24. Black sand, the scourge and treasure of Guatemala

Short News

Guatemala volcano eruption 2010 apparently began at approximately 7 PM local time on May 5.

The rain of black sand has reached a depth of approximately 10 centimeters (4 inches) in many areas near Pacaya volcanic, causing residents of at least four nearby villages to evacuate. The Pacaya volcano is approximately 6,000 feet in height above seawater.

The residents of Guatemala City have been shoveling black sand out of their driveways for days now. The city slowly returns to normal. After the deluge of tropical storm Agatha, the sun has returned and dry sand now floats in the air as fine dust.








Few realize this black sand has had a profound influence on the history of Guatemala as a maker of fortunes and misery, economic development and war. It has been a source of employment, taxes and wages but also of economic dependency, inequality and suffering. It is beauty and ugliness, past and future.

33 Volcanoes are lined up on the Pacific coast in Guatemala from Mexico to El Salvador.
They are the origin of the fertile coastal slopes and plains, which are covered in deep fertile soil of volcanic origin, produced be eruptions and erosion.

During the heyday of the Maya, the region was covered in dense jungle and , curiously , of no particular interest to the Maya. Rather, they populated the lowlands on the Atlantic side of Guatemala, Mexico and Honduras and the central highland regions.

The Spanish conquistadors also passed this fertile region by in their quest for gold and the dominance of the Maya. They should have looked closer to find the real treasure of this country!

With the advent of large scale export oriented farming, the volcanic soil became a source of great wealth for the planters of these commodities and the country. However, it also cemented feudal structures which kept a large contingent of cheap labor available for work on the plantations through legal or economic coercion.

COFFEE was introduced into Guatemala around 1750 and grew as an ornamental plant in the Jesuit gardens in Antigua Guatemala. By the beginning of the 19th century it had spread to many regions of Guatemala, especially the fertile slopes of the volcanoes on the Pacific side.
SUGAR came to Guatemala from the Caribbean in colonial times and is now the agricultural mainstay of Guatemala. It prospers in the black sand of Guatemala.
King COTTON prospered here fore some decades until it was driven out by rising cost, labor unrest and pesticide resistance. AFRICAN PALM and CATTLE succeeded cotton to thrive here.



BANANAS were cultivated on that soil by the United Fruit Company.This 1909 map published by the United Fruit Company shows the route of the IRCA, the International Railroad of Central America, owned by UFCO and one of the causes of the dispute with Guatemalan which led to a CIA-backed coup against the Guatemalan government.

Recently minerologists are looking at our black sand. The shining particles one sees when walking on the black beaches turned out to be gold, but extraction is , as yet, uneconomical.
Iron Sands Americas Ltd. is exploring the possibility of extracting iron from the black sand.
The titanomagnetite iron sands span the entire coastline, - the result of the volcanic residue that continues to be carried down by the river systems and deposited on the planes, beaches and into the ocean.




Black Sand incorporates the vitality of Guatemala, the possibility of a better future for many, of a better life for the poor.
Please help organizations like Ak´Tenamit, who are making a difference by educating poor youngsters to become leaders in their communities and turn black sand into well-being for many.

The Trans America ride
is a small effort to help transform the lives of poor Maya children. During my trip I will speak about the importance of educational projects like Ak Tenamit, and especially girl´s education, and its connection to illegal immigration in the United States.


YOU CAN PARTICIPATE IN THE TRANS AMERICA RIDE!!

The target of the ride is to raise $10.00 for each mile of the ride.

I you decide to support this ride, you may:

1. Buy miles: Buy one or more miles at $10.00 per mile. There are 3,500 miles to be sold.
2. Sponsor a local event when I am in your area (a ride, a barbecue) for a $200.00 minimum.
3. Become a Student Sponsor at Ak´Tenamit for $30.00 (one month) or $360.00 per year
4. Become a Health Care Partner for $10.00 or $120.00 per year.

All funds should end up in the GUATEMALA TOMORROW FUND in the United States.

