Sunday, January 11, 2015

It’s quite a lot of fun having multiple people we know in one place for a while. Lots to do and always someone planning an adventure. We have spent a lot of time hiking with Bill & Colleen and Lee & Sharon this week. One day taking the road to Dakity, one day to Malone’s Beach.

On Wednesday we had a big group adventure which had us all (Dolce Vita, Allegro, Nirvana, Sinbad, Liahona) up before dawn and to shore awaiting the ferry for a trip over to Fajardo. Our taxi driver met us there and it was off to shop. Quite the experience shopping with 11 people in a 12 passenger van with just a bit of extra room for bags, but somehow we managed to pile all of us, and our loads of shopping, under the seats, on laps and between the gaps. We intended to take the 6 am ferry, which had all of us on shore and ready at 5:18am…however the 6am didn’t run that day, and the 6:30 left at 6:50, so it was a long wait, and a longish ride arriving in Fajardo at about 8:30am. The trip home was on time at 5pm, but a much bumpier ride…I think we were all more than ready to be off the boat when she docked. Then the schlepping of bags thru town to the dingy, where Bill and Jim took everything back to the boat, while Colleen and I waited ashore for the second trip. It was a much dryer and calmer trip than it has been, even if it was in the dark. After 7 now that we are home, it is time to stow all our goodies. I focused on the perishables, and left everything else until tomorrow!

Thursday arrived and the weather is much nicer. We have decided to stay here another week or so, thru another projected blow, and maybe another trip to Puerto Rico and a town called Guavate, where roasted Pig is the order of the day. But for today, we finish stowing all our goodies, and tidy the boat. We finally break down and head to the Dingy Dock restaurant to Jerry Jug some water to refill our tanks. While we are doing fine, since we do not plan to be at a dock for a while, we want to be sure not to run out. We had our water catcher up for a while but it didn’t rain, and then had to get it down before the wind started really blowing (and of course the squalls came thru then!) After lunch we head to shore again with Bill & Colleen & Lee & Sharon and take a hike along the northeastern shore of the bay for a bit. We are enjoying quite a lot of walking, more than we previously have and it is good all around. The winds are down today, and so for the first time in a while we are able to sit on the foredeck and watch the stars come out, and the satellites move across the sky…a really nice day!

Friday, and we decide to take a bigger hike, and so end up on shore in the morning, and wander thru a neighborhood, then up, up, up a great hill…we couldn’t determine where the hill went, so turned round at the top and took a steep turn around near the water tower above the airport and thru another neighborhood to come down. Colleen & Bill are terrific people! Easy to be with and game for just about anything…everything we do with them is fun. After our two hour stroll we extend the day with Lunch at Mamacita’s. A little shopping, a little gas and ice pickup and we head back to the boat. Bill comes over to do a little more battery work with us, and Lee stops by, we have all been invited out to Nirvana for a happy hour tonight, so 5 pm finds us heading out to the Dakity Anchorage for a get together with a bigger group. 7:30, finds us heading back in the dark…but fortunately, two dingy’s were running together…it is always better in a group!

Saturday, and we have decided it is a beach day, so with Bill & Colleen off we hike over to the beach, camp out with our rented umbrella & chairs and as Bill says…watch the wildlife. The north swell is up, and the breakers are rolling in today, sometimes we see 8-10 footers…it’s a big day. Friends of Dolce Vita, Terry & Cristin join us in the afternoon, and we enjoy a fun, relaxing day, before heading home.

This is a very good life.