Well the trip back went well — after we fumbled thru how to clear in with our boat parts and frozen meat w/o paying 16% VAT — first clearing into customs at the airport and then again at 11pm at night in Chaguaramus (where our boat is about 1 hour away). Then boat projects got abit overwhelming in the HOT/HUMID weather. We couldn’t get power via the shore power – checked with marina and they said they had power to their cord. So we spent entire day trouble shooting our system w/o air conditioning to realize that it actually was a bad ground on their cable. Lesson — check simple things first by grabbing another one of their cords. That was with 4 bulging bags brought from the states and boat tore apart.
The next day we learned that the marina’s lift was going to be out of commission starting Monday for possibly 1-2 weeks. So that meant that IF we wanted to get launched we had 4 days to get the boat ready. So we had to take off protective wax put on before we left — but the streaks of smoke fumes/oil from ship forced us to wax and buff again with help of original guy (Ricardo) who we paid to do it. Then we needed to get bottom ready to put anti fouling paint on, grease seacock, redo teak toe rail to fiberglass joint that was starting to leak into V-Berth lockers, plus a bunch of small things, etc.
So by the time that this was done — I (Rose) started having right tendon shoulder problems and got much WORSE next day during launch. It took about a week for this to settle down. The first few night sleeping were very difficult/teary. Several locals recommended that I see Dr. Boochay (which I believe is a family practice Dr.) but is good with injuries like this as well. So I went to see him at a day that he volunteers at a gov’t clinic (it was mother/children’s day so I stuck out abit) in a bad neighborhood of Port of Spain so I took a taxi from Chagaramus. He briefly looked at it and gave me some Prednezone 5mg 4/day for 5 days and Dolobene Gel which helped a lot. I actually started sharing my pills/Gel with Tom has he has always had left tendon shoulder problems due to working on railroad.
We got launched and the projects continued for 2 weeks while we were at the dock! We were both amazed with how much stuff constantly needs to be fixed/modified (head rebuilt, teak stripped and sikkons applied, deck washed/waxed, backstay adapted, dinghy repatched, boat put back together). But initially I wasn’t much help so made it very difficult for my type of personality. J
During the last week at dock we went on a few tours of the island besides Tom finally getting to Port of Spain to look around with Sea Cycle. I sorta organized a trip to the Guanapo River/Gorge which was a blast and exhausting. Due to the amount of rain day before, we had to go a different route which meant walking down (therefore up) a steep narrow road then continued through the bush via clay trail to gorge. We called our troop the “thigh burners” as we did so well on the first part of the trip that the bush/gorge guide “snake/Lawrence” asked if we wanted to go another 1-1/2 hours up/down river to a falls. There wasn’t much discussion – so off we continued. There was a diabetic with us that made things abit tricky as lunch was left up the hill and guide didn’t have much fruit left in pocket from trip down. Jesse James (Members Only maxi/taxi service/tour guide) rewarded us on the way back with “doubles” which ended up being dinner as we arrived back around 7pm.
The next trip was to Asa Wright Nature Center (up in mountains for bird watching/hiking – 1967) and Caroni Swamp Bird Sanctuary/Forest Reserve (1921- 200 acres) to see wildlife and red Scarlet Ibis, their national bird. This trip Tom decided to go as it was much more relaxing. It was wonderful to hike and sit watching the colorful birds from their porch. The Caroni boat trip up the mangrove swamp provided much wildlife and ended with the beautiful Scarlet Ibis.
We finally left the dock/air conditioning and went to sail/anchor in the near outer islands (Monos Island and Scotland Bay). It was awesome to be a cruiser again! Scotland Bay provided social with other cruisers and able to hear the roar of the “red howler monkeys” in the hillside.
We are back in Chaguaramas Bay getting internet, solving financial problems, reviewing medical/boat insurance and waiting for weather to go back north toward Grenada. The rain/tides have been strong during the full moon so have been interesting. Happy Halloween!!! The customed kids will be hitting the anchorage this afternoon.