If you would like to sponsor a child, become a Health Care partner or simply want to buy one of the 3500 miles of the ride , just go to http://guatfund.org/

Tick the box ¨Trans America ride¨and authorize a charge to your credit card.

If you prefer to not to use a credit card, just see Chapter 5 of this Blog on how to donate.

JEAN , THE RIDING DUTCHMAN

transamerica.tenamit@gmail.com

23. Sunday May 30, tropical storm Agatha

Here a recent image of the volcano Pacaya, located 20 miles from Guatemala City.
Clearly visible are the new craters that have opened up on the side of the volcano.

Tropical storm Agatha did more damage when it unleashed torrential rains on Saturday, 2 days after the eruption of the Pacaya.

At this moment thousands have been evacuated, and there are 17 confirmed deaths an 23 disappeared. The heavy rains completely saturated the earth which caused many landslides in the southern area, including the towns surrounding the capital. Bridges were torn away by swollen rivers. High waves hit the Pacific coast but subsided around midnight.

Many people, including my son, fled the proximity of the ocean for fear of flooding. They had to turn back when the roads leading away from the coast were blocked by landslides and they passed an anxious night on the beach. Today there is still no passage from the coast.

The good news was that Agatha suddenly turned away from Guatemala and moved towards Mexico, sparing the country another ordeal.

My wife and I drove to Antigua last night in the rain and found the road blocked in several places by trees that had been uprooted and landslides covering the road in debris. This morning traffic could resume and we are came home safely.




In Guatemala the main roads have been cleared, partly by the effort of government and citizens and partly by the deluge that sucked the sand into the storm drains. We´ll see what happens next.

My trip schedule is becoming critical. I had managed to get a reservation for Monday, because Continental assured us the airport would be reopened by noon. That scenario now becomes extremely unlikely and everybody now tries to get out via El Salvador. If I can get a flight for Tuesday, I still might make Chicago on time. I will know tomorrow morning and hope for the best!

22. Friday morning

Guatemala City is surrounded by volcanoes. Here is a view from our apartment window, on a clear day, of the Agua and Fuego volcanoes.
Below the Pacaya, which last night within a few hours spewed thousands of tons of lava sand on to Guatemala City.

Today, however, there is no view, clouds are drifting by our windows. The volcano is quiet again, and people are trying to clean up the sand, draining swimming pools, shoveling driveways.



The streets are still a mess, no sign of any cleanup in our area. Maybe the government will start cleaning up at night. Most people stay at home, traffic is light, schools are closed and businesses are empty.
The government has declared a state of emergency, army personnel is posted on the streets, brandishing machine guns. Villages close to the volcano have been evacuated. Reports on fatalities start coming in, fortunately there a only a few until now.
The extent of the damage is still not known.














This is the pool of our apartment building as it looked this morning.

The children in the building were the first to start cleaning up, later all joined in.


The pool must be drained completely and the sand scooped out. If not it will plug the drains completely.

















All flights out of Guatemala are canceled, presumably until next Monday or Tuesday. But I am not losing hope of flying out on time to meet my rotary appointments in the US.
We are checking the possibility to fly out of el Salvador.

This is another example of the problems that befall this country, together with earthquakes, civil wars, hurricanes, drug trade and violence. And it is the poor who usually lose everything.
That is why help is needed so much.

The Trans America ride is a small effort to change the lives of poor Maya children for the better. During my trip I will speak about the importance of educational projects like Ak Tenamit, and especially girl´s education, and its connection to illegal immigration in the United States.


YOU CAN PARTICIPATE IN THE TRANS AMERICA RIDE!!

The target of the ride is to raise $10.00 for each mile of the ride.

I you decide to support this ride, you may:

1. Buy miles: Buy one or more miles at $10.00 per mile. There are 3,500 miles to be sold.
2. Sponsor a local event when I am in your area (a ride, a barbecue) for a $200.00 minimum.
3. Become a Student Sponsor at Ak´Tenamit for $30.00 (one month) or $360.00 per year
4. Become a Health Care Partner for $10.00 or $120.00 per year.

