Paget and Stella arrived late on a Friday night when we were having dinner with friends we had met on the Atlantic crossing. Their flight had been delayed and we thought this was the easiest way to meet up and a cute place to see. The restaurant, Fish & Blue, is situated on the water’s edge and is delightfully eclectic. The highlight is the unisex toilet which is the size of a small room.

Taaha

The weather for the trip to Taaha was initially very windy so we went straight to Tapuama Baie, opposite the Coral Gardens where we hoped to snorkel. The bay was a good place to anchor because there was a small village with a wharf, shop, roadside fruit and vegetable stalls and a little bar to explore while sheltered from the strong winds.

TapuamaVillage

Flowers

There are hibiscus everywhere around the village which was quite sheltered from the wind even though it was very windy.

Fare Miti Bar

Fare Miti Bar was a gorgeous little bar at the top of the harbour located opposite the local rum distillery. It was built on a boat attached to the land by a long pontoon. The deck was situated facing the west and the setting sun and we made good use of it. The ceiling inside was all woven mats as were many of the wall panels. The roof was thatched with solar panels for power. Most of the building materials were local.

Drinks were followed by a walk to the local pizza shop and some dinghy navigation in the dark to get home.

Neiona Pizza

Pearl Farms

The weather continued to blow, not very good for snorkelling, so we decided to visit a pearl farm around the corner. With everyone in the dinghy it was off past Manta Ray point to the next bay.

La Orana

La Orana Peral Farm has a big dingy dock and is easily accessible. They gave us a lovely welcome and an excellent tour explaining how the pearl farm worked. We were interested to see that all the collecting and placing out of the pearl shells and all the sales were done by the locals, but all the seeding of the pearls and the fine work was done by Chinese staff.

They had a great selection of pearls for sale and Hew and I were enticed into buying a necklace. Paget and Stella were far more restrained and just walked around and viewed the facility. They were rebuilding the pier while we were there and doing a very good job.

Snorkelling

As the wind moderated we were off to the Coral Garden to do some snorkelling which was what Stella had really come for. We floated around the area for about an hour and did two runs with the inflowing current.

Coral Garden

In the Coral Garden you anchor your dinghy in the shallows at the Eastern end then walk down a path on the little island and hop in at the western/seaward end. This enables you to drift down with the current through the garden and return to the start if you wish.

The water is beautifully clear and there are plenty of fish although when the tide is not full you can get stuck between coral bombies and have to backtrack. It is a lovely relaxing place to snorkel. A video is also available ………….

Manta Ray Point

As the wind increased again went looking for Manta Rays just around the point from the anchorage. The area next to the cliff was quite sheltered and ideal for snorkelling. The water depth drops away steeply but there is a shallow area on top where the Manta Rays like to come in and circle. They were spectacular and worth waiting for. We went out twice and the second morning they came up close. Instead of chasing them, if you float quietly, they will swim all around you. Unfortunately, everyone else followed us out looking for them so we soon left. Video coverage is via this link https://youtu.be/7HMIEdjvan8

With the Coral Garden, Peral Farm and Manta Rays ticked off we wanted to find another good snorkelling spot.

Motu Mahae

The following day the weather forecast indicated that it might be good for half the day so we decided to motor around Taaha. By midday it was blowing again and raining but an hour later, just as we approached Motu Mahae, it cleared. The Motu is one side of one of the reef passages to the open sea. We decided to stop and snorkel while we could and found the water was beautifully clear . It was windy but worth having a look.

Fa’a’aha

Fa’a’aha where it blew and rained for two days. Not weather for doing anything much except reading. We did go out for an evening walk around the town, and dinner at one of the caravans the meal was very good.

The last night was still forecast to be windy so we decided it was easier to stay on a bay we hadn’t visited in Taaha so we did that. It was more sheltered from the wind than Raiatea would have been and we could pick up a mooring courtesy of the local pearl farm. The price for taking a mooring in the bay was to visit the farm which seemed very fair.

The snorkelling was no good as it was still too windy so the water was very murky but we went for a motor around the little island and then for a walk through the village. The main interest points were a fresh baguette from the local baker and the Pearl Farm.

Champon Pearl Farm

Champon Pearl Farm had lovely grounds, eclectic garden items, and a tree house for kids. They had a wide range of pearls, colours and jewellery designs, but they did not seem to be of the same quality as the previous Pearl Farm, more a retailer than a fully operating farm.

Below are a few photos of the walk to the point and the grounds. You will notice how windy it was on the windward side of the point.

Finally, it was time to go and we sailed back to Raiatea and dropped Paget and Stella at the marina to head home. Sadly the weather was so windy we did not achieve as much as we wished but hopefully there were some good memories.

Next Blog: Tonga to NZ

We arrived first thing in the morning everything was quiet and still. We had to wait for another yacht to clear with customs before we could go onto the fisherman’s wharf. The entry procedure was easy and relaxed. The paper work, the rubbish had been taken away, we had treated the officials to some ginger crunch we were ready for a nap.

We anchored further up the bay because there were no moorings. Hew, and I had a rest while the girls got changed and took off to socialise. They also needed to sort out what was happening with the sailing week and register us. They came back with all the info after having had a few drinks at the bar.

Meanwhile James went for a run as an escape from being caged up on the boat with the girls for a week. He is also training for a marathon in November. Being at sea is not great for this!

There were many dinners and cocktail events and also talks but we wanted to do a few other activities as well because both girls had to go at the end of the week. Then we found out that there were no flights for five days at the end of the week due to the aircraft going into maintenance on the Friday and not back until the following Wednesday. Therefore James also had to leave earlier than planned.

The first night in we all went to dinner at Mangos the local yachty bar owned by a local who is a Cathay Pacific pilot.

Caves

The next day we were off to have a look around at a couple of the anchorage’s and the caves. The first cave was Mariners where you had to dive down to get into it . Hew, James and I explored that one while Deb and Pauline looked after the yacht. There is no where to anchor near these caves so the yacht just had to hover around.

The next one was the Swallows cave and Hew looked after the yacht while the rest of us snorkelled into it. This cave was very disappointing compared to the last time I had been here. Graffiti all over the walls and not birds or bats or fish. Though there were plenty of fish outside and slightly further along the coast.

The third cave was just a little up the coast and a smaller but much prettier cave

A video of the caves: https://youtu.be/SWc5F9B9-8I?si=NH4ZD20lHPlcxAmh

Port Maurelle

We anchored for the night at a lovely bay called Port Maurelle and the paddle board came out. Barb went for a paddle, then Debbie and https://www.instagram.com/reel/DBSuo90vPm1/?igsh=MWVyZnY1NnFxZnVmNA== and the next day James took it for a long paddle all the way down the coast.

Sailing Week and socialising

Debbie and Pauline made the most of the bars and restaurants – checking them all out for us. They started with Bears floating Bar – The Hideaway – serving margaritas, beers and fish and chips.

The Wednesday Race

The main event of the week is a social race on the Wednesday. We of course had to enter and invited 4 additional crew, Peter off S/V Yellow, Sunny and Canute from “La Kahina” and Kara from Whangārei Marina. We had a lot of fun but it was not uneventful.

After the briefing At Mango cafe, the race started when the traditional local Tongan yacht passed in front of the bar, and off we went in the dingys to the yachts.

We were third around the first mark in the channel, raised the spinnaker and it all looked good.

Soon the yacht in front of us broached in a gust and we decided to lower our spinnaker before we hit the same patch of water.

All was going well. We were starting to catch the boats in front with the code zero out then we hit a calm patch. The Code 0 back winded on the spreaders and ripped a hole.

Down came the code zero and out went the genoa.

Our mates in Soul were hot on our heels as was another large monohull Hassebas. Some of the crew were down stairs mending the code zero with sticky back tape. We headed for the bottom mark and island. Repairs completed and with slick crew work the sail was re-hoisted before we reached the mark

We were holding our own on the inside for a port rounding of the island, metres from the lay line the starboard sheet was winched on a touch with the electric winch and suddenly bang – the sheet broke. We immediately tacked over to the on to port and there still seemed to be just enough room to clear the island when the port sheet also broke – our electric winches are very powerful! With the genoa flapping in the breeze we started the engines to ensure we cleared the reef off the island while our two competitors pass us wondering what we were up to.

Deploying the now repaired code zero we were back chasing the others but struggling for height. James climbed up the forestay to attach new sheets to the genoa and we were back racing. It’s good to have the young and fit onboard. However by now the other boats were well ahead and we sailed on our own to the finish which required a crew member to go ashore at Mangos and register.

As we approached Mangos restaurant instead of launching the dinghy James did a lovely swan dive off the bow and swam in for us to register a finish.

In the end we were 4th over the line and the 3rd catamaran and somehow managed to pick up a voucher for 2 loads of washing at Bubbles laundromat – perfect for washing bedding etc for departing crew.

There are lots more photographs of all the activities on the Vava’u Sailing week facebook site. https://www.facebook.com/VavauSailingFestival

Quiz night at Kraaken

The Quiz night was run by Whangārei and Opua Marinas , and was a lot of fun. We won a voucher from the Kraken Restaurant which Hew and I duly enjoyed later in the week. By the end of the night Pauline and Deb were so happy they were beside themselves!!

Swimming with the whales

Although there were many activities on the race week we decided that we had to go whale watching while we were in Vava’u. We went out with David Lino from Beluga Dive who also run the moorings near their base. The experience was brilliant here are some stills from our adventure with a mother and calf.

We were in the water 4 at a time with a guide and just cruised on the surface allowing the whales to come to us. The calf would surface for air every 5-7 minutes and the mother would come up every 15-20 minutes. They became used to us and the calf became inquisitive and the mother relaxed and was happy for us to be nearby – a fabulous experience.

Back to Civilisation for the two Trollops

On Thursday all three of the crew had to leave to get back to NZ for the following week. Debbie and Pauline took off early to spend a day in Nukualofa, James waited for the late flight relaxing and enjoying the peace on the yacht.

It was a great three weeks and we really enjoyed the hectic schedule, but when they were gone we could finally relax.The first time on the boat without guests and crew since Martinique in April.

Fakarava is a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve site famous for its coral and diving on the North(Garuae) and South(Tetamanu) Passes. There was a warning on the charts and information to be careful as the dive boats operate in the pass. As we arrived in the morning at the north pass ( Garuae) to enter on slack tide we saw 5 dive boats at the entrance and not one of these were near the surfacing divers.

