Cruising Update

A blip on our radar has delayed our arrival in Guatemala. George fractured his shoulder so I've been doing all the heavy lifting. This will present some interesting logistical challenges on board but we're hoping to rise to the occasion and cruise within the limits of common sense. We will now arrive at Mario's on March 2, via flights from Portland, Me to San Pedro Sula, Honduras. Until then, enjoy past posts of the Deja Vu Chronicles and contact us if you have any questions or comments.

Coming Soon...Cruising 2010

Really winter... the Gulf of Maine... from our deck

Promises, promises. Yes, there will be blogs... but probably not until we return to Guatemala and Deja Vu in early February. Currently at lat. 44N. Get us out of here. Until then, when we take the wraps off the boat at Mario's, we will stoke the fires in Maine, layer up and pack the bags with great expectations for a fourth fabulous cruising season in the western Caribbean.

What good is a blog without a blogger?

I just went to our blog and sadly noticed that I hadn't blogged in months. Can't have that... so
here's a morsel until next time. Memories of a blissful Belizean sunset w/ Beachhouse, Antares and Deja Vu at anchor, Caye Caulker, Belize, 2008. Photo by Sharon Smith, s/v Beachhouse.Show all

An Embarrassment of Bananas...and Chayotes

Roatan Market Day

On a recent shopping trip with fellow cruisers to this great little island market, the owners were happy to share their beautiful, colorfully displayed fruit and vegetables. There might have been a language barrier as we awkwardly tried to speak our faltering spanish but they were very forgiving and taught us some new words...like zanahoria (carrot), perejil (parsley), albahaca (basil) and ejote (bean). The Honduran people are a racially and culturally diverse group with one common denominator...their warm, welcoming smiles.

Marcy (First Light) and Debbie (Sea Ya Manana) savor the sweetness of a freshly cut orange

Chayotes ~ I still haven't figured out a great use for them

The Oakridge market proprietors with their ever helpful employees

This Floating Life... The Pleasures of Parrot Tree Plantation

Roatan, Isla de la Bahia, Honduras

This installment comes to you from the beautiful Parrot Tree Marina in Second Bight, Roatan. We are peacefully docked here ~ how refreshing not to worry about anchors dragging or boats dragging into us in the middle of the night...or squalls or all the things I don't like about sailing.

The placid anchorage at Second Bight, looking south through the reef cut

Parrot Tree Marina embarcadero at sunrise... the view from our cockpit...
Can you believe I got up early enough to take this photograph?

From right to left: Deja Vu, Goen Places and Miss Kathleen

The newly opened marina is part of a 160 acre development on a lush peninsula between two serene bights on the south coast of the island. The very long (267 yds) freshwater pool has recently opened, replete with fountains and water falls. There is also a lovely man-made saltwater lagoon with a pristine white sand beach. The "introductory" dockage rates are very reasonable and yachties have access to all the facilities, including a coffee shop, wi-fi, weekly fueling service, laundry...and security. The staff is professional, accommodating and friendly. A beach restaurant is scheduled to open soon and waterfront shops are also planned. The Plantation is a 15 minute drive to French Harbor and good provisioning.

On our almost daily walks we have encountered energetic agoutis, huge iguanas and shy hermit crabs. We have rewarded ourselves after the almost two mile, strictly uphill climb, with seafood paella at "The View" with its stunning vistas of both the north and southwestern coasts of Roatan. We've partied with our cruising friends on Capraia, Antares, UpJinks, Windquest, Compania, Allegro and Goen Places.

This is what I love about sailing ...being safely docked in a beautiful marina on a very friendly island in the western Caribbean. Got to finish this blog...it's almost happy hour.

Later this week we'll cast off the docklines and move eastward toward Barbareta and Guanaja to join our buddies on Jumbie before returning to the Rio Dulce in May.

Postcards from Utila, Bay Islands

A rare photo of the Deja Vu Diva (far right) with Rick/Cindy~Dragonfly and Shirley/Brant ~ Bruja...enjoying sundowners in Puerto Este Harbor

After the weather settled down we had a mellow time in Utila, an island that is as laid back as they get. It's diver/backpacker nirvana, especially if you love a good tattoo and cheap beer. We feel like the elder statesmen on this island, although most of the liveaboard cruisers are in their 40s-60s.
If you've got college age kids on a tight vacation budget, this is the place to send them. We had a delicious grilled wahoo dinner for $5!

Most turistas fly into San Pedro Sula or Roatan and take the ferry to the island. Utila also boasts a unique species of iguana, a turtle nesting area and most impressive...an amazing cultural/racial diversity. Everyone says hello on this welcoming island and we look forward to returning en route to Guatemala in May.

A few postcards from Utila...

Uptown...and downtown
Mosaic and decorative detail from the Jade Sea Horse restaurant


Mariposa Cafe ~ a safe place to tie-up the dinghy and great food, especially the seafood pesto pasta

It's the Destination ~ Not the Journey

The Coast of Honduras to Utila, Bay Islands ~
A Really Shitty Day in Paradise

Until a few years ago, I was from the "it's the journey, not the destination" camp, but after our recent sail from mainland Honduras to the Bay Islands, I'm convinced it's the destination that really matters. Seems we have at least one or two near catastrophes every sailing season and so far this one is no exception.

We are humbled, once again, by the power of the sea and feel fortunate to be writing this blog today. We have learned many lessons in our years of sailing in all kinds of weather but some of those lessons obviously didn’t sink in.

A Good Day Gone Bad

Getting to the Bay Islands from Guatemala is usually a slog to windward. The weather forecast indicated winds at 15 knots and fairly calm seas (3-5ft). In Maine we have an expression, “you can’t get there from here”. What began as a reasonable day to make this 40 miles passage began to deteriorate by late morning —an 8 hour motorsail seemed to have no end in sight as we plowed through 8ft seas created by the oppressive 25 knot headwinds.

By late afternoon we were salt-encrusted, soggy and dejected. It was one of the longest days of our lives. As I said to George more than 20 years ago after an equally horrible passage, “I would have rather been in labor.” Our boat speed diminished to 3 knots as the windspeed increased and the prospect of getting to the main anchorage of Utila-- with enough daylight to navigate the shoal entrance-- grew dim.

