Arrived South America – Oct 19, 2012

Arrived in Colombia, South America on Friday afternoon and stayed in the middle of the 5 Bays in Tayrona park.  Transit was mostly motoring – see blog page PR to Aruba for details.  Thank goodness just before Hurricane Sandy developed north of here.  We are 2041 miles from home and below 12 degrees latitude.

Approaching Santa Marta, Colombia

The Colombian landscape is virgin forest (like Vieques, PR) with the rock outcroppings (like St Vincent).  The 15,000 Sierra Nevada is mostly obscured in clouds, but we can sense its magnificence.  Wikipedia has some very cool images showing snow caps. If we get the chance, we’ll take some too.

Met a native on the shore where  seven families live in the Guayraca Bay.  He showed us the dugout canoes for fishing and his one-room house with his hammock bed covered in mosquito netting and the two-burner propane stove.  No running water, or plumbing of course, but it was the neatest, cleanest most organized room I’ve seen.  He had over 100 boat cards from other visitors and flags from many countries, so we were not a novelty to him although he was to us.

Because the other bays aren’t too safe, Boaters Assaulted  (article by another boat ) and not much more to see,we proceeded immediately to Santa Marta Marina.  Hallelujah!  Internet, shore power for a/c and unlimited showers.  Maybe the impetigo will finally go away.

We’ve done a walking tour of the boardwalk with it’s fascinating statues, gone out to dinner, and best of all, met an Australian catamaran with Keelie (10) and Gil (13).  There are about 15 transient boats here. Everyone says it’s far better than the facility Cartagena, so we thought to stay awhile.

Unfortunately, yesterday there was a  Market Grenade.  Local gang violence.  We’ll see how it goes.  Safe and happy for now!

Light at the end of the tunnel or sunrise after a long watch