With the excellent currency exchange rate right now, Venezuela is a great bargain. We are living in the lap of luxury, enjoying this beautiful pool in the early evening, to ourselves most of the time, out of the hurricane belt and every convenience imaginable at our fingertips. We love it here and haven't found such a great deal since we started cruising in the Bahamas.

We witnessed one extreme to another, from a fishing shack on Tortuga to a beautiful resort in Puerto La Cruz.

We left the empty anchoring spot in Tortuga and headed 70 miles south to the mainland, arriving in Puerto La Cruz about 11 hours later. Again, we had a quiet night on the seas, brilliant stars and no wind. We weren't sure what to expect as we had heard that cruisers were avoiding Venezuela due to the political uncertainty and this is the yacht capital of the country.

We maneuvered into a spot at the dock which was far from empty. A French Consultate has opened here at the dock and there is a 1/2 price hurricane special if you arrive with 4 boats together. Consequently, there are many French-speaking boaters at the marina and few English speaking cruisers.

From a distance on these flat, outer islands next to Tortuga, we spotted spikes or spires which almost looked like high rises. We couldn't imagine what we were observing. On closer approach it was Venezuelan powerboat towers anchored in Cayo Heraduro, the most popular anchorage in Tortuga. There was not a palm tree, or any other kind of tree for that matter, on this little sandspit in the Caribbean.

It was still fairly early on Friday afternoon, which we later discovered was the start of the Independence Day long weekend. We were planning on staying here but the navigation was a little scary and on the horizon was a steady stream of powerboats, racing toward us. It reminded me of the Indy 500 and continued for the rest of the afternoon. We learned later there were over 120 boats staying on this tiny little island for the weekend.

Thankfully we made the right choice not to stay and found a secluded little bay about 2 miles away. We could hear the steady thump of a base player late into the night and from a distance it looked like downtown Manhattan.

Doyle's Cruising Guidebook says these shacks are occupied seasonally by the fishermen. Pretty simple lifestyle and very meagre living quarters on a dry, barren spit of land in the Caribbean ocean. One man's shack is another man's castle.

We had our Yamaha 15 hp motor serviced by the mechanic in Cumana before we left the boatyard as there was no Yamaha dealer there. It had been sitting for 1 1/2 years and refused to start. The mechanic said it was a simple fix, that the jets were gummed up with dried up fuel.

In Tortuga it ran fine close to shore so we took it for a run out near a reef in the very large bay we were anchored in. Suddenly it heated up and quit. We had a grueling paddle back to the boat against wind and current. Back on board Bill tried to determine the problem without success. It turned out the impeller was worn out. The problem with sailing is you often don't return to the last place a repair occurred, forcing you to start fresh at the next stop.

That was the end of our dingly exploration on Tortuga.

The dealer in Puerto La Cruz repaired it properly, reminding us to have it serviced every 100 hours or once a year. We will remember this lesson.

This is the view we dream about from Canada.

We spent one night in Laguna Grande which is spectacularly beautiful. The stars are so brilliant the constellations jump right out at you. Feeling secure that the boat was performing satisfactorily, we left around 4 a.m. for Tortuga. It was a calm day on the sea with little wind so we kept the motor running.

Tortuga is a flat, dry, scubby island with little vegetation. It's greatest attractions are the beaches, crystal clear water and snorkeling. At our first anchorage there was an airstrip, one lane wide, of packed sand. We're told locals from Caracas use it mostly on weekends. Other than a Coast Guard station and a few ramshackled fishing huts it was quite deserted.

This must be where the fish are biting but it seems a little strange that the fishermen are all clustered together miles from shore. We are amazed at how far from shore we find these simple piroques.

We had left the boat in Navimca for so long they had to prune the trees to get the boat out. We have had excellent care and service at Navimca and would recommend it to anyone.

We had to wait for high tide to leave Navimca and chose a short jaunt to Laguna Grande to ensure everything was running smoothly. Our chartplotter had to be downloaded onto our most recent computer but didn't recognize the drivers we installed. We called the company providing our navigation system just before we left and were told they didn't provide drivers for a 64-bit computer, that we needed an older computer. Also, the chartplotting program had been discontinued so we immediately purchased the replacement program which didn't do the same job. The next representative we talked to said "who told you that". Frustrations have been running high. Solutions are there but don't come easily.