We were also running low on fuel due to a miscalculation and needed to have Plan B in the event we ran out of fuel en route. Reversing our course and heading back to the large open roadstead of Puerto Cortes on the mainland was our main option but one we hoped we didn’t have to implement.
Happy Ending

As we finally approached the west end of Utila we made a decision to try to anchor in the Water Cays –we had never been there and daylight was fading but we had a couple of charts and were able to identify the prominent cays and cut through a deep channel between Jack O’Neil and Pigeon Cays. We could still see the reefs on either side of the cut and miraculously managed to find a good spot in 15 feet to drop anchor.

Celebrated with copious amounts of wine and a freeze-dried dinner of Jamaican jerk chicken and rice.
Exhale. All's well that ends well.

To Kate and Cameron: don't worry, kids. we're fine. Wish you were here to share our adventures but you should be glad that you're not. Love, Mom and Dad

Sunset over the Water Cays of Utila

(Photos of Deja Vu taken during calmer passages off the coast of Honduras in 2007)

Next port: Parrot Tree Marina, Roatan (http://www.parrottreeplantation.com/) while George goes home to work for two weeks.

Postcards from Guatemala ~ It's a Technicolor Life

Embroidery detail from the Panajachel huipil mercado


Confetti


The continuing, excellent adventures of Kathleen and Dinny in their relentless quest to enhance the gross national product of Guatemala~

While George was slaving away in Maine recently, working so we could afford to play, I did what any normal, abandoned mate would do...went to market in the western highlands of Guatemala. I took the early morning Litegua bus to Guatemala City (5 1/2 hours) and holed up in the Biltmore Express hotel while waiting for Dinny's late night arrival from the frozen north, aka East Boothbay, Maine.

At a time when spending money feels like a crime...where frugality rules and shopping is taboo...where we worry about EVERYTHING, spending quetzales in Guatemala was pure therapy for our Scrooge-infested souls. Beautiful textiles, carvings and jewelry were purchased from local artisans. The prices were good for us and good for them ~and that's FAIR TRADE. "You can't always get what you want but if you try sometime, you'll find, you get what you need." (Rolling Stones)

For more stories and pix of La Antigua, Lake Atitlan and Chichicastenango, Guatemala (2006-08), click on the archives in the left margin of our blog.

Enjoy the photos and send us a comment so we'll know you're out there.
Currently anchored at Texan Bay in the Rio Dulce with plans to sail to the Bay Islands in early March.

We would have brought back the whole pile if we didn't have to pay overweight charges.

Children's masks at La Antigua mercado


Hot, hotter, hottest...


We passed on the ceviche but I'm sure it's fabulous.

Espresso break to give us strength and keep us buzzed

Copan, Honduras ~Mayans Rising and Falling...but what a run they had

Our convoluted travels in Central America have taken us to extraordinary Maya sites, among them Tikal, Caracol, Lamanai and Quirigua. Last weekend we ventured from our watery home on the Rio Dulce in Guatemala to the impressive ruins of Copan, a four hour drive through western Honduras and into the mountain valley that was called Xukpi by its original inhabitants.

Stones Tell the Story

Although less majestic than Tikal ~the mother of all Mayan ruins~ Copan is distinguished by its elaborate sculptures and carved stone monoliths or stelae. The quality and detail of the glyph stones have made it possible for epigraphers to interpret and understand much about the Maya civilization.

A UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1980, the ruins of Copan have been called the “Athens of the New World”. Kings with names like Great Sun Lord Quetzal Macaw, Waterlily Jaguar and Eighteen Rabbit built and maintained an empire that was a military and commercial power during the Classic Period (AD 250-800) of Pre-Columbian history. In its glory days, more than 20,000 people populated the 50 acre site. Archaeologists from Harvard’s Peabody Museum described the city as a “huge machine at work at the center of a civilization with hieroglyphic writing, an advanced calendar and complex astronomy.”

Sting Rays and Seashells

During early excavations, evidence of trade with distant cities linked the site to Teotihuacan, Mexico (700 miles to the north) and other Maya centers. Sting ray spines, marine shells, pottery made throughout Central America, pieces of jade and small amounts of gold were found. Burial chambers revealed much about their rituals and deification of nature.

Collapse of Copan ~ A Future Foretold

They may have honored and ritualized their deities, seasons, crops and animals, but it wasn’t enough for their survival in the long run. As urban sprawl engulfed the area, farms were replaced with housing for the increasing population. Eventually, deforestation led to major erosion, flooding and ultimately the downfall of the empire. Many deaths were caused by infectious diseases and malnutrition. Natural disasters, particularly earthquakes, collapsed many of the ruins, although evidence of 3450 structures remains, with many unexcavated sites still buried under the valley growth.

Hotel and Travel Tips

Our friend, Orin on Antares, arranged a shuttle van from Rio Dulce to Copan Ruinas with Ottitours. There were eight of us and the cost was $55 per couple for the one-way trip (approx. 4 1/2 hrs). We stayed at the Hotel Maya Acropolis which was clean, friendly, simply furnished and reasonable w/ private bathroom and hot water at a cost of $50 per double room. For our money (lempiras, that is) the best restaurant in town is Twisted Tanyas. Welchez Cafe has good espresso but there are other coffee houses in town with excellent coffee. Before going to the site we explored an informative museum in town that set the stage for our visit to the ruins with its diversity of stelae, funerary pieces and terra cotta figurines. The walk to the site is only 15 minutes from town and very pleasant. We hired a terrific guide, Juan, who was knowledgeable and entertaining. If you are anywhere near this part of the world, make the effort to visit Copan. You will not be disappointed.

Acropolis Maya Hotel

Back in the Banana Republic ~Deja Vu All Over Again

View Larger Map

Welcome back to you and to us!

Where are we?