The north pass is wide and deep and larger ships and superyachts regular visitors. Currents of 5 or 6 knots however keep you on your toes with back eddies and little whirlpools.

We moved inside round to an anchorage right on the corner. Beautiful sand bottom and 5 other yachts there in the flat calm.

Information

The atoll is in the Pacific Ocean, part of the Tuamotu Archipelago, and holds UNESCO Biosphere Reserve status, alongside the atolls of Aratika, Kauehi, Niau, Raraka, Taiaro, and Toau. It spans 21km in width and 60km in length, making it the second-largest atoll in French Polynesia after Rangiroa.

Fakarava has a fascinating past. The Pōmare Dynasty originated here before ruling Tahiti.

European explorers first mentioned the atoll in the 19th century. Fakarava became a French territory, known for coconut oil production and mother-of-pearl trade.

Christianity arrived with a Catholic priest Honoré Laval leading to the construction of churches.The Rotoava church (blessed in 1850) and Tetamanu church (dating from 1874) stand as historical landmarks.

Anchoring

You are supposed to anchor in set areas so you do not destroy the coral but we found that the anchorages were not big enough for the number of yachts, and the buoy’s that should have been there in most cases weren’t.  When you anchor on the sand you are supposed to float your anchor so you do not get entangled in the bombies(coral heads) and do not damage them.

In order to achieve this you need suitable floats and of course these were available locally in the form of disused floats from the pearl farms which seemed wash up everywhere. However with our heavy anchor and 12mm chain the logistics of trying to float the chain as recommended was not so easy and we are still refining our technique and the quantity of floats required.

Rotoava

The next day we went to the anchorage outside Rotava, the largest and the northern town. We did not anchor in the designated area as there were to many boats already there so we anchored in the NE corner which is apparently for super yachts. There we found our Swiss friends Gerald and Bridget on Jetlag anchored alongside us. Having last seen them in Colombia nearly two years ago it was a great joy to see them. Lunch and a serious catchup was planned for the next day at Havaiki Lodge

The Town of Rotoava

We needed to go ashore to pay our tourist tax and garbage charge and had a short look around town. We found a small shop but discovered that fresh fruit and vegetables come in only once a week on Wednesday with the island trader. These are swiftly snapped up by the locals and cruising yachts. Tomorrow is Wednesday!

Fakarava Church Rotoava

The Fakarava Church is built from coral rock and cement and many of the internal fixtures are made locally.

As well as protestant services the Fakarava Church actively promotes environmental protection on Fakarava Island and in all of French Polynesia. Reverend Tekurio Temanu, the pastor of the church, is a fervent supporter of environmental preservation. He has advocated against overfishing, pollution, and other environmental problems that endanger the delicate ecosystem of the island. Reverend Temanu has also collaborated with local organizations to set up marine protected areas all around the island.

He received the Goldman Environmental Award, also known as the “Nobel Prize for the environment,” in 2010 for his diligent efforts to encourage environmental preservation on Fakarava Island and throughout French Polynesia. See more at https://farandawayadventures.com/fakarava-church/

Mururoa

Largely forgotten by the rest of the world the nuclear testing program at Mururoa and the environmental consequences still loom large in French Polynesian. With 193 tests, including 41 atmospheric tests, between 1966 and 1996. Most local Tahitians were exposed to high levels of radiation and have been affected with high incidences of cancers and birth defects linked to this. France still denies there is a problem and compensation has not been possible. There are multiple reports confirming the levels of exposure but the French government has continued to brush the problems under the carpet.

Read the excellent article in the Guardian in the link below which follows the history of fallout from the testing.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/mar/09/france-has-underestimated-impact-of-nuclear-tests-in-french-polynesia-research-finds?CMP=share_btn_url

On the plus side France has poured huge amounts of money and infrastructure into French Polynesia since the 1960’s and continues to subsidise most of the activities. Consequently the islands enjoy good roads, wharf’s, airports and regular shipping and transport as well as electricity and water supplies. There is also a good healthcare system and education to tertiary level is available to everyone. This infrastructure is way beyond most of their neighbouring pacific countries.

As with most French territories fresh baguettes and croissants are available daily on larger islands. Additionally daily flights from Paris ensure the supermarkets are well stocked cheeses and other fresh food from France.

Lunch

Havaiki Lodge is a glorious spot for lunch with tables on the sand surrounded by beautiful blue water. Good food, cold drinks, good company and friendly staff, perfect. https://www.tahiti.com/hotels/havaiki-lodge-fakarava-6543

It was great to see Gerald and Brigette again and we enjoyed a leisurely lunch catching up on each others adventures over the past couple of years. Gerald, a fellow retired pilot, and Brigette have fallen in love with French Polynesia and have decided to stay here so are in the process of importing their boat (paying the taxes). As French speaking Swiss they have fitted right into the local community and have been able to give us some good information on how the place works.

We discovered they had a friend arriving on the same flight as our friends the next day so we organised a ride on the same bus and lovely leis for all of them. A very helpful local the others knew organised all this for us

Children and Sharks

Walking back from lunch we came across a local family who had been picnicing on the edge of the lagoon. Stopping for a chat we saw there were a number of sharks in the shallows which they happily ignored as they cleaned their BBQ gear and a 2 or 3 year old child played in the shallows right next to them.

The black tip sharks and sleeping(nurse) sharks are all around the Fakarava Lagoon and the children feed them, play with them and swim with them. It occured to us that sharks in the shallows in NZ would see everybody out of the water!

Diving the North Pass

The following day we decided to dive with Top Dive in the northern pass. Mark had blocked sinuses and did not come so Hew and I set off with a local dive company. Our adventures began half way across the lagoon when one of the outboard motors lost drive to the propellor so we continued on one engine only.

The first dive started in shallow water outside the entrance and we swam back through the pass slowly getting deeper as we crossed into the main channel. The current was running strongly by now and at one stage we had to crab across the current holding on to the bottom before letting go and flying downstream with the scenery rushing past.

After a break in on the beach inside the atoll we ventured out for our second dive starting outside again but initially deeper as were to make our way up into the shallower pass. The instruction was to descend to 28-30m where we would find the wall to start coming up to around 15-18m in the pass. However with the currents and a choppy sea state the boat had dropped us further out than planned and at 30m we could neither see the bottom or the wall with several of the group going to nearly 40m before realising the depth they were at. In the end we did all manage to swim to the wall but we were unimpressed with the dive operator both on the drop off and also diving deeper on our second dive which is not good practice – we would not reommend them as an operator.

Unfortunately no photos as teh gopro was not working and I had problems with the older camera as well. However there are many more photos and video links in this blog, and on the Kiwiflyingfish Youtube channelhttps://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfFESL5kPhUAsarowPnnLXg

Supply Ship arrives

The supply ship comes once a week on Wednesdays (weather permitting) and takes about two hours to unload. Everyone waits for its arrival and the fresh food it brings. Apart from coconuts and fish everything is imported so there are all sorts of things coming off the ship from building materials, gas bottles, furniture and vehicles.

As the main event of the week there are lots of people waiting for the ship with their orders and also outside the grocery shops for the fresh fruit and vegetables. The fruit and vegetables are gone as soon as they hit the shelves, likewise imported cheeses and anything else perishable. Outside the shop are some enterprising locals who also sell locally grown melon on the same day. Interestingly frozen meat is always available – mainly because it is so expensive.

Photo

Visitors Arrive

Two days later Simon and Liz turned up and Hew was excited to see them with a collection of spare parts from New Zealand. As our first NZ visitors since Panama they had to bring an extra bag just for boat bits, such is the cost of coming to visit us in remote locations!

Unfortunately the day they arrived all the restaurants were closed so we decided that we would go back to the anchorage that we had first been at the northern entrance. It was late in the day and not much time to explore but lovely for a swim and a walk ashore on the beach.

Baguettes

The weather forecast was not looking great for the next week and with southerly winds forecast we needed to move to the southern end of the atoll and shelter from the sea state if not the wind. The atoll is so big that the forecast 25-30 knots winds would build up to 2.5m waves at the anchorage at the northern end.

A foraging expedition went ashore in search of essential supplies to get us through next few days. Returning with croissants, baguettes,wine and tonic water we were ready to head south.

Hirifa

Next day off to Hirifa in the southeast corner. The trip down takes 4 hours and since it was the first time we had to be on watch to keep an eye out for bombies even in the marked channel. The charts are better than Raroia but we felt we could not entirely trust them. Sailing down on a pleasant breeze we were joined by several other boats heading to the same destination.

We anchored in good holding amongst a fleet of boats seeking the same shelter. The wind was still out of the west so the anchorage remained a bit bumpy as we waited for it to go round to the south and increase. It was very windy and ideal for kite surfers, wing foilers etc but not great for peaceful cruising. We went ashore for a look around but neither the restaurant nor the kite surfing facility seemed open. A walk along the beach for some exercise and we chatted to various fellow cruisers also exploring what was on offer.

Gerald, Bridget and Vereana on Jetlag had said they were coming down but had branched off to Tetamanu. The photos looked great but unfortunately if you were not a kite surfer then it really was windy. By now it was blowing 20-30kts and the kite surfers were loving it.

Tetamanu

After talking to Bridget and Gerald we decided to go to Tetamanu and explore the South Pass. It was still just as windy but they said it was Ok sheltered behind the little islands. We found shelter behind the reef and decided to explore the famed South Pass.

Snorkelling Tetamana South Pass

The plan was to snorkel on the incoming tide so we got in the dingy and Hew said he would be boatman. Since this was Liz and Simons’s first experience with drift diving in a current and we hadn’t snorkelled here yet either we were excited about what we would find. Everyone snorkels on the incoming tide as it is clear with fresh incoming water from the open sea, on the slack tide it can be murky and an outgoing tide is just not a good idea! As the tidal changes are not very accurately forecast the cruisers all wait for the local operators to go out then leap in their dinghys and follow.

Starting out in shallow water out of the current we were surrounded by little black tip sharks and remora doing their thing. It was then off downstream in the current which increased as we swam downstream until we reached the shallows a few hundred meters. Lots of excitement with the swimmers so it was back upstream for a repeat performance.

