Tropical Sailing Adventures

Vessel Name: Maestro
Vessel Make/Model: 72' Custum Irwin Ketch
Hailing Port: Dover, Delaware
About:
"I am a citizen of the most beautiful nation on earth. A nation whose laws are harsh yet simple, a nation that never cheats, which is immense and wihtout borders, where life is lived in the present. [...]
18 February 2016 | Mexico - Puerto Vallarta
08 February 2014
23 October 2013 | Phuket, Thailand
02 October 2013
22 August 2013 | Raiatea, French Polynesia
22 July 2013 | Island of Huahine - least commercial island in French Poly
26 June 2013 | French Polynesia
01 June 2013
25 May 2013
13 May 2013
11 April 2013 | Marquesas
02 April 2013
30 March 2013
21 March 2013
19 March 2013
15 March 2013 | Galapagos
03 March 2013 | Galapagos
24 February 2013 | Galapagos Islands
07 February 2013 | Ecuador
Recent Blog Posts
18 February 2016 | Mexico - Puerto Vallarta

19 months & counting

Trenten Reef Paul turned 19 months yesterday and I can hardly believe how quickly the time has past since his birth in Papeete, Tahiti. We have been on quite an adventure, as always.

08 February 2014

Thailand/Malaysia

Severely behind in my blog update but we've been busy!

23 October 2013 | Phuket, Thailand

Up on dry land

(Above photo flying into Sydney, AUS on our way to Phuket, Thailand)

02 October 2013

Bora Bora

10/2/13

22 August 2013 | Raiatea, French Polynesia

GOOD FORTUNE IN RAIATEA

8/22/13

22 July 2013 | Island of Huahine - least commercial island in French Poly

Huahine

7/18/13

26 June 2013 | French Polynesia

Moorea

We have, (sadly), just dropped Christina and Nicola off at the airport in Tahiti after a week out anchored off the island of Moorea. What a wonderful week full of fun. The ladies hit the spa!, hiking and swimming with Sting Rays and Sharks. The water in Moorea is really clear blue hues. We had a [...]

01 June 2013

Surfs Up Tahiti

http://www.surfertoday.com/surfing/8812-big-wave-madness-continues-in-teahupoo (10 days ago we had another big southern swell)

25 May 2013

Papeete, Tahiti

We are anchored off marina Taina in Papeete, the main city on the island of Tahiti. This is the only 'big city' (250,000) we have seen in several months. It is a mix of European French & casual islander. The large verdant island soars into the sky and is mostly surrounded by a coral barrier reef. [...]

Traveling El Salvador

14 June 2011 | West To East
Erin
6/14/11 - El Salvador

El Salvador has been a wonderful surprise. All we knew two weeks ago was that a small war torn country almost forgotten in the midst of its larger Central American neighbors had a new marina in a river estuary. (Crossing The Bar!) What we have found has put our naïve perspective on the back burner and opened us up to a country that is ready for change.

The government has opened its doors to foreign business, uses the American dollar and is making arrangements to improve international tourism. El Salvador is a surf mecca with some of the worlds best breaks and will rightfully hold its first international surf championship this fall. While we have been here the first El Salvadorian to circumnavigate the globe celebrated on the dock with TV crews and a welcoming committee. The countries capital city, San Salvador, has been modernized with international malls, STARBUCKS!, museums and cultural events.

For now; it is rare to see another foreign traveller while out on the road and it is very apparent that we are to be treated with kid gloves. Everywhere we went we were helped above and beyond. English is not easily spoken here and our Spanish might as well have been Greek at times but nonetheless we were able to accomplish all of our needs. We had insightful conversation with some of El Salvador's wealthiest families as well as poorest. The poorest dont have the benefit of education so some of those conversations were hand gesture. The rich and the poor of this country couldnt be farther apart but a common ground I found was their instinctive hospitality.

While visiting this beautiful little country we visited volcanoes, coffee plantations, mayan ruins, native pictographs and petroglyphs, a cloud forest, lakes, colonial villages, black sand beaches, world class surf breaks, shopping and even saw Pirates Of The Caribbean 3-D in a brand new theatre with stadium seated leather lounge chairs!

Did I mention the prices? The cost of living here is like stories I have been told by family of Mexico 40 years ago. I didn't think there were places on earth that you could have a full steak diner waited on by tuxedo staff for $5.99. Well, ok - there was tax ontop of that.... Maybe $6.50. The little research that I did on beach property seems very affordable with lots ranging from $10,000 to $60,000. Decent fix up beach side homes for $70,000 and up. (The Canadians are here)

On the darker side labor is sadly low. The average monthly income here is approx. $115.00. Theft is high. Murder rates are very high. We read the rates are one of the worst in the world and most all murders being caused by gunshot wound. Typically this hard crime is gang violence inside the capital city itself. Foreigners with any common sense are living in gated communities with security. Security is big business in El Salvador. You will not walk or look anywhere without seeing a shotgun. Private Security men (I saw a couple women in military uniforms) with shotguns are outside every store, transport truck, hotel, gas station, beach access, homes, etc. One night we were heading out for dinner at about 7pm I asked if we could walk four blocks to the restaurant - the kind lady shook her head and hands rapidly and told us she would hire a cab (that the hotel trusted) to drive and return us to the hotel.

The 15 year civil war which recently ended in 1992 has hopefully shaped this country for the future. It desperately knows that it cannot afford the same behavior. I guess that 'afford' is the key word and without doubt much of the wealth was jeopardized during wartime. We visited the war museum which is run by FMLN ex-guerillas. Two years ago the FMLN was voted in to run the government and has sworn to clean sweep corruption. This will be no easy task. We did feel a little out of place at the museum. (awkward) The American bombs still lie scattered throughout the jungle and Anti-American propaganda posters displayed on the museum walls like trophies. The shot down American helicopter added to the authenticity of another government embarrassment. Of course the museum only tells the story of the guerilla's and the school children there were eyeing us a little like we were the enemy. I should say at this point i did ask our ex-guerilla tour guide if they still felt hatred toward the American people? He said that for the most part, no. This is largely due to the 3 million El Salvadorian refugees living in the United States that President Bush gave full documentation too. Obama was here about 6 weeks ago and gave another 200 million to help fight crime. There is an American Embassy here so large it covers about 3 or 4 blocks. What is in the works? Where is Wiki leaks when you need em?

As we traveled around I couldnt help but think of Central America as the whole picture it once was before the Spaniard's came to change the course of this land. Mayan ruins filled with jade, gold, pottery and culture speckled across this vast jungle. The Mayans were not known to be a peaceful people but at least they were prosperous. Extremely prosperous with what may be some of the greatest culture of 'modern time' massacred by conquistadores in a short period of time. What remains in this region are only little secrets into a window of a once great culture; its kin still struggling to find identity. Conquer or be conquered? To me; that is a stark reality and a bloody question.

I am hopeful of this halves and have-nots country. I hope to see; with an influx in tourism, more time to recover from the war stigma and an ever increasing anti-government corruption campaign that this countrys poorest people will benefit. There is hope for prosperity but will it continue to benefit the top few? They are certainly a passionate people, very regretful of the war crimes and ready for a new chapter. On more than one occasion when we expressed how much we enjoyed El Salvador we received real emotional appreciation. I think these hard working people will soon catch the break they need. If you are looking for an off the path trip I recommend a visit to El Salvador.
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