The buses are efficient and economical. A ride to town is about $.30. In the central part of town the traffic keeps everything moving at a snail's pace. This gives entrepreneurs an opportunity to board the bus, offer things for sale like chocolate bars or cups of sugar cane water and lime, and then step off the bus, while it is still moving.

The bus has designated stops but willingly picks you up along the route. A conductor collects the fare and calls out to potential passengers on the street announcing where the bus is traveling. When you want to get off you yell "parada" and that's where the bus stops.

It was Happy Hour on Friday afternoon near Navimca Boatyard and this lady was entertaining the men who had stopped by the local store for a cool drink. The patrons just hang around the storefront visiting. They were encouraging this lady who enjoyed the attention. She willingly posed for the photo and then kissed and hugged me, calling me her "amiga".

This little guy had enough shopping. Boy, wouldn't it be great if we could all do this some days.

Miracles do happen! We are back in Venezuela, back shopping at the public market, back doing boat projects and getting ready to splash tomorrow. Prayers work!

We're heading to Tortuga which is an overnight sail, 10 to 12 hours. Can't wait to feel the sea breezes blowing.

According to the Ovarian Cancer Canada fact sheet, "the CA-125 blood test measures levels of a protein that can be affected by many health factors. It is NOT a screening test for the early detection of ovarian cancer. There is NO reliable screening test for the early detection of ovarian cancer. The CA-125 test is unreliable... because it produces too many false positive and false negative results."

That being said, the CA-125 test is a marker and in my Ovarian Cancer Support Group every woman consciously follows her CA-125 marker as an indicator of whether her cancer is still in remission or not. When I was tested in Venezuela my CA-125 marker was ballistic with only minor symptoms that I had checked out within a week.

I would highly encourage women to insist on the CA-125 blood test and an ultrasound on their lower abdomen during their annual checkup. If the medical plan does not cover it, is it worth paying for? From my perspective, ABSOLUTELY. If ovarian cancer is found early and treated, the survival rate is as high as 90%.

"Listen to the Whispers" is a program developed by Ovarian Cancer Canada to raise awareness of the signs and symptoms of ovarian cancer. The whisper relates to the fact that the symptoms are so subtle most women aren't diagnosed until Stage 3.

Here are some of the facts taken from Ovarian Cancer Canada.

"See your family doctor if you have one or more of these symptoms and they last longer than 3 weeks:

swelling or bloating of the abdomen
pelvic discomfort or heaviness
back or abdominal pain
fatigue
gas, nausea, indigestion
change in bowel habits
emptying your bladder frequently
menstrual irregularities
weight loss or weight gain"

The navigation center serves multi purposes. With the magic of Skype we can talk to our family a world away and even see them. We're planning to spend more time with our family from now on which is our new sailing plan. It's all about balance.

Yup, sinkings are a regular occurrence in Marina Cumanagoto.

Bill returned to our boat the middle of February for one month after leaving it for three months, and thankfully it was still floating.

This boat was next to us at the dock while we undertook a major boat project. We never saw anybody come to the boat but when we returned to Cumana we were shocked to see it had sunk. This seems to be a regular occurrence with unattended boats in Marina Cumanagoto.

We had such an awesome time traveling with Elaine and Harry from Zydeco. We regretted having to say goodbye in Cumana as we headed back to Canada and they eventually headed west.

Our time in this peaceful anchorage has been a beautiful memory we've carried over the last three months as we've dealt with the devastation of being diagnosed with a life-threatening disease.

It's comforting to know this life isn't the end and that whatever we face here on earth we have hope of a future with the Lord.

This is a nocturnal, fruit-eating bird that inhabits caves, living in total darkness and leaving the cave only at night for food. It has a radar-location system similar to bats. It has a curved beak and enormous whiskers and grows to about 60 cm long, with a wingspan of a meter.

It is estimated there are 10,000 birds in the longest, largest and most magnificent cave in Venezuela. The cave also has a maze of stalactites and stalagmites.

Really an awesome experience.

Elaine and Harry (from Zydeco) joined us on an adventure to the Guacharo Caves. We rode in the back of a truck through some lovely jungle villages to the caves. The scenery was lovely with mountains and valleys. After exploring the caves with a guide we walked to a waterfall about 45 minutes away. This is in November, two weeks before I discovered I had cancer.

