Never thought we'd be able to leave Trinidad, but this last season we did so much, fit a lifetime of stuff into 8 months, pan and calypso and dance and drumming and talk tent, and actually feel very satisfied, feel full and content, will always love it and miss it, and feel so thankful that we got to experience it, as it is a most unique place on earth.

Friends that just completed their 20 year circumnavigation, starting from Trinidad and returning to Trinidad, agreed that Trinidad is incredibly special. They advised us to be prepared to never find another place where the people are this happy and wonderful and have such a lust for living, or where the culture is so rich and the music so happy. But they stressed that the world is big and wonderful and each place has something unique to offer, and that we still must see the world for the other rich experiences we'll have. We thought that was good advice, and we're excited to start the next chapter of our adventure.

Many of the places we'll be sailing to over the next few years are very remote, so part of the challenge is making sure that we are completely self sufficient in every way. That means planning for any situation, having the right tools on board, and all the right spare parts, and sufficient food provisions. We have spare light bulbs, extra snorkeling equipment, vitamins, plenty of yeast to bake bread, medications for emergencies, plenty of batteries, books, DVD movies, sheet music, toilet paper, well, it's quite a job to plan for every possibility.

We plan to spend the hurricane season exploring some remote islands off the coast of Venezuela: Los Roques and Los Aves. They are mostly uninhabited islands; in fact, many of them are just coral cays. We may not see anyone for 3-4 months, maybe just some other cruising sailboats. We are very much looking forward to quiet days, swimming and snorkeling, kayaking, and playing music. (Yes, I'm still loving my steel drum, Rick has taken up the sax, and we bought an African Jambe drum in Trinidad!) Then we'll visit Bonaire, which offers incredible diving, then a quick visit to Curacao and Aruba before sailing to Colombia. We are looking forward to spending some time in Cartagena, a wonderful old Latin city that other cruisers have raved about.