Latitude: 15 degrees, 40',72"N
Longitude: 88 degrees, 58',37"W
(I have to write out "degrees" because I don't have the symbol on my keyboard)

George and I returned to the good ship Deja Vu on January 13. After spending a beautiful summer and fall...and too much of winter...at home in Maine, we arrived at Mario's Marina on the Rio Dulce in Guatemala. For those of you who are location challenged, we've added a map of Central America. We are relieved to report that our floating condo is shipshape and none the worse for wear since we returned to Maine in May. For cruisers who are considering leaving a boat here for months at a time, it is essential to have some kind of dehumidifier system on board that will operate while you are off the boat. It's a jungle down here ~ with huge humidity levels, particularly during the summer rainy season. We also vacuum seal all of our linens, cushion covers and other items that would be damaged by moisture but that's another story.

The Rio Dulce is a beautiful freshwater river whose entrance is on the Caribbean Sea at Livingston, Guatemala ~squeezed in between Belize to the north and Honduras to the south. A long shallow sand bar stretches across the mouth of the river, making it imperative for us to come and go only at a very high tide with our 6ft. draft. It's almost 20 miles upstream to the small town of Rio Dulce.

We will stage here for our next adventure in early March when we will sail to the Bay Islands of Honduras and, hopefully, on to Panama sometime in April. Check in occasionally for updates of our adventures, including our recent trip to Copan, the extraordinary Maya ruins in western Honduras.

Sea, Silver and Stone ~ A New Blog

Announcing a new blog for my sea-inspired jewelry designs. Have a look at www.seasilverandstone.blogspot.com

I'll be adding photos as well as pricing and shipping information as available. Please contact me via email.

Flashback ~ Grenada, Nicaragua

While perusing my photo files, I opened up the Nicaragua folder from January, 2007, and was reminded of the vibrant colors and simple pleasures of Grenada, Nicaragua. Enjoy the flashback and do think about Nicaragua as a destination. The people are friendly, the country is beautiful and the price is right. After an unimpressive stop in Managua~and remembering that the city was flattened by a massive earthquake 30 years ago~we were transported back in time to Grenada, a colonial city founded in the 1500's and formerly a Central American capital.


Horse carts share the road



100% Cuban cigars ~ made in Grenada

Patio fountain at the Mona Lisa. Grazie, Leonardo.

Our adventure in the wayback machine was contrasted by an afternoon with mojitos and American football at Norm's Sports Bar and pizza at the Mona Lisa. Our rooms at the Hospedaje Italiano were spartan but clean and two blocks from the real deal parque central. No Disney rides here, just funky horse carriages and lots of smiles. Turistas are in the minority but the country is changing so go there soon while there is still peace in the land. If you have vacation money to spend, spend some of it in Nicaragua. The people will thank you.

Getting A Life ~ Safe Passage for the "Dump" Children of Guatemala

Guatemala is one of our favorite countries, particularly because of its gentle, generous and extraordinary people. The physical beauty of the country is breathtaking. Guatemala is also a region of enormous poverty and a recent history of a devastating civil war between the ruling elite and the indigenous Mayan culture.

One courageous woman from Maine, Hanley Denning, also fell in love with Guatemala and the children whose families live and scavenge daily in the garbage dump of Guatemala City, a huge festering place filled with disease and peril. In 1999 Hanley founded an educational program, "Safe Passage", with a mission to "empower the poorest, at-risk children of families ...by creating opportunities and fostering dignity through the power of education. Children and parents discover that through their own efforts, they can move beyond poverty. "

Tragically, Hanley was killed in an automobile accident near Guatemala City in 2007. Her dedication to this program inspired her colleagues to continue the work she began. This video from 2006 was posted on Youtube, I assume, by a volunteer who worked with these amazing children. I thank him for giving us a glimpse of the lives of the children who participate in Safe Passage.

If you'd like to sponsor a child or make a contribution, contact Safe Passage.

Awash in a Sea of Silver

I'm awash in a sea of silver, savoring the hours in my studio by the ocean honing my metalsmithing skills so I can take them on the water again next winter with no worries about blowing up the boat. Herewith a few results...


Handwrought silver and

phrenite bracelet

What goes around comes

around ~handwrought and

hammered silver bracelet~

less is more

"Red Dragon" vintage

mah jong piece set in sterling

silver bezel

"Green Dragon" vintage mah

jong piece set in sterling silver

The Not So Secret Life of the Deja Vu Diva

These elemental silver bracelets are two of my recent creations inspiredby the sea. Each features a Costa Rican beach stone found by Kate at Puerto Viejo on the Caribbean coast. Please contactme via email if you'd like to see more.I'll be posting more designs when my

blog posting frustration subsides.

P.S. That's not my arm. It's a wooden mandrel.

What's in a (Boat) Name?

Hey, what happened to that other accent mark?

This list has been in the making for a couple of years but I never could seem to get it to the point of being "blog ready". So I put the finishing touches on it while in Belize in April.

Sitting out a weather front , Deja Vu is anchored about 12 miles off the Belizean coast. To be absolutely precise, we are anchored at latitude 17.08.057 north, by longitude 88.04.821 west. Bobbing around in 10 feet of water (considered by some to be a generous depth inside the barrier reef) with 15-20 knot winds from the north. We’re tucked in behind the Colson Cays, a group of several mangrove islands with a couple of local fishing shacks and not much else. But this is the perfect spot for protection from these winds which are sweeping down from the Gulf of Mexico and we may be here a few days until the front passes through.

Since I’ve got nothing better to do today, I’ll share with you a fully categorized and lengthy list of boat names we’ve come across in our travels. Without further suspense, here are 11 (!) categories and the boats that inhabit them. Send me your boat name and I'll add it to the almost infamous list.