We watched a few dozen grazing goats wander through the dessert-like vegetation along the water scrounging for food. They would only have water when it rained or from some of the plants they eat.

Elaine, from Zydeco, relaxes on her floatie, while still tied to the boat. Yacht life IS everything they say about it.

Bill & Harry went for a hike one day and brought back some delightful photos. They had some guy time which they both appreciated. Living 24/7, 365 days a year with one person on a boat demands some outsider time now and then.

Just across the Golfo de Cariaco from Cumana is this pristine hideaway where cruisers take a peaceful break. Waking up to this view pretty much sums up how privileged we are to live this life.

There are many little bays so many boats can be here and not even know there are others. We have yet to see more than a couple though.

A friend commented that I needed to have more photos of myself on the blog so Bill took over my photographer role.

Bill stands proudly beside his designed dinghy davits. He did a great job and they work perfectly. The wind generator pours power into our batteries when the wind blows hard, the back light is useful when we are raising the dinghy at night and the loud hailer is for future use.

The arch Bill designed required a lot of welding. Unfortunately the welder from the marina didn't wear protective eye covering this particular day while working on the arch all day and suffered burns to his eyes.

This is our special Christian friend, Zippy, from Kenya. She has been living on a sailboat for almost a year, a startling change from her former life in Kenya. We have spent a lot of time together hanging out and I've loved her stories about life in Kenya. Her life has changed so dramatically since leaving Kenya but she says she's a "sailor girl" now.

Right behind us is a rock causeway that we occasionally sit on with our morning coffee and watch the fishing boats in the distance. At night we see incredible sunsets as we enjoy a cool drink and wind down from our day. Hard to beat this cruising life!

This is Bill in the restaurant we went to for my birthday. I had lobster and Bill had steak, a rare treat for us. We also celebrate our anniversary two days after my birthday. Should have spread them out more, I'm thinking, so we don't lump two possible dinners out into one celebration.

There's a fast food court at the mall next to the marina and McDonalds, but not up to birthday standards.

At your request, Norm Allen, here is a photo of me (on my birthday). At the end of September I moved into a new decade of numbers (big numbers I'm afraid) and we went out for dinner at a lovely outdoor restaurant at the marina to celebrate.

As I looked for something to wear I dug out 3 dresses, which all smelled of mildew (I haven't worn them in a few months). Mildew is wicked on a boat. Bill offered to spray them with lysol but I didn't relish the idea of going out for dinner wearing Eau de Lysol. Fortunately I found a dress I could wear for the special occasion.

This boat is two down from us and we've watched the pilot house being constructed from the beginning. It is being overhauled for the owner who lives in Spain and uses it for vacations. Some vacation home!

The carpenters working on two boats next to us, Luis and Phillip, impressed us with their incredible skills so we asked if they would consider building us a new boom gallows. They brought a beautiful piece of wood, either mahogany or teak (we're not sure) and spent one full day building it. What a lovely job they did and for such a reasonable price. The boom gallows, including the wood, cost us less than $150.

When Bill decided to build the arch this is literally where it started. He pieced together the stainless steel and designed the arch. We'll never see another like it.

We just returned to Cumana and had to squeeze our way through the crowd of people waiting in line to get on board to cross to Araya. The fare was less than $1 for the 20-minute ride.

These two friends were thrilled to pose for a photo.

The name of the fish currently escapes me but when I remember I'll let you know. It was yummy though.

We've turned out to be lousy fishermen so we're excited about lessons from Harry. We'll be leaving the marina in a couple of days for another journey down the Golfo and hopefully some fresh fish.

After our fort exploration it was time for lunch with our friends, Harry & Elaine. This was the only thing on the menu and turned out to be a delightful meal.

Trying to get creative with my camera looking through the coral rock walls of the fort.

This is the biggest and oldest colonial fort in Venezuela commonly referred to as El Casillo. Pretty impressive considering its history.

At one time this fort was equipped with 45 cannons and defended by a 250-man garrison. When the salt ponds were temporarily destroyed by a hurricane in 1726 and Spanish abandoned the area, they first tried to blow up the fort to prevent it from falling into foreign hands. Despite igniting all the available gunpower, the sturdy structure resisted. Damaged but not destroyed, the mighty bulwarks still proudly crown the waterfront cliff.

