CURRENT LOCATION: Tied to a mooring ball near Cayo Pirata, in Ensenada Honda, Culebra, Puerto Rico

18 18.400' N, 065 17.842' W

This Sunday morning we met the usual gang at Mamacita's for breakfast, and two new arrivals joined us around the big table. Friends of ours from North Carolina, Chris & Gretchen, have been staying the weekend at Palmetto Guesthouse. They have taken a week-long vacation, and will be joining us aboard Prudence for several days, starting tomorrow.

Following breakfast (which generally does not end 'till nearly noon), we were invited up the hill to visit with Pam & Chuck at their house, Blue Sky. Chris & Gretchen joined us for the hike, and we set out on a walk through town in the early afternoon. We followed the water's edge, heading south, until we came upon a dirt and gravel road which headed up. We walked up, and up, and up until we crested the hill and spied the aqua blue house nestled in a perfectly manicured yard.



Our hosts welcomed us immediately and offered to slake our thirst with a citrus-flavored green tea. We accepted without hesitation, and it was wonderful! They showed us around their lovely home, with a wrap-around porch providing views of the big island of Puerto Rico, Vieques, St. Thomas, and even a hint of St. Croix in the distance. It was breathtaking. We chatted and soaked in the view while we enjoyed a repast of fruit salad. Thoroughly hydrated and well nourished, we set off on the much easier walk back down the hill.

We stopped to enjoy a beer at the Dinghy Dock bar, and caught up with a few other harbor residents while there. As we prepared to board the dinghy back to the big boat, we wished Chris & Gretchen a good evening. We suggested that they enjoy a long shower at the guesthouse tonight, because tomorrow they board Prudence for five days, and 'long shower' in our vocabulary is an oxymoron.

Because it has been a while since the last time we posted some fish photos on the blog (and many readers have commented that they love the underwater photos), I thought we'd close with two pics from our last snorkeling excursion. Today, we'll stick with a farm animal theme and introduce the...

...Hogfish:


...Yellow Goatfish: