setbacks and experiences in Aruba

We've been having a pretty good time here in Aruba. Yesterday I
went on a nice bike ride through some neighborhoods, some industrial
areas and some high end resort beaches... such a contrast within just
a few miles! Today I went to the private island owned by the
Renaissance Hotel... they basically run this whole port town of
Orangesstaad (or however you spell it) and they have this awesome
little island with 2 really nice beaches (probably man-made) but it
was fun and relaxing to hang out there.

The economy here seems entirely based on tourism... because the
only nice things are where the tourists come. The Arubans don't seem
to mind, though, considering their national slogan, featured on their
license plates and billboards is "Aruba: One Happy Island". They're a
little less happy lately, methinks because of the recent murder by a
local boy of Natalie Holloway... that has seriously hurt tourism I hear.

Anyway, I'll be completely out of touch for 5 days or so. We'll
have a satellite phone for emergencies. You can email us on that
phone short text messages but I can't post that address here because
of spammers. Send me a request for it and I'll send you the address.
Otherwise, I'll be back in touch and hopefully on land with internet
by the 14th or 15th!

wish me luck! go obama!

justin

from Aruba to Panama... here we come!

Sometimes in life you jump into a situation that you wish you could jump out of. As good as it sounds at first, the evidence to the contrary keeps stacking up against it. But then you say, "What the heck, it's going to be difficult but I can take it... I can master this thing and come out the other side a better person!"

Well, as unlikely as it seems that a boat trip from Aruba to Panama should be characterized this way, it is... and here's why:
- I've never been on a sailboat at night that wasn't docked safely in a harbor. This time, we'll be sailing all night and even when it's our turn to sleep it's unlikely that we'll be able to because...
- This passage (we just found out) will have waves from 8-12 feet and winds around 20-35 knots with gusts even higher! For the uninitiated, this will mean a very rough ride and seasickness even for the most hardened Popeye. We've got nausea wristbands, ginger drinks, prescription pills and patches... just about the only nausea drug we don't have is marijuana, which is too bad.
- We'll be passing over the columbian coast... not exactly the safest place in the world for independent vessels. I'm told that Venezuela is actually worse these days for pirates (yes, pirates but not the ones you see in the movies... these guys have small speed boats and guns). Normally we'd be taking the long way around the shore to avoid these guys but it's a choice between higher winds and seas offshore or possible pirates onshore. Sounds like a vacation, huh?

Whew. I had to get that out. Oh yeah, and to top it all off... I just heard this trip is considered to be "One of the 5 worst passages in the world" awesome, eh?

Now that being said, we've got a very experienced crew, a satellite phone and GPS for emergencies, a great 42 foot sailboat and warm days (albeit cold nights). It will be an adventure of a lifetime and this blog will be the first to hear about it... so stay tuned!

justin