Tue. May 7th.
While entering the anchorage I passed by a Hans Christan 48, from Kemah Texas named Liward. He gave me a call on the VHF asking what part of Texas was I'm from. I'm from Raywood, but the boat is from Kemah. "Where is Raywood?" he asked. Chatted for a few minutes until I passed another boat name Irie, a catamaran from North Carolina. I had seen that boat name on the Pacific Puddle Jumpers web site, but according to the information they were suppose to be in the French Islands by now. After I dropped the anchor we chatted on the VHF. They are headed for the Gambiers. With a little luck our wakes will cross again. Then the Customs and Immigration guys showed up. By the time I was thru with the check- in process Liward and Irie were sailing over the horizon.

After that passage I had accumulated a list of things to fix on the boat before the next real long passage. Fix first then go have some fun is my rule, but one of the boats in the anchorage invited me to join them and a few other boaters for a hike to the "Wall of Tears." Work will just have to wait. We took a taxi as far as they could go and then walk the last 5km. Saw a bunch of tortoises all along the trail. Pepe from the boat Beeze Neez sure knew her birds and plants and crabs. Who needs a guide when you have her to tell you everything you are looking at. See the pic or Google the history of the Wall of Tears. Since it was all downhill we didn't plan for a taxi for the return trip. A 10k hike back to town and just to make it interesting we took the beach instead of the road and ended up at the bar just in time for happy hour. The music for H.H. - James Brown. Now I'm really beginning to like this place.

The next day I was going to start working on that list of things to fix, but got invited to join the other boaters on a snorkeling tour of the "Tunnels". Work will just have to wait, again. Playing in the water is a whole lot more fun. Should have ask what the "Tunnels" were about, but all I heard was snorkeling. So snorkeling gear is all I pack. Damn I wish I had brought my camera. The sites are indescribable unless you have seen something like it before. But lucky me, Jean from the s/v Tuatora from New Zealand was able to download a few pic on a stick for me. Since I can't describe it, take a look at the pics in the 'Photo Galley on the blog." Since it was only a morning tour I had plenty of time that afternoon to work on the boat. On top of the list was to replace the watermaker's membrane that I purchase way back in Clearwater Fl. The expiration date is approaching. After getting that done I made a few gallons of water.

Friday must be the day off for tours. I didn't get invited to join anyone anywhere so I worked on the boat. Buda needed a little attention after all that work, plus the next passage is longer. So change the oil and filters. Check all nuts and bolts for tightness. Actually found some diesel engine oil to replace what I used. They even had a place to dispose of used oil. Right next to the recycle garbage bins. Also recaulked the starboard cap rail, hoping this will stop the water from entering the cabin when the rails are in the water. Now why I didn't do this when I was in the marina in Panama? It was quite a job doing it from the dinghy.

Next day - Robo route. Walked the town, just looking to see how the locals lived. Well I never would forgive myself if I didn't go diving in the Galapagos, so found a dive shop along the way and booked a dive. With my little Spanish and his little English I think I'm going diving soon. I did manage to understand the price was the same whether I had all of my own gear or nothing. So I decided to use theirs. While I have a free internet connection thanks to Phil, I actually found time to update the blog. The next morning I show up at the dive shop and sure 'nuff we go diving today. Paying passengers was me and Patrick from a big Catamaran going home to Australia. Boat Captain and his son, Dive master and the Interpreter made up the crew. In the rush to go diving Patrick brought all his underwater cameras but forgot to bring his dive computer. I was just about ready to talk bad about him when I powered up my computer just to see the low battery light flash. Damn it! I didn't bring any spare batteries with me and I don't have a depth gauge. If I was anywhere else I might have aborted the dive, but I'm in the Galapagos - I'll just have to stay close to the Dive Master and hope . . . The Isle de Tortuga was the dive site and we did get to see lots of turtles, a few hammerhead sharks and some white tip sharks and a whole lot of little fishes. On the way back I found out from the interpreter that there is no sewage treatment plant for the town. Oh well I won't be running the watermaker anymore in that harbor. Since I survived the dive I went and celebrated with the other cruisers at the bar for happy hour, again.

I heard that to obtain diesel in the Galapagos was very difficult. Compared to what? There are two ways to get it, the legal way and the illegal way. The black market was 50 cents/gallon cheaper and done under the cover of darkness. If you get caught then what? I decided to do it the legal way which is obtain a piece of paper from the Port Captain. Only took an hour to get it. Then haul the jerry cans from the boat to the dock to the taxi to the fuel station and then back again, another 2 hours. And since this didn't fill the boat up I had to repeat the process again, another 2 hours. On the return trip to the boat, the cops on the dock called me over and wanted to see my papers. Rats, I gave them to the fuel station guy. Should have made a copy. He wrote down my boat name, my name and all of that. Since I didn't get a visit from the police later that day I guess everything check out okay. Difficult? Yes, Compared to just pulling up to the fuel dock and say fill her up, but it was an adventure. And doing it right might add a little Karma into my Karma bucket.