All funds should end up in the GUATEMALA TOMORROW FUND in the United States.

If you would like to sponsor a child, become a Health Care partner or simply want to buy one of the 3500 miles of the ride , just go to http://guatfund.org/

Tick the box ¨Trans America ride¨and authorize a charge to your credit card.

If you prefer to not to use a credit card, just see Chapter 5 of this Blog on how to donate.

LIFE IS GREAT, ENJOY THE RIDE!
JEAN , THE RIDING DUTCHMAN

transamerica.tenamit@gmail.com

21. GUATEMALA AIRPORT CLOSED

Thursday 27, 8 hours before take-off

Since the Pacaya volcano became active this afternoon, the city of Guatemala is covered in coarse black volcano sand.

At this time it is about 1 cm thick and growing. It is coming down in the rain, so everything is wet and slippery. It is an impressive sight, even in the dark.
TV stations are reporting on the situation. No airplane can land or take off because the runways are slippery as if covered in soap. There is so much sand in the air that airplane turbines would be damaged flying through it.

Fourteen years ago the same thing happened. It took more than 3 days to clear the runways.
Continental airlines phone lines are congested. It is not clear when and how I can leave Guatemala.
The President is considering declaring a state of emergency.
Villages close to the volcano are isolated, and have probably suffered damage. No reports yet on human casualties. Pictures of cars damaged by falling rocks are on TV.

I will keep you posted.

Jean, the Riding Dutchman

20. UPDATE DAILY AND TOTAL MILEAGE

IT´S TIME TO RIDE

It is now 10 hours before my flight to Washington, through Houston.
Today I bought a filter kit and spark plugs for the bike. A BMW rider in Manassas kindly offered his garage for an oil change. The bag is packed, few clothes, lots of stuff needed for the ride, goggles, watertight bags, rain gear, tire repair kit, tools, etc.
Thanks to Bayer Alka-Selzer I am now equipped with a new BMW jacket, gloves and pants. so I will tell you all more about Alka-Selzer later on.
Here is a picture of my attire for the nex 6 weeks:
Tourance jacket and Schubert J-1 full face helmet for riding the highways at speed and for bad weather. When touring leisurely in hot weather, I ride in the Navajo vest.
I wear a silver Navajo bracelet with an engraving of the Rain God to keep the rain away. So far it has worked!

I expect my bike is allright. It is sitting in Self Storage Plus in Manassas and well taken care of by Jon and Jan. A recommendable facility, clean and well run. I will tour the Washington-Baltimore area for a few days, getting used to the road , break the bike in again and enjoying the east coast. On June 1, I will be on the road to Pittsburgh.

My itinerary has changed a lot. Instead of 3,500 miles, it is now over 5,500 miles, all the way to Los Angeles. I will leave the bike there and fly back home on July 6.

Below is an update of my itinerary. anytime something changes, I will post the change.