We are heading up to the fort and Bill and Harry are pulling up the rear. Looks like they are walking at quite a clip and it isn't even lunch time.

The Vota No is probably from the Venezuelan referendum last December. There is so much publicity with the upcoming election on Chavez's behalf that the Vota No's are highly outnumbered. Be interesting to see how the election turns out.

We've been told to be ready to leave Venezuela with 6 hours' notice in the event of a political uprising. We've heard that most people ignore those warnings as they usually amount to nothing but fear mongering. However, we could leave immediately if need be.

There are some lovely beaches in Araya. The mighty fortress in the background and we are heading up there with our friends, Harry & Elaine, on Zydeco, whom we met back in Trinidad.

Kids entertaining themselves on a street in the small community of Araya.

The guidebook tell an interesting story of the Spaniards being so interested in gathering pearls from this area that they overlooked an even more valuable commodity, salt. The Dutch sneaked in and took the salt right out from under the Spaniard's noses. It wasn't until the 16th century, when the pearl beds dried up, that they realized their mistake. The English got into the action as well and many battles were waged.

The Spanish constructed a mighty fortress in 1618 which took 50 years to complete due to pirate raids, storms and heat so fierce the men worked mostly at night.

In 1726 a mighty hurricane flooded the salt lagoon and the salt reserves were lost causing the Spanish to abandon the peninsula.

Eventually the salt returned and today they are Venezuela's largest salinas, producing about half a million metric tons per year.

I love to capture kids playing when they are not aware of the camera. One this is sure, Venezuelans, young and old, love to be photographed, just for the sake of being photographed. They aren't even interested in seeing the photo. They actually approach you and ask to pose for a photo. As we walked along the road there was a man with a trowel smoothing concrete. One of the other workers asked me to take a photo and then the man with the trowel asked for another, to make sure I got an action shot. Curious.

The tapadito boats are used to ferry provisions and individuals living across the Golfo. If they had to travel by road it is 180 kms. Not really a viable option vs. a 20-minute boat ride.

Somebody on the boat was taking this beautiful wreath across to Araya. Alcalde refers to a political party. Other than that I don't know what it says. There's an election coming up and we understand Chavez is popular with half of the people. Occasionally we see rallies downtown with a few fans cheering on the candidate. Political demonstrations are also common and recently we were traveling by taxi to a supermarket (similar to Costco). The traffic was backed up and the taxi driver took some side streets to try to get us closer to our destination. As we wound our way back to the main street we saw it was completely ablaze with flames and black smoke billowing into the air. We turned around and went in the opposite direction. We learned later it was a protest against Chavez and the inhumane treatment of prisoners. Turns out there was a prison across the street from the store we were heading to. Other than creating traffic jams and irritating people trying to get to their destination, they don't seem to be dangerous. These same demonstrations were occurring around the country.

We walked to the ferry terminal from the marina and hunted around to find where we could catch the blue tapadito boats. We wanted to travel across the Golfo to Manicuare and on to Araya. The far was a whopping $3/person. It was a 20-minute ride and quite pleasant. They run regularly throughout the day and always seem full. Our Lonely Planet Guide said there was a very old, well-preserved fort and salt ponds in Araya and worth a visit. We took a por puesto (poor man's taxi) to Araya from Manicuare.

Can you imagine buying a carton of eggs that look like this one? They aren't all this bad but it seems they just reach under the chicken, grab the eggs, drop them in a carton and off to the store they go. I bought this dozen in a store, not in the market. I almost tossed it but then decided I could scrub it clean and it would taste like every other egg. Their standards are far below what Canada would tolerate. It is rare not to find some critter in the egg carton as well, like a cockroach. The ideal solution is to not bring any cardboard on board. Easier said than done.

This is the least occupied side of the marina where our boat is located. There's a storm brewing over the Golfo de Cariaco which is pretty typical. Almost every day dark clouds form, bringing wind and a little rain, and in an hour or so it's over.

With Bill busy on the arch project, I undertook to sand and varnish our boom gallows, cockpit table, motor mount and dorade boxes. That was a very big project because they had been stained a dark color so each item, except the boom gallows, which was new, took several hours to sand back to the original wood. Then the tedium of 7 coats of varnish, one a day. It wouldn't have been so bad if it was just a matter of splashing on the varnish, but we learned the hard way that you have to varnish early in the morning before it gets too hot and then let it dry in a shady, protected place. Otherwise you get blisters and dirt covering the surface and have to start from scratch. Each item had to be sanded between coats. I was happy to see it finished.