By Tuesday most of the boats in the anchorage have already left for that long distance sail to French Polynesia, but there are a few of us that are still here who haven't taken the Volcano tour, Beeze Neeze and Skye and Irie II. We left early in the morning and at a faster pace than we wanted to go. The guide was in a hurry for us to see the caldera before the rain clouds moved in. We made it just as they were rolling in. But we didn't get rain on; they just blocked the view of the caldera. The Sierra Negra rises to a height of about 3600 feet and the last eruption was in 2005 without any warning. Lava all over the place. We made it almost to the top. Or at least as far as the guide would take us. The view, well just take a look at the pics.

The climb down was just as much fun as the climb up. We were sitting under a tree out of the hot sun enjoying lunch. And then one of the other guides on the way down started giving our guide a mouth full. Didn't understand a word but could tell she was not happy with him. Pepe and Bare hadn't showed up yet, something is not right, so I tell the group that I'm going back to check on them. They can do what they want. Our guide decided he would go back also - looked pissed that he couldn't finish his siesta. For someone who was in such a hurry to go up the mountain the first time he sure was taking his time this time. There went his tip. Met up with the crew of Beeze Neeze, she was having some minor dizzy spells and needed to take a rest and wanted us to actually go home without them. No way! We came up together we go down together.

After that mountain climbing tour it was time to relax and do some more boat work, like cleaning. Trying to stay one step ahead of the mole and mildew. I'm thinking this is one battle I'll never win and one that will never end.

I have taken just about all the tours that I wanted to, except the turtle Breeding Center. Again Breeze Neeze organized it. We took a taxi up the hill to visit the pink flamingos and a few other birds or ducks in the pond. Then walked down to the Breeding Center. It was a self help tour, just follow and read the signs. Just as we began to take pictures of the big guys, a couple of them began to put on a live sex show for the tourist. The sign said the male moans and groans when he's getting it on, but no noise from this one, he must have just been posing for the camera. But further up the hill we could hear something making this loud groaning noise. They must have been either fighting or f*&@#$%. After the show, tour, it's lunch time, but the snack shop with the ice cream cones was closed. Rats. As we are leaving the center someone ask "Where do this trail lead to?" Since no one knew the answer off we go into the unknown. Through the mangroves and swamps and other trees. Came upon a pond with the black iguanas swimming around. The more we walked the more birds and crabs and of course more black iguanas. We ended back up in town and found out we were actually on a nature trail. We followed the iguanas' trail all the way to the beach just to get some more pics of them playing in the water.

Since I haven't done much blogging because of all the fun I've been having, I spent all day working on it. Then just as I tried to upload some pics, the internet goes out. Seem like that happen last Friday also. Saturday same thing, no internet. Went into town to see if I could get a signal, nothing. Internet is out all over the island. Sunday I removed the staysail and retune the rigging, since I couldn't play on the computer due to - no internet.

Well it's Monday and getting close to time to go. Went grocery shopping and was able to get a few things, but no eggs on the island. I think they said come back on Wednesday because the supply ship will be in by then. But the ship is at anchor now? Well no internet so I spent the rest of the day scrubbing all that slim off the bottom of the boat. Boy stuff sure does grow fast around here. Instead of snorkeling I had to use SCUBA gear. Now with a clean bottom I might actually save a few sailing days on that long trip ahead.

Next day internet. Work on the blog uploaded a bunch of pictures and sent out all those last minute emails. I was lazy yesterday so instead of taking the dinghy out of the water I left it in with all the SCUBA gear. Doing the night I got a visit from one of the local Sea Lions, she climbs inside the dinghy and shitted all over everything. It wouldn't have been so bad but that shit stinks, worse than dead fish. Used a gallon of bleach and lots of soap and it still stink. Betcha I won't do that again. After the clean up I had to carry those scuba tanks into town for a refill and look for some eggs, no eggs. The chickens must be on strike or something.

Wednesday must be my lucky day. I found eggs and other provisions. The lady behind the counter was right; she would have eggs on Wed. It just takes a couple of days for it to get from the ship to the shelf. And a lot of other fresh produce was available. Now that I'm all stock up I called my agent and off we go to the Port Captains office to do the check-out shuffle. Only took a few hours waiting on everyone to get back from lunch at 1500. Got my passport stamp and a warning that I must leave by noon tomorrow or else. So 1000 local time 1600 utc I lift anchor and headed for the vast Blue Pacific. Next stop Hiva Oa, 3000nm or 3 weeks away, in the Marquesas in French Polynesia.