!!! On se croyait dans un film de James Bond!!!! Quel specimen!

Lindsay and Karen enjoyed this tour of the island very much and were amazed at how much they saw in these 6 days...we could not have them come with us to Pointe A Pitre on Saturday morning as they left early in the morning. We were amazed at the activity and ambiance of the Guadeloupe metropole and loved the market and the drummers! We had a beer at one cafe of the Place de la Victoire ...great visit guys! We drank that Corsaire beer to your health!!!!

We had a great sail from Les Saintes to Pointe-a-Pitre with a south easterly blowing 20 to 15 ...we witnessed the unfortunate landing of a large catamaran on the breaking reefs of the entrance of the Petit-cul-de Sac marin...sad to see.

On the last day with Lindsay and Karen, we rented a car and toured Basse-Terre...it enabled us to see the Soufriere volcano, other tropical parks, and villages and towns of the west coast. It has rained very little in Guadeloupe and the landscapes with many yeloowed leaves covering the ground was a bit reminiscent of our fall!

We enjoyed the drive and the walk to the volcano. Guadeloupe has great parks and all the hiking paths are "deluxe"...compared to outher islands...well marked, well groomed...

Lindsay and Karen were amazed at the beauty of the anchorage! And so were we…last year, we discovered Terre de Haut and it was our first French island…we were charmed! This year, I was not sure if we would have the same impression as we have seen so many islands in the mean time..but yes, Les Saintes remains a very special place, with its beautiful creeks, wild beaches (Grande Anse), its colourful “cases” and its “tourments d’amour” …exquisite pastries typical for the island. We visited Fort Napoleon and enjoyed the views, the cactus and succulent gardens and its expositions of the tales of battles between France and England.


C’est avec plaisir et encore un certain émerveillement que nous avons retrouvés Les Saintes…leurs paysages sauvages, leurs “cases” aux couleurs brillantes, leur atmosphère…on agrimpé jusuq’au Fort Napoléon d’où nous avons eu de merveilleuses vistas sur les baies environnantes. Les jardins du fort étaient intriguants, le fort impressionant et les expositions relatant la vie des saintois, leurs us et coutumes, ainsi que les batailles qui ont eu lieu dans ses eaux tres intéressantes.

As planned, we sailed to Pointe-a-Pitre in order to welcome back Lindsay and Karen to the islands...it’s their third trip in a year!!! There were several boats in the anchorage which is now free…no more 10 euros charge for anchoring there like it was the case last year. After a major shopping spray at the Champion supermarket of the marina complex, we sailed towards Les Saintes…when we were the least expecting it, we saw a humpback whale breaching about ½ mile ahead of us!!! Oh! We were so excited!!! We were looking for the rest of the pod but we saw only one…Nevertheless, it was something unforgettable!

Marie Galante is an island belonging to Guadeloupe and it has an aura of mystery and exotism to it that draws people to its shores, at least Francophones …we were somewhat disappointed as its towns are really not pretty with their dilapidated buildings. Ther was nothing really drawing us to Saint-Louis and we stayed on the boat, swimming and reading, recovering from the Domenica swells!

Marie-Galante ou la “grande galette” parce que forcée la surface au cours d’une poussée volcanique à l’ère quaternaire..a des bourgs qui semble aussi dater de cette époque la avec les murs dilapidés de ses habitations! Cà c’était surprenant et décevant car jsutement, ce nom évoque, en tout cas pour nous francophones, les horizons lointains, la mer, le mystère! Mais bon, nous avons fait une promenade dans les environs, au milieu des paysages de cannes à sucre et nous avons passé le plus clair du temps à nager et à nous reposer (Ne riez pas!!!! Les nuits de Portsmouth nous avaient fatigués!).

Karen and Lindsay arrived - Guadeloupe!

Our friends arrived again - 3rd time in a year! They must like their ship's "crew"!

We are currently in Ile des Saintes, and had a wonderfull walk across to the North and East end of the island to walk along the beach. What a great hike, followed by much needed cold beers at the waterfront.

More later, we currently enjoy a couple of glasses of red wine, together with French cheeses and salamies.

'til later ...

Leaving Dominica …at last, we had had a quiet night for our last day in Portsmouth. It is definitely not a quiet anchorage when the SE winds are blowing…NEVER have we had such rolly conditions since we left in 2008! On our last night, we moved the boat to the Coconut Beach anchorage – which we had not dared to do before because of safety issues. But there are priorities! We just could not stand it anymore and moving was a necessity. Luckily, the security patrol moved with us and the other many boats to this part of the anchorage! Ellen and Jim of s/y Boldly Go joined us on La Buena Vida where Ellen treated us to delicious pizza on pita bread. It was a great evening and we left early morning for Marie Galante island!

While in Roseau, we were not very successful at gathering information regarding hikes in Dominica. Information is geered to the cruise ships passengers and guided tours! But........we met our friends Ellen and Jim on Boldly Go who had managed to find a good map...(expensive too!) and thanks to our sense of adventure and the good map, we found a path leading along the famous Indian River from Portsmouth. Wow, we were amazed by the beauty of this forest! Enchanted forest ...we finished our 4 hours tour with drinks at the Bush Bar!

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We are in Dominica since Sunday..unfortunately, the winds are from the south- southeast and the anchorage is very rolly...very rolly. We have set our Danforth to keep us facing the waves and it has made it more comfortable...We went to Roseau on Monday and we were very surprised by the charm of this town: so many old houses, all over town!

There are places that one never tires of seeing...we have been often in Saint-Pierre and almost as often to its Despaz Distillery. The setting of this Rum Distillery at the feet of Mount Pelee is breathtaking and we love sitting under the giant rubber tree to sip sugar cane juice....fresh from the mills. The collecting of sugar cane began last week, with Lent..and will last 5 months...there was intense activity at our last visit. 25,000 of rum are produced every day!

Nous revenons avec tellement de plaisir a Saint-Pierre, a cause de son marche du samedi, de son poulet boucane, de la gentillesse des Saint-Pierrois, et de la Distillerie Despaz! Cette Distillerie aux pieds de la Pelée est tout simplement enchanteresse et invite aux rêveries malgré l’intensité des travaux puisque la récolte de la canne a débuté le jour du commencement du Carême! Elle durera encore 5 mois...et chaque jour, 25,000 litres de rhum y seront produits! Comme dans nos visites précédentes, nous avons deguste du jus de canne frais avant d’aller goûter les ti-punchs offerts aux visiteurs!