Escapist: Slip Away, Changes in Latitudes, Rx-Ta-Sea, Seabattical, Eclipse, Androsian, Sea Change, Sun Dazzler, Beausoleil, Jumbie (island spirit), Beachouse, Island Time, Barefoot, Winterlude, Dolphin, Sun Dog, Tiki, Winterlude, Discovery, Continental Drift

Flying things: Dragonfly, Willet, Sanderling, Kittiwake, Osprey, Hawk, Calidris Alba (sandpiper), Aquila (eagle), Griffin

Mythical/Heroic: Argo, Antares, Dragonheart, Sea Dragon, Aeolus, Polaris, Magic Dragon, Griffin and Ursa Major (our former Peterson 44)

Antares (Valiant 42) at anchor ~ Rendezvous Cay, Belize

Testosterone/Speed-Driven: Wild Horses, Endorphins, Lickety-Split, Infamy, Coaster, Tiburon (shark), Insatiable One, Scud, Hoof Beats Wet Dream (really), Cayuse

Meditative: Namaste, Repose, Sanctuary, Respite, Reverie, Dream Catcher, Tranquillity, Sea Whisper

Windy: Windbird, Wind Quest, Windcrest, Wind’s End, Wind Free, Tempest, Second Wind

Whimsical: Up Jinks, Groundhog, Escargot, Continental Drift, Famous Potatoes (really!)

Hearty: Wooden Heart, Heart of Gold, Angel Heart,

Silly Catamaran Names: Ber Kat, Catalyst, Purrfect, Twiny,

Women (boring but sweet): Wanda Jean, Katinka, Valentina, Helen Marie, Kailani, Ruthi B, Sno Virgin, Bettie, Frances V., Enchantress, Angelina, Waltzing Matilda, Helen Louise, Christiana

Pretentious: Leonore of Sark, Dynasty of Tainan, Ex-Doc

Names that defy categorization: Sea Yeti, Bizim ("ours" in Turkish and naughty child in Scottish where it is spelled "Bisim"), Beyond Reason, Lyric, Capraia*, Steel Magnolia, , 40 Mile, Litbe, Lapis, True Colors, Zeelander (Dutch), Esperanza (Hope), Evergreen (Vermont)

*comment from the owners of Capraia: " I had done a list of all the boats we met on the Rio but by circumnavigators, full timers, half timers and coasters. It's amazing how many great people we are all meeting out there. By the way, Capraia is a tiny island in Italy. We stayed there two nights while chartering out of Corsica while sitting out one of the Med's infamous blows. A cozy place where we met a bunch of German sailors. A few years later we visited their homes in Frammersbach and also sailed together with Capraia and their charter boat above and below Cape Cod.

Caye Caulker, Belize (photo by Sharon Smith)

Free Rice Project

This is genius! Here's a way to help alleviate world hunger simply by using your brainpower. For every correct answer to the vocabulary quiz you contribute 20 grains of rice to the United Nations World Food Program. That might sound trifling but your grains of rice will quickly add up as you continue to choose the correct answer in this multiple choice format. The site was created by John Breen, a computer programmer in Indiana with no political, religious or corporate agenda. He just wants to eliminate hunger and poverty...that's all.

Play the game and pay it forward. Pass on this website to all of your friends. So far this month, 105 million grains of rice have been donated. For more information on this phenomenon go to NPR (National Public Radio). Now go play and give.

Yes, There Will Be Blogs

Camassia in bloom ~ our seaside garden

Our swimming pool

Yes, there will be blogs. I have a file full of unfinished stories and photos of Guatemala, Belize, sailing and random thoughts that don't fit any categories. Hoping for one or two a week but that could be too optimistic. I'm back in my jewelry studio, trying to get started again. Will post photos soon of my handwrought silver work.

The Maine days are gloriously long (it's about time) and I am trying not to be constantly "busy" so I can savor this exquisite part of the world. The garden is getting my attention and it feels good to be digging in the soil again. Watched a seal on a rock yesterday. This morning an artist set up his easel on our (?) lawn and painted a seascape. The lobstermen are tossing out traps just off the rocks. It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood ~even the deer enjoy a day at the beach.

Can you find the deer?

Back on the Lobster Coast

Sunrise on the Damariscotta

We've shifted latitudes and are back on the beautiful coast of Maine at the mouth of the Damariscotta River. The good ship Deja Vu has gone into summer/fall hibernation on the Rio Dulce in Guatemala where she is expected to safely ride out another hurricane season at Mario's Marina. We are often asked if we will ever sail her to Maine. Highly unlikely. As beautiful as it is, it is a long way to sail for a very short season. We're fair weather sailors.

Returning to the Rio Dulce ~ A Deja Vu Video Moment

Once again, our tiny Pentax captures a semblance of the exquisite beauty of the Rio Dulce as we cruised upriver in early May. Next year I might bring a real video cam. When I filmed this I'd been up since 3 a.m. in preparation for crossing the dreaded bar at an astronomical high tide. If my speech is slurred, that is my excuse. We crossed without incident and didn't even bump the bottom!

Glover's Reef Atoll ~ Watery Oasis in the Middle of Somewhere

Kate conducts marine research on a sea urchin skeleton in the shade of a beach palapa

Southwest Cay

Glover's Reef is my absolute, hands down winner for Most Beautiful Anchorage in Belize. Located 12 miles offshore, it is a pristine atoll described as a "coral necklace strung around an 80 square mile lagoon. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of only four coral atolls in the western hemisphere.

One-third of the atoll is protected as a marine reserve and the fish know it. We snorkeled a patch reef with an abundance of sea life and, most notably, a young nurse shark who surprised me as I was swimming around a coral head, not expecting to see this docile denizen of the not so deep. F.Y.I. The Pew Center for Ocean Science recently conducted a survey of the migratory patterns and health of the shark populations of the area with the cooperation of the Glover's Reef Marine Research Station.

View across the spectacular lagoon at Long Cay

Just a handful of boats were anchored at Southwest Cay and when we arrived at Long Cay with our friends, Kathy and Tom, on Jumbie after picking our way around the many coral heads in the inner lagoon, we were one of three boats there~with barely two feet under our keel. For scuba divers I'd heartily recommend the Off the Wall Dive and Resort as the wall dives on the windward side are supposedly fabulous. Even if you just snorkel, this would be the perfect spot for a lazy Belizean vacation. It's an hour ride from Dangriga, on the coast. On a boat, this is a destination only in settled weather, which is exactly what we had.