CITY	DATE		MILES
Flight to Washington - Manassas	May-28	fri	0
Manassas-Washington	May-29	sat	32
Washington	May-30	sun	50
Washington-Annapolis	May-31	mon	32
Annapolis - Pittsburgh	Jun-01	tue	264
Pittsburgh - Cleveland	Jun-02	wed	146
Cleveland - Chicago	Jun-03	thur	340
Chicago	Jun-04	fri	50
Chicago	Jun-05	sat	100
Chicago	Jun-06	sun	50
Chicago	Jun-07	mon	50
Chicago - Milwaukee	Jun-08	tue	93
Milwaukee	Jun-09	wed	50
Milwaukee - La Crosse	Jun-10	thur	211
La Crosse - Sioux Falls	Jun-11	fri	300
Sioux falls - Rapid City	Jun-12	sat	360
Rapid City - Keystone - Custer	Jun-13	sun	100
Rushmore	Jun-14	mon	50
Sturgis	Jun-15	tue	50
Custer - Devil´s Tower - Buffalo	Jun-16	wed	249
Buffalo - Cody	Jun-17	thur	183
Cody - Mammoth	Jun-18	fri	167
Yellowstone	Jun-19	sat	100
Mammoth - Butte	Jun-20	sun	168
Butte, Spokane	Jun-21	mon	315
Spokane	Jun-22	tue	50
Spokane - Seattle	Jun-23	wed	280
Seattle	Jun-24	thur	50
Seattle	Jun-25	fri	50
Seattle-Eugene	Jun-26	sat	283
Eugene-Redding	Jun-27	sun	315
Redding-Napa	Jun-28	mon	190
Napa-Groveland Big Oak flat	Jun-29	tue	151
Yosemite	Jun-30	wed	272
Yosemite-Visalia	Jul-01	thur	158
Visalia-Sequoia Natl Forest	Jul-02	fri	150
Kernville- Santa Monica	Jul-03	sat	165
Los Angeles	Jul-04	sun	50
Los Angeles	Jul-05	mon	50
Flight to Guatemala	Jul-06	tue
Total mileage 5610 LATEST NEWS THIS AFTERNOON THE PACAYA VOLCANO BLEW UP. THE EARTH SHOOK AND ASH IS COVERING THE RUNWAY OF GUATEMALA CITY AIRPORT. IT IS NOT CLEAR IF TOMORROW AIRPLANES CAN TAKE OFF. I WILL KEEP YOU POSTED.

18. The Great Pacific Garbage Patch

Outdoors sports are a wonderful way to enjoy the beauty of nature. Whether riding a motorbike or sailing on the ocean, we gain respect and love for our fragile planet.

I was shocked when I first heard about THE GREAT PACIFIC GARBAGE PATCH and now finally somebody is doing something about it.

New York Times
After nearly four years of development, eco-adventurer David de Rothschild has launched his most ambitious expedition yet. The Plastiki, an innovative catamaran made from 12,000 post-consumer plastic bottles, is sailing a 100-day voyage from San Francisco to Sydney. Their mission is to witness some of the most devastating waste accumulation on our planet, including the Great Pacific Garbage Patch.
Taking inspiration from Thor Heyerdal's 1947 Kon-tiki expedition, the Plastiki's crew includes of David de Rothschild, accomplished skipper Jo Royle, and Olav Heyerdahl, Thor's grandson.
Follow their blog at http://edition.cnn.com/SPECIALS/plastiki/.

Its two hulls are also ringed by about 12,000 whole and highly pressurized two-liter bottles, some with their labels still clinging to their sides. It may be the only boat in the world that you could redeem at your local deli.

Power is provided by a small array of solar panels and windmills, and exercise is provided by a stationary bike. Asked how he and his five-member crew might entertain themselves for the planned three-month journey, Mr. de Rothschild said, “sunbathing.” (He later added chess, dominos and, yes, live blogging.)

The Great Pacific Garbage Patch, also described as the Pacific Trash Vortex, extends over a very wide area, with estimates ranging from an area the size of the state of Texas to one larger than the continental United States.

The Patch is characterized by exceptionally high concentrations of pelagic plastic, chemical sludge and other debris, that have been trapped by the currents of the North Pacific.

Despite its size and density, the patch is not visible from satellite photography. Since plastics break down to ever smaller polymers, concentrations of submerged particles are not visible from space, nor do they appear as a continuous debris field. Instead, the patch is defined as an area in which the mass of plastic debris in the upper water column is significantly higher than average.

WHAT ARE WE DOING TO OUR PLANET??

JEAN, THE RIDING DUTCHMAN

19. A ride to Copan, Honduras

After having rested from the sailing trip to Cuba, I rode to Copán in Honduras with some friends from Guatemala.