This boat is next to us in the marina and we watch with interest as the carpenters work away on it. The top layer of boards were recently removed as they try to restore it to its original design. They showed us pictures from a magazine on how it will be restored and we'd love to be around to see the finished product. We know that will not happen but it's been fun watching the transformation.

It is actually owned by a local Venezuelan who uses it as a pleasure boat. Wow, he must have gobs of money as just a year ago this boat was literally sunk and was raised up from the bottom. There was a lot of wood rot inside that had to be dealt with first.

I was walking back to the boat from a small grocery store when I heard several loud bangs. Venezuelans let off fireworks frequently and we get immune to hearing them. At first I assumed it was fireworks. However, I noticed people around the mall and restaurant jumping to their feet and looking toward the parking lot next to the marina. Not to be kept in the dark, I headed over for a look myself and joined a large group of onlookers. This vehicle had its side windows shot out and there was a man laying beside it bleeding badly. I couldn't tell if he was dead but once the police arrived and tended to him for awhile, he actually stood up and walked to their vehicle, with blood pouring from his arm. He was wisked away to the hospital. The investigation continued for a few hours around the vehicle so I returned with my camera, but we heard nothing further.

Bill designed this arch to operate as a dinghy lift, as well as to house our solar panels, wind generator, an outboard motor lift and eventually radar. We had been packing around several stainless steel poles we'd purchased from another cruiser in Trinidad and just couldn't agree on how to mount them. With the purchase of an equivalent amount of steel poles from another cruiser, Bill started to draw sketches and configure the whole thing. My criteria was it could not look cluttered. From there it went to laying the stainless steel out on the sidewalk and figuring out the details. Bill did all the cutting of the stainless steel, which was a lot, with all the spacers required. We hired the welder from the marina who worked on the project on his own time, taking about 3 times longer than we'd hoped. However, it is finished, it works great and we are pleased with the way it turned out.

I was happily doing some boat work projects under the shade of this tree, quite engrossed in my projects, when I noticed shadows on the sidewalk indicating insects whirling around above me. I figured there must have been a recent hatch until I stopped to think about it. Maybe, just maybe, they were bees as one had been pestering me earlier in the day until I zapped it with Raid. Yup, they were killer bees. I scrambled back to the boat. Once they were gone we walked over to the tree and spotted this conglomeration. This is not a nest, but a cluster of bees protecting the queen inside. The marina staff said they would call the fire department to remove them but it could be a few days. The next day we went to have another look, and they had moved to the far side of the tree, then they moved back to this location, and back and forth they went. After a couple of days they disappeared completely and haven't returned.

Really interesting to cruise around in the dinghy looking at how the rich live. We wondered about the construction of some of the buildings though because many of them were being renovated and weren't that old. Pretty delightful view from Aqua Vi where our friends are staying.

The other treat we enjoyed at Aqua Vi was the gorgeous swimming pool. Shellee and I went for a refreshing dip and cooled off.

It's a far cry from Marina Cumanagoto but for now we're doing boat projects which we couldn't do at Aqua Vi. We are connecting with local tradesmen who are working on projects all around us and hiring them to help with our projects. The prices are reasonable and the workmanship high quality.

Bill just designed an arch which is being built from pieces of stainless steel we have purchased along the way from other cruisers. The arch will serve as a dinghy davit, an outboard motor lift, a place to store our solar panels and mount our wind generator and eventually radar. Besides designing it, Bill has cut out all the individual pieces and fit them into a frame he configured. The welder from the marina is welding them together. Quite an ingenious and complex undertaking for Bill.

The other project is a new boom gallows. The carpenters working nearby found us a choice piece of mahogany and are cutting, fitting and oiling it for us. The cost of the wood and labour (a full day for two men) was under $150 US. We have been watching them work for the past three months restoring an old cargo vessel and they are skilled craftsmen. What a beautiful job they did for us too.

This area has been referred to as Little Venice, although squeezing a gondola under one of these bridges would be quite a feat. From a distance, though, there is a similarity.