Cruising with Dolphins on the Barrier Reef ~ Belize

We have a neat little Pentax Optio digital camera that also takes videos in its own low tech way ~which is perfect for me. Since I've discovered this capability you may be subjected to more home movies. The quality isn't fabulous but at least you can cruise vicariously with us on Deja Vu.

Adventures in Planes, Buses, Cars, Lanchas, Sailboats, Dinghys...and Three Taxis

Getting Kate to Belize

When our daughter, Kate, decided recently that she wanted to come sailing with us, after spending the better part of a nasty winter in New England, we began to ponder the logistics of getting her here. Of course she could have flown from Portland, Maine, to Boston to Miami to Belize City—a fairly straightforward string of flights (provided they’re on time) all in the same day--maybe. But that kind of itinerary is for people who plan ahead and are willing to pay platinum airfares …and aren’t nearly as resourceful as we are in utilizing almost every conceivable form of transportation known to humans to get her here. Here’s how it all evolved:

Being frugal travelers (especially George), fairly familiar with the way things work in this part of the world, we had recently heard of some incredulously low fares on a maverick airline called Spirit. We were stunned to find a one-way fare for the jaw-dropping price of $150 (including taxes!) from Boston to Guatemala City. (Spirit doesn’t fly to Belize—yet.) Or she could have flown to Managua, Nicaragua for $29 and then spent days on a variety of buses just to get to Guatemala. Not a good option.

One of the reasons Spirit Airlines can offer these silly airfares is that they really want to break in to the Central American market ~and many of their flights depart at god awful times like 1a.m. But if you’re young and resilient –like Kate—it’s irrelevant.

If Kate had been a naive traveler we would never have considered subjecting her to the”Amazing Race” game plan we were hatching. When we told some cruising friends that she was coming they were impressed with her fearlessness as we explained the circuitous route she would take to ultimately get to Déjà Vu which is anchored off the coastal village of Placencia, Belize.

The only leg of this trip that was written in stone was the flight from Boston to Guatemala. Everything else was improvised. Let the games begin.


Day 1: Kate drives to Boston, spends the night with a good friend and departs Logan at 5:30 a.m with touch down in Guatemala City at 11:30 a.m. (Central Standard Time). She clears customs (a very uncomplicated affair), can’t find an ATM that works, borrows quetzals from a fellow traveler and hails a taxi ($9) to the bus station. She pays the $6 fare and endures a 6 hour wild ride through the mountains of eastern Guatemala to the frontier town of Rio Dulce in the steamy jungle. She calls Mario’s Marina on her cell phone (everyone has one down here) as she’s approaching the bus stop and marvelous Marco, the manager of Mario’s Marina meets her in town, carries her bag to the lancha at the dock then delivers her safely ($5) 2 miles downriver to the marina where she arrives in time for a cheeseburger in paradise ($4) and a good night’s sleep in the new casita. ($30)

Day 2: Kate boards the sailing vessel SeaYeti, owned by friend and marina owner, Jim, who coincidentally is about to sail to Belize. In company with Jim’s partner, brother and Shadow the Wonder Dog, she cruises downriver 2 ½ hours to Cayo Quemada (aka Texan Bay) where she dines on Mike and Sherry’s chicken fried steak ($8) and spends the night on board in a tranquil freshwater lagoon.

Day 3: SeaYeti gets off to an early morning start, motors down to the mouth of the Rio Dulce, clears customs ($20) at Livingston, Guatemala and sails to Punta Gorda, Belize, four hours to the north. After Captain Jim clears his crew in to Belize, Kate is dropped off at the town landing where she buys a ticket on the Tropic Air flight to Placencia, takes a taxi ($3) to the tiny landing strip and, with minutes to spare, boards the last flight of the day for the twenty minute trip. She lands safely, hails yet another taxi ($6) and drives to the Placencia dinghy dock (10 minutes) where she is met with huge hugs from her anxious and overwhelmingly happy parents.

Total travel expense: approximately $290

True cost of getting Kate to Déjà Vu: Priceless

We send out our thanks to everyone who had a part in getting here safely ~ Chris Williams, Victor, Marco, Inez, Jim, Una, John and all those pilots, bus and taxi drivers.

Otto Helm Takes Over

Hey, who's sailing this boat, anyway? George and I were the only ones aboard when Beachouse took this photo of Deja Vu under FULL SAIL. Thanks to our reliable companion, Otto Helm, who never talks back

We're Really Sailing

Update. Had two great sailing days coming south from Caye Caulker. 20 knots on the port quarter. Sweet. The photo was taken by Sharon on Beachouse, our buddy boat en route. We're in Placencia, Belize and Kate comes in today. She'll sail with us until we get back to the Rio in early May. We're planning to snorkel with the whale sharks off Gladden Spit on the barrier reef next week.

Swimming with Sharks and Rays

Hol Chan Marine Reserve, Belize

photos by Carlos Ayala of Carlos Tours, Caye Caulker

Catatonic in Caye Caulker

Caye Caulker is an oasis of “mellow” just inside the world’s second largest barrier reef. The streets (more like wide paths) are white sand. Bicycles, golf carts and feet are the major forms of transportation. There are no mega resorts or swarms of tourists here. It is probably the antithesis of Cancun or Cozumel which makes it really appealing to us.

The cruise ships can‘t come out here because it’s too shallow so most visitors arrive via water taxi or small plane from Belize City, twenty miles to the south. For years, it’s been a laidback destination for backpackers and divers who stay in simple, small hotels. Fancy doesn’t exist out here but internet does. The island’s ubiquitous slogan is “Go Slow” which everyone on Caye Caulker does very well. The island is less than ½ mile wide and several miles long. Speaking of locals, they’re a colorful and exotic mix of Creole, mestizo and Chinese. Native Belizeans are black, white and every shade in between. For those of you who are historically and geographically challenged, Belize is the former British Honduras which declared its independence a mere 27 years ago, in 1981.

We’re parked in the large bay on the leeward side of the cay. Although Belize is twice as expensive as Guatemala, many of the restaurants here are reasonably priced so we are existing on fresh ceviche and conch fritters when not cooking on board or pot-lucking with other boats. A sweet little hotel, the Iguana Reef Inn, allows cruisers to use its wireless for the price of a Belikin beer.