We were 2 BMW F650 Dakar, 2 Bombardier Can-Am trikes and my Harley Fat Boy.
The BMW´s were very fast and agile, made for this kind of road. Personally I prefer a bike because one cannot lay a trike into the turns, but they hold up very well on straight roads. Of course, one must be careful to avoid potholes, which is more difficult on three wheels.

Copán is an archaeological site of the Maya civilization in western Honduras, not far from the border with Guatemala. It was the capital city of a major kingdom from the 5th to 9th centuries AD. It was inhabited more than two thousand years, and developed a distinctive sculptural style, perhaps to emphasize the Maya ethnicity of the city's rulers.

The city suffered a major political disaster in AD 738 when Uaxaclajuun one of the greatest kings in Copán's dynastic history, was captured and executed by his former vassal, the king of Quirigua, another wortwhile Maya site in Guatemala.

We stayed at one of the colonial hotels in Copán Ruinas, a quaint village with cobblestone streets, lots of little shops, bars and a transient population of foreigners who come here to see the famous Maya ruins.

After a visit to the ruins we enjoyed the amenities of the Hotel Marina and went for an early dinner at one of the local restaurants that cater to the tourist trade. Excellent food for reasonable prices. We were even treated to an impromptu street concert by a local band.

On Sunday we rode back along the road to Ipala and stopped for a glass of natural fruit juice at one of the roadside stands. Great stuff!!

After 6 hours on the road we reached Guatemala City. It was a hot ride with temperatures in the 100´s, co I could test the ventilation of my new BMW motor jacket. It will hold up well on the .........TRANS AMERICA RIDE!!

The target of the ride is to raise $10.00 for each mile of the ride, which would make a total of around $35,000.00

I you decide to support this ride, you may:

1. Buy miles: Buy one or more miles at $10.00 per mile. There are 3,500 miles to be sold.
2. Sponsor a local event when I am in your area (a ride, a barbecue) for a $200.00 minimum.
3. Become a Student Sponsor at Ak´Tenamit for $30.00 (one month) or $360.00 per year
4. Become a Health Care Partner for $10.00 or $120.00 per year.

All funds should end up in the GUATEMALA TOMORROW FUND in the United States.

If you would like to sponsor a child, become a Health Care partner or simply want to buy one of the 3500 miles of the ride , just go to http://guatfund.org/

tick the box ¨Trans America ride¨and authorize a charge to your credit card.

If you prefer to not to use a credit card, just see Chapter 5 of this Blog on how to donate.

LIFE IS GREAT, ENJOY THE RIDE!
JEAN , THE RIDING DUTCHMAN

transamerica.tenamit@gmail.com

17. Hemingway and Islands in the Stream

Cuba is the largest country by land area in the Caribbean. . It is bordered on the north by the Straits of Florida, and to the west, it reaches to theYucatan channel.
The famous Gulf Stream runs roughly northeast from the Gulf of Mexico (hence the name) at a steady 2.5 knots. In the Yucatan Channel the current can reach 5 knots flowing North.

These areas are formidable challenges for boats when the wind blows in the wrong direction, that is, against the current, building up high steeps waves or a big swell.

However, these waters also attract many deep sea fishermen, the most famous of all, Ernest Hemingway, who bought a house in San Francisco de Paula, near Havana, to be near the Gulf Stream and the great marlin.

Picture: Hemingway and a black marlin on the dock at Bimini.

Yachting Magazine

¨Thus Hemingway led us onto the waters (and to the mountains and streams as well). We went to sea to test ourselves in the wild, whether it was harnessing the wind for propulsion or trolling for great pelagics.
All boating, at all levels, I am convinced, is driven by our desire to reconnect with nature and its wildness, to live "the strenuous life," if only on weekends. And like "Papa," we saw no harm in celebrating this primal connection at the end of the day with bottles of beer and strong spirits. ¨

Here my kids show off a Pacific sailfish they caught off Guatemala.