Video:Tetamanu drift snorkelling https://youtu.be/vHN52l63g-k

The local dive operator was located in the South Pass with a 5 minute boat ride to the dive sites in the pass. Noting they seemed to have a bar and restaurant we enquired about a booking but as the pensions here were full of divers and could not serve any food to non-guests. Such are the issues of operating tourism ventures with irregular supply deliveries.

Tetamanu Village

The next day we dicided to have a look around the town while we were waiting for the tide and more snorkelling. The village is quite small but was once the capital of the Tuamotos.

There is a very pretty old church made from coral dating from 1874

Central Channel

As the weather had improved we decided to head north again this time up the central channel which is relatively well marked on the charts. This time we sailed on a genoa up the centre channel just behind Jetlag. This was a good ride with not many bombies until the last quarter when suddenly Jetlag veered at right angles in front of us as they had almost run into some pearl farm buoys. For the next 30 mins we saw many buoys in that section of the channel.

Back in Rotoava

Back up north we discovered that the restaurants were only open on Thursday to Sunday so no dinner out.

On Tuesday Liz, Simon, and Mark set off on a bike ride with Bridget and Vereana and then met up at Havaiki Lodge for lunch. The same restaurant we had dined in earlier. Hew was very excited to be able to complete some repairs with the parts Liz and Simon had bought with them

They cycled from town to the end of the northern spit, then back against the wind. Liz was not impressed especially in the exposed area around the airport. They aimed to find the Taputavaka and Topoka lighthouse ruins but only found one. They all made it back for lunch where Hew, Gerald and I caught up with them later.

Pufana Rock

The next day the wind was still blowing but we decided we should do one more snorkel before they went home so we tied up to the buoy at Pufana rock this was spectacular snorkelling as well and a great mooring – solid chain. Here are a few photos of the snorkeling and a video: https://youtu.be/R1rm16cb-YI

We headed back to the town for the night as Liz and Simon were going the next day.

In the morning Liz and I went for walk along the waterfront. We found by accident the other lighthouse that they had not seen the day before because it was not in the right place on the map. We also afound one of the Pearl farm shops but it was all clsoed.

Liz and Simon departed that afternoon. Mark and Hew and I stayed the night to have a meal at the local restauarant Hirinaki Lodge that had happy hour and tapas. https://www.facebook.com/TemoanaRangihei/

The next day we headed back down to Hirifa because we had decided that we had to do the dive in the South Pass at Tetamanu before we left . It is rated as one of the top dive sites in the world.

Raimiti

Enata Diving

The dive shop was based at Raimiti just north of Hirifa. The next morning they collected us from the yacht and we had a great dive. The first dive started on the Eastern side of the channel and then crossed over the deepest area onto the western side. They stopped between dives at the little beach at Tetamanu for snacks and a drink, and an explanation of the next dive drawn in the sand. then straight back into the water the second we went to the “viewing room” which is a small cave to watch the sharks go by, then finishing around the corner where we had also finished our snorkelling previously.

The best diving we have had for a while with lots of fish life and on the second dive more sharks than we have ever seen!! Excellent dive operators who were all alot of fun. Enata diving operation link https://www.enatafakaravadiving.com/en/

Tetamanu Pass Dive Video: https://youtu.be/E8BopO_okyk

Raimiti Lodge

After getting back to the yacht then washing the dive gear and changing our clothes, we decided to go to Raimiti Resort for a drink. What a beautiful resort and what a surprise, it is perfectly placed for the sunsets. https://raimiti-fakarava.com/en/homepage-en/

Once again they were unable to supply food for outsiders as they only catered for guests, perhaps we will go back and stay there sometime. A very beautiful laid back little resort.

After two days it was tiime to head out for Huahine and the Society Islands.

Next blog: Huahine

General

San Cristobal is the eastern most island in the Galapagos, the fifth largest, home to the oldest permanent settlement of the islands, and is the island where Darwin first went ashore in 1835. Its official Spanish name comes from the patron saint of sailors Saint Christopher.

In 1858 Manuel Cobos and Jóse Monroy, formed a company to harvest the moss orchilla which was used for dye. Cobos went on to form a centre producing leather form feral cattle, processing fish and tortoise oil, then later went on to form agricultural centre, and finally starting sugar cane factory. When a penal colony was built for prisoners from mainland Ecuador he took it over and treated convicts as slaves to use on his plantations. He was finally assassinated by his workers in 1904.

It is 730m high and 558kms and the capital is at Puerto Baquerizo Moreno. It has the largest freshwater lake, El Junco(see below), in the Galapagos and we took a trip up to look at it.

Sealions

Sea Lions are everywhere, on the rocks, on the beaches, on the piers, the stairs and the boats. They stay overnight on our rear platforms, in the warm water coming out of the fridge cooling system, and swim with us when we are swimming – blowing bubbles, summer salting around us and doing rolls.

Sealions jump right up over the stern sterns of fishing boats into the cockpits and jump in and out of dinghys if you leave them in the water. They are all over the docks and stairways and beaches here that there is park liaison person on the dock keeping an eye on them and the visitors. They are just so social and friendly. Here are a few photos of our funny friends. We will miss them.

We knew that we had to keep the sea lions of the boarding platforms and not in the yacht. As has been mentioned in Santa Cruz we were told they were unlikely to come aboard and for the first two nights we had them up on the seats in the cockpit, cleverly we now had a fender barrier to keep them on the boarding platforms. Some of the big ones could make a real mess, but most times it was not too bad. When the big ones get aboard you can feel the boat move and sometimes there is a very noisy discussion between them about who should be there.

Sealions on the yacht

Every morning first thing you would be greeted by at least one friendly sea lion, sometimes two or three per side. First you want to do is have a swim, then clean the boarding platforms. Sometimes you had to use the hose to get them off.

Sea Lions on other boats

They can leap over a meter onto a boat so they climb in and out of any boats they can reach , this includes leaping onto the back of fishing boats or any RIBs that someone is careless enough to leave at the dock.

Sea Lions on the Town Pier

The Sealions climb up onto the pier via the pontoons for the taxi boats. They also love the stairs and arranged themselves one per stair all the way up some days. They don’t mind climbing over their mates to get a spare tread to themselves. All the seats on the pier are fair game.

Sealions on the beaches and rocks

There is fencing on the wall around the town on all the beaches and the rocks that separates the beach from the walkway so they cannot climb up. On the walkway at the western end of town they sit happily in the shade with the beach users – keeping a lookout under the lifeguard tower with the lifeguards as well. The only general rule around town is to try and stay 2m away from them, but at times this is difficult as they are all over the paths. They would also often come and find you to play in the shallows and it was amusing to see them lie on their backs and sleep in the sun with their heads underwater.

Puerto Baquerizo Moreno 

The town of Puerto Baquerizo Moreno is the Capital of the Galapagos and looks more up market than touristy Santa Cruz. There was tno rubbish laying around and everything was very clean and tidy. The this attention to detail in the many different styles of paving, with the overall cleanliness gave the town a lovely feeling. There was also a huge variety of architecture. Given the variety of construction materials and styles we are sure the building regulations here are either don’t exist or are just ignored.

There are many sculptures around town celebrating the wildlife especially the great frigate bird, the Blue Boobies, Tortorises, Iguanas, Crayfish and more.

Current Interpretation Centre

The visitor interpretation cente was built in 1998 and gives a very good summary of the natural history of the islands and some simple pictures to explain the issues. Some of the interesting points are : 97% of the land is national park, the remaining 3% is designated to population areas. By 2023 the Galapagos Marine Reserve covered 142,759 sqkm, while the Hermanded Reserve will protect another 60,000 sqkm. There are 13 large islands and more than 200 islets and rocks. There are four large currents and a fifth small current which flow past the Galapagos archipelago. All of the endemic flora and fauna originated from central and South America but with human habitation came many introduced species.

Information Sections

The centre deals with the flora and fauna, geology, the history and economic situation in the islands.

The main economic activity is ecotourism and having a port and an airport near the town with daily flights from the mainland has caused conservation challenges including the introduction of the black fly which sucks blood form humans and animals leaving a poison that has caused the death of animals . It has also a lot of guayaba berry and blackberry. Trying to manage the sustainability of the fishing industry has also caused issues.

Due to the intensive use of the highlands of San Cristóbal and the presence of goats and aggressive introduced plants species, many native and endemic plant species have been decimated. Through the use of helicopters and land hunters in the last three years, they have eliminated approximately 3,500 goats on San Cristóbal, with an estimated 3,000 still remaining in the northern half of the island. Some of these hunters were form New Zealand. Their complete elimination is critical for the endangered plant species. New populations of the beautiful Critically Endangered Galápagos Rock Purslane, Calandrinia galapagosa (probably San Cristóbal’s rarest plant), and the Endangered  Lecocarpus darwinii were discovered. Many were under pressure from goats. The population of Calandrinia was fenced in 2003, as were other small populations of the same species in 1992-93. More Calandrinia were found on the north coast in June 2002. 

Vegetation Zones

The vegetation zones on the island are very evident and dictate where various birds and animals are found. These zones and the interaction between them is critical to the ecology of the islands. The early settlers neglected the importance of native vegetation. On The high islands like Santa Cruz, San Cristobal and Isabela the vegetation changes from semi dessert to verdant forest depending on the height above sea level. On the low lying islands the arid zone covers the whole island

The vegetation zone changes ont eh Galapagos are very obviousl as you go from sea level up into the hills / volcanoes which we discovered when we took a cycle trip to the lake at the top of the island to el Junco. We were fascinated by the ecology that produced a plant that can collect the mist and coalesce the droplets that will then fall and support the plants underneath. Mangroves we also see in New Zealand but we slo tend to ignore their benefit. Again our tree ferns are similar to those in the Galapagos and provide the same benefits by storing water that can them be used by other plants around them during dry periods.

