03/03/2007, South Shore - Puerto Rico
Our previous stop, off Gilligan's Island, was definitely one of our favourites and sure to be one of the most memorable of our entire trip. But I shouldn't get ahead of myself...
After departing Puerto del Rey, we put in a long day and sailed along the east and south coasts to Cabo Jobos where we anchored for the night. We woke in the morning to find dolphins circling WildChild and even spotted a manatee in the distance... a first for this voyage! Then we headed west once again, 40 miles along the south coast, accompanied by schools of dolphin showing off their acrobatic abilities!
We anchored off Gilligan's Island, so named for it's similarity to the island in the popular '70s TV show... a calm, shallow lagoon, sandy beaches, mangroves. On anchor-watch for a while after anchoring, we watched in amazement at an awesome windsurfer in the reef-protected yet windy anchorage, planing, tacking and jibing his way upwind. His technique was flawless, his speed incredible as he passed closer and closer to our boat. He eventually stopped beside us to introduce himself and to invite us to his winter home on the bay. Little did we know this was to be the start of a great friendship! Rarely does one find someone so welcoming, so hospitable that he would invite strangers into his home, but Gerd, and his wife Toni, were two such people. Lovely, warm and inviting, they welcomed us to spend the next several days at their beautiful home across the bay, Gerd giving us all (NO exceptions... even Sabrina!) windsurfing lessons. Gerd turned out to be an incredible teacher, his methods flawless. Caroline learned to sail and tack and even Sabrina sailed a few times into the beach! Lucky for us, Gerd and Toni have more windsurfing gear than a large rental operation - everything to outfit the absolute beginner to the ultimate expert!
Toni and I took a great 2-hour hike one morning along the south shore cliffs just east of their place, replete with incredible vistas, blowholes and deserted beaches. And of course, Gerd and Toni told us the best places to explore nearby, resulting in a fabulous snorkel on the adjacent reef, a "jungle cruise" by kayak through dense mangrove, and a trip through a shallow, mangrove-lined passage to a windward beach with a fabulous deep, clear swimming hole.
Leaving this wonderful spot was very difficult... we were all sad after the "good-byes" were said but hopefully we'll see Gerd and Toni again. Their generosity and hospitality were second to none and much appreciated, and we'd love to reconnect.
We've just arrived in Boqueron on the west coast of Puerto Rico to stage for our next passage - crossing to the Dominican Republic.
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02/23/2007, Puerto Rico
We found ourselves in Puerto Rico for the last few days and were surprised at the beauty of this island! So much to see and do, but large enough that it's best explored by land!
The rainforest here (and there's lots of it!) is incredible. We often found ourselves hiking or driving under its dense canopy of trees and vines, wending our way through stands of beautiful bamboo, getting rained on repeatedly (the rainforest did not disappoint), exploring waterfalls and looking out from above the canopy in the clouds to the ocean far below.
On the east end of the island, we wandered through enormous caves in the rainforest, looking up from sinkholes over 400 feet below the ground. The east end is also home to a paradise called Rincon, world-renowned among surfers for the some of the best waves, Dude!
The girls both loved horseback riding on trails through a lower section of rainforest, stopping for a relaxed swim in a spring-fed river. And it was quite amazing how the personality of each horse revealed itself in a relatively short period of time... Sabrina's horse was "gas"-powered, David's needed prodding repeatedly to move at all, mine was the alpha male - always wanting to take the lead, and Caroline's horse was, well, perfect!
A self-guided walking tour of Old San Juan provided us with two afternoons of entertainment... we toured its two old forts and criss-crossed the narrow cobbled streets which give the town a distinctly European feel. Many of the buildings have been restored for residential or commercial use, while others are just waiting their turn, providing an interesting mix of old and new.
Driving on the island has been a bit of an adventure in itself... I can only liken the mountain roads to a roller coaster ride - up and down constantly and one deadman's curve after another with no straightaways in between. And the roads themselves are only one lane at best in most places, making for interesting passing manoevres. I am not one who tends to carsickness, but after a couple of hours on those roads during which time we covered only about 30 or 40 miles, I was ready to hurl.
To date, Puerto Rico has been a memorable stop and tomorrow we depart to cruise and explore it's south coast on our way to the Dominican Republic.
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02/19/2007, Culebra, Spanish Virgin Islands
The Spanish Virgins... we didn't know what to expect, but had heard (and read) that it was like cruising the BVI thirty years ago - very few boats, pristine beaches, virtually undeveloped. How true these rumours are!