The Cuban Revolution occurred in 1959; a clinically depressed Hemingway blew his brains out in Idaho in July 1961. His widow left Pilar to Gregorio Fuentes, Hemingway's beloved Cuban captain. Fuentes, turned Pilar over to the new Cuban government of Fidel Castro, then lived out his life in CojÌmar—Pilar's Cuban homeport—until he died in 2002 at 104 years of age.




Original plans and specs of Pilar 1934 , as required by Hemingway (from Bob)

One 38-foot twin cabin Playmate cruiser, one Chrysler Crown reduction gear engine, and trolling motor, complete as per catalogue.

Gas tanks to be four 75-gallon galv., two copper lined fish boxes to be built in the after deck. Sheer for approximately 10' from the transom to be lowered about 12". A live fishwell to be installed in boat with proper valves for filling and emptying. A settee to be built on portside similar to one now on the starboard side. Hull to be painted black. A 4-cylinder Lycoming straight drive engine to be installed for trolling purposes., this motor to be installed as a unit entirely independent of main power plant, and all controls and instruments are to be at steering position.

Islands in the Stream, by Ernest Hemingway
As a sailor, I love this book and regularly read parts of it. The manuscript was found after Hemingway´s death and publisher by his wife Mary Welsh. The cover shows a marine chart of the area from Bimini to Cuba, where Hemingway used to hunt the great marlin.

The first act, "Bimini", begins with an introduction to the character of Thomas Hudson, a classic Hemingway stoic male figure. Hudson is a renowned American painter who finds tranquility on the island of Bimini, in the Bahamas, a far cry from his usual adventurous lifestyle. Hudson’s strict routine of work is interrupted when his three sons arrive for the summer and is the setting for most of the act. Great description of a fistfight on the dock of Bimini and the shooting of a hammerhead shark that threatens Hudson´s son

"Cuba" takes place soon thereafter during the second World War, where we are introduced to an older and more distant Hudson who has just received news of his oldest (and last) son’s death in the war,who spends his days on the island drinking heavily and doing naval reconnaissance for the US Army. Memorable scenes in Havana´s watering holes, presumably Floridita and the Bodeguita del medio and Finca Vigia.

"At Sea", the final act, ends leaving the reader to assume Hudson dies after being wounded in a shoot out with German sailors whose U-boat was presumably sunk in the Gulf Stream. We sailed by Cayo Paraiso where Hemingway used to stage his trips, read a great description of the Cuban cayes and their reefs and the hunt of the submarine crew.

TRANS AMERICA RIDE!!

The target of the ride is to raise $10.00 for each mile of the ride, which would make a total of around $35,000.00

I you decide to support this ride, you may:

1. Buy miles: Buy one or more miles at $10.00 per mile. There are 3,500 miles to be sold.
2. Sponsor a local event when I am in your area (a ride, a barbecue) for a $200.00 minimum.
3. Become a Student Sponsor at Ak´Tenamit for $30.00 (one month) or $360.00 per year
4. Become a Health Care Partner for $10.00 or $120.00 per year.

All funds should end up in the GUATEMALA TOMORROW FUND in the United States.

If you would like to sponsor a child, become a Health Care partner or simply want to buy one of the 3500 miles of the ride , just go to http://guatfund.org/

tick the box ¨Trans America ride¨and authorize a charge to your credit card.

If you prefer to not to use a credit card, just see Chapter 5 of this Blog on how to donate.

LIFE IS GREAT, ENJOY THE RIDE!
JEAN , THE RIDING DUTCHMAN

transamerica.tenamit@gmail.com

16. Made it back from Cuba!

Yes, it turned out to be a long trip! And to a different destination!

The plan was to sail Caracola, a BELIZE 43 catamaran to Cienfuegos, Cuba but we ended up in Havana instead.
The crew: CAPTAIN and owner Mario, CHIEF ENGINEER, sail trimmer and deck ape Jorge, and myself as NAVIGATOR, winch grinder, deck ape and cook.

