03/15/2007, Samana, Dominican Republic
We left the charming town of Boqueron, Puerto Rico on the west coast of PR, bound for the Dominican Republic, in the company of a pod of dolphins. We sailed for 24 hours in lights airs and made landfall at Samana, DR in early morning, the sail highlighted by whale sightings - a truly phenomenal experience!
Then came the onerous task of "clearing in" in a third world port,, including a visit to our boat by the Port Commandant in his khakis and army boots, as well as visits to Customs and Immigration, each exacting sums of cash from us, as well as expecting "gifts" for their services. But through all this hastle, we knew this would prove to be an awesome stop for us as the "timing Gods" were on our side and some friends from back home, the Males, had flown in the day before to stay at Cayo Levantado, an island a mere three miles from our anchorage off the town of Samana!
Suffice to say, we had three spectacular days with our friends, the first at their resort (brand new, ultra-luxurious, all-inclusive) courtesy of Rod who managed to work a deal with management to allow us access to the resort and its amenities for the day (including fabulous food - you'd think we hadn't eaten in weeks!). Thank you, Rod!!! The second day we spent tripping down to Samana's pride - a lovely 150-foot waterfall where we swam (see pics of Dave and Rod frollicking like a couple of newlyweds!) and watched the native boys scale the sheer, moss-covered walls of the falls and dive fearlessly, wrecklessly into the deep blue pool below. This day ended with an excursion to the local open-air market where we found extremely cheap local produce (eg. pineapples for $1), then a "motoconcho" ride back to the town dock - eight people snugly shoe-horned into a 2-seat rickshaw, pulled along by a small motorcycle... their most popular means of "public transit"!
Unfortunately, the rolly anchorage off Samana resulted in poor sleep and so we sailed 11 miles across Samana Bay to Parc Haitises, a beautiful National Park, with geography often compared to that of Bora Bora. And Rod somehow managed to hire a boat and driver for the day to whale-watch, as well as come across to the Park where we spent our last day together, exploring the park's massive limestone caves and viewing the petroglyphs drawn or carved by the Taino Indians 900 years earlier. We even saw, off our stern in the distance, a shark in a feeding frenzy, his fin tacking back and forth, in search of prey. Hmmmm..... maybe no swimming in these waters!
On departure day, we should have been excited by the prospect of a new landfall, yet as we sailed out of Samana, we looked longingly toward Cayo Levantado and thought of the last few days with Rod, Ann, Sierra and Cameron and how we basqued in the company of our good friends, a little piece of home. And as I looked at the melancholy faces of my two children, I wondered which was more difficult... not seeing friends from home at all, or seeing them and having to say good-bye too soon...
We arrived in South Caicos after a 36 hour sail, punctuated by multiple whale sightings, never-ending lightening (it has not escaped me that we are sailing around large bodies of water with a mast, aka lightening rod, projecting 60 feet in the air), fishing in massive schools of tuna (we kept only two - about 20 pounds of fish), and our arrival under blue skies dotted with emerald clouds (a phenomenon only seen over the Bahama and Caicos Banks where the brilliant turquoise waters relect off cumulous clouds to create a beautiful green hue to these same clouds). Then we moved quickly along to Providentiales in the Caicos (commonly called Provo), where I now sit, on the beach, tapping on the computer keys.... I know, there are definitely better things to do!
Note: Whale photo is courtesy of Ann Male, taken on the Male's whale-watching excursion... thanks so much, Ann... all the photos are great! Every time we sight whales, no one is willing to run below to get the camera!!!
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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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