Our first night on Culebra, we anchored just outside Ensenada Honda, tucked snugly between reef and shore. We explored nearby coves by kayak and dinghy, and Caroline, with twin 13 year old twins from a neighbouring boat, plied the reef in search of collectable shells, urchins, sea biscuits and sand dollars. The nearby town of Dewey was charming but sleepy. There, we lunched at the popular "Mamacita's" under the watchful eyes of two large green iguanas perched in a nearby tree.
At a neighbouring island, Culebrita, we discovered the closest thing to a perfect beach (I know... you must be tired of hearing about near-perfect beaches!). The horseshoe-shaped bay at the north end of this uninhabited island, protected from wind and wave, provided days of entertainment. We anchored in seven feet of clear bue water over a rippled white sand bottom only a few yards from shore... an easy swim in to the beach, even for little Sabrina. A short hike through arid scrub led us to beautiful tidal pools protected by massive boulders. Here, we swam and snorkelled for hours in the calm, clear water - much like swimming in a fish tank! And the steep cliffs bordering the pools made for great climbing!
A longer hike to the south took us to higher ground and an historic lighthouse, architecturally beautiful but sadly left to decay. Against better judgement and with an immense amount of caution, I climbed the rotting iron spiral staircase to the top of the lighthouse and was rewarded with a magnificent 360-degree view of the surrounding islands and their azure waters, backed by the mountains of Puerto Rico.
We were in good company in the anchorage... the bay was home to at least a half dozen hawksbill turtles who use this beach as a nesting area. Unfortunately, we were there at the wrong time of year to witness that phenomenon. Next time...???
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02/02/2007, St. Croix, US Virgin Islands
I never thought, upon arrival at the lush and lovely island of St. Croix, that such a location would provide the best-ever off-roading experience! Within a hour of our arrival, we rented a Jeep with the idea of exploring St. Croix's two towns, Christiansted and Frederiksted, at opposite ends of the island. We spent a little time sight-seeing in Christiansted, a quaint historic town boasting amazing architecture, some buildings crumbling in ruins and others beautifully restored.
Then we headed west along the coast and sighted numerous jeep tracks which were just begging to be driven. For anyone craving a great off-road experience second to none but unable to find it in our "civilized" country, it's here on St. Croix. The tracks meandered up and over the coastal mountains, first no rougher than an unmaintained dirt road. Then things changed... after a hour of bashing through steep terrain, both up and down, we found ourselves on what looked like a virtually impassable track. We got out to survey what was ahead and voted to turn back, but were unable to turn around on the narrow path and so by default just headed onward. The "road" continued steeply downhill, rutted and washed out beyond anything I've seen before, with a nasty drop-off on one side and sheer rock face on the other. There were holes that could have nearly swallowed the Jeep and we frequently found ourselves precariously angled - I swear I thought we'd either disappear into a crevice, get high-centred, turn turtle or break off a wheel. I asked David at this point if the rental car company forbade off-road travel to which he replied, "Not specifically." Good enough for me.
We continued down and found ourselves, after some time, at the ocean. The giant surf crashed on the rocky windward shore and the beach was one of boulders and stones - no friendly sandy crescent here. We hiked west and found ourselves at a beautiful tidal pool, where David swam with the kids. A little rest and tension relief was warranted at this point, I believe. The return drive was not quite as tense; knowing that having made it down, we were likely to make it up again. Thank God for 4-wheel low!
The views from the mountains were captivating and at one point, we pulled over to visit a horse we found tied at the side of the trail. He was definitely friendly, licking at David's toes and sticking his head in the Jeep repeatedly. For a short time, we also found ourselves following a 4WD guide on a tour with customers in his specially modified Jeep (as opposed to our very stock vehicle).
Caroline enjoyed the afternoon immensely, encouraging rougher and rougher tracks, and was grinning ear to ear whenever I looked back at her. Sabrina, on the other hand, would repeately shout "NO!" as David pressed on. She didn't seem to like getting sprayed with mud as we bashed our way through deep puddled ruts... I can't see why though?! Who wouldn't want to get out there, get dirty and do untold damage to a rented vehicle!? I just don't want to be there when David returns the Jeep to the rental company...
After the wild ride, we drove into St. Croix's rainforest. The road, still rough and pot-holed, wound its way through the lush canopy, still recovering from hurricane damage that stripped and downed trees years before. And appearing before us was the Domino Hut, where we pulled over for a quick bite... and found J.R., the big pig, who could swill numerous cans of beer! He practically jumped out of his pen as he saw us approach with a can of the frosty stuff! Mmmmm...
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