Kate will join us in a few days as we explore a few of the more than 300 cays in Belize. In early May we'll cross the bar and head back to the stable at Mario's on the Rio Dulce.

WE MADE IT!!!

Sorry to keep you in suspense but I haven't had internet access until recently. We had an almost perfect crossing of the bar on March 13 and are currently anchored at Caye Caulker in northern Belize. Enjoy these postcards of blissful Rendezvous Cay on the barrier reef.

Leaving Guatemala~ Round 2

Hoping to break the bungee cord that snaps us back to the dock...

An oft repeated scene at Mario's Marina: dockbound sailors wave goodbye to their fellow yachties looking longingly and possibly enviously to the escapees who are off on an adventure. Air kisses are blown, fair winds are wished, lines are cast-off and the boat leaves the dock, crew waving joyously as they head down river toward the Caribbean. As the wayward boat becomes a small white spot in the distance, suddenly it begins to grow larger. Oh my god, it's coming back...to the marina.

What is it this time? Faulty instrumentation, engine making a funny sound, diesel fuel in the bilge, depth gauge on the fritz. Whatever it is, the boat is back at the dock with a new list of problems to be sorted out before attempting to break the umbilical bungee cord again. This is the cruel but humorous reality of the cruising life. In fact, some people never leave the dock and are perfectly happy figuring out what to do with all the free time. But free time quickly becomes a new boat project, followed by another boat project and so it goes.

We are ever optimistic that we will cast off our lines today and head back to that nasty sandbar where we recently came to grief. We will wait for the highest of tides and the calmest of seas before venturing out. Once bitten, naive. Twice bitten, stupid. Stay tuned to find out if we really make it this time.

The happy, but much poorer captain, with the crew of Abel's Boatyard prior to re-launching

Brand new rudder post and skeg pre-launch on March 10

Quirigua ~ Land of Mayan Monoliths

Field Trip!

While we languish away the hours during the heat and humidity on the Rio Dulce, we have found other diversions to combat the Manana Syndrome while we await Deja Vu's re-launching sometime this month. To help take our minds off our boat watch, new friends, Bud and Sharon, on the giant trimaran Beachouse, invited us to join them for an afternoon excursion to the Mayan ruins of Quirigua, about 45 minutes by car from town ~practically in our backyard.

A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Quirigua is home to the tallest monolith or stela in the Mayan realm, carved in the 8th century A.D. At thirty-five feet high, it is covered with heiroglyphics which glorified its exalted ruler, King Cauac Sky. Quiriqua had been a subservient state to the larger, more powerful Copan, thirty miles to the south, until Cauac Sky’s ascension to the throne. The beheading of Copan’s ruler, 18 Rabbit, signaled the beginning of the end of Copan.


“Unvisited, unsought and utterly unknown” were the words of explorer/writer John Stephens who visited the site in 1840 and tried to buy the stelae and ship them to New York. The ruins lay largely unexcavated until the late 19th century. Now, there is a paved access road flanked by banana plantations as far as the eye can see. Fortunately, Stevens was unable to purchase the carvings and the entire site with surrounding acreage was sold in the early 1900’s to the United Fruit Company ~but that’s another story. For facts about bananas you didn't even know you needed to know go to Cindy Miller's blog

Photo: Detail of stela ~ image of King Cauac Sky

The sandstone used for the stelae was quarried from the Motagua River basin. The massive pieces were transported to the Quiragua’s central plaza, erected, then carved on site. The softtness of the newly quarried stone enabled the master carvers to create stelae and zoomorphic figures (frogs, turtles, snakes and jaguars) with surprising detail and clarity, in spite of the limitation of their tools ~ simple stone chisels. Over time, the giant stones air-dried and set the carvings as a permanent record of a once thriving ceremonial and commerical center.


In its glory, the Quiriguans exported forest and sea products, handicrafts and jaguar pelts. They traded with other Mayan cities for cotton, gold, copper, honey, salt and feathers. Many theories exist as to why the Maya culture vanished so mysteriously. Some say natural disaster, poor farming techniques, overpopulation, war and/or disease caused the extinction of this extraordinary culture.

Photos: Zoomorphic boulders with detail

If Mayan history and archaelogy intrigue you, go to www.ease.com/~randyj/quirigua.htm . He has a well-written piece with accompanying photos of the site.

21st Century Explorers Bud, Sharon and Jennifer

A Cautionary Tale

Why We're Not In Honduras...

Listen well, you sailors with deep draft vessels, for here is a cautionary tale of what can happen while attempting to cross the insanely shallow sandbar that separates the mouth of the Rio Dulce from the Caribbean Sea. (It does, however, prevent cruise ships from coming upriver, and that is a very good thing.)
Nautical chart showing Rio Dulce at Livingston, Guatemala (red circle lower
left of center), Bahia de Amatique and coast of Honduras

As always, we had planned a high tide crossing because of our six foot draft (a good reason to own a catamaran in this part of the world). The bar is a little over 6 ½ ft deep at the highest of tides and only in the deepest part. Some boats must be towed out or hire a “tipping” service that kedges the mast with a halyard (hence, the keel lays over) then pulls the boat across the bar. It was imperative that we make it out on one of these tides. A good set of waypoints is essential to stay in the deepest water until completely over the bar. And the sea buoy that sailors use to guide them to the bar, has a tendency to drift around and isn't always where it's supposed to be.

If we had crossed the bar with our “buddy boats”, Up Jinks and Antares, as planned, we would have had a fairly easy go of it in calm seas and little headwind. But a sudden generator problem forced us to stay behind at Texan Bay (a beautiful lagoon in which to be waylaid). We scheduled a rendezvous with our friends the following day, on the southeast corner of the Guatemala coast at Bahia la Graciosa. Reunited, we would wait for a good “weather window” and continue to sail along the coast of Honduras en route to the Bay Islands.

