We planned to leave the week after Carnival with Chris and Dave and perhaps a couple of other boats headed our way but unfortunately one or other of us all got glitches and last minute hitches, worst being that Chris slipped on a wet pontoon step and ended up with a gashed and broken toe.

Our goodbyes having already been said to people, we were not unhappy to be in this, our favourite place, a little longer. During that time we spent quite a few evenings with CD and Colin and Ricky at Clarks Court Bay and also had a couple of trips around to the next bay of the Phare Bleu marina (in Colin's dinghy as our outboard probably wouldn't have made it! - thank you Col!). The two Daves also went with Colin one day to bring a large yacht from St George's to Woburn and you'll see a couple of photos in the gallery of Dave Dog up the mast.

The tears welled up in Fi's eyes when we said our final goodbyes at the dive shop where we had always been made welcome, especially by Pano, Andrew and Sheldon. We told Pano he is always welcome to visit us and I hope one day he will although I think we'll have to stock up on woollies to lend him! We've got his email so hope he will stay in touch and let us know how they all are getting on.

After a week in plaster (and insisting to the doc that they didn't put another hard plaster put on!) CD and TC left on the Thursday evening for an overnight sail down to Los Testigos. Apart from an assortment of completely unidentifiable vessels (don't think they've heard of port and starboard lights down here, never mind anything else...) we managed to keep well together and had a very pleasant trip, arriving at Los T at about 9am.

We were greeted on the top of the hill of Isla Iguana Grande, where Customs is , by a very friendly young man who made us most welcome. He offered us water or coffee, said we could stay as long as we wished and reminded us that they were on CH16 if we needed help at any time. This was contrary to all we'd heard and we immediately took to the place.

We anchored off the opposite island on the advice of the Customs guy and early in the afternoon were awoken by the friendly voices of Diana and Gerald (Whiskers) who we had last seen in Grenada and who had just arrived from Trinidad. Chris and Dave kindly hosted a sundowner for us all that evening making a lovely end to a beautiful day.

The next morning a fishing boat came along, not to sell us fish as we thought he might but to tell us of his restaurant just on the small hill along from us overlooking the beach. That night saw us dining with CD on the terrace of this lovely couple's home, overlooking the beautiful islands and watching a fantastic sunset (no green flash though Blizzy!). Wow! What a place!

Dave and I did a bit of snorkelling which was great, a couple of small turtles, parrot fish, angel fish, soldier fish and a whole host of others we don't even know the names of. We also walked up and over the sand dunes to the windward beach which was an amazing stretch of deserted, scorching hot white sand beach with nothing and nobody on it save a couple of seabeans and the usual few token plastic bottles (you find them everywhere now unfortunately....)

The islands have only 162 inhabitants who live by fishing alone. They do have a school and a church and all seem happy with life even though we can't help immediately thinking "what do they do?!" as we're not accustomed to such a lifestyle.

Hernan, the gentleman who runs the restaurant with his wife, asked if the two Daves would like to go out fishing at 5 the next day. Well, to cut a long story short we thought he meant 5am but he meant 5pm so the two guys were up with the crack of, only to be waiting in vain. Anyway, after Dave snorkelled over and walked up to the bar later on that day all became clear. Hernan's friend was visiting with his family from Porlamar, Margarita (where we're headed next) and told Dave he would take the two Dave's out fishing later that afternoon on his fishing boat. So, as I write this, off they've gone on this "proper job" of a charter fishing boat with Hernan, Alexander and family members for a bit of fishing around the islands! Unfortunately Gerald and Diana asked us over for a sundowner but the boys probably won't be back early enough, all things being based on Caribbean time.

Well, the lads got back after a fantastic couple of hours fishing, when CD Dave caught the biggest barracuda and TC Dave caught a 15lb(ish) yellow fin tuna too. A Couple more barracudas and an amberjack were also caught. It was the sort of fishing expedition that people pay a lot of money for so they were very lucky to be invited and had a whale of a time (if you'll excuse the pun...). Alexandro gave us his mobile no. and we hope to see him when we get to Porlamar, where he lives. Also, Hernan and his wife Ciria are visiting there in a couple of days so it would be good to see them again. All such friendly people, from the fishermen to the coastguards, what a wonderful, wonderful place....