Venezuela – This blog will encompass the crossing to Los Testigos, Margarita, Gulfo De Cariaco, Mochima, Puerto La Cruz (PLC), Los Roques and Aves de Barlovento/Sotavento.  This travel was from 10-18 to 12-13.  We are currently in Bonaire. 

 

We left Trinidad with Timespinner (Cape Dory 40, Peter/Marie from UK/Belgium) heading 90nm northwest toward Los Testigos.  We were abit delayed in Trinidad due to stolen outboard motor, haul out, cleaning holding tank for cheap Vene fuel, etc.  So we weren’t finding as many cruisers leaving for Venezuela.  There was lots of discussion as to how to avoid pirates on the oil rigs and Peninsula De Paria (north coast of mainland Vene).  So we hid spare electronics, money in toilet holding tank I cleaned out (for future diesel fuel) and sailed without navigation lights to avoid being spotted.  It was the first of many to come down wind sails without motor – YEH! In Eastern Caribbean you mostly get wind on the nose.  Houses bashing through water take a beating.  During this passage, our self steering wind vane wouldn’t work – only to find later that the casting had cracked which friends Judy/Larry brought to us much later.  Fortunately, we were able to make the wheel pilot work by reducing sail.   Otherwise, we would have had to hand steer in dark these 18 hours.  We enjoyed eating fish, snorkeling and hiking sand dunes in Los Testigos and then after 3 days continued onto Porlamar, Margarita.  We were abit spooked and kept a close eye on pirogues coming too close to us.

 

Porlamar was a medical, provisioning, liquor/wine and fuel stop. We didn’t really enjoy the island past that.  It was our second (first in Tucupita, Vene but 1-3 with US cash) experience of trading US for black market Bolivares at $1 to 4.8 at a clothing store with a US check.  We can barely use checks outside of MN…  The pile of paper you receive is unbelievable and was even more last year as they hadn’t dropped 3 zero’s yet.  The folks at the market still use old rate so they as $5000 B’s for carrots when new rate it is $5 B’s.  The official rate is around $1 to 2.3.  So this adds to why above items are very reasonable.  As an example, a dentist cleaning or filling was $90 B’s ($20 US), rum/wine $3-4 US, diesel $.05-20/gallon, etc. 

 

We left Porlamar by ourselves to Golfo De Cariaco as most cruisers were heading back to eastern Caribbean or had already crossed to ABC’s.  So we were abit nervous and would lock ourselves in at night and put on a small motion detector alarm w/strobe light directed at cockpit.  We REALLY enjoyed the Golfo and Laguna Grande as it was so BEAUTIFUL (like Sedona, Arizona). We used our asymmetrical spinnaker first time in 2 years here (LOTS OF DOLPHINS playing with Sojourn). It was the first time we had sailed in desert like surroundings and a long time since we had an anchorage to ourselves.  It felt like the exploring we did alone on the Canadian north shore of Lake Superior and how freeing that is.  We anchored many places and took our first Por Puesto bus (bed of truck with seats) to Carriaco village market.

 

We started to feel safe but were still by ourselves until we got to Medrigal Village where we met up with Gypsy Blues and Drum. We started being woken to roosters again vs. the Trinidad fishing boats or green parrots.  We hung with them abit until we got news that my mom was declining fast with her year old breast cancer.  We had also planned on doing some inland travel to Merida with Judy/Larry from MN that was coming into visit their son in Caracas.  So we had to make some choices and hurried abit to PLC, Bahia Redonda marina before they closed on Saturday so I could skype my family to find out how mom was doing.  Well I had to borrow someone else’s internet to start the airline investigation as were too late to get our MAC address registered.  We decided that in I would fly home in 2 days by working with a local travel agent to get a flight from Barcelona-Caracas-Houston-Minneapolis flight worth $1300 on internet for $650.  That’s the exchange rate affects.  Tom was to go to Caracas to meet up with Judy/Larry and travel to Merida. 

 

That same day we were on Nereia meeting Dan & Jaime and friends Sea Cycle (Mark & Deb from Canada) when we experienced a HORRIBLE VHF MAYDAY call from Gloria on I’lean indicating that a fishing pirogue had shot Ken on Chill in chest and Steve on I’lean in leg while anchored at Isle De Borracha heading toward Tortuga.  Jaime is fluent in Spanish and good friends of both sailboats so started the slow process of getting medical and Guardia assistance to this island 8nm away.  It wasn’t long after continuing to talk to Gloria on VHF 72 and Guardia on 71 that we learned that Ken had died.  We were stunned and saddened.  The Guardia finally got out there and assisted in bringing both boats back to PLC.  This all started around 6pm and boats arrived back in PLC around 10pm.  As of 11-27 when we left PLC, Kathy was not able to cremate Ken’s body, I’lene’s boat was just released from being impounded, court was still going on against 3 locals but none of them could leave the country.  So not only are they all grieving but held hostage to the lawlessness and political system of Venezuela. 

