Three days after the fact! There will definitely be 3 of the longest hardest loudest strikes of the bell to indicate we are leaving port. There are a few funny rituals to be had prior to departing. One, is to have a visit from the sharply uniformed health inspectors on board your boat after you have handed in your paperwork to the Port Captain - anyway we passed and I didn't even make it to the meeting. I presume this means we must be fit to sail. Another tradition numero dos:... has it that you have drinks the night before you go with the people you've met whilst here in the marina. So we threw, what is called a "dock party" 2 days ago. As the time frame was tight we managed to only tell the 4-6 boats nearest us and my yoga pals. So all things considered we didn't expect many to come as it was the start of yet another festival called "Bay Fest" and with a ticketed wine tasting evening at Club Cuceros at the other end of the dock. A lovely couple who were volunteers at the wine tasting came early. So sitting peacefully in the newly covered helm area for just a sec as we planned to move onto 'the dock' when people arrived. As you do for a 'dock party'. I hadn't seen he who hums for some time and when I looked up, there were at least 30 people all over the front of the boat both inside and out and spilling onto the dock. Took me a while to get through the crowd to go talk to the captain, and he was equally surprised at the number of people we actually knew. But honestly people here in La Paz just love a party so there were some people I had never seen before. One girl even asked me what boat I was off~ HA! It didn't even faze her when I said, this one! He who hums was deep in her conversation person keen to crew, giving it her best shot knowing we were close to going. So... post party next morning we cleaned the decks yet again, and he who hums united the ropes and looked up to see the still keen lady just passing by that rope,. He left with her card in hand as he finally got to motor away from our pen and over to the fuel dock. So by now we are all checking the boat over and the only things to address are 1) Fill the tanks with as many litres of diesel as she can take 2) the swim steps 3) the last safety lines, both to be delivered (yesterday) and then we can d e p a r t. Oh hang on ..... then addressed the last issue that popped up when we filled the tanks to overflowing ----- another day was gone already. The third tradition, people here tell you is that when you come to La Paz, a secret bungy cord attaches to you so you return to this beautiful place. Well.... we need to leave people so that can happen! The date is Sunday 15th April we are untying the ropes and heading off really truly this time because we are....
1) Totally ready for the puddle jump
2) Totally ready to be bungyed back some day
3) Totally happy with the crew and the boat we have prepared over the last 6 weeks.
Now all I want to see is, he who hums sitting at the helm for the next 3 weeks ~ loving himself sick and not under the floorboards. Not physically of course, must be careful what I wish for. It is ok, I have 3 different medical remedies and 3 kg of ginger onboard so that won't happen. Uno... dos ...Tres ..... adios amigos ~ Haste manyana! Until we meet again my friends x