Caribbean Log
Venezuela
We only intended to hang out at a few of the outer islands, but a french guy the night we splashed
convinced us how nice it is here so... The average american runs scared with all the pirate attacks here
and I confess we were worried as well. So far we visited two islands and a marina on the mainland with
no problems at all. The outer islands have many varieties of birds including eagles, parrots, sea birds,
etc. They also have very thorny cactus that makes hiking nearly impossible. The mainland is great for
groceries, some boat projects, not too much in the way of boat parts here, cheap labor, and cheap
eating out. Then again they say it is not safe to walk around parts of the town by day let alone by night
so beware. We have done lots of walking and exploring looking for hole in the wall marine shops that
never have the part you are looking for. Certainly you can't beat fuel for 50 cents a gallon!
After leaving the mainland we went to Tortuga, Los Roques, and the Aves groups. Many have rolly or
exposed anchorages, but are worth exploring. If the rains are on like this year (way above average
rainfall) then be prepared for major mosquitoes and sand flies! There are pink flamingos and baby
boobies as well as baby pelicans in Los Roques and all on one island that you need to dingy 2 miles to
get to. It is restricted for anchoring, but fine for dingy exploration.
Bonaire "The Divers Paradise"
OK that is what the licence plates say on the cars here. I admit the diving is ok for the caribbean, but
sadly far short of what the marketing description says... Here like most of the caribbean the evil lion fish
has invaded and soon this will lead to serious problems. They have a plan to kill them, but so far it is not
working that great. Hopefully they get their act together soon. If you want to have fun hit town when
there are two cruise ships around and go wild:)
I must admit new year's eve was bordering on amazing/scary. They sell all kinds of fireworks here and
you can buy happiness in a big box. Just add alcohol and a match for an amazing show. Imagine
continuous explosions of color for a good mile or two either side of the boat lasting for a couple of hours!
Also imagine the rain of debris left on the deck the next morning! The booms are so loud that you are
able to hear them while night diving! Yes we did a night dive, followed by a great meal, and an awesome
crazy firework show. How can you go wrong?
San Blas Islands (Panama)
These are nice little islands as long as you are not into diving. Now of course someone in a dugout or
motor boat will annoy you at least daily trying to sell you Molas or other stuff you don't need, but heck
they are trying to make a living. The snorkeling in some places was OK and the few dives we did were
shallow and not that exciting. Still the little islands are nice to see. On to Colon and the canal now.
Only later do we realize how sharp and crooked the Kuna indians are! The 15 bucks a piece we paid for
visas in the San Blas are not valid for panama! So for 10 bucks each we now have panama visas. Oh
and the cruising permit for 6 months is only for the san blas so another 200 for a panama cruising permit.
And the various islands also charge beach fees and anchoring fees and ... Pretty shrewd suckers so
expect to be fleeced.