 

So this emotional issue along with needing to go back to MN in the winter to say goodbye to my mom was all I (Rose) could handle.  I met up with my sister Theresa (travel nurse) arriving from California so we borrowed brother Jim’s car and drove to north to Cloquet, MN after spending overnight with sister Dorothea.  It was wonderful to see most of my family while at mom’s care home that she was moved to only a week prior.  I then drove to Bemidji to visit my sister Monica.  I feel very blessed to have a family that gets along and can make life decisions like this together.  I realized again how much I do miss them and friends.  I was able to see only a few friends while there as most time was spent with mom.  Mom and I had some good short conversations as she would drift in/out of methadone/morphine sleep to minimize pain.  Seeing mom in pain was terrible as they were trying to find the right dose.  I slept in her room, helped her with pain, bathroom, eating and learning how to use the “call” button along with assisting the caregivers.  The unconditional love we shared was needed.  In the past, I felt more like a caregiver than a daughter due to mom’s psychological condition.  It was VERY difficult to say goodbye and ask her to leave without fear or guilt when God comes to take her.  It also was a difficult decision not to stay till after her death…..  We both knew when we started cruising that our mothers were getting older and would have to return to say goodbye but as you know you never are really prepared to do this.  In addition, my menopause is also starting to brew so transition/change seems to create abit more anxiety and impatience for me and especially need female friends which are harder to find out here. Oh well – Yoga and books!  It adds to the questions of “what is my purpose”, “how are we giving back to these people we encounter”, etc.  Don’t get us wrong, we still are enjoying this cruising life… 

 

The fear of piracy within Tom while staying at PLC those 2 weeks I was gone, grew enormously and changed our Venezuela cruising plans.  Within 3 days of my return to PLC, another sailboat (Kelp Fiction – 53’ Amell – 38 yrs old Fred from Quebec & Cindy from CA) asked us if we wanted to buddy boat with them to Los Roques/Aves.  Going west takes us to another turning point a lot of cruisers don’t take in leaving the services and comforts of the Eastern Carib.  We had a great overnight 150nm run with minimal motoring and were sorta able to keep up with them till wind died. 

 

The Los Roques islands are remote (80nm from mainland Vene), mostly flat w/mangrove, safe and beautiful powder white beaches and aqua water. Surprised to see mosquitoes here (for about a hour during sunset) since its dry season so summer with rain and less wind must of been much worse.  The main island El Gran Roque has a village but otherwise just a few small fishing huts.  We haven’t fished here yet but heard its good. Lobster season is here so we did buy 4 lobster from local fisherman to feed Kelp Fiction – wonderful!   They wanted a pack of “fumar” smokes and $5 US each.  But you can see that they are fishing this place out as well.  Sailing has been good so saving our cheap fuel.  Running down wind since left Trinidad so have been using our spinnaker pole (first had to release pin from steel/aluminum major corrosion).  Running out of fresh veggies and bread so have started to use the sprouter, making bread and flour tortillas.  Snorkeling is MUCH better as get further west but still seeing natural bleaching AND global warming affects of reef.  BIG schools of midnight blue parrot fish are new to us here.  

 

Kelp went back north (against wind/waves) to kite surf a few days so we thought we would be by ourselves.  Jus Now and Yolo took off for Aves De Barlovento with great sailing.  Then around 9am our refrigerator decided to stop working.  So we had to quickly decide if we should sail to Aves De Barlovento to save our frozen meats in their boats in case we can’t get it to work.   You REALLY need good light in order to navigate through the reefs to get to the anchorage.  So off we went thinking it would be a quick fix of thermostat cable connection.  Yes projects continue to pop up.  It appears that we may have obtained a defective water maker membrane so trying to figure that out via SSB email as well.  We determined with SSB email assistance from Nautikol in Trinidad that our compressor is probably dead.  So have been working with them to see if can get a new condensing unit (compressor, condenser, control module, etc.) put together before cruising friends on Southern Cross leave for Bonaire.  So our cruising standards have dropped as don’t have conveniences of cold drinks, food, etc. on our own boat and don’t want to impose too much on others refrigerator consumption.  We still feel blessed with a few challenges to overcome.  Things must be changing for me in that I’m taking these challenges in stride – even in my menopausal state. J  We are very thankful we have the SSB to attempt to communicate both verbally and via email.  

 

The Aves de Barlovento and Sotavento are even lower islands than Los Roques and has long outer reefs to block the seas so snorkeling is pretty good and able to see alot of boobies and other birds.  The water and sand remind me of the Bahamas — ITS BEAUTIFUL, few boats and very peaceful.  

 

So come on down and dive/snorkel with us in Bonaire….  May you find peace and happiness now and always.  Have a wonderful x-mas and New Year!!

 

Send us an email to let us know what’s happening in your life.  We miss you!

 

Our Love & Hugs

Rose & Tom