There are nominally seven vegetation zones. These seven are:

• The Littoral (or Coastal) Zone which extends from the edge of the ocean to around fifty to one hundred miles inland and is populated by plants adapted to salty conditions e.g. .four species of mangrove. Mangroves limit erosion caused by waves and storms, and provide a habitat and nesting places for many bird species, and safe nurseries for young fish, molluscs, shrimps and other species that are crucial links in the Galapagos food chain.
• The Arid Zone is the largest vegetation zone in the archipelago, extending to 300 feet on the wetter, southern sides of the islands, and as high as 1,600 feet on the drier, northern sides. Some of the smaller and lower islands are located entirely within this zone. Three types of endemic cacti dominate the landscape here; lava, candelabra, and prickly pear, the staple diet of land iguanas and giant tortoises.
• The Transition Zone lies between the arid lowlands and the cooler, moister highlands. This zone has the greatest plant diversity among the seven vegetation zones. Small trees and shrubs, including the endemic pega pega and the native hardwood matazarno.
• The Scalesia Zone “the rain forest of the Galapagos.” lies from about 650 to 1,300 feet on the larger islands. It is cooler, moister and more lush than the zones below it. Some of the Scalesia trees found here can grow to over sixty feet tall and are covered in ferns, mosses and orchids. The endemic genus Scalesia, is comprised of fifteen different species of trees found nowhere else on earth. They have been called “the Darwin’s finches of the plant world” because of their remarkable pattern of adaptive radiation. Unfortunately, humans along with introduced pigs, goats and plants have decimated these once great forests.
• The Zanthoxylum (or Brown) Zone is named after the predominant plant, the Zanthoxylum fagara, or “cat’s claw.” It is also called the “brown zone” because the brown lichens that cling to the trees give them a brownish hue. This zone has mostly been destroyed by agriculture, unfortunately.
• Miconia Zone zone starts around 3,200 feet on the islands of Santa Cruz and San Cristóbal. The Miconia shrub, which once carpeted the region, but is now one of the most endangered plants in the archipelago due cattle grazing and the impact of invasive plants. The Miconia robinsoniana can grow to sixteen feet and has purple and pink flowers.
• Finally the Pampa or Fern-Sedge Zone starts above 3,200 feet and consists of ferns, grasses, mosses, lichens and orchids around temporary pools of water and disappear and reappear seasonally based on rainfall. The endemic Galapagos fern tree is the only tree found here is the endemic and can grow to nine feet tall with a trunk that up to to eleven inches in diameter.

We saw the Scalesia on the way up to El Junco and around the lake we could see the plants from the Miconia and the Fern-Sedge Zones. The tall Galapagos islands get a lot of mist due to the cold currents that come past the islands so often in the mornings it is foggy, clearing during the day and then reappearing in the evening. It is these mists or “Gurúa” as the locals say, which provide the water. You will also see that many of our photos have this misty weather appearing over the hills.

New Interpretation Centre

A new interpretation centre is being built with beautiful mosaics at the front entrance. The mosaics are at a much more advanced stage than the building.

From the centre there is a trail leading up to Frigatebird hill which has a colony of magnificent and great frigate birds.

Walk and Cycle El Junco

We all decided that we needed some exercise and wanted to to up to see the lake at the crater, so we hired bicycles from the Canon Bike shop, got two cabs (Utes) up the hill with the bikes on the back and then left them at the start of the trail and went off for a hike. It was early in the morning so the mist covered the hill and initally the lake.

Laguna El Junco has a surface area of 6 ha with a volume around 35 million liters of water. The lake itself sits in a caldera (collapsed cone) of an extinct volcano and is about 300 m wide. It is generally accepted that the lake has been in existence since the end of the last northern ice age. The name El Junco is Spanish for sedge, which is present along the banks of the lake

The lake is in the Miconia Zone, named for the Miconia shrub, which once carpeted the region, but is now one of the most endangered plants in the archipelago due cattle grazing and the impact of invasive plants. The Miconia robinsoniana can grow to sixteen feet and has purple and pink flowers.

Birds

Naturally we cant go anywhere without mentioning the birds. Whenever you stop you can find them. These are the ones we found on this trek.

From the lookout we watched Frigate birds fly out of the mist to land on the lake. These birds generally do not land on water as they have no oil in their feathers and will get waterlogged. These ones however seemed to enjoy the fresh water as part of their preening, briefly landing to wash themselves.

An epic 17km cycle back down the hill saw us split up with Graeme and Craig leading the charge down the hill.. Barb and Hew followed at more leisurely pace and Geordie, as usual, went exploring in the opposite direction. A couple of short uphill sections near the top turned into one long downhill glide with the steepest section being next to a cemetery. We didn’t stop to investigate the graves for over enthusiastic cyclists.

Lunch

Graeme and Craig found a lovely restaurant. just off the main beach. Geordie went off to look at the back streets and Hew and I wandered through town. We later found Graeme and Craig and looking at the menu and after an excellent lunch decided we would come here the following morning for breakfast. Just for a change.

Cove Walk

Hew and I began our walk near the fisherman’s wharf which has the large crayfish seen earlier, and then goes along past the interpretation centre and a docking area where the barges bring in the freight off the visiting supply ships. The ships actually anchor further around in the lee of Frigate Hill. They have a pretty slick system worked out with empty trucks loaded on to the barge which go out to the ship where containers are loaded directly on to them. These return to shore to unload with another pair of empty trucks waiting to repeat the process. Later in the day we were to see the local vehicles driving round town with fresh supplies.

The walk takes you up past a naval sight with an old gun platform, then along to another lookout into the cove below the Frigate Bird Hill, then past Darwins statue. After this point you can either continue up the hill to see the top lookout and frigate bird colonies or go down into the cove for a swim.

Bahia Baquerizo Moreno Muelle

Of course with the heat we chose the swimming option. I had my Gopro with me so could take some photos underwater. At first I got in without it but when I saw the tortoises and fish I had to go back and get it. Meanwhile Hew sat on the large platforms with the families, kids and Sea Lions and waited. There were three platforms and one was dedicated to the Sealions. The clarity in the water was unexpectedly good, as was the fish life. Surprisingly, there was a stone scorpion fish in about 2ft of water very near the platform and a very friendly Turtle.

Short Video of the snorkelling https://youtu.be/V8Ko8C1J0sg

Diving

Kicker Rock or León Dormido, named for its characteristic shape of a sleeping lion. Kicker Rock is the most dramatic of the sites, with its vertical tuff cone, rising almost 150 m straight up out of the ocean. Tuff cones are created when boiling lava encounters a very cold ocean, resulting in an explosion. Erosion has split the rock into two parts, forming a narrow channel that small vessels can pass through. It is a well known diving and snorkelling spot and quite sheltered behind the rock. Unfortunately as with the other sites the visibility was poor.

Unfortunately our high expectations of some great diving in the Galapagos with an earlier than usual arrival of the cold currents. Water temperatures have dropped from 24-25 down to 20 and some of the warmer water animals have moved on. In addition the colder water laden with nutrients and microscopic life had reduced visibility.

There will be a separate blog describing Diving in the Galapagos TBA

Next Blog: Floreana https://kiwiflyingfish.com/2024/06/floreana-a-fascinating-friendly-gem/

A Little History

Floreana is named in honour of the first president of Ecuador but was known by the English as Charles Island. Whalers and other early visitors to the Galapagos visited regularly as was one of the few islands with a fresh water source. Whalers also kept a wooden barrel in Post Office Bay so that letters could be left there and picked up by passing ships heading home to Europe or United States. A replica of the barrel remains and it is still possible to post a letter (without a stamp) and visitors sift through the letters and still deliver to various parts of the world.

Amongst other disasters the island was set on fire in 1820 by a crewman off a whaling ship. The fire reportedly burned almost all the vegetation and no doubt killed much of the wildlife. In 1835 Darwin visited on the Beagle but by then most of the landscape had been altered by the fire.

Early Settlers

Floreana is famous in its history with three mysterious disappearances in the 1930s. There are several history books about the island but they all have a different versions of events. All stories involve a German baroness and her two lovers and who came to the island in the 1930’s to establish an upmarket hotel for rich tourists. A little ahead of her time all that eventuated was a tin roofed shack. They upset the other locals by taking the water supply and she and her lovers mysteriously disappeared. Ritter, an earlier settler, was an obvious suspect for the disappearances as he was regarded as bit weird but ultimately he disappeared as well and shortly after his partner departed the island.

More information on the area they lived in is under the Tour section Larva Gullies and Pirates Cave – Asilo de la Paz

Arrival and the landscape

Floreana is one of the oldest islands in the Galapagos and is the southernmost island. There are over 50 scoria cones onshore and 6 tuff cones offshore making the he landscape looks like the Auckland region in New Zealand. The oldest flows are on the northern end of the island, while the youngest (26,000 years) are on the southern end. Cerro Pajas is the tallest (640m) inactive volcano on the island, and is the origin of the largest lava flow (272,000 yrs).

The rugged coastline is mostly larva interspersed with a few sand beaches.

Puerto Velazco Ibarra

The main port is Perto Velazco Ibarra which is also the site of the only town.

Unexpected Dinner Invitation

We arrived late in the day and immediately got an invitation to a spit-roasted pig at the local bar and a mother’s day party at the school. As it was getting dark we quickly changed clothes, grabbed some drinks, made a salad, and called the water taxi with little knowledge of where we were headed. After a quick look at google maps while on the yacht we knew that after landing we had to just go right to get to the bar. Not easy in the dark with no streetlights. We missed the local track and went slightly further inland, nthen we found a local to give us directions and found the Black Beach House and bar. https://www.booking.com/hotel/ec/black-beach-house.es.html

The invitation had originated from the yacht Emma whose owners were Italian and they had 5 on board. They had been anchored next to us in Santa Cruz. They had obtained the piglet while on a tour of the island and when it arrived they decided they had too much food so should invite others. . The bar was happy for them to use the facilities as long as we purchased a few drinks. The boys drank beer and I had one of their Mojitos with local mint and local limes, the best I have had in months. We had a beautiful dinner of roast pork with Geordie helping to cook and carve the meat.

After the dinner we needed to get back to the yacht because the water taxi man had told us that he was going to the party that night and would not be available after 9pm. We had his number but were wondering how to get hold of him.

Mothers Day Party

As we walked past the Mothers Day party – we saw our barman (and future guide) – Rony who spoke excellent English and asked him how to find the taxi man. He pointed him out in the line of men getting their dinner and we arranged 930. So we sat on the men’s side of the party and watched for half an hour.

The community has about one dinner per month. This one was Mother’s Day so the fathers cooked and the mothers sat at the tables in the centre of the area. On Father’s Day, the mothers cook and the men are seated in the centre. Every person on the island was there for the party. It was great to see. Noticeably there were few teenagers present as most are all away at school or university, and those in their 20s-30s who had mostly gone to other islands for work.