We left the Rio Dulce in Guatemala on Wednesday, April 14, in very light winds and sailed to the Belizean Cayes to spend the night at anchor in West Snake Caye, a small mangrove island with a lovely beach. Next day on to South Water Caye, another little paradise reached by weaving our way through coral reefs of 5-10 feet depth!
The third day saw us at sea, battling an Northeast wind that made it impossible to head East towards Cienfuegos. After a storm at night brought 40 knot winds and obliged us to run off under bare poles towards the North, we decided to make for Havana instead, and headed North along Belize and Mexico towards the Yucatan straits.

Winds were light and our progress slow. We kept 100 miles offshore, hoping to catch the Nortward Yucatan current to propel us to Cabo San Antonio. The weather was great, we caught bonito and barracuda, which were promptly transformed into delicious ceviche or deepfried for dinner.






This is the business end of the Great Barracuda.
Not to be trifled with!



Here is Jorge, making short work of a barracuda at night, and the skipper taking five on a calm afternoon.


Sadly, every day we were visited by land birds, that perched, exhausted, on the boat, refused food and drink and huddled together to die in the night.
Only one, a beautiful egret left us winging towards Mexico after two days rest.

Finally, at daybreak on the 19th we saw the first hazy image of land on the horizon. Cuba at last! We stood north until at 2pm we entered the Traffic Separation Zone, 6 miles West of Cabo San Antonio. Sailing over the reef in 10 to 15 depths, we admired the turquoise water and blinding white sand patches in the reef below. While staying half a mile off the coast, we rounded the Cape and anchored at the marina at El Cajon, under the Cuban courtesy flag and our Q flag. We were not allowed to land until the next day and decided to continue for Havana instead of waiting for the officials to arrive.

A 20 foot cat rigged schooner COCOMAL came rowing towards us and offered to trade Cuban money for Dollars. The owner and a young female crewmember were on a ¨voyage of indefinite duration¨. handling their tiny sails adroitly and sailing off to cross the Yucatan strait towards isla Mujeres. We hoped they made it safely, as that night in the Gulf stream we got caught by Northeast wind of 20-25 knots which whipped the waves into a frenzy.
We knew it is not recommendable to be out in the North flowing Gulf stream with the winds against the waves, but we were committed and could not enter the reef in those conditions.
So we slugged it out for 2 nights and three days, until in the night of April 21, around 4 am, we were hailed by a Cuban patrol boat. It circled us in the night, a menacing square shadow without navigation lights, and demanded to know our particulars.

Our explanations seemed sufficient and we were allowed to proceed.
On Thursday April 22, our ninth day at sea, we sighted the skyline of Havana and headed for the sea-buoy of Marina Hemingway, 6 miles west of the city.
The entrance through the reef was easy in good light and soon we were handing refreshments to the port captain, medical doctor, agricultural inspection and customs officials in our spacious cockpit. The atmosphere was cordial, forms were filled out, jokes were exchanges and soon we were on our way to berth 213. There, friendly Cubans offered their services for laundry,a very welcome service, city tours and the like.
We headed inmediately for the Pizza Nova restaurant in the marina for a first Bucanero beer and a great pizza.
An official informed us how to get to the city and that evening we strolled through Old Havana, taking in the sounds,smells and music of this wonderful city.
The obligatory Daiquiri at Hemingway´s hangout, FLORIDITA, sharpened our appetite and we had great salmon and tuna in a waterfront restaurant overlooking Havana harbour.

Two days of sightseeing followed, the Morro castle, the Naval Museum showing original bullion from the Spanish galleons and nautical objects, a visit to Playas del Este, the great beaches close to Havana, Hemingway´s completely intact home in Finca Vigía, his boat Pilar, a visit to the little port of Cojimar, backdrop for The Old Man and the Sea, and more of Old Havana and its wonderfully restored buildings around the Plaza de Armas and Plaza Vieja.





















Our dinners were memorable, invited to private homes and dining with Cuban families .
This one was a type of snapper,¨pez perro¨a delicacy well prepared by the lady of the house.
We had caught and eaten a snapper off Cabo San Antonio. It was was delicious, but this one beat it easily.