The Meaning of the Word “Naive"

So much for best laid plans. When we left Texan Bay for the 1 ½ hour motor to the mouth of the Rio, the winds were picking up from the east and by the time we began our passage on the rising tide, the seas at the bar were steep and confused with 20-25 knot winds on the nose. …a mini-perfect storm.

Déjà Vu slammed repeatedly against the muddy bottom as her bow tipped into the wave troughs and was yanked up again on the next crest. Over and over we bounced along and were nearly hard aground. I was crouching on the afterdeck trying to control our dinghy which pitched and bucked like a wild pony on steroids. If the dinghy tether went under the hull far enough it could wrap itself around the prop and we’d be seriously dead in the water. With every bit of slack I pulled in the tether and wrapped another loop around the aft cleat. I screamed at George to turn around and go back, pleading “The boat can’t take this pounding. Something’s going to break.” But Mr. Perseverance kept on keeping on. Miraculously, we finally cleared the bar but paid a dear price.

Once again we were painfully reminded that hindsight is always 20/20. Had we been smart enough in the first place we might have anchored off Livingston and waited to see what the weather brought on the following day when there would be one more "astronomical" high tide late in the afternoon.

Changing Course

The strong easterlies made it impossible to sail a straight course the 10-12 miles to Bahia La Graciosa so we tacked back and forth hoping to make it before dark. Weary and ready to quit for the day, we turned upwind and motored to Punta Manabique instead, a couple of miles south of Cabo Tres Puntas, and an anchorage we knew well. While maneuvering to drop the anchor I noticed that the wheel felt unusually stiff. I suggested that George take look at it in the morning.

My fears were confirmed—our rudder post was bent and the skeg attached to the rudder had broken . There are few places in the Northwest Caribbean where yachts can be hauled out of the water for repairs. Among them, La Ceiba, on the coast of Honduras and the town of Rio Dulce, Guatemala. We had no choice but to return to Mario’s Marina, schedule a haulout by one of the only facilities capable of pulling us up and vacate the boat while the work was being done.

The lyrics from “Hotel California” keep running through my mind., “You can check out, but you can never leave.” So our sailing odyssey has been briefly interrupted .

And while we’re at it, we might as well have the bottom repainted.

What Next?

Now that Deja Vu is out of the water for rudder repair and a bottom job, there's no telling how much longer we'll be at Mario's Marina awaiting splashdown. We've started a betting pool beginning with March 3rd being the earliest and the 22nd being the latest (we hope). For 50 quetzals ($6) fellow cruisers picked dates and placed their bets. The most cynical among us picked the last date, although there's talk that we may not get into the water before the end of March because of the big build-up to Semana Santa, the holiest week of the year which begins on Good Friday. Evidently there's major work stoppage and if we're not in by then we might not see saltwater again until early April. Well, such is life.

This is a little slice of paradise and we're happily ensconced in the new marina bungalow, "El Palacio", a two-room cabina with loads of breathing space and a queen-size bed. It overlooks a tranquil jungle inlet with enough fauna and flora to keep us entertained indefinitely--or until we get cabina fever.

We're livin' high. With a full service restaurant, pool and a place to do my silversmithing ~and, most importantly, the camraderie of other cruisers. We couldn't ask for more. We've both learned to play the cruising elite's favorite game, mah jong. Jorge has taken to it with a vengeance~it has really brought out his competitive streak, for better or worse. I'm too antsy to sit still long enough to complete a whole game (3-4 hrs.) So expect lots of blogs from me until we launch the boat.

Honduras Bound

We're off to Honduras, although I'm writing this before we've actually left the dock in Guatemala. Now that much of the big weather from the States has blown through the western Caribbean it's time to stick our nose out there and air out the sails. We won't have internet for another week or more, until we get to Roatan in the Bay Islands around the 3rd week in February...possibly later if we stop at Cayos Cochinos. If you want to contact us while we're sailing we can receive email via our single sideband radio at KB1JIZ@winlink.org --a wondrous thing this technology.

The photos are of Texan Bay, en route to the mouth of the Rio Dulce and the Caribbean Sea. These were taken last year but not much has changed there. A sweet spot to hang out while we wait for the tide.

It's Not Easy Being Green

Red Eyed Tree Frog ~ Costa Rica
(photo by Cloudforestalive.org)

MORE POSTCARDS FROM COSTA RICA ~ Ponies in the Sand

I’ve checked off another item on my bucket list ~ horseback riding on a beach. What a rush! With our daughter, Kate, and our ever adventurous friends from Annapolis, Carol and Tom, we set off down the beach at Junquillal on the Nicoya peninsula (Pacific coast). Our horses were just mellow enough for us rank amateurs.

Although I owned a horse which I rode religiously as a child, I hadn’t been in the saddle for many years. I had always ridden with an English saddle so it was a whole different experience using a heavy McLellan with box stirrups and a simple, single-reined bridle. I kept trying to post and give the impression that I knew how to ride but I was really getting jerked around. What I didn’t know until we were well into the ride was that Christina, our affable Austrian guide, had given me the horse with the lumpiest, roughest gait because I was the only one with any significant riding experience. She, however, was riding a dressage-trained beauty with a gait as smooth as silk. My sweet but bumpy horse was "Cologne" or "Colon". I'd say that "Colon" was the more appropiate name since he really did a number on mine. I also now know why cowboys are bowlegged. (Photo right: Our leader, Christina)

Carol had never ridden a horse but was such a trooper, even when the horse took off with her at a faster pace than she could handle. She hung on for dear life and only fell off once while getting into the saddle. Near the end of the ride we were allowed to let our

ponies run along the shore. That was a magical moment.

POSTCARDS FROM COSTA RICA

Resplendent Quetzal Sighting!!!

Monteverde Cloud Forest

Alert the media! We have finally seen a Resplendent Quetzal and here are the photos to prove it. Although the quetzal is the national bird of Guatemala, as well as the symbol of their currency, we had to come to Costa Rica to see one. One of my doubting friends said it was probably a stuffed bird attached to the same tree, but that is just too cynical a thought. Our astute, experienced guide, Elberth, told us that there are approximately 300 quetzals who thrive on the more than 85 varieties of avocados that grow in this extraordinary ecosystem.

