Guanaja, Honduras
03 December 2014
I am back in Guanaja and anchored directly in front of Manati – my favorite bar/restaurant “home away from home”. I was here 5 years ago and again this past April – certainly not qualifying me as a great customer. However, when I walked into the Manati last Saturday after an easy motor sail from Roatan, Anette raced over to give me a much-anticipated welcoming hug. This same hug is repeated (for me and all other guests at Manati) every day when we show up at 5:00 for cocktail hour or for Saturday dinner or whenever. There is nothing so wonderful or more welcome than a hug from someone who truly means it.
It is still early season for cruisers in this part of the Caribbean and there are not yet many boats moving east or west. However, a few days after my arrival Bojangles, a 50 foot(ish) Gulfstar arrived from Panama by way of Providencia and the Hobbies. Israeli cruisers Shai and Olay(sp?) Simon with their 3 children aboard are at the tail end of a 1-year sabbatical from their vegetable farm in Israel. They chartered Bojangles in the Virgin Islands, did a lap around the Caribbean and will deliver it back to its owner in Tampa in time (hopefully) to get on their flight back to Israel on New Years Eve. The tickets are already purchased! The wind and weather gods are, however, not raining good fortune on them in this matter – and not doing me much good either (more on that later).
I consider myself very fortunate to have met and spent time with the Simons. These are very capable, pleasant and fun people. Not having spent much time with Israeli cruisers (there are not many in this part of the world), I was fascinated with their stories of Israel, the family history that brought them there and their day-to-day lives. Perhaps some day I will be able to visit them.
I had heard from other cruisers arriving in the Rio last summer about the “carousel” that Claus and Roland had built at Manati. Here shown with the Bojangles’ kids being wound up by Shai – for easily the 100th time – it is clearly great fun for kids. This works well for all as they have a blast when the beam is released, the rope unwinds and the g-forces plaster them back into the seat - and Shai gets a great workout as well! I would admit that I also enjoyed riding the carousel – but perhaps not as passionately. There are downsides to being older. At the age of 60, it is hard to be child-like in these matters and, frankly, just as much fun to enjoy it vicariously through the kids. Let the joyful yelling, screaming and laughing begin and go on and on!