Layover in Nicaragua
24th June, 2008
With a crewmember sick we decided to pull into Marina Puesta Del Sol in Nicaragua so that she could see a doctor. The marina is nestled into the mangroves in a sheltered lagoon with the tallest mountain of the country on the horizon. It’s protected from the elements of the sea but not the mosquitoes. Considering the color scheme at sea is a broad range of blues the lush greenery of the coconut palms and mango trees was a bit of tropical paradise. We pulled into this sleepy marina and Celia immediately sought out a doctor. As she left with Captain Homer the rest of us washed the boat and got to talking with some of the other cruisers. Turns out Celia had an incredibly painful ruptured eardrum- luckily one of the cruisers was a nurse and she was able to ease Celia’s worries about the prescribed shot she came back from the doctor’s with.
Thanks again John and Lela! We decided to wait her pain out- doctor’s orders! This beautiful country and its incredibly kind people have left a lasting impression on us all. From Jake showing some local kids the world map and explaining, in broken Spanish, what the voyage was all about to Ruth, the gracious receptionist that took an affinity to us all and can’t wait for our return one day. Nicaragua was an incredible place to be stuck for 2 days. Waking up and hearing the roosters crowing, the birds singing and crickets chirping, hearing the homes of the local fishermen waking up with the fresh smell of tortillas and fried plantains; I think we will all come back here one day. With smiles and gratitude we left Nicaragua. Should be 4 days to Panama now…..no more layovers, we have a schedule to keep!
Muchos gracias Nicaragua….
Hannah Huntley
2041 cook
Sounds like a flashy sports car but no…it was the sudden arrival of a tropical depression that caused our true wind to increase by nearly 30 knots in a matter of seconds. We crossed the Mexico/Guatemala border today and it was another oppressively hot day out at sea. So calm that you could see turtle shells polka-dotting the ocean as far the eye can see. No clouds above just the brewing weather front developing closer to shore. As the sun began to set and my dinner making duties were calling, all our hopes for a sushi dinner were set aside for tomorrow as we have not caught fish since Acapulco. I went into the galley where the heat is stagnant- no ocean breeze down there- and I started making pizza. As soon as the pizzas were put into the oven I heard the rest of the crew scrambling around on deck chattering like kids in a candy store. I went to see what the fuss was and their hair was flying in the wind and the waves were crashing over the bow. Wind in the hair and the waves splashing our faces…sounds cliché but we were giddy. Having goosebumps after days of a perpetual sweat shine was a very welcome feeling!