Visitors

The next morning we awoke to find more friends onboard, one on the front and two on the back boards. A Larva Heron had decided that the code 0 sheets were a good place to stay, Two seals had also climbed on board one on each side but both were very wary and immediately jumped off when approached.

After breakfast and swimming, we headed into town for a local tour. To great us on the pier were the local Pelicans.

Marine Iguanas

Also right on the landing area around the pier are several marine iguanas. These turn bright red during the mating season then slowly lose their colour until they are black during the breeding season. At the time we were there the red was still apparent but fading. These were the largest marine iguanas we had seen and completely ignored us. We had only seen the red colouring here – in San Cristobal they all seemed uniformly black.

Floreana Tour

Present Day

Our guide Rony was a great guide and a great source of general information about the island as it presently functions. https://www.facebook.com/p/Floreana-Island_Gala%CC%81pagos-100064159900047/?locale=es_LA The top of the island is 400 m. and there are only about 150 people with 2 cars and two buses to get around. Everyone else uses motor bikes. The cars are shared by the community and to use them you need to book them in advance. There is no daily ferry so the locals travel on the cruise boats that come down nearly daily from Santa Cruz and San Cristobal. A supply ship calls twice a month with supplies and fuel from Ecuador.

There are six restaurants and seven homestay/ hotels all run by families plus are two stores, one doctor, one dentist and one assistant. One fisherman supplies all the restaurants and families. They grow almost all the food they need on the island. There are several farms and two cooperatives one pig farm and another producing eggs. The cooperatives are trying to supply the local cruise ships as a way of expanding the economy. 10% of the power is solar and the rest is diesel. There is a small desalinator plant and one source of natural water on the island.

No one on the island caught Covid but when they opened up again there was a few that came in with Covid.

Giant Land Tortoises

Thousands of tortoises were taken by whalers on ships as food from the Galapagos. Apparently tortoise can live for months without food or water, so they were taken on board ships and stacked on top of each other in the holds as a “fresh” food supply. This “harvest” of tortoise coupled with the fire in 1820 led to them being extinct on Floreana.

Our guide Rony took us up to the highlands in one of the utes to where tortoise have been reintroduced. The original giant tortoises of Floreana are extinct but from phylogenic DNA analysis, nine descendants of Floreana tortoises have been identified in the captive population of the Fausto Llerena breeding center in Santa Cruz. These animals have come from Wolf island and it is thought that whalers must have released some of the Floreana tortoise there.

This has allowed the possibility of re-establishing the species through selective breeding based on these hybrid animals. The hybrid animals are genetically 80% Floreana and the other 20% is from tortoises of other islands. Currently, 19 have been introduced and are now 12 years old. Tortoises can be reintroduced after 6 years old when they are large enough that the rats will no longer attack them. They are in the current enclosure until later this year when they will be set free to roam around the island. They are the only tortoise breeding place that feeds tortoises.

As part of this program to reintroduce native animals back to the island there is and extensive rat trapping and feral cat elimination program on the island. Rat bait stations are everywhere and the hope is that many of the cats will die from eating “poisoned ” rats. We imagine efforts to get rid of the cats will need to get a little more direct.

Larva Gullies and Pirates Cave – Asilo de la Paz

As the only island with a permanent water supply from a spring, the island was a likely place for settlement. The spring is located in the highlands and was where the first permanent settlers lived. It still flows today and is a significant part of the island water supply.The earliest whalers and pirates visiting the islands sourced water from this spring.

A permanent population did not arrive on the island until the late 1920’s. In 1929 Friedrich Ritter and Dore Staruch arrived from Germany and letters home encouraged others to follow

The Wittmer family arrived in 1932 from Germany with one son and another was born in the cave in which they first lived, the first person known to have been born in the Galapagos. Descendants still live on Floreana and the other islands and the Wittmer name is associated with various enterprises on the islands.

Later in 1932 Baroness von Wagner Bosquet arrived with her 2 lovers and upset visions of utopia.

Initially they lived in caves and gullies nearby the spring. The rock is quite soft and you can still see the remnants of the early dwellings. Later dwellings were built nearby as the settlement grew.

The farm remains today but we did not get to visit it, just look down from above. The area is very lush and grows all sorts of fruit and vegetables.

Birds

All the photos below were taken around the water source for the farm and island. The little pale yellow warblers loved the mud below the spring. The photos of the finches and dark yellow warler were on the tracks close by.

The Farm

We visited a local cooperative farm growing a range of crops including oranges, pineapples, cassava, bananas and plantain. Our guide on the farm was Max Friere, our agent for the island and the former community leader, a position now held by his wife. The first thing he did when we arrived was offer us some of his oranges to drink. They were perfect.

As an attempt to expand the island economy two cooperative ventures have been established with objective of supplying food to visitors on the many local cruise ships operating on the Galapagos. Historically all the food for these operations has been imported from Ecuador.

This farm has established a piggery with a boar and a number of sows raising piglets and initoal results have been encouraging. This island differs from the others with its small population and an apparent willingness to work together.

We departed the farm with a generous gift of food including oranges, bananas and cassava

Restaurant

Our tour of the island included lunch at a restaurant which unsurprisingly was run by Max’s wife and her daughter. Restaurants only seem to open if they have bookings and tend to share their opening times amongst each other so only one operates at a time. The construction of the restaurant was fascinating with all sorts of timber used, some polished and carved and some plain. The also run a hotel both are called Lecocarpus named after the native Floreana Daisy.

A three course meal ensued with including cassava chips and a delicious desert of cheese cake and tiramisu. Far more andm far better than we were expecting.

The whole island is very tidy with no rubbish anywhere. Just over the road form the restaurant you can see the recycling bins.

Loberia Beach

The next part of the tour was off to Loberia beach for a swim and a snorkel. As all tours require a guide on the island, this part of the journey was delegated to Max’s grandfather. A short bus ride through the village and a very slow walk later we arrived at a cute beach for a swim.

The water temperature was brisk so swims were short and after slowly walking back with granddad who had gone to sleep in the shade. We finally arrived at the jetty and main street. Here we posted our past cards in the replica post barrell and will await to see if they get to their destination in New Zealand. We had missed taking a photo so this photo is care of Jan Viajera.

Time to return to the yacht and another lovely sunset.

Departure from Floreana Down the Coast

The Galapagos Officials only permit you to go to four islands in the yacht and only to the four designated anchorages. Large cruise boats that anchor in other areas all have to have a national park guide on board. We did consider enquiring about a yacht guide but in the end there was so much to do that we did not investigate that option.

Anyway on departure from Floreana we decided to hug the coast as far as we could go and see what it was like. The morning had no wind so we motored slowly on our way. IT was so peaceful in the missty cloudy and calm weather. We did not see any other baots until just before we had to head out to sea. We travelled past all types of volcanic formations and came across schools of fish, dolphins, and more inshore seabirds. It became a challenge on the boat to find a blue footed Booby as we had not seen one yet and wouldn’t really get close to one until we got to Isla Isabela. Finally we did see a couple in the distance and the identification was confirmed by photograph.

Dolphins

This pod of about 20 dolphins, including mothers and babies, spent about 15 minutes fishing around the boat They were quite close to shore and seemed happily cruising and fishing. Two of the dolphins most inshore were engaged in some tail slapping, though the others seemed to be ignoring them. The water was very calm and it was delightful just to move along slowly and peacefully with the pod.

Birds

One of the reasons to cruise close to the close was to look at the shore birds and we were rewarded by seeing both blue footed boobies and the Great Blue Heron, along with Nazcar boobies, brown peicans and

Volcanic Coast

The coast had some fascinating geological formations from the lava , but also it was interesting that the vegetation grew straight to spray line, and all the bird rookeries could be seen marked with guano. There appeared to be no large rookeries but lots of small ones in every sheltered and stable(hard rock) crack and crevice.

As we got further up the coast I got a message on WhatsApp asking if we were going to Santa Cruz? Obviously someone had seen us in shore and asked the question. At that stage we thought we better head out to see in the direction we were supposed to be heading.

Back to Santa Cruz.

Day 2 Volcanoes: Sierra Negra

The next day we decided to go on the volcano tour. On the jetty at 0710 for a departure at 0730. We had organised bikes the night before with the Bike and Surf shop. The owners Junior and Emilie were very helpful and our agent had agreed to take the bikes up while we went on the tour bus.

We arrived at the top with no sign of the agent or the bikes. The guide was ready to depart and said they would be there when we got back. We set off from the entrance to the national park. The first animals we came across were cows. The local farms think it is good grazing so they just let them wander into the park. There are fines but they are never issued!

Background

Around 30 years ago the park removed around 100,000 feral goats donkeys and other beasties off the island. They used NZ hunters with helicopters, followed on the ground with dogs. Given the chequered history of these islands, most of the native vegetation has been destroyed by pests, fire, and eruptions. As you can imagine vegetation was mostly introduced and very scrappy. There are lots of guava trees interspersed with ladder and bracken ferns, the odd tree daisy, and a few natives. This was a disappointment as we were anticipating more native trees and birds.

The Sierra Negra volcano is 1138m asl, is 700,00 years old, and has had 13 eruptions, the last three being in 1979, 2005, and 2018. The tour takes 3 hours over 16km. Because I had hurt my foot and thought I would only do the first hour. We all thought the trek went around the volcano cone but halfway up we discovered that these days it only goes out past the first caldera, onto the second cone, and then back. When we discovered the caldera is 9km by 7km we realised it would have been more than 16km around!

A Foggy Start

The day started foggy on the South side, which is not unusual. It is called the “garúa” that hangs in the air and clings in droplets to the sides of volcanoes. By the time we had done 8km, it had still not cleared. We got to the end of the first volcano then it was downhill to the second larva field. I pulled out and turned back. The boys continued.

When I turned back and tried to take some more photos through the mist of the 110m deep main caldera. The sides are very steep and the caldera itself is 9 x 7.4km across.

At the end of the walk, I took my bike and rode down to the town. It was a very peaceful ride with no boys, no pressure, and few vehicles. The top section is steep and windy with farms on the sides that look well kept, and tidy. There are colourful hedges along the roadside.