These elusive, magnificent birds inhabit the Monteverde Cloud Forest from January through July. During their breeding season (March-July) both parents incubate 2 blue eggs for 18-19 days. When the chicks hatch the parents bring them tasty small invertebrates, amphibians and reptiles. As they mature their diet shifts to fruit, specifically avocadoes, ingested whole. The large seeds are regurgitated and ultimately grow again in the forest to insure a steady food supply. Fewer than 20% of the quetzal chicks survive to maturity. Their predators include brown jays, squirrels and weasels.

Our guide, Elberth (center), his brother (also a guide) and a fellow cloud forest afficionado

If I’ve piqued your interest, go to http://www.cloudforestalive.org/ to see photos of quetzal chicks in their nests and learn more about this ecosystem, including its gazillion species of insects and birds.

On our 2 ½ hour hike through lush vegetation, our guide spotted (with his high-powered scope), a sizeable Two-Toed Sloth carrying her baby from tree to tree at the forest canopy.Other sightings included Blue-Eyed Anoles, a Slate-Throated Red Start, a Guan (large bird in the turkey family), Three-Striped Warbler, Common Tanager and a Green-Crowned Brilliant Hummingbird.

WHAT IS A CLOUD FOREST?

In a nutshell, a cloud forest is a distinctive type of rain forest found only in mountainous regions, with cooler temperatures than lowland forests. At an elevation of 4600 feet, the average temperature of the Monteverde Forest ~ which straddles the Continental Divide ~ is 65 degrees F. Much of the time the forest is immersed in clouds with water from condensation supplying essential moisture for growth of the more than 2500 species of plants in an area of 21,000 acres which include 24 kms of trails (in both Monteverde and neighboring Santa Elena forests).

George crosses the suspension bridge
over the forest floor

AMAZING FACTS AND FIGURES ABOUT THE MONTEVERDE FOREST

~ 450 types of orchids
~ 5000 species of moths
~ 425 bird species including 30 different hummingbirds
~ Quinine, used as a malaria prophylaxis, is extracted from the bark of the Cinchona tree

THE BAD NEWS...and Hopefully the Good News

Threats to Cloud Forest health include deforestation, hunting/poaching, global warming, increased exposure to UV light and introduction of non-native species. To experience this pristine and unique environment is to understand the imminent need to do whatever we can to stop further climate change caused by global warming. This forest in a faraway land doesn’t feel faraway to me anymore. If you haven’t seen the film, An Inconvenient Truth, do the cloud forest a big favor and see it.

The people of Costa Rica, and especially those who live in this remarkable environment have resisted paving the roads to this region and have limited the number of Monteverde Reserve visitors to 150 visitors daily.

_________________________________

More soon on Costa Rica, everyone's favorite tree frog and horses on the beach.

Gringas with Stuff ~ Atitlan Overload

Exquisite Lago de Atitlan

On a recent Guatemalan adventure with my dear friend, Diana, consumerism in the name of art got the better of us. We had spent several days in the local artisan markets of Antigua and Chichicastenango, bargaining for handwoven textiles, ceramics, masks and jewelry. Normally savvy travelers who’ve been to many of the world’s exotic and remote destinations, we should have known better. But we were hell-bent on contributing to the Guatemalan economy and like many gringas we fantasized about the possibility of selling our finds back in the States. The worst that could happen would be that every square foot of available wall space in our homes would be covered with indigenous Mayan art.

Long gone are our backpacking days when we could barely afford a cheap hostel and a decent meal. Now that we're discriminating women with the need for more creature comforts--like a private bathroom--and an incurable desire to fill our homes with the art of the world, we need more space for all the stuff we suddenly can't live without. More space equals more weight, more bags. You'd think we'd have learned our lesson in Morocco two years ago when we suffered sore shoulders for weeks after lugging around our “must-have” purchases.
...worth a thousand words

With our newly stuffed, cumbersome bags filled with Mayan treasures, we boarded a public launcha in Panajachel for the twenty minute trip across beautiful Lago de Atitlan to our next destination, Hotel Casa del Mundo. When the boat dropped us off at the hotel dock, Diana and I knew immediately that we had made some bad luggage and excessive shopping choices. The diminutive young woman at the hotel reception area hoisted Diana's giant, bright turquoise bag above her head, balanced it and cheerfully hiked the equivalent of six steep flights of stone steps to our blissful room overlooking the lake. The sight of this woman with the huge bag on her head was enough to make us promise that we would enroll in the first available twelve-step program for schlepping shopaholics.

The first step to recovery is to admit you have a problem. Stop us before we hurt someone.

Feliz Navidad de Guatemala!

Christmas Procession near Antigua

The Sloth's Life

Just taking you out of your comfort zone momentarily.

Off to See the Lizard (and the Howler Monkeys) ~Part II

In early December, we will return to the good ship Deja Vu for another round of unexpected adventures in Central America. We'll be based again at Mario's Marina on the Rio Dulce in Guatemala until the northern weather fronts blow themselves out in late January. But no moss grows on us...we'll be off to the Guatemalan highlands and Costa Rica in January so stay tuned.

For those who are still awaiting all those great cruising sites and blogs I promised, don't despair. I'm working on it.

A Rare Glimpse of Deja Vu Underway

I found this photo on Bizim's website (http://www.svbizim.com/) so I'm borrowing it from them and hope they don't mind. It's one of the few photos of Deja Vu underway. That's me at the helm waving goodbye to Ruth and Iain on Bizim~one of my last happy moments for several hours as we bucked and pitched our way through the reef pass at Ambergris Cay into the BIG seas on the other side and en route to Turneffe Atoll.

Belize has the second largest barrier reef in the world and it's a night/day, shallow/deep difference between the ridiculously thin water around the cays inside the reef and the steep drop-off on the oceanic side. The water color changes dramatically from pale, translucent turquoise to a dark, deep indigo. In the narrow passes between the reefs and cays the water can be intensely churned up with confused seas. Better to spend the day snorkeling, inside the reef, toss down a few more Belikin beers and wait for a weather window.