Were we are in one of the nice spots in Havana: the Club Habana, formerly one of the prestigious yacht clubs here. We enjoyed the cold, cold beer in their bar and hoped our Rio Dulce Yacht Club will be just as nice someday.
Here the three intrepid sailors pose on the steps of the Club Habana.





On our last day, we met friends from Guatemala who were delivering a power cat to Guatemala. They were bound for Isla Mujeres, then to head down the Mexican coast towards Belize. We hoped to see them at sea, but didn´t.

A few remarks about this wonderful and tragic country Cuba:
It hurts to see a friendly, well educated people that lacks the most minimal freedom to express themselves, to work for a profit to secure the future of their family, to travel or even to accept a present from a well meaning foreigner without casting a furtive glance around themselves.
What can be the future of a country, where the official wages are not more than US$30.00 per month and almost everybody is obliged to hunt for food and bare necessities, even steal, to survive, while government officials and well connected insiders wheel and deal in millions inside and outside Cuba, grab prime real estate for free, and use state resources as if they would own them. We heard that recently a big shot in the airline was caught chartering out Cuban planes who supposedly were grounded for repairs at foreign airports.
We pray that soon Cubans will have the freedom to choose their own destiny!

On Monday 26. we said our goodbyes and sailed Southwest on a fresh Northeaster which took us to Cabo San Antonio in two days. we saw a few freighters in the night and a French sailboat, reefed down completely, on its way to key Largo, Florida, beating into the Northeast wind. We spoke in French, glad to hear a human voice. we were told the wind would remain in the Northeast to East, a good forecast for the run South.
However, in Cabo San Antonio, things changed. After heading South through the Yucatan channel under wing-and-wing, the wind turned into the Southeast and started churning up confused waves on a large swell. Wind speed increased to 35 knots and stayed there for the next three days.

The swell built until we were seeing 15 and sometimes 20 foot waves, with crests breaking into green water. Our boat was pounded incessantly and waves boarded us every few seconds. Clipped into our harnesses and getting soaked by green water, we put a third reef in the main and reduced the jib to almost nothing, trying to slow the boat to 6-7 knots. Every 7 to 8 seconds, we climbed up steep waves and surfed down the back, hoping not to broach. There was no dry spot in the boat, nor in our bunks, nor on our body. Food was reduced to cereals because cooking was impossible, as was sleeping.

Finally we slipped behind the protection of the Chinchorro bank in Mexico, sailing in calmer waters for a few hours and then got clobbered again by even higher waves, all the way to Belize. Some waves hit us broadside to the extent that we worried about capsizing.
On Friday, April 30, at dawn we found the lee of the Turneffe islands, after a difficult night time run before impressive waves and sailed into the main shipping channel to hide behind Middle Long Caye. There we made repairs, dried out and celebrated our good fortune with Cuban rum and cooked food.

Here is a happy camper on the turquoise waters of Belize.

The next day, rested, we sailed in flat water on a sizzling beam reach to the Southwest, past Dandriga, Placencia, and the Snake Cayes to reach Punta Manabique in Guatemala at 10 pm. There we heard by phone that during our ordeal at sea, the Mexican ports had been closed and an ocean regatta canceled because of the inclement weather. Our Guatemalan friend had to leave their boat in Isla Mujeres and fly home.

I suppose we had been lucky again!!


The last leg was a leisurely sail to Livingstone, an easy clearance into Guatemala and a autopilot trip up the Golfete, while the crew was dozing in the shade of the spinnaker.



We arrived at 5 pm on Sunday May 2, happy and tired after having sailed a total of 1400 nm or 2590 km in 16 days at sea. The boat was great, lots of space and comfort and sailed very well.
My thanks to Mario and Jorge,a great team.



The video below is titled DAWN IN THE YUCATAN CHANNEL., the finest hour of the day, despite the action.