The middle section of the ride is fairly flat through long larva fields. The only thing of real items to note about the roads were that they seem to drive faster than the other islands and maybe becasue of this there were wa large number of dead birds on the roads, from Mango finches to Larva herons. There was also far more rubbish on the roadsides in Isabela than the other islands we had been to. At the end of this 24km ride, I was glad to get off the bike and have lunch.

Villamil Beach and Sites

After lunch, I had still not heard from the boys so I decided to set off down the beach to look at the far end.

Flamingos

The first tourist site I came across was the flamingo viewing platform at the end of town on the edge of a saltwater pool in the mangroves. At first sight, they looked artificial. they were so pink and clean and all around them was a shallow muddy pond. The four I saw were all sleeping on one leg and occasionally one might move and do some preening – pick up a mouthful of water and spray it over its back and appear to clean.

The only other bird I saw on the pond was a Pintail.

I decided to continue along the beach to the national park at the far end. The beach has beautiful fine white sand and a huge surf. When you reach the national park boundary the ranger takes your name and then you can cycle on the well-formed track and look at the beaches, larva tunnel, mangroves, sulphur lake, and Wall of Tears.

Beachside Cycle Trail

Lava Tunnel

This lava tunnel is very long as it starts up in the bush with a hole( part of the collapsed roof) then continues into the sea. You can climb down into the tunnel and inside or walk along the top. It is fascinating in how round it is, – just like a pipe, but cracked along the top

Playa del Armour

A lovely small beach surrounded by a lava wall. Ideal for kids and the rocks are covered in marine iguanas. All sunning themselves and ignoring the photographers and visitors.

After I had had a swim I decided that I just wanted to get back to the yacht and have a rest. I had still not heard from the boys so I cycled back into town. Dropped the bike off, walked to the wharf and caught a water taxi back to the yacht. I had a lovely swim and laid down in the cool for a siesta. Just before I finally fell asleep I heard from Hew. They were in a bar on the beach having lunch. All feeling tired and in need of rehydration. The rest is their story.

The Wayward Wanderers

Once you go downhill you have to come up

From the top of the hill at about 100m we walked to the North side of the mountain and eventually out onto a fairly recent lava field. The most recent eruption was in 2018 which lasted about 2 months via 6 different fissure zones. Some of the larva flows merged and ended up in the waters of Elizabeth Bay on the north side. We thought of White Island but there was no such doubt with our guide. He assured us that eruptions only happened on the northern side of the island and the south where the town is will remain untouched. We remain, unbelievers, as the town was built on the edge of a lava field.

2018 Lava Flow ot the North

Once out of the treeline, the weather cleared and we had great views to the north where most of the area is out of bounds and home to land iguanas and other native species. Looking down the lava flows you could see the different eruption flows and small patches of surviving vegetation on ridges.

With views out to sea there was very little evidence of any wind to aid our sailing with departure planned for a few days ahead.

Return to the Top

After peering down various dormant fumaroles and fissures of the northern larva flow we returned to the top of the hill for lunch where we could now see down into the crater.

Possibly a fellow kiwi carried these to the top of the hill….

Downhill

The walk back to the car park the guide pointed out various animals along the way, including those that should not have been there like a feral cat, a rooster, cows etc.

When we got to the end of the track and mounted up our bicycles we were reminded that our knees and other joints no longer enjoy walking downhill as they once did. As we descend into the cloud you are reminded how much the vegetation and wildlife depend on the condensation collected from the clouds to sustain life as rainfall levels are very low. A sophisticated ecosystem with lichen and mosses hanging from the trees to collect water that then dripped onto the ground. This was very evident under the bigger native trees with a substantial canopy providing a noticeably damp area underneath.

The Cycle Down

The bicycle hire shop had repeatedly warned us about the steep descent and slippery roads and to be careful. The local scotch mist, Garua, had thickened since earlier and raincoats were the order of the day as it was noticeably damp and much cooler. Each of our bikes was named but Geordie felt he needed an extra hint about the side of the road he should be on here.

The road was damp with patches of cow and horse poo to keep us on our toes for the first 5-6km as we negotiated the steeper windy section. To add to the adventure horses and cattle appeared out of the mist from time to time, much less concerned than us

The trip down to the flats took as through an area of cultivated land with plantations of bananas, plantain and cassava being grown in rich red fertile volcanic soil. Completely different to the other side of the island.

Fencing and Larva Flats

An interesting feature of the Galapagos has been the local approach to fencing and fence posts. Most fence lines use fresh tree branches as posts which generally sprout and start to grow. This grow your own fence post seems very sustainable but does come at the cost of having to trim the “post”on a regular basis. Barbed wire remains the other component of the fence stapled to the tree posts. These would not win an award at the field day fencing competition but are very effective on land with scarce resources.

Once down on the flats the landscape reverted to lava fields with scrubby sparse vegetation and our glorious downhill cycle became a bit of a grind for the final few kilometers. Isabela has noticably more rubbish lying around than the other islands reinforcing our feeling the island population is more focused on the tourist dollar rather than conservation.

Rehydration

After a 17km walk and a 25km cycle a refreshment stop was necessary to rehydrate and contemplate the next step of our tryathalon. One option was to complete the swim leg out to the boat the consensus was we were a little tired for that. However after the restorative powers of discounted beers Craig suggested a quick ride out to the Wall of Tears, a short 6km ride away along the foreshore before and then an afternoon siesta back on the boat.

How foolish were we, riding bicycles in soft sand is very difficult and the Wall of Tears we learned from exeprience is 60m above sea level. 6 short kilometers turned into nearly an hour of pushing bicycles through sand and struggling up hills to get there. Graeme nearly collapsed and Hew was getting wobbly, Craig as the youngest claimed he was fine!!

Wall of tears

Between 1946 and 1959 Isabela was a penal colony with a reputation for the abuse of power and the death of many prisoners. The only remaining evidence is the “Wall of Tears” a wall built to keep the prisoners occupied but for no other reason. At around 60 metres long and 10 high in places it is a big structure.

It remains a monument to mans inhumanity to man.

Beer Burgers and Bed

The cycle back to a bar was much easier, cycling downhill always is. After returning the bikes we were buggered so the only things remaining were beer, burgers and bed. Geordie finally turned up, we had lost him earlier in the day, a fairly commmon occurence. He had been in search of Flamingos as he had never seen one, had he been with us in the bar we could have pointed a pair out as they flew past.

A long day was completed walking back to the pier and getting the locals there to find the water taxi man to take us home. The water taxis only operate on Isabela until 9pm and it was after 8.30pm.

Geordie & Birds

Geordie spent considerable time chasing the birds on the trip – mostly the feathered kind. His photos needed a section devoted just to these and the time he put into getting the right photo has resulted in some spectacular shots.

As you can see from the last photo he often got back late, especially on the last night when the bike shop was texting me trying to find him, and their bike and we knew he was getting close to missing the water taxi shut-off time. As luck would have it he had managed to get a lift with the navy returning to their supply ship anchored in the bay. He was lucky to get any dinner!

We were so late after we got through the canal, that we found an anchoring spot the first night we ate onboard but by the second night everyone was ready for a good dinner!

The following day was spent shopping for more stores. Geordie was particularly taken by the size of the T-bone steaks! Then he and Craig found the perfect spot under the cooling system for the flowers – the locals must have wondered what they were up to. The boys are still coming to terms with the heat.

We took the taxi back to the yacht but during the unloading one of the trolleys managed to escape the trolley driver – sadly we were down one bottle of wine!!

After an exhausting day of shopping, it was off to try another bar to recuperate.

The next day was laundry day but after a fine morning it was also very wet – maybe the sign of the wet season coming. We knew that many people in Panama would be particularly glad of the rain. The water in the marina went up about a meter between the rain and the high tide. We were back in the Pacific with tides (1.5 -2.5m) after being in the Mediterranean and Caribbean with very small tides( 10-60cm).

Tortuga Island

We could not get anything done over the weekend so we went to Tortuga Island for a couple of nights – fumigation and a hull inspection were booked for check out on Monday. The island is a favourite weekend day stop for locals, so it was very busy. It has been well laid out in the past and has had quite a lot of money spent on it, but now it is looking run down in many areas. The spit between the main and smaller island is covered over at high tide so many visitors leave after the tide comes in. Most of the food stalls and shops are temporary structures.

We returned to the marina early Monday morning to finalise our checkout from Panama and get final clearances for entry to Galapagos. Craig and Hew went off in an Uber to track down something to fix a small hydraulic leak in the steering, Geordie and Graeme were dispatched to the supermarket for last-minute supplies and Captain Barb dealt with Officialdom and the fumigation man. By late afternoon we were ready to leave but it was so late we decided just to go back to Tortuga for the night, a much more pleasant place than a dirty marina with an unpleasant surge jerking the boat around.

23 April Sunny Day, Fish and Spinnaker ride

We set off early in the morning with the code zero up and very light winds. Geordie soon had two lines out and some time later he caught two tuna at the same time.

Just after lunchtime, the spinnaker went up. It was great to have it flying again and dragging us along in the light weather. Shortly before we had the spinnaker up we had seen a small pod of dolphins – the first since we left Trinidad. Immediately before nightfall, we saw a solo dolphin with two large remoras attached – a very strange sight.

We all had dinner and then discussed taking the spinnaker down. The wind had got up and we decided it was a little dodgy to leave it up with inexperienced crew on watch. Surfing at +15 knots seemed a little extreme on the first night with the breeze increasing.

So we got ready and down it came. We ran the motors to take the wind out of the spinnaker as we had no mainsail up. Unfortunately at some stage in the process, one sheet went overboard and into the starboard engine, and then the port sheet went overboard and into the port engine. Two engines out and two short sheets. With no motors and we would have to leave it until the morning to sort it out. Put up the main and Genoa again.

24 April Cleared Props

In the early morning, the breeze eased with a full moon. Lovely sailing but very slow. After daylight, we found a spare sheet and raised the spinnaker again on the spare and the longer of the now short sheets. Both props were trailing parts of the sheets that had tangled in them the night before.

The wind eased more and after some discussion, we dropped the spinnaker – really easy in daylight – and slowly drifted!! Barb, ever looking for an opportunity for a swim, leapt over and one rope came out of the port engine easily. Then Geordie dived in and helped with the starboard engine which was much more entangled. Craig felt he was missing out so also dived in for a mid-ocean swim.