The El Morro district is apparently the most ambitious urban project carried out in the country. The area is crisscrossed by a maze of canals, surrounded by apartment blocks and houses. Houses have their own piers and slipways. There are shopping centers, hotels, parks, gardens and golf courses.

This is not your typical Venezuelan community but only for the very wealthy.

Another example of one of the numerous paintings in the Museum depicting good and evil from the Bible.

There are a number of paintings in the museum which depicted Biblical examples of good and evil. On closer examination there are many clues in the paintings that are not evident on a cursory glance.

The highlight of the museum is a surreal collection of puppet-like religious statues equipped with moveable limbs. They were originally dressed in robes so only their arms and legs had to be adjusted properly.

Many of the sights were right next to the Catedral, including this museum in the oldest surviving building in town, built in 1671. There were many collections of statues, like this, dating back to the 17th century and very well preserved. We were amazed they were not locked behind glass as they seemed so vulnerable to an accidental nudge that could send them flying and shattering.

In front of the Catedral is a plaza under renovation. On this day a crowd had gathered to watch some "magic". The blindfolded man was identifying clothing and even detailed information from pieces of identification of members of the crowd. We tried to figure out the "magic" and thought it was in the eyes of a small statue they placed in front of the man squatting but when he started giving detailed information on small pieces of ID from people in the crowd our theory lost substance.

We spent some time searching for a resident sloth that lives in the trees in the park. Shellee had taken photos of it the last time she visited but it was determined to stay out of our sight that day.

Barcelona has colored posters on the street corners giving some history of the area and specific sites. If only my lacking Spanish was even a little helpful.

More beautiful gilded decorations in the chapel.

The beautiful painted dome adorns the Cathedral.

This Catedral contains the embalmed remains of Italian martyr San Celestino seen here.

Many of the streets in this area are of historic significance and popular among locals and tourists.

We favored Barcelona to any other city we've visited so far.

We learned if a town has a statue of Simon Bolivar sitting on a horse and carrying a sword it is an important center. Barcelona is the capital of the Anzo�tegui state which must give it prominent status.

This statue depicts a woman, probably a nun, yielding a gun in a futile effort to defend the hospice during the massacre.

Time to renew our visas which we were unable to do in Cuman�, so yet another trip to Puerto La Cruz. However, this time our purpose was not to run around madly looking for boat parts but rather to spend a couple of days with Shellee & Richard and explore the sights. What a wonderful time we had despite the fact that they were on the hard in Aqua Vi so more ladder climbing. Oh well, we got it figured out in Navimca so it was second nature.

We took a taxi to Barcelona, a short distance from Puerta La Cruz. The city was founded in 1671. Across from Plaza Bolivar is Casa Fuerta, which was once a Franciscan hospice, but was destroyed by the royalists in a heavy attack in 1817. Over 1500 people who took refuge here, defenders and civilians alike, lost their lives in the massacre that followed. The surviving parts of the walls have been left in ruins as a memorial.

We've been friends with Harke since Trinidad so it is sad to say goodbye. We really enjoyed his company, as well as Joyce, who recently joined him as crew from Chicago.

As cruisers we meet tons of people, spend time travelling, shopping and sharing meals together and get quite close before our paths go in different directions. In reality we keep in touch with just a few of those many friends. We hope to stay connected with Harke and Joyce.

We spent quite a bit of time with Harke and Joyce before they left but it's time to bid them farewell. We really enjoyed their company and hope we will meet again in the future. This is Joyce's first real sailing adventure and she's pretty excited. They have filled the cupboards to overflowing with healthy, hearty food so they will certainly not go hungry. They are leaving around 4:30 p.m. to Tortuga and should arrive early the following morning. From there it's on to Los Roques and eventually Curacao.

Shade is a welcome relief from the searing rays of the sun in the fresh food market. We were cautioned that this tree may be poisonous. Hmm.

It is not uncommon for us to read 90 degrees in our boat so every room has hatches open and fans running all day long. If there was some place to store it we'd probably buy an air conditioner.

We bought this from the fresh market but deliberately didn't pick out a live one and send it off to the slaughter. However, in hindsight we might have done a better job picking our own because this one, complete with feet sticking out of the breast cavity, was a tough old hen suitable for stew.

This was one step I'd missed in my earlier set of photos following the purchase of a live chicken to taking away the package ready for the stew pot. Wow, look at those feathers fly.