Finally, with the props free and working with no damage, the swimmers back on board, and we were off again under the spinnaker. By the end of the day, we were down to a Code zero and motoring on one engine. The forecast gave a motoring zone of 200nm as we headed into the doldrums.

25 April Rain

By the early morning of the third day, it was pouring rain. Gusty and very wet. One little bird, a white collared swift came and landed on the back rail and stayed for a couple of hours.

At nightfall we had three Boobys riding on the front of the yacht. One on each seat and one on the bowsprit. Overnight we gained another 3 or 4. They did not seem phased by the pitching and rolling although they had to make several attempts at landing.

26 April

At sunrise the wind was slowly increasing, when we decided to put the sails back up our hitchhikers left. Soon we had one reef on the main and hard on the wind with a cloud line behind us. The sea was getting very rough. Barb, of course, decided to cook in the middle of this with Afghans, Banana Cake, Ginger Crunch, and muesli all being constructed while the boat pitched about.

Cooking efforts on the voyage also extended to the rest of the crew with Craig and Hew experimenting with bread recipes, pastry being made as we had been unable to buy any, and Geordie providing a variety of sashimi and ceviche with his fish catching. We continue to dine well!

By nightfall, we had more Boobies on board and the forecast was looking like we should soon be out of the rain.

27 April More Hitch Hikers

By daylight, we were heading 50 deg off course, and running one engine to push us up, while waiting for the wind to go more east – a very frustrating day. The forecast promised it would happen but it was very slow waiting for the change to happen.

Late afternoon the wind started to swing to the east and we began to head in the right direction at last.

28 April Clean Up

The next day was a big clean-up to remove the Boobie poo and then drying out the spinnaker and the code zero which we had tied on deck.

29th April Early Morning Arrival In The Dark

Early morning we were slowly sailing along the coast with large motorboats coming from all directions. We arrived in Puerto Ayora, Santa Cruz just before daybreak. The anchorage appeared quite crowded in the dark and we had a couple of attempts at anchoring before getting a good grip on the bottom.

The anchor inspection crew dived on the anchor when daylight arrived to find it wedged between a couple of rocks and looking secure so we could relax. Several local cruise boats had arrived just after us so we felt a little surrounded and shortly after sunrise an Australian boat Qi arrived as well, we had crossed paths with them a couple of times on the voyage from Panama.

We had already been given a check-in time for the officials of 1100. They were there about 1030, but we were surprised at the number of “officials”. After supplying water and ginger crunch and an in depth tour around the boat for about 3 of them, an inspection of the major first aid kit, and the filling in of many forms, they went away happy and we had our permits.

The rest of the day we just relaxed and looked at the activity around us.

Next Blog: Santa Cruz, Galapagos

Crew

Two weeks earlier I had seen a post on the Caribbean Crew Facebook site by a young couple looking for a ride to Panama. After thinking about it we decided that having more crew would make the watches easier. I contacted them and their CVs and personality sounded great so we agreed that Marin and Charlotte would join us in the last week of April.

A day later Will sent me a note saying he had seen my answer to the blog Charlotte had posted and asking if I would think of having another. After an exchange of information, I agreed.

It was the right decision – it was refreshing, interesting, and fun. Also, Charlotte and Marin were every good cooks.

Anse D’Arlet, then Anse Noir and Anse Dufour

We were delayed about a week from when we had first planned to leave, so we went up to Anse D’Arlet, then Anse Noir and Anse Dufour trying to fill in some of the time. Good for an initial sail and to get away from Le Marin, and Saint Anne and do some snorkeling.

Snorkeling

Saint Lucia

We arrived back at Saint Lucia to pick up the screen on the Wednesday night before Easter as we had been told it would be ready to collect on Thursday. We anchored late and went into the marina for dinner – it was a beautiful night.

Thursday and no screen – we were told that customs had had Monday and Tuesday off and that it hadn’t turned up on Thursday and nothing would be open until Tuesday. We were not happy.!!

The crew went to walk over the fort and I went to exchange some books at our favourite cafe. I discovered that the park was fixing the dock but rescinding the license for the restaurant and giving the license to someone else. I was very sad to hear of the political maneuvers. The boys enjoyed the seating at the quirky tables tables.

Against all odds we made some inquiries and were told that the chandlery in Martinique would be open on Easter Saturday – so we checked out of Saint Lucia on Thursday afternoon and headed north back to Martinique. A beautiful day with no wind so motored all the way.

Martinique

We anchored in Saint Annes again and first thing in the morning I went to check in and Hew went to get the screen – surprisingly it was there and ready for us. Brilliant. We paid the guy and gave him a bottle of wine for all his help. The second screen had been received first and we were so relieved – it went into the helm station and worked perfectly.

We returned to the anchorage and decided that we were going to stay in Martinique until Tuesday so we should all do something. I went ashore for a swim and to take some photos of the lovely sunset and it was the last time we were in Saint Annes.

Anse Sainte Anne

Anse Saline

The crew had friends who were going to visit and they decided to walk around to Anse Saline. We had seen the beach on the way in and decided we might go around for the day – it was supposed to be day anchorages only.

When the crew got to Anse Saline they texted about how lovely it was so Hew and I took the yacht around and anchored on the western end which looked nearer to the snorkeling and close to the restaurant as they said they were at a restaurant -but they were at another. Their friends were camping and they were halfway up the beach. Under all the trees there were dozens of tents.

Anyway – I went for a snorkel and the crew decided they would swim out after lunch with their friends some time later they turned up. then ensured an afternoon and night of music and jamming. Salem and Will both great players – Salem had not played a piano for 9 years but had her guitar at the tent.

They went in the dingy to get their gear and the guitar then the session continued.

Later Salem’s boyfriend Jude turned up – he had also swum out but was just told we were on a catamaran – when he got far enough out he could hear which one.

What a great night!

The next morning it was back to Sainte Anne but only to check out – it was windy and rough.

Saint Lucia

We finally picked up the last Raymarine screen from Ezone, then customs, and checked out. Once we were signed out, we went to the fuel dock where it poured with rain right after we had arrived so we put the Nav station screen in, checked all the software, and changed the chart card, and we were ready to leave.

We refuelled after the rain finished and left with the sunset

Finally the Passage

We were finally on the way. The first night we decided to be conservative, the wind was up 20 g 25 so we just wandered off with one reef in the main and genoa.

In the morning we got up and the weather was looking good so we rolled out the Code Zero and discussed raising the spinnaker after breakfast when Hew had woken up. As they say – nothing goes according to plan. As Hew came up from bed – he noticed that the roller furler for the Code zero was on a weird angle so the halyard must have slipped – no such luck. The sheath on the halyard had separated from the core. We furled it to drop it onto the deck but could not get the halyard down. So Hew had to go up the mast. Still blowing 20kts and rolling 2m seas – not nice. Ended up cutting the line.

The rest of the trip was with the genoa and main and all downwind. Very frustrating but nothing could be done – even though there was a spare halyard it was too rough to go up the mast right to the exit point to run mouse lines and then a new halyard and lash that to the mast. A job for a calm spot.

Anyway, we were on our way and time was running out. Here are a few photos of the trip.

We arrived at Shelter Bay at 1830 L to a very friendly welcome back, which was lovely. The next day we cleaned up and tried to check out but the Port Captain never turned up so no one could leave. The following day we were cleared in early, Marin and Charlotte were off to Costa Rico, and Will stayed around for a couple of days before cycling up the coast to Portobello. The new crew for the Pacific(older) Graeme, Geordie, and Craig arrived before the others had left the yacht.

The next stage of the expedition was about to start.

Store Bay

Store Bay was a reasonable anchorage. No dingy dock and you had to pull the boat up the beach. The airport was very close and very busy, much more so than expected.

From Store Bay you need to take a taxi to Scarborough to clear in, even though it is the same country. bureaucracy rules. The cab dropped us at the main immigration office not the one we needed in the port, so we walked down through the town to the port. A cruise ship was in so people were everywhere. A very uninspiring town and we saw many cruise ship people wondering what they were doing there.

Asking our way to immigration we were shown down an alleyway past the toilet block of the port terminal building and up some stairs – follow the yellow foot prints. We were wondering where we were going. When we got to Immigration the first thing they wanted to know was when we wanted to leave and then informed us that we could not go to any other bays without informing them. Next, they told us the island was divided in half. Hence, if we were going up to the northern end, we also had to check out of Scarborough and check into Charlotteville without stopping as it was a different area under completely different authorities. Then we asked how we could visit the beaches and bays on the way without stopping. He agreed that we could but was very vague on the issue. We said we wanted to check out now as we did not want to cab back into town again the next day just to check out. This was getting ridiculous so we just said we would leave the next day to enable us to get the forms to take to Charlottesville.

Next he told us we did not need to visit customs as it was the same country -Trinidad and Tobago. We had a wander around the town and then tried to get a taxi back to Store Bay. The price was 10TT each on the way to Scarborough but the taxis on the rank wanted 40TT each to go back because the cruise ship was in. We walked up to the main road and got a car for 10TT each

We spent the next day in Store Bay relaxing and snorkelling. We made the decision to leave the next for Buccoos. The forecast was for an increasing northerly swell due to a weather system to the north. Buccoos Bay was behind the reef so we decided it was worth a go.

Buccoos Bay

Arrival and Unexpected Visitors

We wandered slowly and carefully through the narrow shallow channel in the reef and anchored off the port. We were just sorting out some bits and pieces inside when we noticed we had a visitor sitting right in front of the window. The Pelican stayed for an hour totally unperturbed by our movement around the chart bench or dining table.

Not long after I went for a swim to check the anchor and could hear someone yelling. The next minute, I see two Chinese gentlemen swimming towards us. They had come off the beach and then got a bit tired and cramped and asked if they could rest onboard. We gave them some water and had a small discussion using Google Translate as they spoke no English.

It turns out they were from Wuhan and were working on some runway maintenance at the airport. Wuhan is a long way from the sea (look it up). I think they had no idea after swimming several hundred metres off the beach what sort of trouble they would have been in if we hadn’t rescued them. Swimming and floating downwind we were the last boat before the reef! We then offered to take them back to the shore in the dinghy for which they were very grateful. They were desperate to get photos and when we dropped them off they had to get some more. All their friends were on the beach waiting for them.

Buccoo Town

Buccos is a lovely little town. The main feature is a goat racing stadium !! They have the main event once a year and a lot of money has been spent on the facilities. We remain uncertain of the political influence of the goat racing fraternity that managed to build a stadium that may only be used once a year.

The favourite activity on a Sunday is Sunday School. This is not your typical “Sunday School”. This is a big party every Sunday with food stalls and music all through the town, Dancing and partying. People come from all over Tobago to party on Sundays here and it goes until 2am or 3am in the morning.

The rest of the town is about fishing boats and a lovely beach.

That night we ate in the local Italian restaurant La Tartaruga and it was superb. The best food we had had for some time. It had an amazing wine list (well beyond our pocket) and the owners were lovely and explained every dish. Interestingly they were selling a book about a female airline pilot. She is a resident and eats there often. https://latartarugatobago.com/

The next morning the wind had risen and the sea was forecast to increase by another meter so we moved on. Staying any longer with a narrow shallow channel to exit seemed a little risky.

Plymouth

We left Buccoo Bay early when the wind was low and wandered out of the channel through the reef and along the coast to another town called Plymouth. We anchored there close to the wharf and behind the headland and island which all seemed to be sheltered. The surf breaking on the beach meant we wouldn’t be going ashore.

We were amazed at the number of birds in the small bay. A couple of swallows came and kept us company through most of the morning. There was also a lovely beach and some fortifications to explore but with the surf, it was too hard to get onto the shore.

Unfortunately, as the tide went out and the wind got up so too did the swell. By lunchtime, we decided it was time to move on and find a more sheltered spot. Usually, all these places on the west coast are OK as the prevailing wind is an easterly. However, the swell was well to the north because of a storm that had come down from USA to the northern Caribbean and made all the more shallow bays untenable.

We checked out several other bays on the way north but in the end, decided that it was going to be straight to Charlotteville which hopefully would offer some shelter although we were not sure.

Charlotteville

We arrived late in the day to discover a large deep sheltered harbour with mooring buoys and 10 or so other yachts. Anchoring in 20 metres of water just in front of the town the swell passed gently underneath us to break on the shore and across the road nearly into some of the houses. Going ashore was not an option but we swam and relaxed in a very pleasant bay.

First thing in the morning Customs sent a boat out to us asking why we had not checked in – so off I went with the documents. It was too rough to tie the dingy to the dock so Hew delivered me to the dock. It was just as well because it took about two hours. The customs lady was waiting on the wharf and berated me for not checking in but after finally accepting we had come from Tobago (the same island) she became Natasha, my best friend.

An hour later we finally made her office after stopping for a Double ( a local delicacy) then she also needed a pie to go with it. A friend then arrived looking for some watermelon, but there was none in the shop, so we walked to her house where she had some for him, and then finally on to her office via someone else from the Tourism office to do the paperwork. Then there were forms to fill in (more carbon paper) while my new friend rang various people around the department complaining that we were misinformed about visiting Customs in Scarborough.

From there it was off down the hall to Immigration (for those who have seen the movie Local Hero) to find the same guy we saw in Scarborough working in a different department this week. A relatively straightforward process as I handed over the forms he had given me the previous week in Scarborough which seemed to be in order given he had signed them!

Two days later I had a leisurely walk around town with Hew looking at the local buildings which are tidy and well looked after. Those that were abandoned were quickly claimed by the rainforest.,

Anchored next to us was a nice young English couple who had just arrived across the Atlantic in an old traditional boat. After cups of tea and a chat we filled their water containers from our watermaker as getting water locally was a little fraught with the swell still running.

Inland Tour of Tobago

Due to the large swell we had missed cruising many of the bays on the way north so in discussions with my best friend Natasha, I had asked about an island tour and she had suggested the watermelon man (Keywell) could organise a tour guide. This young local guy assured me it was no problem and he would collect us off the wharf at 8.30 am tomorrow for a full day out for T$700.

The young English couple dropped us on the dock as it was still too rough to leave a dinghy while the waves were breaking over the dingy dock. We were good to go. Our tour guide, Keywell, in his usual pink shorts, was having his morning swim but when he saw us he sprinted off up the road to return a while later with a car and a driver (Anne Marie) with him more formally attired.

We had an entertaining day being driven around the island by these two young people, Keywell had no idea about anything and Anne-Marie turned out to be a student nurse and Keywell’s mother was her Godmother. She had been recruited at the last minute as Keywell had no car and needed help! Proper local enterprise.

Luckily we had done some research and had a list of places we wanted to visit and we rather made things up in between. We visited the Atlantic coast at Speyside and then roamed down the island via the Argyll waterfall, it had 14 levels and we managed to climb up about 6 of them, a garden full of hummingbirds which would land on your hand, lunch in a local restaurant, a visit to Fort King George in Scarborough and finally to Flagstaff Hill lookout above Chartlotteville for the sunset where we found Natasha, my new best friend, and her future husband.

Interestingly both Keywell and Anne Marie had never been to most of these places so when needed we paid their entry fees.

Speyside

Betsey’s Hope

Argyle Waterfall

Tobago Hummingbirds

We have the name of a place that had the hummingbirds but as we passed the park at the top of the hill, Keywell asked a ranger where it was and instead, he directed us to his house – for a fee of course – which he had set up for visitors. Then he had to go back and leave us to do his real job at the Park. The hummingbirds eat out of the feeders and the little pots if you put them on your hand – they wouldn’t go near Hew but then we found that his pot had no sugar water in it! The birds are cleverer than you think. they can see in the UV spectrum and apparently, the sugar water/nectar has a specific colour.

Parlatuvier Beach

We considered Parlatuvier Beach on the way up the coast. We could see there was space on the northern edge but we thought there would not be enough swing room for us and it was odd that all the fishing boats were on the south side even though the swell was from the north. Of course, there is always a reason. When we looked down on this beautiful beach from above the way it was formed caused all the swell to run down the northern side and not the southern side!! Also, the area free near the beach on the south side would have been too shallow. We were glad we had given it a miss.

Fort King George, Scarborough

Fort Cranby and Grounded Ships

While we were on the island there were 2 shipwrecks, one of which made international news. An unidentified ship/barge had washed up off Scarborough and was spilling oil everywhere. No one seemed to know where it had come from, what is was carrying, who owned it as it spilled oil from split tanks all over the coastline including a marine reserve. We were unable to get anywhere near it but there was a huge clean up going on as well as an investigation as who it belonged to..

Meanwhile just up the coast this barge had escaped its tow and ended up on the beach luckily it only seemed to be full of sand. It appeared they had a plan to unload it and float it off but it was a public holiday when we saw it so nothing was happening. Obviously not a great emergency as the tug was merely keeping the bowline tight.

Along the way we discovered that a newly qualified nurse could earn $TT 10,000 pa (NZD 2,500) but a job at the end of your training was not guaranteed. Keywell didn’t really have a job but was fixing up his boat because he could then get some casual work with ERIC, a local environmental organization. Anne-Marie was concerned that Keywell had passed himself as a professional guide, which he wasn’t but we already knew that. Keywell didn’t want a proper job as he could earn enough daily from tourists to only need to work one or two days a fortnight. Shall we say his aspirations were not high?

If your household income is below $TT 10,000 then education is free (this is about the average). The government employs about 45% of the population and unemployment runs about 20% so government jobs are well sought after. Many choose to work like Keywell and enterprise, which we found everywhere in Grenada, is largely missing as central government funds pretty much everything off the back of oil revenues.

Flagstaff Hill

Our final stop on the tour was Flagstaff Hill for a view of the sunset high above Charlotteville. While admiring the view we came across Barb’s new best friend the Customs lady and as we were informed, her future husband. Its a very small island.

Checkout

The following day, after another 2-hour endeavour with carbon paper and 6 sets of forms with largely the same information on each, we were good to go. I was glad to escape the bureaucracy and only to have to deal with the simple French system in Martinique 200 miles away.

Next blog: Relaxing in Martinique

Characharare Island

Getting away from the Chaguaramas inlet and out to the nearby islands was great. There are very few boats out at Characharare Island. Occasionally there is a tourist boat on the weekends but generally, there are only a couple of yachts. Peaceful day and night. Unfortunately, when you do go ashore at some of the favourite stops there is rubbish everywhere so the locals do not seem to treat the area with the respect it should have.

This blog is a photo essay of the beauty and peacefulness of the island which is good for the soul after the hustle, bustle, and noise of Chaguaramas.

The beaches in the area are all pebbles but the colours are beautiful, and the landscape around the bay has many areas of folded ground creating fascinating patterns.

Ruins

Characharare Island was established as a leper colony and then when the colony was shut down all the buildings were deserted. The buildings were once built very well. Now they are just shells, some of which are used by day trippers and rubbish is left everywhere. The ruins are still fascinating to explore and see how much construction was there at one time. There were several large buildings as part of a nunnery for the nurses and there were also two large houses for the doctors on the island, each in its own little bay. Here is some of the history if you are interested https://www.caribbeanmemoryproject.com/placememory-chacachacare.html

Birds

We enjoyed the many varieties of birds on the island and if we had stayed longer there we would have taken many more photos. At least we had a couple of days watching with fascination many different species. There is a website to help identify the local birds https://ttfnc.org/.

Sunset

On the final night on the island, we walked over to the other side of the island which faces to the west and Venezuela. The beach was sheltered and there was no one there. There were little birds chasing insects on the beach and the pelicans flying over the water. As the sun set there was a rig being towed out to sea. A beautiful and peaceful spot.

Friends

We met Mark & Marie this year and it is great to have friends to cruise with as they went to Characharare Is, Chaguaramas, and later Tobago and Martinique.

We needed to go back to Chaguaramas to check out before we headed to Tobago. they have very complicated procedures here and even though it is the same country you need to check out with customs and immigration – more paperwork. As we sailed up the channel it was back to civilisation. There are not only yachts here but all sorts of oil rig support ships, day and night they are visible.

One of the most enterprising of the cruisers has built a staircase to his yacht, put rocks around the water edge for a beach and advertised it on AirBnB as “A unit on the waterfront”. We wondered how many visitors he was getting.

We completed the required paperwork and then sailed down the channel past the naval yards and out to sea.

Next Blog: