tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4275391463530405122024-03-14T03:17:59.952+01:00AlbertoBonviBlogAUSTRALIA
INDONESIA
NEW ZEALAND
USA
MALAYSIA
THAILANDIA
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VIETNAM
CAMBODIA
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MAROCCO
PORTUGAL
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ITALYAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05886987642222702171noreply@blogger.comBlogger206125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-427539146353040512.post-18688842967698950912017-03-25T11:21:00.000+01:002017-03-25T11:21:03.910+01:00Back to Backpacking NZ without a program<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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After spending a couple of weeks preparing the Catamaran to be pulled out of the water we contacted some of our traveller friends that magically appears in NZ. </div>
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Been out of the boat with all our luggage to carry was quite a shock, also not having a program for the day was definitely weird. However, every trip is like no other. Every action we take makes things goes in a way that we can only guess what is going to bring to us.</div>
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After more than ten thousand nautical miles, and years spent playing rugby, we finally are on the All Black's land. A place of incredible beauty and wellness. Stunning landscapes, nice people and ancien culture melt together creating a perfect habitat. </div>
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First we decided to spend a bit of time with Julia and Jason friends since Perth's adventures in 2009, as i remembered they are lots of fun. They took us arround and made our stay more than special. We party, we walked, we have been eating and party again we also ended up to a massive party were we had to wear masks and ended up watching the final match of the rugby world cup where New Zealand defited Australia and won the World title...we also ended up jumping naked from a wooden pier in Town, but that is just a little feature we add to a trip when everything its so perfect. </div>
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Of course i haven't talked about surfing yet because that was our third and last step in NZ. As soon as we could we rented a van and we reached our friend Grillo in Raglan where we started straight away to hit the road and the waves. Conditions started easy but fun until we reached the Taranaki region where thanks to Grillo we spotted some of the most amazing waves i've ever seen. Being back on the road was fun and kind of special and Grillo was the perfect guide through our first emotions on the surf after Polinesia and Fiji. </div>
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We ended up finding waves also where they were not suppose to be, discovering places of incredible beaty, surfing on a point far a way from anything in the middle of the country with cold wind, blue sky and amazing volcano in front of us. Scoring barrel after barrels somewhere in Taranaki. We couldn't ask more from those weeks spent together, definitely a place to visit again. </div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05886987642222702171noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-427539146353040512.post-84006029120399991782017-03-24T09:24:00.000+01:002017-03-24T09:24:10.954+01:00The Storm-riders and the Promised Land<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Taking off with one month of advance on the cyclone season was a breaking heart decision considering how beautiful the Fiji island are, however the show must go on. Maybe the excitement or the good weather windows we will never know what made us leave without filling the water tanks, and karma punished us immediatlely. </div>
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As soon as we left behind cloudbrake's pass and the reef couldn't protect us anymore, the power of the ocean concentrate a lot of his energy onto Lazy Jack. </div>
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It took us one week to see land again: On entire week without water maker that blew up 2 hours after our departure and 3 of the 4 member of the crew were practically forced to bed due to sea sickness. </div>
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Alice the hero of the final bit, the only one to survive the storm without any problem. We knew it was going to be a final hard bit but obviously unless you are not use to sail in storm, 35 to 40 knots of opposite wind and giant waves right on the boat's nose are always quiet an experience.</div>
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No one around, 1 kg of smoked salmon on bread and not a single shower later, we finally could see Bay of Island. </div>
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On a sunny afternoon, sitting on a boe on the outside deck, looking at land coming closer and closer., there was not better feeling, kind of a thousand flash back of all the adventures of the past year and absolutely not regrets. </div>
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We might had sometimes the feeling that there were places we could do more or know better, but at the end of the day it was never our show. And as i like to think: "we have to move on to make space for next adventure".</div>
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Anyway that moment, for the very first time in a year wearing an heavy weather jacket, shoes and long pants will be forever kinda special. </div>
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Committed to a passage, new to this kind of world, and with the only goal to make it back to the Southern Ocean till the land that for some reason make me feel more at home excepts than when i am with my family and friends.</div>
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A straight line of everyday signs and success that could leave no doubt even to the most skeptical. After seen LJ pulled out of the water and The Capitan with sweet Mme Nicole quite emotional on our last dinner together before to say goodbye, we all new that was a moment will stick into our memories for long time. </div>
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And it was just a matter of moment, switching from a cabin crew with two single bed dwarf size to a king bed of the best hotel in town. </div>
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That was it. </div>
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The end of something that for some reason will never really end.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05886987642222702171noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-427539146353040512.post-21298466471203350292016-03-24T08:59:00.001+01:002016-05-10T02:06:42.896+02:00Fifty Shade of Fidji<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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When the wind starts
blowing early in the morning, it's always chilly if you're the one
pulling the anchor outside. Anyway the feeling of freedom when the
boat is moving and the sun is taking his place in the sky is
priceless.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
The forecasts predicted
smooth and easy wind for three days before to see land again. Believe
it or not, eventually, after a few rough passages, we had one of the
quietest crossing ever. The sea was smooth, the wind just strong
enough to keep LJ pursuing softly his way and everybody was happy on
board. I also had three marlin on the line, but none of them on
board. I never saw such a fast and strong fish in my life!</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
Anyway a few Tunas and a
Wahoo gave us food and fun for some days. We made the entering
clearance in Suva, the vibrant capital city of Fiji. Local
authorities, a bunch of young students I would say by their age, came
on board to make all the immigration paperwork and check the boat.
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
They immediately
introduced us in the world of “BULA!”. As soon as we could, we
headed to the second biggest city of Fiji, Nadi. After months in the
Pacific islands, landing at Port Denarau Marina was like coming from
the Salar de Uyuni straight to Manhattan, with no stopovers. A
proper, well equipped and modern marina, full of shining restaurants,
pubs, expensive boutiques, shops and 1 dollar buses to town.
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
Alice finally enjoys a
decent internet connection, but at the same time starts missing the
isolated Pacific islands because over there, at least, there was
nothing to buy and therefore she couldn't feel a real need of buying
something. In the shopping-magnet Port Denarau you can really
perceive how our system creates needs that in reality we don't need
at all!
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
I think I lost myself in
my words, so I can't even imagine you! Anyway, the thing is that if
you live with basic needs and you can satisfy them, you'll be easily
happy and satisfied. The more needs you think you have, the more
difficult is to reach satisfaction and happiness.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
Island by island beach
after beach after beach, Fiji are absolutely stunning. The people and
the sea are still surprising us.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
The eyes of the people
are just shining stars in the forest. IT can happen that in only one
day you swing from swimming with mantas, to be invited for a cooking
lesson (how to make biscuit without a kitchen), be pleased to have
the Sevusevu with the king of the village, and why not a rugby match
while the sun is setting himself on the horizon. I almost forgot that
before the mach some of the guys I was playing with they come back
from a hunting session with a few wild goats and the y ask me to
carry one holding it from the horns. Let's to it.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
Navigation can be
complicate so if you are planning to be around with your own boat,
just read charts properly and make sure to be here during the Regatta
where all kind of boats are prepare to show their costume and
drinking skills.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
Here everyone can find a
place, from the superyacth to the kayak, the are hundereds of magic
corner where to drop the ancore and explore.
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
The ocean is also showing
some of the best wave in the world. The southern of the Mamanuca
island, are home of probably some of the finest quality lefthanded in
the Pacific. Off Tavarua island you can find the world series
Cloudbreak wich will makes you proud even when it's only 3ft hight,
but don't forget to check around Namotu Is...perfection is just an
everyday habits on this part of the world. Unfortunately if you don't
have your own boat it can be expensive to reach those places however
check out for some deal from Malolo Island. Most of the packages are
from beachcomber witch is the drunk backpackers island.
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
30 knots of wind, water
tanks nearly empty and we take the only good weather window. After
more than a month and dozen of amazing experiences we are “Off to
New Zealand”.
</div>
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05886987642222702171noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-427539146353040512.post-11199540168433641072015-10-15T23:37:00.000+02:002015-10-15T23:37:52.761+02:00Kingdom Of Tonga Sailing and Cooking<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<br />
<br />
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
KINGDOM OF TONGA
</div>
<br />
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
“where extraordinary
days just happen”</div>
<br />
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
I'd love to the describe
a great arriving at the Vava' u group of Tonga, but after an other
challenging crossing from Niue, we just arrived in the first
sheltered bay of the island and dropped the anchor in the complete
darkness. We obviously trusted our electronic devices and the very
useful tips of Ken Hellewell and his cruising guide “Kingdom of
Tonga”, however the feeling to anchor seeing nothing around was
quite awkward. Our stomachs were still rolled over and after a hot
soup I just remember I crushed on my bed with Alice's arm over my
chest.</div>
<br />
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
We can consider the next
day as the real arrival, with a weird sound waking us up. You know,
we are used to hear dogs, chickens, birds, wind, waves and any other
kind of noise around us. But waking up with a whale song, that was
special. I haven't said anything for minutes, staring at the sunrise
over my window just listening, and trust me when I tell you there are
not so many things that can keep an Italian with his mouth shut.
</div>
<br />
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
I mean, am I really
experiencing this? I am the kind of guy who grew up watching
animations on TV and falling asleep at night during documentaries.
But then a few times when I was a kid I tried to kick a ball over a
three football field distance or jump higher than a car and it never
worked. Somehow now, little things from that boring night show of
Piero Angela, such as wild animals from the blue ocean, birds with
blue foot and any kind of landscape I could possibly imagine, are
real. They are around every day, not just a memory or something just
saw on TV. Whales are waking us up on our first day of Tonga Islands
and one more time I ask to my self:
</div>
<br />
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
“So what comes next
today?”</div>
<br />
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
I have very hard time to
understand what the Real Life is. Especially when someone warned me
about how hard it will be to be back at “the real one”. When I
take a look at these blogs, at the number of great experiences shared
with lots of amazing people, I end up to consider even meeting with
an old friend for a pizza in my home town as a special event.
Probably the secret of life is really to shift our life from what we
think is the right thing based on someone else experiences<span lang="en-GB">,</span>
not be scare and live our journey. Learning from our own needs,
without ever forgetting where we come from and trying to understand
who we are and who we will be.
</div>
<br />
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
So I thank the very few
who could cope with my philosophical moments and keep going to read
this text but these whales touch me deeply.</div>
<br />
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
The first day it was just
the gate or better “The Pass” for a new world. These islands are
the final stop for the Humpbacks whales. The real destination after
thousands of miles of cold and deep ocean. Here 3000 of them come
every year to swim into a crystal blue and warm water. Perfect place
to rise a little calf, to scratch some shells from their belly and
play with the few lucky people who decide to swim with them. As Alice
always says “If I were a whale, I would also like to come here!”.
This is one of the only place on earth where journalists, biologists,
photographers and enthusiastic whales lovers come to find their
perfect shot. Whale-watching is definitely the main attraction and
laws, like in Niue, are very strict to avoid people go swimming with
big mama and her calf independently, without paying the standard
250/300 Pangai Dollars (local money 150euro) for the local tours.</div>
<br />
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
If you ask me: “Are the
tours worth?” I'd definitely say: YES!!!!
</div>
<br />
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
And if you ask me if the
laws kept me far from the water every time I've seen a whale around:
“Hum, well that's all another story!”</div>
<br />
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
I am far from being the
bad guy who brakes the law just like nothing. However there are
situations when you have to ask yourself: how much do you want it?
</div>
<br />
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Tonga islands are the
perfect place if you like to swim, snorkel and dive. Other than these
activity you can hope to fish something, surfing some impossible
waves or chill out in one of the many expat owned restaurants and
bars. If water is like your sixth element here it's a kind of
paradise. Corals are different from beach to beach, fish are nearly
friendly and come really close by and if you like octopus just bring
with you a spear gun, they are everywhere and big. Then, if you may
like strong emotions, don't miss to free dive into Mariner's Cave. On
a very sheltered side of one of the Motu, the entrance lays down 2mt
underwater, and the tunnel before to breath again is aprox 4mt.
Nothing really difficult, but you'll be amazed to experience how your
mind will refuse to let you push your body into that dark hole
underwater. Especially if you don't go with a tour guide but you take
your dinghy or kayak there with nobody around and you are trying to
guess where exactly the spot is.
</div>
<br />
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
“Mariner's Cave”</div>
<br />
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
lat 18° 41' 450” S</div>
<br />
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
long 174° 04' 479” W</div>
<br />
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
When we arrived there,
the spot was not more than 15mts far on the right side from the GPS
indication. Don't expect a signal or some weird rocks telling you
“here is Mariner's”. With sunny conditions you'll have to try to
look for a dark spot of deep blue water right close to the coast.
From the water it looks like a hole on perfect flat vertical rocks.
Trust yourself, breath deeply, and see you on the other side. For the
bravest ones, you can also try the lower entrance aprox 8mts deep and
lot more narrow.</div>
<br />
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Sailing around the Vava'u
group is a kind of playground. It was not hard to understand why lots
of foreign people from all over the world tried to stay. Winds are
always between 15 and 20kts, daylight navigation quite easy and a lot
of anchorages: just perfect holiday pictures. People are nice and
friendly and seem to be really happy even in tough life conditions.
My first step in land was obviously the Neiafu's market and the
hair-dresser. Top the first and even better the second, situated into
a “food court” I had my hair cut in the middle of young punk
students and people frying fish, vegetables and any sort of food
they could serve deep fried wrapped in rice or bread. I couldn't
resist to have a 1 dollar fish burger and the next day high fever and
vomit!!!!!</div>
<br />
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
I'll never learn but I
never lose hope.</div>
<br />
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Here in Neiafu we
welcomed Miss Zus and Mr Jaques, old friends of the Captain that will
sail with us south trough the “Ha'apai Group” until “Tongatapu”.
</div>
<br />
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
They were lucky enough to
experience a lot of different vibrations on board. Starting from
swimming with the whales (with a tourist boat from blue lagoon
resort), sailing trough a storm, seeing the breaching whales close
the boat and even some breathless anchorage. Unfortunately the
weather was not the friendliest but we could cope thanks to a good
storage of good food and a nice atmosphere on board.
</div>
<br />
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Tonga are very special
islands, out enough from tourist tracks to make me feel a real
Robinson. If I have to pick a memory off the many from this place:
I'll say the moment when we were sailing we saw two whales diving
right in front of us. Alice and I rapidly but kindly went into the
blue deep hoping to see them but nothing happened. After a few
minutes of snorkel, the current of the open ocean dragged us far from
the point where we originally saw them and we were slowly going back
to the boat when suddenly a weird white stain 30mts below us started
to become always more clear. When I knocked on Alice's leg she knew
what I meant and I could feel her breath becoming louder and faster.
Honestly I think I was never so close to have a stroke like in that
exact moment, but the excitement and the adrenaline when I saw the
two Humpbacks rolling on their belly underneath us and slowly coming
up from the abyss was nearly too much. The biggest one was just
staring the two humans gently swimming around, while the other was
coming to us from the deep water on a vertical position with her
pectoral fins crossed as if she was coming to hug us. She was not
going anywhere else than to take a close by look to us. We have been
followed by them. No fear, no aggressive behavior, maybe they just
saw from our eyes that we were not Japanese, and they relaxed. I
couldn't really relax, however I could really understand how much I
was looking for a moment like that.
</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05886987642222702171noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-427539146353040512.post-6683026153527880152015-10-15T11:14:00.000+02:002015-10-15T11:14:21.753+02:00Uziwaonboard Discovering Niue Island<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Learning the geography of
the Pacific is a new discovery everyday. Islands just grow on our
charts like mushrooms in the woods. We left Mopelia on a non-wind
condition and motored for two days in direction of Palmerston. The
most southern island of the Cook archipelago, where apparently a man
saw his dream place and brought there 3 wives and had dozens of kids.
For the ones who sail west, it's a nice stop over, that can be chosen
also after Suvarov, another island a few miles north. Also that one
has a nice story of a man that decided to live there alone and wrote
a book that inspired lots of sailors to arrive there.
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It was only after 24h
navigation that we realized we couldn't make it. The wind started to
blow over 30kts and even if LJ was proceeding between 12 and 14, the
feeling was to be into a washing machine. The girls on board were
doing well though the noise of the sea, the drop of temperature and
the waves that were making navigation quite tricky. We tried to push
hard the boat but approaching the island at night was not on our plan
so, we rapidly set up a new route and calculated that with this kind
of weather maybe we could push LJ over his record of miles made in
24h. So we headed directly to Niue with full sails in bad weather.
LJ was pushed really hard and we were staying all the time close to
the pilot to correct in case of stronger wind. At the end we made it
on time. 255Nm in 24h, the record of the boat. Welcome to LJ at Niue,
one of the smallest countries of the world and at the same time the
biggest coral block in the world. Even if it's independent, Niue has
very close bounds with New Zealand: for example their currency is the
NZ dollar. All the crew was extremely happy to be on a buoy after
being bumped by the agitated sea and the consequent big stress. The
first inhabitant of the island to welcomes us was a big sea snake,
than the dolphins and apparently we also had few whales close our
boat by the sunset. Although we didn't even realize it because we
were already asleep.
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After a mighty night of
sweet dreams we filled our empty and needing stomachs with a rich
breakfast: Alice and Mme Nicole were so hungry that they decided it
was omelet time!! We all definitely needed a good meal after a 5 days
and 5 nights of bumpy navigation. With our belly full of good stuff
and the smile on our faces we went to discover this totally unknown
island and what we found is another little corner of paradise. People
smiling and slowing down to say hello even from their cars (that they
drive on the right, God save the Queen!), green and variegate
vegetation, one fantastic supermarket with local and western products
(TWININGS!!), gorgeous natural caves and pools and even a fancy
Indian restaurant!
</div>
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Meeting people from the
Pacific Islands makes you really feel like something in western
countries went really wrong. We eventually find ourselves once again
amazed and astonished at the same time, because here people are not
scared of you and you can feel safe as never before. But there is
more than a safety issue here: people have different needs than in
Europe, or we can better say that they have needs that can be
satisfied completely and that's it. I feel like we are trapped in a
vicious circuit after which we have always more needs that create
further needs. So we never reach a total satisfaction. Here life has
different rhythms and, above all, totally different priorities. We
are honored to learn and happy to share what we discover.</div>
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It's only after the
sunset of our second day in Niue that we have finally the chance to
meet the “sacred” treasure of this place: the humpback whales of
Niue. Every year they come from the cold Antarctica and go to the
warmer waters of Mexico, French Polynesia, Cook Islands,Tonga to
breed and raise their calf. Here in Niue these mysterious mammals are
not only respected, but also jealously protected. They came really
close to the boats in the wharf, we could hear their blows when they
came up to breathe. In the middle of the night I woke Alice up and
together we were pleased to hear them singing! This was a very good
signal for us, because when we woke up in the morning here they
are!!! Two blows on the horizon but not far from the boat and two big
tails diving in the water. With no hesitation, all the 4 of us jumped
on the dinghy and went to meet these gorgeous creatures. We still
didn't know that what we were doing was totally unlawful and the
risk was a 5000 dollars fine or 18 months of imprisonment!! It seems
crazy, but it's the LAW!!! In Niue you are not allowed to do whale
watching activities without a licensed operator. So we took advantage
of our ignorance and, following our exploding enthusiasm, Alice and I
took the kayak and paddled towards the whales after lunch. All day
long they stayed in the bay right in front of the boats and jumped,
played, breached, made so many things to show off that even Hugo, the
Niue diver instructor, was astonished and didn't believe his own
eyes! We lived the most exciting day of Niue whale season! So far so
good! Our enthusiasm cannot find limits. Mme decides to make me an
early birthday present and gives me a whale swimming day trip, but
it's a very risky and hazardous one. The Niue Dive Center asks 150
for an interaction with humpbacks, but if they don't show up or if
there's a mother with a calf you cannot jump in the water and swim
with them and the center doesn't refund a cent of what you pay. So,
of course, we take the risk and on a chilly, cloudy morning we leave
the bay with Hugo and his beautiful girlfriend Maria and go to sniff
some whales. After one our with no signs of them, even our enthusiasm
dropped a little bit., but at least we got to know very nice and
interesting people. Right when we were starting making a hot
chocolate to warm our bodies, here they are! Very close to our boat,
2 blows indicated their position. We got a bit closer (not too much,
it's the law) and only when the instructors were in the water we
could gently slip inside as well. The adrenaline was powerful and I
swam faster than the instructors. Suddenly something happened: the
young male we were all staring at in front of us turned around and,
like a curious dog, came straight to us as if he really wanted to see
what these creatures were. Everybody pulled back, even the
instructors were disoriented and told us to go back to the boat. But
our little new friend was just curious and was already taking his
path far from us. Everybody was so excited! The second time we can
jump in the water we meet two big adult females and it's so wonderful
to see them play around, flip upside down and dive together that it
seemed still a dream. After few good shot with the whales, we still
have time to snorkel on a well protected reef and spot even some sea
snake, a group of barracuda and a very curious turtle.
</div>
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So I really have to thank
Mme Nicole for the perfect birthday present that I'll surely never
forget. Before to get back on board, I felt my beautiful girlfriend
staring at me with the chicken killer look, so took her to eat a lamb
curry with a coke to celebrate the day!!!
</div>
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What else could we ask to
this place?
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05886987642222702171noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-427539146353040512.post-84785946018029086242015-08-15T10:51:00.001+02:002015-08-15T10:51:28.107+02:00Maupiti & Mophelia the perfect unknown<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<div align="JUSTIFY" lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
After a week
of rough weather in Bora Bora, finally the Maramu (a typical strong
local wind) calms down and lets us sail to the close and mysterious
Maupiti. We heard about a heaven on earth, an isolated and preserved
paradise that very few people have the chance to discover. Apparently
many yachties avoid this island and our next one, Mopelia, because of
their ultra-dangerous passes: most of the people are scared of the
legendary waves and currents that could easily smash their boat
against a shallow, naughty coral reef. Our captain feels confident
and, thanks to his skills and the good weather conditions, Lazy Jack
enters the Maupiti pass with no problem at all. And... Yes!!! If
you're maybe wondering if we are a bit getting used to these
beautiful places, well, the answer is: Bingo! Maupiti is an enchanted
pearl, a kind of Bora Bora but instead of luxury resorts you'll see
fishermen colored tiny houses, instead of the restaurants you'll be
invited to drink and eat for free during a local party, instead of
the marinas you'll have lots of smiling people to talk with and from
which you'll learn that, yes, happiness is real only when shared.
After all these gorgeous blue, green, fantastic waters and beaches,
the real treasures of these islands are the people and their natural
smiles. These uncontaminated waters hide a unique and rare creature
you cannot fall in love with at first sight: every morning we are
amazed by a solid group of 7 huge mantas, 3 mt wide, they move so
elegantly and softly and are not scared of you at all. They know
you'll respect them. Polynesians used to call them "the sea
devil", because of their black mantel. They just stay around a
single rock for hours. It's easy to dive down and lay on the sand not
more than a meter close to them. Their big eyes are just following
you all the time, we really had the feeling they wanted to know more
about us and on the other side we were amazed to spend some minutes
face to face with them. This is really the place to be. If we
consider all the society islands we visited, Maupiti is definitely
the most complete, friendly, colorful, different and organized
island. We had also the chance to be there for the annual event: the
<i>"heiva". </i><span style="font-style: normal;">It's a
dance competition that involves almost all the island. Anticipated by
few days of sport competitions and the ceremony of the 14</span><sup><span style="font-style: normal;">th</span></sup><span style="font-style: normal;">
of July. I could describe for hours how amazing it was, however I'll
tell you only about a very simple thing that happened during the
ceremony. We were probably ten tourists in the middle of three or
four hundreds locals, listening the chief of the village and bla bla
bla. So a nice lady came to everyone of us, just to inform and make
sure that we understood that the food and beverage the Maupiti's
shire was offering for free to his community, it was also for us. So
don't be shy and take everything you want to eat and drink. They were
so honored we went to visit them and happy to have us with them in
that day. Again the people are really the greatest quality of French
Polynesia. We'll be never grateful enough with these persons that
showed us Europeans which are the true values after all.</span></div>
<br />
<div align="JUSTIFY" lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-style: normal;">So
to thank them for their kindness we spread the news that we were
heading to Mopelia, a very isolated island 90 Nm from Maupiti, where
only 11 families live. These families are originally from here and
they live on fish and </span><i>copra</i><span style="font-style: normal;">,
the dried coconut pulp that the French government supports with
generous financial aids, and they get supplies only once a year from
a small cargo boat. Later we'll explain better why a “small” one!
</span>
</div>
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<div align="JUSTIFY" lang="en-US" style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
The morning after the party we wake up with three boats full of all
kind of goods in front of us: bread, fruits and vegetables, olive
oil, rice, cane sugar, water, letters, baskets, dishes, clothes. Lazy
Jack is going to be a big cargo full of supplies and surprises for
Mopelia's community! We are so happy that somehow we found a way to
help these smiling people out. Vahine, the woman who organized this
transfer, is also bringing us a little boy that doesn't see his mom
since one year and his dad since 5 years!! After a double check with
the major of the island, who gives his permission, we welcome on
board the cute Taumihau, a 10 years old boy, very strong and with a
wonderful smile. Lazy Jack is ready to set sail and face the famous
pass in a creative condition: 4 mt waves right against our nose make
us shake and jump like hell!!! 2 minutes of fear and we are spit out
the pass. That's why we call this the heaven through the doors of
hell!
</div>
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<div align="JUSTIFY" lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-style: normal;">After
a sleepless night with 25 knots of wind, heavy rain and solid waves
around, we arrive to the remote Mopelia and immediately understand
why only a “small” cargo comes once a year and get in that
lagoon: the pass is very long and narrow enough to make us wonder...
are we really gonna make it??? A lonely ray of sun shows up and lets
us see what you'd love to discover while snorkeling... Great and
uncontaminated coral heads are everywhere, schools of fish and sharks
follow the boat and flow around. After slaloming all the gorgeous but
dangerous coral heads, we get close to an enchanted sand bay, where
Taumihau's family is already waiting for their most important gift:
big hugs and smiles, Hére is the happiest mum in the world right
now. She invites us at her house for an opulent dinner to thank us of
all the things we brought her and the community. Even if it's raining
again, the 11 families of the island are now on the beach
recollecting all the goods their relatives in Maupiti sent them. This
is a very happy moment for Lazy Jack. The rain forces the tired crew
to sleep and chill out a little bit. The day after our arrival, three
more boats enter the difficult pass and join us in this idyllic
anchorage: </span><i>Good as Gold</i><span style="font-style: normal;">
with Deana and Malcolm from Canada, </span><i>Free Spirit</i><span style="font-style: normal;">
with Laurie and Jim from the States and our friends Melinda, Ed, Jade
and Gus from </span><i>Lorien</i><span style="font-style: normal;">.
Hére and Taria, Vahine's son, are organizing a huge dinner for us
and invite all the crew of </span><i>Lorien</i><span style="font-style: normal;">
to join us for the night. Walking along the beach, I spot an octopus
and Taumihau's dad grabs it with his hands and puts it directly on
the grill with the other 50 lobsters, 7 parrot fish, 12 rosins and 2
x 5kg coconut!!! Alice and I look each at other in the eyes very
often that night, we don't need to talk, we are thinking the same
thing. For us, bringing all that stuff was nothing, but for them it
meant really kind of all. </span>
</div>
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We check the weather forecasts the next day and realize the time to
leave has come. We have 600 nM before Niue Island and a storm
approaching in two days. As people that received a big gift, we look
at this perfect island again while she disappears under the orange
horizon thinking that we couldn't expect anything better than what we
had to say goodbye to the French Polynesia.
</div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05886987642222702171noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-427539146353040512.post-47674935128711772102015-08-14T00:43:00.000+02:002015-08-14T00:43:18.914+02:00Huahine Surf - Summerfield of Raiatea - Tahaa Style - Raining in Bora Bora<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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It was hard to decide to
leave Moorea but in these days we would love to spend a month on
every corner we visit. On the other side we are always happy to see
something else...so we just flow with the 14 knots wind that pushes
Lazy Jack along the 90Nm to Huahine. “The Woman Island”, titled
like this because arriving there on the early ages someone swore he
saw some woman open leg's shape in the mountains. I don't know what
to say about this impression, but definitely I don't have the same
whiskey on board. This island is practically unknown to tourists,
there are only few family accommodations and for some reasons it's
really hard for them to have a regular people flow like the other
islands. The result is obviously amazing desert turquoise water,
excellent snorkeling, perfect anchorage for LJ and beautiful
landscape to explore by kayak or MTB around the island. Only sail
boats often stop here for mainly two reasons: firstly that's the only
stop between Moorea and Raiatea, secondly, and I swear I'm telling
you with very low voice tone... the waves!!!!</div>
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Huahine has some of the
best waves in Polynesia, someone also told me about angry locals and
unfriendly vibrations in the water. As usual I prefer to report what
my experience teaches me, and I can definitely tell you about the
beautiful time spent in Huahine's water, surfing amazing and nearly
mechanic waves on a razor sharp coral reef. The water so blue to make
you think the fins of the board will not pass through while the
little lips covering you are trying to push your mind to remember
that moment for the rest of your life. The five or six locals surfing
with us were practically exciting us to take off as many waves as we
wanted to, giving us some tips and pushing on Alice's fear of the
reef, singing and helping her to find the good feeling and finally
get her wave! We had the smile on us all day long, even when I saw
her standing on 15 cm deep reef after a wipe out with a overhead set
coming straight on her ;-(
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When she managed to take
herself out of that nasty situation she only told me; “I tried to
dive but I touched the bottom and I understood I was fucked!!”</div>
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You are always my hero my
darling!!! Diving 15 cm was a hard decision!!!!
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A bit more of navigation
with the trade winds that are still caressing us and we are already
exploring Raiatea. We actually started from the biggest bay on the
eastern point, where the only navigable (by canoe or dinghy) river of
all French Polynesia meets the Pacific Ocean. Even after years of
traveling, I'm still surprised of the nature of this place. Fruits
are everywhere, flowers are incredible and still untouched by the
crowd. Vanilla plantations and nice people are the <i>non plus ultra</i>
of this magical part of the world. Alice was almost kidnapped by a
Polynesian bull, who turns out to be the pirogue champion of
Raiatea!!! He's only 21 and teaches at school the national sport of
Polynesia. Big surprise, he lets us all try his flashing new pirogue
and that's how we discovered Alice's next sport!! Pretty difficult at
the beginning, you can very easily flip upside down and find yourself
in the water without knowing how! We say goodbye to the champion and
his island and set the Volvo Breeze to the very close tiny Tahaa. The
captain heard about a wonderful mooring right in front of an
exclusive resort: <i>Le Tahaa</i>, that makes part of the <i>Relais
et Chateaux</i> resorts. We can simply say “WOW”: the dream is
real. A private island covered by a flourishing vegetation, gorgeous
little bungalows on a crystal clear water, white sand beaches and one
of the most exciting snorkeling so far. A coral garden in a shallow
transparent water and all kinds of little, colored, cute fish that
seem curious and at the same time totally conscious that nobody will
hurt them. We are thinking of leaving a copy of our resume... Who
knows!!!</div>
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Smooth and relaxed we set
the sails and go for the only 20nm from Tahaa to Bora Bora. The most
worldwide known island of the french Polynesia. Here tourism is a
present in a box where everybody already looked inside once in life.
Hotel rooms built on top of the blue water with exterior spa on
private terraces overlooking the emerald mountain right past the
lagoon. Restaurants with good food and buoys right in front for the
yacht to attach without even dropping the anchor. The only hard thing
for us is the weather!!! Since our super nice friends Shishi and Furu
joined us in Papeete, rain is unfortunately pouring very often. You
know, after all we have seen till now, we can't really complain,
however these places change so much with a little sun ray that
everybody gets really exited when we have the chance to take a good
picture or walk somewhere. The only good thing of this weather: off
shore wind and correct swell on the pass. Obviously I couldn't lose
the chance to surf the Bora Bora pass, even if nobody was there and
is not marked that it's surf-able. Anyway, to make the long story
short, my friend Mike R. and I tried to enjoy as much as we could
the scary lefty!!! Result was not bad, so I guess if someone wants to
try that, just make sure to avoid the coral head right where the wave
becomes hollow and starts to barrel, and you'll have a very decent
ride!!! Otherwise you can also decide to rent a bike and do the
island tour, 32km of fun!! Not like riding waves but at least you'll
see that Bora Bora is not made only of luxury resorts and
honeymooners hotels. The locals are friendly, traditional dances are
still alive and the vegetation makes your eyes confused about what
direction they have to look. But be careful to look to much here and
there, it could happen to step in one of the thousand coconut crab
that are always sneaking everywhere, some of them are real monsters
of 5kg and I'm not joking: a 5kg crab is a bloody monster!!!!</div>
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P.S.</div>
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If you hear about someone
in Bora Bora looking for a catamaran that broke three buoys in three
days, please don't think we are criminals. Just to let you know, we
heard a story about three guys that were on the internet at the
Maikai restaurant when a dive instructor asked whether the boat that
was flowing with the wind half meter from the other boats was ours.
Fortunately these lucky fellows could jump on their dinghy and arrive
at the boat and pull back ten meters before the reef could crash his
port side. So they decided to go on the other side of the bay,
theoretically more protected, and take an other buoy, but in the
middle of the night TRAK again: the buoy's rope explodes and that
catamaran started to move around again with no control. The most
fantastic thing was that trying to take the next buoy, the 35knots
wind pushed the boat too close and the propeller melted with the
rope, so for a few minutes they where receiving 35kts and the only
thing holding the cat was the actual propeller attached to the rope.
Luckily, someone told us, that there was a team of German guys and a
kind of Italian surfer (still don't know if an Italian can be a
surfer, but this is the story we heard) ready to help the cat's
captain. This Italian boy in the middle of the night had to dive,
with 35kts wind and his screaming girlfriend, who was scared to see
him crunched like a hamburger while he was trying to cut the rope
from the propeller. Apparently the hero made it, handling the
situation and also returning to his beautiful woman on his legs!!!!</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05886987642222702171noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-427539146353040512.post-39609791495422896782015-08-14T00:14:00.002+02:002015-08-14T00:14:50.259+02:00Surfing Teahupoo - When Living the Dream is putting everything on the line<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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So many stories of surf
have been told on this blog. From Morocco to Australia, Indonesia to
Hawaii. I drove around Europe and traveled South America telling
about every fantastic swell I've been honored to surf. Now, after
we've crossed the Pacific Ocean with our UZIWAONBOARD mission, we
decided to take the south west direction, straight from Tuamotus
Island to a little village not very well known to the crowd, however
famous for the surf addicts: Teahupoo, the surf mecca for the ones
who really know how to handle a surfboard under pressure. Someone
told me the meaning of the name, “broken skulls”. I forgot to
check if it's true while I was there, but I guess I can believe it
anyway, that name fits perfectly. Call it fate or coincidence, from
the moment we entered the Havae pass by boat, everything changed
around us. The swell was on, the pros were towing and, from behind
the break, I could only see the smoke of the water evaporating after
slapping the reef. Fortunately we could manage to anchor before dark.
The tiny bay was just perfect for Lazy Jack. I couldn't take my eyes
off the several waves from the close reefs. After dinner I felt like
to lay down on the trampoline for few minutes. That noise was
incredible and that place was real. Not a myth anymore, not a picture
on <i>Surf life</i> nor a video on youtube. In a few hours, that
swell was going to be right under my board. I felt awesome. Thinking
about taking off on that wave, getting barreled and surviving a ride
made my dreams way to far from reality. In that exact moment I
decided I'd rather not surf that wave. I didn't even need to explain
to myself why I made that decision. It was obvious. So I opened the
window of my room and gave a kiss to Alice.
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“Are you going to try
tomorrow?” she calmly asked.
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I took a breath “Don't
think so darling, what I saw today is way out of my league”.</div>
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“You scare me, don't
even think about it! Crazy man. Have a good night.”</div>
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Waking up in the morning,
I was relaxed and glad that I was going to finally see in person that
insane surf spot. Fortunately this wave is very predictable most of
the times and very easy to approach the surfers even with the dinghy.
So I was dreaming of a picture of me with my board on the water with
the wave behind. Not surfing that wave, just having it on my
background. It was at least the only way to say: “I've been in the
water at Teahupoo during big swell!”.</div>
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So this is it. I should
end this post telling you how beautiful was to stand in front of
those waves, watching the surfers doing what they are made to do,
taking epic pictures and describing the crystal water we were in.
That was heaven on coral reef.
</div>
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However, as you can
imagine this story doesn't end like this. <br />Until this moment I was
the good guy, who made a decision and took the best from it. Suddenly
I found myself to be another guy, the one who thinks to be born for
surfing. The one who starts to talk with anyone in the water. The one
who takes the chance to jump on a jet-sky with Jack Jonson and feels
like to score his own epic wave.</div>
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Very easy. You cannot
show the ball to a Jack Russel and don't throw it. I just waited
until the waves were small enough to try, paddled to the break and
waited for mine. Usually I would be here describing how good was the
feeling of jumping on that massive hill, but not this time. The swell
suddenly dropped down making the take off doable even for a keen
like me. For two hours we didn't have any “bombs” on the spot and
I took my chance. I didn't even have the time to sit completely down
on board when a big set came out from nowhere. I didn't even paddle
so much, I understood straight away that I was right on the impact
zone. Looking rapidly around me I saw that every other surfer was
going to be hit as well, but even that was not going to save me from
drowning or hitting the reef. I remained as calm as never before, I
tried not to stare the lip of that first monster and looked only the
base (that makes the wave look smaller), but didn't work. So I
dropped the board on my side, hyperventilated for a few seconds and
tried to go down as much as I could. When the lip touched the surface
my only hope was not to be aspired by the power of the wave and be
rejected straight on the reef. But hopes in that situation are just
the way to feel less responsible for our own decisions. In fact I was
not hoping, I was fighting for my life. I never underestimated that
massive wave and I guess that is the reason why I'm here now. I
couldn't even protect myself, my arms and legs were powerless so I
just accepted that energy, kept my adrenaline under a stroke limit
and tried to think about the next move. I was never breathless,
however it's always a good sensation when you feel your board
pulling up your ankle, trying to take you away from the darkest place
on earth. Reaching the surface I was expecting to be suddenly hit by
the second wave of the set, but luckily she was still three seconds
away. I quickly inhaled and down again. This time was all another
story. I touched the reef underneath in the same moment I tried to
dive. The second hit was a real blast, the water was boiling and
rocks were everywhere. I could feel them scratching my shoulders and
my feet. When I came back to surface, my board was not pulling on me
anymore. I looked at it and saw my board snapped into two pieces. I
released the leash and swam to the left trying to avoid the deadly
right wave, but I didn't even have the time to worry a bit because
the fantastic duo, Mathai Drollet from the water and Trevor Jonson
with the jet sky, was already there to take me out of hell. I saw it
on the video so many times how to do it, they make a little round and
you have to take the hand while jumping on the back of the sea
scooter. Believe it or not they arrived one meter from me and than
couldn't come closer because of an incoming wave...</div>
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Mathai never left me,
showing me where to swim and a few seconds later I was on the back of
the jet sky, with Alice taking pictures of the big ego surfer just
few seconds before he passed out.
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After all, I thought to
find myself in a corner, maybe scared to surf again or having some
nightmare while sleeping. Honestly there are a few snapshots before
the first impact I will never forget. But at the end of the day, I
feel a kind of proud.</div>
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I know it sounds crazy
but I can not imagine my life to be different.
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Surviving Teahupoo was a
very good welcome to Tahiti!!!!!
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05886987642222702171noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-427539146353040512.post-68068402361058408502015-08-14T00:02:00.002+02:002015-08-14T00:02:58.271+02:00Tahiti and Moorea: Sailing Mecca<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Once we were done with
Teahupoo, we were really impatient to arrive in Papeete. Sounds weird
but since Panama it's the first big city we are going to touch. I
don't know if we had maybe too many expectations or if things have
changed, but the first look to the capital was not corresponding at
all to what we have been imagining. Anyway our mission was to buy a
new lap top, a few surf shorts and obviously a new board. Moving
around in Tahiti can be pretty dodgy. Buses are not really the best
solution, however better than nothing. Another option is eco-scooter:
they rent cars and scooters for less than 30 bucks per day right in
front of the Faaa Int. Airport. I personally prefer to hitchhike and
every time we meet interesting people with lots of stories to share.
The funny thing was that the first two persons I met hitchhiking were
a surfboard shaper and the wife of the owner of the biggest company
of professional kitchen equipment in French Polynesia.
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Papeete is an average
nice city, as I already told something changed from the past and lots
of businesses closed down, letting their buildings become old right
in front city's main street on the esplanade. We heard also a few
stories of robber activity and tourists attacked from drunk locals,
so we pushed on the side the trusting feeling built until now going
along the Marquesas and Tuamotus and brought back the usual traveler
guard on our belongings. But Tahiti is not only Papeete.
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The Captain decided to
drop the anchor in front of the Marina Tahina on a 13mt blue water
with sand bottom in good company with other hundreds boats coming
from all over the world. Tahiti is really the non return point. We
met people with different stories, but at the end of the day, they
all had a reason to remain in this place.
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What do I think? Life
here is perfect but expensive. Jobs are not the easiest thing to
find. But if you can afford it, this is the place to be! Mountains
surrounding the blue lagoon, lots of fish and some of the best surf
spots in the world. People are nice and you can find anything from
food to cinema, good health care and obviously internet. The ferry to
Moorea takes only 20min and you have plenty of options of things to
do. Our experience on board of Lazy Jack is still outstanding and
even if Alice gives me hard time to keep her eyes away from the
handsome Tahitian boys that are really everywhere, often half naked
paddling on their kayak or sup while training for the 14<sup>th</sup>
July race, I try to keep myself busy and calm going surfing at
Tapuna, a world series left handed close by the boat. Fortunately I'm
back on the water thanks to Teva Bonno owner of Teva Surfbord that
after a few hours spent to talk about UZIWA and Tahiti's surf session
with the full moon, he sent me straight to his good friend from Stone
Fish board Shop to buy my new baby.</div>
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Finally I can also
provide the refrigerator with plenty of good and different food.
Every time we left the supermarket with a big smile we knew that on
the other side the Captain is on board having an heart attack in
front of is mobile connected with his credit card.</div>
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We didn't have the chance
to visit a lot the island in land, but some friends told us about
plenty options for trekking, bird watching and biking. We concentrate
our energy to repair all our technology stuff and surf as much as we
can while we were also waiting for the next two friends coming on
board. Directly from Istanbul, an hilarious and easy going couple of
doctors. They are going to spend with us the next fifteen days.</div>
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First step, moving to the
Marina in town, for our leaving party. It was nice to meet again all
the crews from Pied-à-Mer, Lorien, Family Circus, Shine, Etc...</div>
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All the boats are here
for the “rendez-vous”, the annual pirogue competition departing
from Papeete and arriving in Moorea. There are any kind of thing in
the water participating on this comp, from canoe to SUP, sailing
boats, catamarans, swimmers, etc... The same night we arrived at the
marina, we had also the chance to go out and party hard with all the
young friends from other boat. We ended up in a creepy and empty
Karaoke bar that, after the first jar of the local Hinano beer, was
the friendliest ever. As usual I found myself amazed by the
difference of the people around me.</div>
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The Captain decided to
leave to Moorea two days before the comp, and that was a very good
decision that allowed us to arrive there, set the boat in the best
spot and watch the “rendez-vous” coming to us. It was funny that
we were deciding all together where we could go snorkeling and
suddenly three turtles appeared right under our nose. That's how we
discovered that we dropped the anchor right on one of the most
amazing spot to dive with turtles. Being deep underwater is always
exiting, and for some reasons there are moments that seem to slow
down the time around you. When you take that last breath and your
head leads you down in the deep blue, I often have the feeling I
didn't breath enough. However I find myself confident and relax until
I touch the bottom. I'm surrounded by corals, silence and turtles
staring at me. Two of them not more than a meter far from my face. I
guess they are as curious as I am. They move very little and make a
tour around as if they knew they are making me an unforgettable gift.
When I look up the surface, I see Alice starting to come down as well
and my chronometer is telling me two and half minutes.</div>
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One of the first rule of
free diving is not to look up, in order to keep calm and relaxed.
Nevertheless, I like to stare at the boat's hulls and the surface of
the water while taking my body back. The enormity of the blue ocean
makes every thing small enough to let me think how much I belong to
that place.
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Before leaving to
Huahine, we have the time to discover a magical unique place: not far
from the Intercontinental Hotel you can find a place in shallow water
(1,20 m and white soft sand) where schools of huge Pastenague rays
and black tip sharks come and are really glad to meet you!! These
rare stingrays are so nice and love to kiss people in the face! About
the sharks... forget about <i>Jaws</i>, here in Polynesia sharks are
like all other animals: si no toque, no molesta! (You don't touch,
they don't hurt!).</div>
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Concluding, Moorea is
really the perfect place if you want to escape Tahiti's crowd without
forgetting it. The ferry to Papeete is only 20 minutes so you can
even enjoy the waves in Hapiti, have a good lunch in a floating
restaurant placed in the middle of the reef and be back in town for a
movie and obviously the Karaoke at night!!!
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05886987642222702171noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-427539146353040512.post-61960228052346744102015-08-13T23:49:00.000+02:002015-08-13T23:49:25.581+02:00Tuamotus Island UZIWA in Pradise<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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It seems like one other
page of our diary is going to be written, Nuku Hiva and the Marquesas
are nearly disappearing behind the 13 knots of speed of Lazy Jack. As
usual, when the sun is falling behind the horizon and the dark is
renting the sky, I slowly start to mix together some ingredients
while enjoying sea's cuddles. Being 8 people on board was honestly
tiring, however worth. Guests on board are breaking the balance and
the habits we all have. So I guess we need them sometimes. Living
together on a boat is an unusual experience that allows us an every
day challenge. Find the key to survive, enjoy the places and make our
work looking good as gold. For everyone we are living the dream, for
the ones who know, we are just taking advantage of our decision,
fearless of the time that is anyway making us look older than when we
started backpacking around the world for the very first time.</div>
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Right yesterday we had
one of our Italian friend leaving a message on our whatsapp, he was
stoned and happy... telling: “i don't really know if you understand
completely what you are guys doing as a couple...the only thing I can
say is that you are living the extraordinary making it looking like
an ordinary day”.</div>
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He told us even something
else about how happy and cool he feels to know that his ex girlfriend
now is meeting an other guy... ;-) He also said that he's going to
buy the ticket to come and visit us in Australia. Perfect pictures
while with the sunrise I see the first motu. We are going in. Kauhei,
one of the largest lagoons with the easiest pass for the boat. Two
little waves on each side of the pass and the perfect landscapes for
a postcard. Looks like everybody is taking information for the same
places on the internet because, as it was backpacking Australia and
South America, even here we are meeting nearly every day the same
boats and same people. It's actually a nice feeling, sometimes you
can get really close to people a lot faster than any other occasion.
So we recognize the boats from the radar, call them on the radio,
chat for a while and build some programs for free diving, dinner or
swimming session. It's like a moving circus. The interactions that
made us becoming friends are very different and often weird. The
friendship with <i>Day Break</i>, Megan and Matthew's boat was made
in the water, in front of a big shark that appeared in front of us,
so Megan got a little scared and our Captain was very happy to take
her back with the kayak and made her a good cappuccino. She suddenly
fell in love with him ;-)</div>
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The boat <i>Axiom</i>
with his German crew was trying for three times to anchor not more
that five meters close to us in three different bays and each time
for excuse themselves they gave us some fresh fish just
caught...after the third time we decided to become friends, so at
least we could talk about fishing. The <i>Pied a Mer</i>'s crew with
their ritual happy hour every Wednesday, inviting every other boat
for eating and drinking on board. <i>Ali di Gabi</i>, an Italian boat
with Alex and Guido, met for the first time in Galapagos island
seemed they were following us everywhere just with a few hours
difference. Our friendship exploded when they gave Alice an Italian
coffee machine after we broke down ours. Even small contact with
<i>Leeward</i> and <i>Family Circus</i> were interesting and fun. I
could continue for hours to describe how many interesting people we
met during the last few months.</div>
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The first touch of Kauhei
is very intense. Everything you could imagine as beauty and
underwater animals, here is more and more. We anchored probably 200mt
from the shore on a 5mt sand bottom and everything looks really too
perfect. No houses, no cars, only blue sea and coconuts everywhere,
the corals are reflecting their colors through the water and
different kinds of fish are everywhere around the boat. At every hour
of the day, the sun is giving different power to the shades of blue,
green and rose of the sand. I guess that for some moments I thought
we found the paradise. Swimming here is a big deal for the ones of
the Spielberg generation. <i>Jaws</i> twisted our mind against
sharks, but when you see their beauty and the curiosity they have,
you nearly feel like to touch them, playing with their tail. With
some of the friends we talked before, we went snorkeling on top of
one of the coral reef in the middle of the lagoon. That was
extraordinary for real. Everybody were a bit scared of sharks but
honestly the feeling was not fear but more excitation, looking for
adrenaline. And here we go, not even the time to launch the anchor
and already two sharks curious as little dogs, coming close to the
boat waiting for the first one to touch the water. Deep blue sea,
colorful coral and hundreds of fishes. We spent so much time playing
with them, chasing and escaping when they were coming a bit to close.
The dead line for us in the water was when some little sick fish came
closer to us attracting the attention of a small sharks who suddenly
hunted him. We thought to have a great shot on camera, with the shark
chasing the little prey. Then we realized that he probably thought we
trough that little fish in the water for him. From the ground to the
surface we saw the little shark smiling to us and forcing his tail on
our direction. They were only a few seconds but he was coming always
closer and he really didn't need to talk to say that he wanted more
food!! When I must hit him on his head with my gopro we decided to go
back on board and keep this snorkel adventure on the wicked part of
our memories.</div>
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But if we thought that
Kauhei was the Paradise, so then Fakarava jumped straight on top of
our best places in the world. A big blue lagoon with dream beaches
and the mythological “South pass”. If in the last few months we
were exited when during snorkeling we could see a shark or two, now
while we are visiting the village before going to the famous pass, we
are already trying to keep our-selves on the ground for the
excitement, before to go and free dive on the SHARK WALL. I had
honestly never seen anything like that in my all life. The water so
clear with the colorful coral reef as a stage for the daily show.
Hundreds of sharks swimming trough the light current of the channel,
it took us a few moments before to be confident and try to dive deep,
right in between of them. Breathing constantly, calm your mind, feel
the oxygen in your lungs, and head down. Slowly feel the pressure of
the water pushing the mask on your face. Give yourself a moment to
relax while your body moves to the bottom of the sea. Suddenly we
take a look around us and we are really guest on someone else house.
Sharks are everywhere. They have no fear but they are not even
interested in us. Looking at the surface of the sea, in the middle of
the Jaw's family, we try to accept the fact that there are unique
places in the world. Places where you feel welcome, where you can see
the world from other point of view and where one of the biggest man's
fear become fear of men. If places like this one still hardly exist,
it's because some men understood the mistake that all the others are
doing. The more I travel, the more I understand how dangerous we are.
</div>
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To my dearest friend at
20mt depth:</div>
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“Now I need to breath
again my friend., I well understood you'll never throw a plastic
bottle on my garden. And even if sometimes you might think I look
like a sea lion while I'm surfing, I decide to respect you, I have no
more fear of you, I hope one day you can do the same if you already
didn't.”
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05886987642222702171noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-427539146353040512.post-72327813229634259292015-05-18T09:03:00.001+02:002015-05-18T09:35:46.688+02:00MARQUISE ISLANDS SEARCHING SURF AND DREAMING HARD<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">When we first took a look at the big rocky penis
in front of Bay of the Vierges I’ve
never thought I could like a penis before. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">Fatu Hiva was there, it seems that Spielberg
was inspired from some of these places when he realized Jurassic Park. We
really made the Pacific crossing. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">So many times in the past, I was wandering
and dreaming to make long distance sailing, long for me meant crossing the Adriatic sea, or going from Tuscany to
Sardinia. Now I’m here, standing in front of the people of the Pacific Ocean,
learning from their kindness, listening at their story reported on their tattoos. What I always saw in
pictures or just imagined that was in that way, now is right in front of me.
They really have a canoe with a little side hull to keep a better balance. It’s
very rare to meet someone here without a big tattoo all over his body. They are
relax. Life is incredible. It is like if being far away from any other place on
earth protected them from any sort of occidental (or oriental from them)
madness. Big 4x4 riding on the street at 25 km/h , we could hijack any time of
the day for nearly any destination on the islands. When we go to the
supermarket the owner is always offering to take us back to the boat with our
shopping bags and if we forget something at someone’s home after he invited us
to see his sculpture and take some fruits from his garden, we can go back
anytime even if he’s not there anymore….doors are always open and no one reason
to be worry about crime. The only thing that disappointed me, after reading the
book of Jacques Brel and the story of the painter Gauguin, was coming in this
places where we were all expecting to find some Vahiné (girls of the islands)
dancing on the beach and ready to welcome every sailor with sweet love. Darwin
could be impressed by the evolution of the girl on these islands. The first
Vahiné I saw from the dinghy while I was approaching the dock, I nearly dropped
a rope close by thinking she was a boe where I could tide the boat. From our
walks on the island we were all reporting the same things. Capitan Jack, Doc
Phil And I were three men holding a big pot of broken dreams and smashed
illusions. The only one of us that was really happy was our little princess
Alice. She found the nirvana!! If the majority of the girls are obese,
practically all the guys are perfect bulls with body like a rugby player and a
touch of wild jungle man. Tattoo all over the body, with angry faces but a nice character. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">This is only the first touch of the
Archipelago.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">Our plan is to stay nearly a month around here,
sailing between islands with some Captain’s friends coming from Belgium and
relaxing on the best spots for snorkeling
during the first fifteen days while we will be waiting for them. After
we (illegally) walked around Fatu Hiva, his mountains and his waterfalls, we
had to go and report our entry to the French Polynesia authorities. We decided
to take the shorter way to Hiva Oa, where with my big surprise we realized that
as European citizens we can stay here as long as we want. Legally after
18months we should go again to the authorities and let them know we are still
there…however ….nobody really cares here. For the boat it’s different…you can
stay in Polynesia for maximum 3 years. So I was walking happy on the street,
conscious that if one day things go wrong there is always a Paradise waiting
for me ;-) Unfortunately for the non-European citizen things are different.
People from USA or Canada must make an hold payment for health care and need a
few documents for the visa, and if you don’t speak a little French they will
charge you more for that!!! ;-) <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">The mooring in Atuona is not the easiest one
and if you don’t have a second anchor it will be hard to find place behind the
breakwater (which is rolling anyway). However Belgians and Italians have a lot
of things in common, especially when we have to learn fast and have no shame to
start and play the game before people even take a sit. So we rapidly took info
about boats that were leaving, and placed our big Catamaran right in front of
the petrol station, the only place where the water is really calm and the man
of the supermarket could give us some bread straight from the dock. The town is
nice and people are friendly. The nice girl from Fatu Hiva, Nicole, and his
father took us around the island with their 4x4 and nearly every afternoon
Alice and I went to the beach nearby to catch some nice little waves. Just the
time to say goodbye to Doc Philippe and we sail to Tahuata. A beautiful beach
on the island right in front of Hiva Oa. There are several beaches on this part
of the island and it’s hard to imagine that on the side of these big mountains
we can find amazing white beaches. At this point we all have the time to relax,
living on this boat as three persons is so much easy. We have the time to meet
people from other boats and talk with locals living on the beach. As usual, it took
us only a few hours before we got to know nearly all the boats around us. Someone
told me that early in the morning we could swim with the mantas or go around
the rocky point and see some sharks.
When my alarm pounded my hear early in the next morning, I knew I was
still recovering from the shark’s fear. It took me a few minutes before to
decide to wear my fins and go into the deep blue. The water was not perfectly
clear and every shadow was making me uncomfortable. With my go pro I started to
calmly dive around ten meters, just to get used to be alone. After a few
minutes the first Manta came by me, clearly curious to see who was this weird
man swimming in her house. She took me around for several minutes before to
decide to introduce me to her friends. I felt like the people from National
Geographic when they are at right time in the right place. At least eight
mantas showed up in front of me, dancing and flying on a slow motion. Little by
little I was less scared and shy, I started to play with them and dive
together. They were not scared at all, I felt a kind of accepted and never in
danger. However I was there in the wild, it was special. But the day was just
about to start. Before to leave the Mantas, I told ‘em I’ve got a princess on
board who’s a bit scared of swimming with fish, so it could be really nice from
them if they could show up close to our boat right after breakfast so I could nicely
introduce them to her. They didn’t say anything but one hour later, four of
them came close to the catamaran to say hi to Alice. Didn’t take a lot of time
to convince her to jump in the water and push her day on the box of memories
that will last forever. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">Some friends from other boat wanted to go as
well to snorkel by the point where apparently a few sharks are hanging around,
we quickly built up a team of enthusiast and like glue we were attracting other
friends to come with us. We were nearly ten people when I dove deep to film
some yellow fishes and a 2 mt grey dude faced right in front of my camera.
There is not much to say about meeting a friendly and curious shark. First of
all, I made a big fart that I still don’t know if it was only air, than I started
to follow him close to the reef until I could. Everybody from the surface was
looking and that makes our first
impression of the sharks a little less dark than what we thought . Hundreds of
fish, a few sharks, turtles, a white beach, coconut water, palms and a big
group of strangers. We were happy and excited that while we were going back to the
boat, we didn’t even realize that a little shark was already putting salt and
pepper on Alice’s buttocks. She was swimming looking at the reef on the right
and he came from left at less than a meter from her. He had no bad intentions
but for sure he was a male, because he was very excited to be around her legs.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">During the night we were often looking at each
other laughing while talking with the others. The Capitan was with us sitting
on the beach while a wild local Tarzan half-drunk from the beer and rum was
cooking a fish for all of us. Even if we knew that good things could happen on
these islands….we realized that we are very lucky to live a life that makes us
proud every day…some days are really inspiring and others are just perfect.
Someone told us to check out at the old library in town, there are books of
local tattoo symbols…I just can say that maybe this is the perfect time to put
some more ink on!!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">After a few days of miracle fishing and
magnificent beaches we are ready to welcome Capitan’s Friends and Mdme Nicole
coming from Belgium. The two couples were really fun from the beginning. We
just shifted from one life to another. Before, only with Capitan Jack on board
we used to eat vegan or vegetarian at least one time a day, absolutely no
alcohol, fresh juice in the morning and good tisane at night, yes maybe
sometimes a few pieces of chocolate. Swimming, fishing, snorkeling, kayaking, walking
and surfing as much as we could. With these friends it’s like if we were back
of ten years. Big breakfasts every mornings, I felt a bit like a chef in one of
these big hotels with international food. Fruits, yogurt, juice, scrambled eggs,
two kind of ham, salami, three kinds of
cheese, four kind of jams, three kinds of bread, peanut butter, honey, Nutella,
omelet, crepe, porridge, cereal and muesli, coffee, tea, cappuccino, latte
macchiato, etc…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">Lunch and dinner were mainly coming from any
type of meat. Fish, lamb, beef, chicken, humans… ;-) Flooded by champagne,
white wine, rosé, red wine and beers. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">Before every meal, except from breakfast, big aperitif with cocktails of
every kind: gin tonic, t-punch, Campari orange, mojito and even spritz (which
they were in love with!). All served with fruits, chips, paté and little snacks
I was making from scratch. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">That was awesome, people on holiday, looking
for fun with a lot of things to share, high level of culture and same big
little problems of everyone else in the world. We spent two tiring but funny
weeks with them and had any sort of problem at the boat during their staying.
At one moment we also thought to make a human sacrifice to the sea. However,
even after a fire on board, nobody ever lost his smile. Maybe only the Capitan
for a few hours, but then after that Alberto was the fastest fire extinguisher
ever and Alice the fastest cleaner, even he could enjoy the last few days
together.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">After the canoe racing and the beautiful dancers
we could see in Ua Pou and the magnificent landscapes in Nuku Hiva, we are now
ready to make another step on our journey. Tuamotu Islands are waiting for us.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"> Also if
it seems strange but every step we take, it
is an easy one for who’s reading, and a very complicate one for who’s
planning to make it. So if ever in your life you may dream to make a trip along
the world’s biggest ocean, do it. Plan it as much as you can, but then…be just
prepared to be open. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">For the moorings in Polynesia we are following
one of the only book about , Charlie’s Chart, which is well done even if
sometimes I think is a bit too much worrying about being sick after eating a
fish and poor of photos. You’ll find anyway a lot of information from other
boats that came here during a world tour and never left anymore. Anyway the
Marquise Islands are difficult to sail and are also not a touristic place. It’s
far from the photos of Tahiti’s lagoon, Bora Bora’s hotel, etc… <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">It looks more like e small community of farmers
and fishers living in their islands where we imagine to see a dinosaur coming
out from the jungle at any time. Beaches are empty and fishing is incredible.
One only thing before to come here. Be careful to don’t think that when someone
gives you fruit as present because they want to make a new friend and they are
happy you came to visit their land, that you have the right to pick up fruit or
coconut from every place you go. You’ll may find yourself in front of a wild
guy with a big machete coming out from nowhere, asking for one of your hands!!!
;-) <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05886987642222702171noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-427539146353040512.post-28884879722247524242015-05-18T08:40:00.000+02:002015-05-18T08:40:01.347+02:00PACIFIC CROSSIG – the journey sailing across the ocean from Galapagos to Marquises<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">Let’s the big adventure begins.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">3044 Nautic Miles through the widest Ocean in
the world. Sailing from Galapagos Islands to Marquises island (French
Polynesia). Lazy Jack is ready and shining after we took care of him for the
last few days. Our check list before departure is all done, me and Alice with
Capitan and Philippe spent our last night as a family, eating something
together and then going to send some last mail.
Soon after that I found myself alone with Alice in front of a Juice Bar
on his closing time, in front of an Avocado and chocolate smoothie. Both pretty
excited we didn’t have much to say and I guess that looking into each other
eyes we could feel like kids the day before the first day of school. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">What I will write from now on, is part of the
diary me and Alice wrote during the crossing. Sometimes thighs are special,
others are blurry. Not every day was easy and at the end of the day we found
our self lucky to be part of something
unusual. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">27/3/15
Day 1 <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">Alberto - After snorkeling, surfing and swimming
with every kind of animals, the day has come. Capitan is a bit anxious about
the quantity of petrol considering that the forecasts say we are not having
wind for nearly two days. I’m wondering too but we are making the decision to
arrive as soon as possible under the 4° south and get the trade winds. Leaving
the archipelago I was a bit scared when we took Lazy Jack in the middle between
Turtle island and some rocks on the side with large swell coming in, but it was
a real show of nature. We stopped in Isabella for half an hour to clean the
little gps transponder that had a few shells around. Right after a few hours
two big tuna made our fishing rod screaming. Unfortunately we lost one but we
got one as well. I started to read the book about Warren Buffet and try to be
helpful with Alice who’s trying to convince herself she is seasick. First day
and with two hours of side wind, a big dish of Ceviche (raw fish marinated in
lemon and vegetables) and the feeling we have been in an incredible place. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">28/3/15 Day 2 <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">Alice – We are going to pass near Royal
Justice, probably one of the only boat we are going to see for the next few
weeks. It’s hard to get used to navigation again, my head tells me I can’t be
100%. Evereything I make is so much more difficult than usual.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">Alberto – The night’s watch was very boring .
Good thing is that the moon was setting at 1am leaving space to the most
beautiful stars in the world. I got the feeling to be into an odyssey that will
took me home. Always closer to the red land surrounded by oceans. We are all a
bit worried to use a lot the engine like we are doing, however we have to reach
the trade winds. Capitan is relaxed, Doc Philippe always very funny and Alice
doing her best to get used to the sea, honestly I’m having hard time as well.
Still reading the book and that guy is really incredible.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">29/3/15 Day 3<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">Alberto – Mr Ocean seems to be angry. Maybe he
feels bad or he just wants to show us what is able to do before to allow
himself to cuddle us. Finally we reached the trade winds so we don’t have to
spend another day worrying about the fuel. Waves are everywhere around us and
they have no pity for us. During my watch last night, one wave literally passed
the whole back of the boat. Water everywhere and Doc Philippe had an unexpected
shower from the little windows on his room that we usually leave open. The
worst day since we left G.I, I nearly feel seasick. I hope it’s going to be
better tomorrow. The sea left on the boat dozen of flying fishes and a few
calamari. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">30/3/15 Day
4 <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">Alberto - We woke up like shining stars. Sunny
day and the sea is relaxing. My stomach is nearly 100% and I’m happy. I feel
like sex.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">Alice – Finally getting better. We are sailing
fast and if we are going to keep it like this in ten days will be to our
destination ;-) (I wish) Days are more relaxing when I use the excuse of sea
sickness. I’m trying to rest and sleep as much as possible when Alberto is not
trying to take me on the front net to do some exercise. We are also receiving
mails from our parents and friends, that makes us incredibly happy and
sensitive.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">31/3/15<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">Alberto – Even this year march is closing his
door. I guess I have 31 of these doors closed behind me but luckily not so many
regrets. A nice tip came from the interesting book I’m reading. He recon that
if you lose 1$ playing any game it feels
like 2$. If you win 1$ more than the one you played, you often want to play 4$.
So a lot of people are stacked in the fear of playing because they lost
something. Thought was interesting. Anyway, the sea is very calm, wind 15 knots
and 12 of speed, 29°C life is good. Aims of the day: try to finish the book,
exercise body and mind and recycle yesterday’s leftovers in today’s meal.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">I should also cook the tuna with the cabbage…I
don’t usually do but it’s his favorite and every Capitan deserves to eat the
best!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">Alice – I finally had a meal without nausea.
Coffee, cakes and home pancakes. The ocean is very calm and we are so fast.
Today I will do a washing machine. We do need some clean clothes!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">1/4/15<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">Alberto - We sent a funny mail to our parents
and friends with a few jokes and bullshits as usual the first of April. Today’s
duty are endless however I do it with pleasure. I stared a new book, name The
China Study. Probably I will find here some answer I was looking for since a
few months after I started to study food in a proper way. Right after the first
pages I thought sooner or later I will have to chance my way to eat. By the way
I start to cook something vegetarian now, enjoying my way to be vulnerable and
trying to make a good job. I’m writing a lot, reading and thinking. I trainee
nearly every day but not too much, just to don’t became paralyzed. I decided
maybe I will stop in Polynesia forever…didn’t really decided…only a light
wish…something even more dangerous.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">2/4/15<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">Alberto - I’m everyday more scared from the
book I’m reading. I knew the vegetarian way was healthier but never studied
before how and why. I will consider that
some kind of evolution. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">Alice – Sometimes I think too much and I’m not
able to write. I’m thinking of my future.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">3/4/15<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">Alice - Every morning I have the chance to
admire the sunrise. Today the sky is a bit cloudy but the sun is giving me some
show anyway. We are doing so well and speeding up to Fatu Hiva under good winds. We made already 1280Nm and I
can’t wait to discover the culture of the Pacific islands. Can’t wait also to
arrive to our first destination, “La baie des Verges”, (penis bay!). I feel
blessed to be here, while I’m going to Polynesia in this way, one year ago I
couldn’t even imagine to do it in a more sacred way.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">Alberto – I’m trying hard to find new little
things to appreciate every day. Thought that living in small spaces for few
weeks with other people could be harder. I hope the others think the same ;-)
Trade winds are getting stronger and waves as well. We broke a spy’s rope while
we were trying to use it as a jennaker, but doesn’t matter, we quickly replaced it with no
damages. I feel like to cook something of highest level but I feel some limits.
Maybe it’s only me…I should try harder.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">4/4/15<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">Alberto - I’m again on my watches on a rolling
night. I just kicked off the boat a still
alive flying fish that hit me right on my feet. Lucky him. It seems to
be the only kind of life in this gigantic blue desert. I’m getting everyday
more tired but also more motivated because I love what I’m doing. Today we are
also half way through and that makes me and Alice happy. It’s 3.30am and I
nearly miss her during my three hours out here. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">Alice – Every day I get and feel better. I
stretch my legs, try to do some little exercise to let my body feel alive. Big
breakfasts are becoming my big specialty. Alberto makes me laugh and keep my
spirit positive, we speak a lot about our future plans. We have fun making
little videos about the crossing every day, even if I doubt we will find any
good Wi-Fi before Tahiti. I finally start to enjoy this crossing 100%!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">5/4/15<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">Alberto - Everything is good. Last night I had
the easy watch between 9 to midnight. I wrote a bit of blog and watched a
movie. I realized only at the end that was telling the story of the origins of
superman. Like Alice said: “You like horrible and stupid movies!” . She’s
totally right. I love them. Guess we have different reasons to watch a movie.
I’m cooking a lot and not listening so much the other coz today I feel very
silly. We also wrote a mail to Ale and Luca, nice guys, we miss them. I’m very
sensitive. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">Alice – Every day we receive at least 6 mails
from parents and friends. It’s so good to keep in touch, I never feel alone.
Today is Easter, so I feel even further than I usually do. Far away from my
family, my friends… We continue the navigation so fast that in 6 days we should
already arrive. Fingers crossed!!!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">6/4/15<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">Alice - I don’t want to say that I feel 100%, I
don’t want to tease our friend Ocean, whose breathe is continuously too nervous
for me and makes us shake like penguins. I find hard to get used to the noise
of the boat in the middle of the ocean: “SBAM!”, “SBUM”, the waves crush
against the hulls. I can’t stand these three big men who try to be so cool and
say: “It’s so quite this Pacific!!! Amazing!”. No way, they will never admit
the truth. Because they are REAL men!! Come ooon. Anyway I’m so proud to be
here and all these heavens on earth that are waiting for us… well, I deserved
them all!!! It will be an exceptional arriving. I dream of the penis of the Bay
of the Penis in Fatu Hiva! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">Alberto – Serious crisis day. Luckily I think I
can handle it well. I wish to spend a day by myself, far from everyone. I can
see this feeling is only a bit of rust from the fully filled past months, but
it is a kind of hurting bad. Obviously this is affecting also my way to relate
with my sweet Alice, I can’t stand anymore this little woman’s fears. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">7/4/15<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">Alice – Great pizza today, Alberto never lets
me miss anything form home. I say pizza, he prepares a nice gourmet pizza. I
say tenerina, he bakes the most delicious chocolate cake ever. I feel good,
even if I should do more yoga… But the boat is still moving a bit too much.
Heading to west means we are gaining time. Every 15 ° west we make we have to change
one hour in our clocks. This means we are getting further and further from our
families and friends. Reading their mails is my favorite moment of the day!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">Alberto - As every day, time is running fast.
Today I have my watch between 3 and 6am and finally this is not a big effort
anymore. Alice is missing a female presence on board and she often tells me she
can’t wait for Mme Nicole back. Trying always to be funny with her I propose to
send the Capitan home as well for a month and we both laugh. Honestly life on
board couldn’t be better. I’m happy to see that when my job is done well, I can
make people change. And so I make my usual pizza and a good soup for tonight and everybody happy.
I should do a bit of exercise today because my body is becoming too lazy. I’m
having lot of fun studying the books I have with me. Funny because I’ve read
something about investment and I feel like to do it, now I’m reading some
studies about relations between food and health and I feel like to become vegan.
I’m practically enjoying my vulnerability. I promise to myself I’ll never read
books of how to read cards!! ;-) Anyway,
this is day 12 of navigation after Galapagos….and I’m shaping my future on my
mind.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">8/4/15<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">Alberto - We are still having awesome sunny
days since a few, unfortunately not much wind but with our spinnaker up we are
never under 7 knots. I feel like to challenge myself in the kitchen today, so,
let’s try to think something vegetarian….set up the preparation and make
everybody smile at the table. And after that I made the duck for dinner, with
figs and apple. Old receipt on a modern key. I am satisfied, however the presentation
technique of my food is still a real shit…I’ll take a course in food design or
something like that. I’m happy cause I can made good food and at same time
frustrated cause I can’t present it as I wish. I wrote a mail to Monia e Federica
and to my friend Andrea that is having hard time back home in Italy. It’s
already time to go to sleep…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">9/4/15<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">Alberto
- Another good day in the middle of nowhere. Reading, cooking, exercising,
discovering something more about yourself and guessing about your future. We
are now under 500NM from our destination. Everybody starts to be very excited.
I guess I’m too. But 50% of me it’s a kind of good here…in the middle of this
gigantic Ocean. But on the other side I’d love to see how is going to be the
rest of our journey. Ah ah ah …. Yes I’ve got the feeling the time stopped for
these days and probably for millions of other people the true life happened
everyday as usual, but for us it just stopped, holding herself to explode on us
under the word…Land!!! Am I getting
crazy…don’t think so…just having fun with myself and the others.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">Alice – Just finished packing all the clean
towels and sheets! Tonight we’re going to sleep fresh. It’s always good to make
a nice washing machine. We are blessed to have one on board, it means really
easy life. Even if I feel like an acrobat while I try to hang the clothes and
stuff on the dock, trying hard not to jump into the water… that would be not so
nice!! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">10/4/15<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">Alberto - I woke up during sunrise on our day
15 of crossing. I took a look to the GPS and I fell a bit sad after I realized
that maximum two days and we are going to land. With a good maneuver we pull up
the spy and this is helping a lot, but wind is not doing the same. 5 max 6
knots and the Captain a bit anxious about having the spy twisted. Every morning
Alice makes best breakfast ever making me connected to her and our world. I
just feel stupid when sometimes I make fun of her about the fear she built up
on her. I can’t stand it and I feel like few years ago I was fighting with my
sister about stupid things. I don’t want to feel like this so, I write and
smile to the world. I’m finishing my watch, rolling sea and 10knots speed…I
really need to sleep. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">11/4/15<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">Alice – Sunrise at 6.54. The best of all. Simply
perfect. I’m trying to take a picture of it but the camera is not responding to
real color. Very light shadows of orange, the cloud like wiped cream perfectly
set on the horizon like when we have light foggy days in Venice. We are at
295miles from destination and I found a balance. I’d rather stay for a couple
of more days now that I’m very connected with the world around me. I’m often
thinking to become mom, that would mean to go back to Italy? And where do I
want to grow my child? Maybe adopting is going to be hard but easier on the
other side. Finally I took a good picture of the sunrise and I also threw in
the trash can the horrible piña colada and guanabana syrup that my boyfriend
decided to buy before leaving. Good feeling when every day I make my clients
happy with my breaky.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">Alberto -
Our day flows smooth and even too perfectly. We are already calculating
at what time we’re gonna approach the arrival and it seems that we will arrive
right during the night. That’s why maybe we have to slow the boat down and try
to arrive in the first lights of the morning. Today I don’t have too much to
do, so I’m becoming very critic about everything, but thanks to my young
teacher I understand that all our feeling, fears, emotions of these last days
are like big soap balls that can easily blow with the wind and explode at any
time. I’m lucky to have her on my side, with her kindness and strictness that
fill my days from sunrise to sunset. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">I need to sleep.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">12/4/15<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">Alice – No matter what, we deserved Polinesia!
I want to see land.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">Alberto – We should have arrived right today,
but unfortunately the wind is weaker and weaker so, as we imagined, we are
forced to pull the spy down. Sailing only with the genoa at 2,5 knots can be
incredibly boring, even more if you’re sitting on a Ferrari of the seas. For a
Pacific crossing, I had a very stressful afternoon and I’m trying to find a
relaxing moment cause I feel tired. I didn’t sleep so much these days. Right
when I was about to fall asleep the reel of our rod started to scream and after
20 minutes of Japanese style cutting I had 4 beautiful tuna filets in my
cooler. While I’m pushing myself into the shower, I look out of the window and
see the sunset. The water is refreshing my skin and gives me the enthusiasm to
go back in the kitchen and cook something special. Right in that moment, during
the Bolero ritual, the most unexpected happened: LAND!!! Fatu Hiva just
appeared 40 miles from us, right behind the latest sunlight. We are all excited
like kids but we have to calm our enthusiasm and take our rendezvous with the
island for tomorrow morning as soon as the sun can light our path. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">13/04/2015<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">Alberto – I already know that my watch from 3
to 6 am will last forever, but I honestly slept a little bit. Just till when
the sun rises, giving me his usual show. And so, what can I say? What can I do?
I’d rather dance. Like an idiot I start to dance with myself. A seagull comes
by looking at this dude dancing alone on the dock. I told him “Don’t worry
mate, some days we have to let it go and be ourselves”. Fatu Hiva is in front
of us. Big mountains and wild horses riding through. The GPS gives the alarm:
only one hour from the Baie des Verges. Everybody wakes up and comes on the dock
to look at the island. Birds are multiplying around the boat and dolphins show
up right when everything was already perfect. No picture can seize what we see.
I could write for hours this diary page, but I would never describe the
perfection of this moment we are living. UZIWA POWER! The Ocean is always
right. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">Alice – LAND!!! And what a land! I’m still half
sleeping, but the wonders out there are beyond every imagination. Fatu Hiva at
sunrise, vertical mountains falling down in the deep sea, coconut trees
everywhere, green. Joyful dolphins welcome us dancing, as if someone sent them
for us. I look around me, I breathe deeply and looking at this luxuriant
vegetation I’m crashed by a euphoria, I feel accepted in this magic land, far
away from everything. This land that now for me is the heart of the world. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05886987642222702171noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-427539146353040512.post-76495328654188778782015-05-17T08:33:00.003+02:002015-05-17T09:26:51.671+02:00Galàpagos Island Highlights – Between Surf and Evolution<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">Our first day was fast gone waiting for the
authorities and making all the necessary papers for clearance. As every tourist
machine, here they learnt really well how to pump money from the tourist,
especially if you are coming with your own boat. The funniest thing was that
every time we talked with other boat’s Captain the next days, we figured out
every one of us had a different way to entry the islands. Someone paid 1000
dollar plus a couple of bottles of whisky to be allowed to morgue in San
Cristobal as well, someone else just came in making the paper directly at the
port authorities. Anyway, from my experience, after listening to all the stories,
the best way to arrive here is to contact by mail an agent a week or so before
your arrival. A lot of web sites and blog will tell you that you cannot go around
the islands with your own boat, but if you previously ask your agent he will
arrange it for you. The price you will have to pay for a standard boat (from 39
to 60ft) with 2/4 people on board is around 1000/1400US$. You’ll have to expect
a crew of 8 people coming on board to check your boat. They will ask you
thousands of questions and take pictures of black water system and garbage.
They will appreciate if you previously make two A4 paper attached somewhere on
the boat that says: “Don’t throw garbage out of the boat” and “Do not discharge
black waters into the sea”. They probably want pick some of your fruit or food
up and obviously ask for something to drink. After that, the super troopers
will arrive, armed with dive gears and Go-Pro Hero 3 to supervise the hull of
your boat. If you know that is not really clean, make sure to have the time to
refresh it before they come. In case they will deny your permit to stay because
of shells and seaweed, you will have two options: exit the island, clean your
hull with the help of someone from the port (700$) or the less expensive one,
tell them you have a problem with your engine and you cannot start it anymore.
They will write that and let you stay with no problems.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">After our big day of documents and boat
cleaning, we finally have the time to go around the island, starting to be
absorbed by the fascinating nature and the plentiful animals environment. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">The super comfortable dinghy dock and taxy
service very well organized (50cent each way, call them on 14vhf), were making
our life easy and simple. This is a place far from Ecuador mainland, were
everybody quietly runs his life mainly around the tourism. The first time we
had a bit of time to spend on land, everybody used it to explore the internet
café, I felt a bit sad about not writing immediately to my family and friends,
but I couldn’t resist to take a little detour and walk alone for few km down to
the Darwin Center. If there was one thing I knew about Galàpagos was that here
I could meet the giant turtle. In that particular moment I felt like if I was
waiting to meet them since ever. Strange animals, they are so slow and look not
particularly smart however they are surviving the ages like no other. They
really are amazing survivors!!! The Darwin center protects hundreds of turtles
and others animals, but what I didn’t know is that behind a little gate, along
a small walk surrounded by nature and Iguanas, there is a beach. I don’t know
why in my life this things happen but I swear that was not my intention to
arrive into one of the best surf spot on the island. I was shifting my mood
from a quiet guy with a gringo hat and explorers shoes, to the usual sick surf
finder. That was incredible, a couple a minutes ago I was taking picture of
turtles and birds and now I was memorizing all the information some local
surfer were giving to me about surfing the island and find a board. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">Tip for surfesr: bring your own board unless
you don’t wanna adapt yourself to some old boards sold for lots more that his
real value. And one more, try every hostel or beach with surf before to allow
you to buy a board from the only shop with second hand board on the main road .
He will ripe you off!!!!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">You can also buy a new board from the only Reef
Shop in town he sells some Klimax (Peruvian shaper, good quality) and Al
Merrik. (550 to 1000$) But that was not my intention, sailing the Pacific means
that we are going through every kind of reef solo surf we can imagine, and it
would be nice to have two babies with us, but our budget is very low at the
moment, so we start to ask everywhere to find something interesting. After few
days Alice literally found her board on the beach, a French guy named Ken broke
his leash while surfing Tortuga bay and Alice took the board from the sand to
give it back, she gently asked if he may wanna sell it and he just said yes. I
was nearly ready to buy a new klimax when I met a surfer on the street that has
a friend that knows someone else that maybe has a surfboard for sale….right in
that moment he passed buy with his car and the board “et voila!!!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">For 350$ we have two decent boards, lucky Alice
always has the best one, a nearly brand new 5.6ft fat and wide enough to make
her crazy on the waves and me, I got a 6.1 gun super thin and painted by Yenth
Ccora, the same guy we met in Huanchaco, Peru, a few months ago. I took it like
a sign and accept the fact that with a board like this I’ll be obliged to surf
Teahupoo in Tahiti ;-)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">After Captain e Mdme Nicole left for a cruise
with a bigger boat going to some amazing places around the other islands, we
had the chance to take care of the boat and relax, surfing every day. Swell was
frequently hitting the west coast and the long walk to Playa Tortuga was a good
motivation to enjoy as much as we could the moments in a turquoise warm water
with white sand, millions of fish and bird around us. Right about the fish I’d
love to spend a few words. I’m usually that kind of guy that think of dangerous
thing are also the coolest. I love animals and for as much as I know some how I
feel related to the surf like nothing else before in my life. But there was a
moment when I jumped into the water and saw a few shark swimming on my side or
jumping 5mt out the water here and there that for a couple of day didn’t make
me so comfortable. Local surfers are super easy about sharks here and actually without them Alice and I had hard times to prove ourselves we could
surf solo. Nearly everyone here was coming on the beach after twelve and so we
always had the whole morning on a desert beach. This is what every surfer dream
but we hardly could see the real advantage of it. Finally someone told us that
sharks here are “vegetarian”, so we use it as excuse to shut our mind up and
concentrate on the waves. When during the next weeks the swell started to
seriously build up, there were no other worries on our mind, everything was
clear and awesome as usual. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">Step one - Check the horizon.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">Step two – let that feeling be part of you.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">Step Three – don’t let your commitment sit on
that board for so long.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">There is nothing better than feeling every cell
of your body cooperate to make that impossible looking wave.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">We are very happy to our stay in Galàpagos, people
are friendly and doesn’t matter if you are a backpacker or a rich Japanese with
your big camera, at the end of the day you’ll all end up to the main street
where all local restaurants are. Sitting there with people you don’t know,
eating food made with love from the family of the island. This is a Jaws for
tourism and tradition, that melts together creating a unique atmosphere. You
will probably walk in the morning to “las grietas” for a swim, meeting the same
people that will ask you what’s in your plate at night. People here have
different way to live and to approach the tourism. If you’ll be smart enough to
come here independently, you will discover the pleasure of meeting the real
essence of Galàpagos. Animals are everywhere, sea lions seem to absorbs human
habits, birds are just ubiquitous and pelicans are always ready for a good
picture. The nature here seems to be untouched by humans and not even a little
scare of it. If you will have the chance to stand on a boat or sit on a board
after 5 o’clock, you’ll see dozen of sharks patrolling bay and beaches, let
yourself get used to it and explore yourself . <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">Unfortunately, due to our limited budget we
decided to visit only Isabella and missed Santa Cristobal, Floreana and Fernandina. Everybody told us
that Isabella is one of the highlights of Galàpagos (everything is amazing
here, even snorkeling in the port). We took the ferry (which is a small motor
boat 60$ roundtrip from Santa Cruz) with Philippe, a friend of the Captain that
is going to stay with us for the Pacific crossing while Mdme Nicole is going
back home for a month. The 2 hours from Puerto Ayora do Puerto Villamil were
fully filled of information of Vulcans, islands, rocks and animals, Doc
Philippe is a hurricane of knowledge and loves so much to explain things. We
stayed for a couple of days in a small hotel Los Delfines close to the very
popular surf camp Caleta Iguana. Our intentions where to visit the volcano and
go to snorkel at Los Tunelles. Well If you may pass round here, make as much
snorkel you can. Don’t let you be scare of animals, they are totally friendly
and have absolutely no fear. The feeling you’ll explore here is going to be on
a different environment. Landscapes and animals are glued together, turtle will
swim with you for as long as you feel like to, sea lion will run close to you
and showing their best move on the water. Penguins are spinning everywhere like
little tornado and Iguanas are simply everywhere looking at you like a parent
look his kid on a playground. The relation between human and nature here in
Galapagos is something you’ll never forget. During our swim between the
mangroves I was thinking that never and for any reasons in my live I could even
think to swim in a place like that, but suddenly realized that we were
welcomed. Tide and fishes where like one only things, between rock and
mangroves we spotted sea horses, turtle, sea lions, and sharks. The best moment
for me was when the guide drove us into the house of sharks. Under a big
submerged rock there was a cove with 5/6 sharks going around. When ten days
before I could probably have an heart attack if I saw this, now I was feeling
addict to that. Even Alice couldn’t stop to dive with me into the cove and
stare this magnificent animals swim close to us. Every time we were coming up
to breathe again we were both saying to each other: “you saw, they are not so
bad, they don’t eat us, maybe they are vegetarian!!!!” and laughing like kids
after that. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">My day ended swimming attached on a gigantic
and friendly turtle, she was curious and looking totally happy to have us
around. At one time she came under me like if I could sit on her and we swam
together for a couple of minutes like if that was the most normal thing
ever. Thought there are pictures in our
memories that we should not miss, that moment and that day was one of that. But
Isabella is not only animals and snorkeling or hiking….it can be legendary
surfable!!!! The beach is a long white bay with blue warm water. Right in the
middle there is El Faro and a little more ahead The Point. The swell was big
enough to be a little tricky but we really couldn’t ask anything better. Here
in Isabella surf is unlimited, for two reasons: rangers don’t call you out of
the water at 5.30 like in Santa Cruz and if you have the chance to rent a
little boat with a local Capitan, you can accede to hundreds of desert brakes
close by the bay. With good South West swell you’ll have a fat 9 to 12ft waves
coming to you and just be minded for rocks like every other reef brake. (Exp. Surfers
better, committed intermediate welcome)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">As everywhere we go, as soon as we have the
chance to taste flavors of the country’s kitchen, we are always first line for
it. Even here there are several nice restaurant and exception for the very
touristic one with flag of all country and “available WI_FI” sign you can
really experience some nice dishes with less than seven dollars. It’s enough to
check out the menu of the day written on a board in front of the entry and
you’ll pick up the best one for you.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">Waiting for our ferry back to Santa Cruz, I was
sitting on a bench surrounded by sea lions that apparently like the benches
too. Staring and the sea like if we never saw it before, we are still surprised
when we can spot a ray, a penguin or a shark. The Capitan of the ferry took a
little detour close by the waves of the outer reefs to make the pics we
couldn’t take while surfing. What else?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">I don’t know what to ask more from these
islands, atmosphere and nature are top, tourism machine is well managed and
very careful on the environment. Food can be great and people extremely
friendly. If you are a surfer you’ll have no time without others local asking
to go surfing together, and if you are a surfer girl…you know? In a sport 95%
male speaking, you’ll have no problems to make lots of friends.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">Looking at these islands far behind Lazy Jack,
I can only say what Darwin wrote a few years ago after his visit with the
“Beagle”: Evolution is the key o Galapagos, these are islands like no others!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05886987642222702171noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-427539146353040512.post-9318416830903282202015-05-17T08:31:00.003+02:002015-05-17T09:47:01.749+02:00Hunting winds from Las Perlas to Galàpagos going through Ecuador<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">We left Panama City scheduled by the Captain’s
smooth and lazy rhythms: at 6.00am we leave the mooring “La playta”. The ocean
is really pacific and winds are even hard to imagine here at the moment. We
decided to stop for a week or so to Las Perlas isands. 36 miles far from the
city, they are a quiet archipelago forgotten by the tourism machine that
probably prefer the Caribbean coast. Suddenly we realized that fishing here is
the easiest thing ever. Fish are everywhere, and also big ones are not shy to
show up to our bait and close to us while we are swimming. We first anchored in
front of Isla Contadora and visited the magnificent beaches. There are a few
hotels, a little airport and an internet café. It looks to me that here someone
tried to build structures for tourism but it didn’t work so well and most of
them are abandoned and attacked from mother nature. The first time I dove here
I got really scared from the quantity of curious fish that come close to your
feet and hands to smell if you are well done for their dinner. It took me a few
minutes before I could live the rope from the boat and quietly swim. With the Captain
we decided to sail the eastern part of the archipelago, touching places like
Mogo Mogo, San Miguel and Los Viveros. Don’t expect to come here and find
anything else than nature. We really spent a few days like if someone took the
time back of hundreds years, living between jungles and beached forgotten by
god. The only “city” and actually the biggest of Las Perlas is Sant Miguel: if
you are thinking to go there, be sure to arrive with your dinghy and the high
tide so you’ll don’t have to walk in the mud for 300 hundreds meters, as we did.
The local population is very friendly and they will show you around without asking
money, only for the pleasure to stay with you. The day before we arrived,
someone had the brilliant idea to bring a Big Caterpillar into the beach with
the low tide to bring his boat closer to the shore. He actually made it to take
the boat, although the Cat is still there half grounded in the mud. So I guess
you will easily recognize where you should stop with your dinghy. Tides here
are serious, up to 5 meters and lots of sailors take advantage to work on their
Catamarans hulls while they are out of the water. Basic food can be found in
the village 3 times per week.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">Mentally ready or not…we are now looking the
Perlas far behind us, almost disappearing on the horizon…our destination is now
Manta, Ecuador, where we’ll try to get some diesel and leave for the Galàpagos.
The ocean is really incredible, calm like oil and reflecting every color of the
sky. Late in the day we also had some winds and a small Barracuda. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">We are expecting to sail for 5 days before land
will appear in front of us again, from here we can already say that the line of
the small sailing trial is passed, from now on we will have to be ready of days
and days of navigation that hopefully will take us in some of the best places
in this world.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">Arriving in Manta, a commercial port, we all felt
lucky to have a fantastic sail. The area between Panama and Colombia is well
known as unpredictable zone of wind. The “Doldrums”. When 50 knots are rare but
they can happen, often is totally the opposite, so no wind at all and if you
are planning a direct Pacific crossing from Panama to Polynesia without stop to
Galàpagos, be ready to start your engine for a few days or check the forecasts
and hope for a good window. We luckily
had 15 knots almost every day and the sea was flat like never before, which
allowed us to speed up a little more enjoying at same time the fantastic
cruise. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">Manta is one of the largest city in Ecuador,
the commercial port is full of foreign fish companies well equipped with big
boats and helicopters ready to empty the ocean. We found a little hard to
anchor between the big and small boats parked everywhere. Weird thing was that
when we decided to go into the only yacht club, we could entry, eat, use
internet wi fi, swimming pool, and after a few hours the manager came to us
with the info we asked before, telling that by the way we were not allowed to
stay there, nor to use the facilities and not even to make petrol. We were a
bit shocked, since the main reason why we made this stop-over was basically to
make petrol. Anyway I remember since my last trip here that Ecuador is one of
those countries where you can’t stop, buy the petrol and leave. A national law
establishes that the local price for petrol is not to apply for foreign people,
it is too cheap for us. The only solution was going back to Bahia De Caraquez
Marina or continue forward to Salinas, and for both the options we were obliged
to make a formal entry in the country with an agent. Too expensive and far from
our final destination, so we took a night of good sleep and left after a little
incursion to the excellent supermarket. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">The Captain is that kind of person that feels
always a bit lost when there is nothing to do and he’s awesome to create new
situations, add this kind of personality to mine… et voila… What was an easy
look to the diagnostic of the autopilot trying to set up a new program for
sailing following the wind, we pushed something wrong and everything suddenly
shuttled down. We were like the two kids with a broken bone after mom said not
to jump from there!!!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">Alice and Mme Nicole were not so far from killing
us, and even if we tried everything to re-organized it again, Furuno GPS had no
intention to start again. The only solution was to arrange 24h watches, 2 hours
per person at the steer, trying to direct a boat that nobody of us almost drove
before except from short occasions under engine power. Luckily we had not a
drop of rain nor strong winds, 4 days and 4 nights of learning to do what could
seem obvious for a sailor but is absolutely not, on the modern sail boats with
amazing technology that makes everything smooth and easy just pushing a few
buttons. At the end of the day we arrive in Puerto Ayora on the Santa Cruz
island of Galàpagos. It was a calm morning of glory for us four. Alice learnt
how to sail without listening to her brain that at the beginning was making her
listen someone screaming or even seeing ghost islands in front of the boat. I
was fully satisfy to finally try the old manual way to sail and thought that
also Cap and Mde where happy to make the four days a little different than
usual. When we relished the anchor in the middle of the bay, the weight of the
effort came down to us, but even that was not enough to contain our excitement
when we realized that we were surrounded by hundreds of birds, sea lions and huge
turtles swimming close the boat. We couldn’t ask a better welcome from this
world famous archipelago, and I’ve got
the feeling this is going to be a very special spot destined to last long on
our memories. Later on the Captain invited us to an excellent local restaurant
to celebrate the arrival. Tired and proud of us, I felt blessed to look at the
sea from the little window of my room, and see the water growing on the reef
100mt on our side. I could totally see the reflection of the moon while the
wave was creating a perfect stage for tomorrow’s surf!!!!!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05886987642222702171noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-427539146353040512.post-69692454580626033032015-05-17T08:30:00.002+02:002015-05-18T09:35:13.476+02:00CROSSING THE PANAMA CANAL<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<br />
<br />
When we founded UZIWA nearly two years ago, I
thought that it was the result of my comitment to surf and travelling. Making
all the steps to let now the brand walk alone was not easy. Today, while with
my girlfriend Alice we are sailing around the world, I’m proud to see that
UZIWA is not only the “brand” of clothes I thought it was…it becomes a point of
connection between surfers and travelers. Everywhere we go and always more
often we meet other travelers and talk with people that are dreaming to travel
all around the world with any sort of transportation, and better than anything
else it is really helpful to share our experiences and give our contacts the
chance to meet each other. We have people from Peru, Chile, Morocco, Ecuador
asking where to go surfing. Incredible
things happen every day and we feel so lucky to have the chance to live a life avoiding
that moment when in the morning you look to yourself in the mirror thinking
that you are not what you would love to be. So when from far away we saw the
entrance of the Panama Canal, something happened. It was like the conclusion of
a first big step of our adventure, now we had to set everything up and be ready
in a week time for the Big Pacific.
Practically it doesn’t change so much, sailing on this side or on the
other is nearly the same, but there is something of being here that makes all
of us feel like we are going to pass not only a “canal”, but a psychological
barrier that for European people consists in going on the other side of the
world and not “be able” to pull back. Trade winds, currents, weather and a
voyager’s syndrome make all of us think that the only way to go is WEST.
Shelter bay Marina is the only possible spot where to go with your boat while
waiting for the Canal crossing. There are other Marinas like Turtle Cay or a
new one in Linton Island but far from
the canal and not with the same services. Moreover, if you want to handle all
the complex procedures to cross the canal you want an agent to follow all this
horrible bureaucracy. What most people do here is using this place like garage
for the boats. You’ll find here everything to repair your boat, from a French sailmaker
to a Colombian-Panamanian plumber. Unfortunately, like every place in the
Caribe (except some islands), you will have to supervise every job done on your
boat because most of the workers here are people that understood that behind
the boat there are lots of money and they will tell you they can repair
everything, even if they don’t really know what they are doing. Personally I
often trust some people that tell me – give me as much as you think is good for
you and only if the job is done properly –</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">Luckily we don’t have so many repairs to do on
the Lazy Jack ….ah ah ….I was joking !!!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">By sailing every day we realize that newest
model of boat are very, very different than the oldest ones. Also if we are on
a top quality boat, also when we only change the oil of something, or clean the
filter of the water maker, we easily realize like the boat makers are not the
same of twenty years ago. We especially experience it while travelling with
Luc, the owner of a Supermaramu who traveled with us so far from Bonaire. He spent
all his life working for the big company Amel. He is that kind of person who
starts from building a boat and arrives to build a knowledge of every single piece
of the boats the company he works for makes and is extremely proud to be part
of it. Obviously times change and now we all know how the world’s economic
situation makes things a lot harder for the companies brave enough to try to
stay into the boats market. So we accept the situation that when on board we
use something, we have to be more careful than usual. During the week we spent
in Shelter Bay Marina we had the chance to meet people from other boats,
especially the ones that are participating to the Jimmy Cornell’s rally. Nearly
everyone here is doing what we are going to do and everyone takes the overcrowded
bus every morning to go to Colon looking for food and spare parts. It was like
to live in a micro cosmos where someone melted together the essence of travelling
with sailboats across the oceans. People from England, Scotland, Germany, South
Africa, USA, Chile, France, Sweden and last but not least an incredible group
of people from Holland. Not so many Italians and the ones we met are really the
maximum expression of our actual situation. While the other boats are just
spending their retirements travelling, we are struggling on the travel-charter
world. But at least we never stop to find the way to do what we want. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">11 trolleys full of food and beverages: we beat
the supermarket’s bingo record! The manager was so excited after seeing the
bill that he offered us free transportation to the boat, a few boxes of
chocolate and 4 Bacardi mojito glasses. After this massive stock under the beds
of Lazy Jack, we are now ready to push our floating house through the Canal. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">It’s a fantastic day, Luc, Martine and Didier
join us to help like line handlers. Very important thing to remember if you are
thinking to make the pass, is to have at least 5 people on board, 4 line handlers
and the Captain. If you have a boat smaller than 65ft, the organization of
transport will provide you a supervisor to help the navigation. Over 65ft they
will provide you a Captain to drive your boat through. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">The beautiful lunch on the bay was only the
beginning of our little adventure. First of all, 30minutes before to go, we
suddenly realize that Pau Hana, the 41ft boat from Montana who hit us in the
San Blas, is one of the two mono-hull with whom we are going to make the nest. Fate
or destiny, coincidences or life’s case, it doesn’t really matter how we wanna call it.
I saw the Captain’s shocked eyes looking straight into Martin’s ones and that
was not so funny for Mr. Johnson I guess. We also talked during the crossing
and I have to admit that he and his wife are super nice people. They also told
us “We are heading to the same direction, so maybe one they we are going to be
friend!”. That was so funny and tragic at same time.<br />
Like a giant we were driving into the canal
with these two boats on our side and a big cargo in front of us. The power and
the speed of the water that the human being built here to achieve this result are
incredible. In less than three hours we were already sailing on the artificial
Gatun Lake and looking for our designated anchorage in the dark. That was the
moment when they made me jump on top of a boe to tide the rope and help the
other boats. Not a problem if the boee was not one square meters wobbling piece
of plastic into a crocodile’s infested lake!!!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">The night was calm and not too hot. After
dinner we had our chance to experience the quite lake Gatun with rock music
coming from a motor yacht behind us. When the next day we went through the
Miraflores, we could already smell the Pacific. After nearly 40 miles of
navigation on the lake, we finally descended to the other side. Very different
than the first one we had done. Here a lot of tourists come to see the boats
passing, ferry companies overload their small boats and in half day they take
people through the barrage for a couple of dollars. We are finally sailing on the side of Panama
City, passing under the Bridge of the Americas and exploring with our eyes the
immensity of the skyline of one of the fastes growing city in the world. I don’t
know what I thought to expect from this city, but if you come here, try to
think that you’ll be in a place more like Dubai than a big old and dangerous
city. Things changed a lot here I guess and the free taxation added to the
strategic geographic position helped a lot this place to reach the explosion of
modernity that is now shown to the world. Our plan is to stay here only a few
days and leave after the week end, setting our sail to the Las Perlas Islands.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05886987642222702171noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-427539146353040512.post-6448553411801709322015-05-17T08:27:00.004+02:002015-05-17T08:27:56.472+02:00SAILING FROM COLOMBIA TO KUNA YALA the San Blass<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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When we decided to leave Santa Marta, was the
only positive weather’s window we had
since two weeks or so. Luckily the sea seems to be calm as the wind and it took
us only a full day to reach Puerto Velero in Barranquilla. The navigation was
really bad, I got nearly sick and took a pill to let my breakfast stay into my
stomach. Just the time to get a bit better and we found ourselves in front of
the Barranquilla’s river mouth. Too late we realized that we were into the
wrong spot: in front of us a little
fisherman’s boat with his full net on the back pushES us even more
closer to the shore and when we started to turn through the open water 4mt
waves where bumping everywhere around us. I was staying on the Captain’s side
trying to help him to look on every possible directions and when we both
realize that a gigantic baby was coming straight on us, I just warned Alice to
stay inside and close door. I felt a bit like one of the sailor from the Volvo
Ocean Race, the wave came from prow and reached us with a fast car’s speed.
Both of us were well prepared and strongly attached to the steering wheel. Wet
like seals and just a little scared, after a few seconds later we saw a big
Cargo boat coming out from nowhere on a collision course with us. With full
sail, 20 knots of winds and 4 mt waves, the bloody Cargo didn’t
answer to our radio transmission and was only thanks to the experience of the Captain
that we could avoid just for 20mt the big boat.
My next pictures when I looked inside, was Alice trying to clean the
brown water from the kitchen, Mme Nicole sitting on the couch wearing safety vest, and the two friends paralyzed on
the sliding bed.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">Anyway the entrance in the bay of Puerto Velero
was a dream, the most quite bay on heart or probably after all we had this
afternoon it looked like that to me. Dozens of kite surfs going around and some
other sail boats, the anchor is down and relax time on. Ah ah just joking,
because “relax” is a word that Captain Jack deleted from the dictionary long
time ago. That’s why in less than half an hour after anchoring I found myself in
a car of two perfect strangers, met ten minutes before on the beach, who offered
us a lift to go looking for some “Sodastrem” (machine for make sparkling water
that apparently is a must on a boat). Me and the Captain around Shakira’s city,
a real melting pot of modernity and Colombian history. They were so nice to
decide to drive us everywhere we needed, and after two hours of going around
with the super friendly Nelson and his beautiful wife, the only good news was
their outstanding way to be kind and try as much as they could to help us find
the gas bottle. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: red; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">I was looking at myself sitting on my
surfboard alone when all the other are already tired or they have enough for
the day, or when 10 minutes before to close the kitchen I feel like to make a
cake or a sauce for tomorrow, proving to myself that I can do it rapidly and
without making too much mess …there is nothing that could take me out the idea
that this is the only things I have to do now….<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: red; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">But travelling? I can’t imagine to do
it for years and don’t have time to make friends in any country I’ve been…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">They day after my visit to the city, I couldn’t
resist to rent a kite surf and try after a year or so to pull the sail up. As I
was expecting, it was nearly a catastrophe but at the end I had a lot of fun
and I felt revitalized. Every day it gets really challenging to be able to
prepare something good and original to my “customers” on board. Luckily they
are all super nice and with no intention to make my job harder. The only thing
I learnt very quickly was not to always trust people that tell you they can eat
everything!!!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">Our journey continued very well and after Puerto
Velero we soon reached Cartagena, a shining city with a vibrant atmosphere and an
unexpected lifestyle. If you come here after you visited any other city in
Colombia you probably think that this is Miami. The new city with his modern
buildings raised just on the side of the old and historical town. After a few days
around we can easily say that here it’s a washing machine for money!! A lot of
jewelry, diamantes, boutiques and even classy and original shops not easy to
find in Europe. Everything seems melted with the well-known Colombian life
style. So you can meet a pineapple seller right in front of a Ferragamo
Boutique or buy a whole coconut for a dollar right after you bought Miuccia Prada sunglasses.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">As you can imagine we only had the pleasure to
taste some fresh pineapple and a fresh coconut, actually we were very happy to
keep going to taste the very popular “Arepa de queso” and the best fruit salad
on the street ever. After we met a bit of other sailors and we stocked the boat
with four trolleys full of food, we were ready to point our compass straight to
the San Blas Islands. The navigation took approximately 20 hours and our
destination was Mamitupu. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">During the night we decided to take down the
main sail and leave only the Jennaker to make the sail smoother for our lady,
and we forgot that we were sailing with other two boats. One was easily
recognizable on our side, but the other was too far behind us that nobody took
care to watch it only until when he passed us on a 10 mt distance that we could
really see into their rooms!!!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">Lucky us!!!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">When I started to sail I thought it was like a
science, you study how to do it, make some experience and this is it. After a
few years I’m still thinking that sailing is like a science, but new experiences
never end, and never stop to teach us something new.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">Finally arriving in “Kuna Yala” the Kuna’s
Land, we met this incredible population. They are indigenous people, recognized
independent from the Panama government, that always lived in these islands
between the Darrien gap and the Panama Canal on the Caribbean side. The second
shorter population in the world after the Pigmies. Starting from the
non-touristic side of these islands was really special. Mamitupu and the island
on her side, Ashutupu, allowed us to
meet them without any filter. When Alice and I went around, we were amazed by
the joy and kindness of this population. Nobody was asking for money and none
had other interest than invite us to their house and show us their family. Kids
were everywhere, trying to attract our attention. Every girl we saw was
typically dressed with the “mola” and a few bracelets on the arms and legs if
they were married. Man are easier, wearing only old clothes or shorts useful
for the long distance to cover a few times a day with the canoe. When we met
Lean, his wife and family, we felt really weird to be there with a big yacht
and be invited from a family on their wood made house, without roof and one only
chair. However on the other side I found myself comfortable and curious to know
something about them. Apparently the woman decides everything (and until here
no difference with European culture ;-)), I noticed that every married girl had
a small key on their neck, that was the key of the power!!! Since a few years
they are used to use money. Before the mobile phones nobody needed money, but
now it’s all another story. “Thanks to technology” these people are a bit
struggling for electricity, recharge and internet. Before that, women didn’t
need to keep the key of the security box on their neck. Walking around we were
followed by dozen of kids, we played soccer with them and had some fun with the
youngest of them that while they were trying to prove themselves yelling
something at us, they were running everywhere when I suddenly chased them
screaming like a bear.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">The whole island was following our steps,
giving us some support to know better the places where we were. I guess we are
pretty lucky to visit a place like this before globalization will definitely
take them. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">We spent nearly three weeks sailing around the
San Blas, islands like no other. The sea around here is full of every kind of
fish, beaches are really close to a dream and islands seem to jump out of the
magazines we are used to in Europe. My story of the San Blas and the Kuna could
stop here, but I will not feel honest with the people who read my blog if I do
that. There are other stories that deserve to be told at the public. I will
tell you only two of those because I know that from a travelling blog we want
only shining dreams. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">The first one about the navigation: thanks to the book “The
Cruising Guide of Panama” of Erick Bauhaus , a lot of people now can reach
these islands. But always remember that also if you will have any details of
this part of the world, navigation here is hard and can be very dangerous.
Reefs are everywhere, the ground not always ideal for anchoring. Every day we
met a few shipwrecks and often our instinct was telling us to do the exact
opposite of what we should really do. So if you intent to navigate here just be
prepared to be extremely careful because only like that you’ll enjoy some of
the best colors of the Caribbean, between jungle, rivers, beaches and paradise
islands. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">We actually saved a sailboat from shipwrecking
one night. We were anchored in the windy Porvenir with other 8 boats. 11 pm,
everything still and silent. Only the sound of the wind and the waves that
break in a reef about 50 meters from our boat. We were in our cabin, Alice
almost asleep and I was reading. Suddenly we hear a noise against the hull.
Alice firmly says: “A boat hit us.” I reply that it’s impossible. She is near
the window and insists “ There is a boat in front of us and a curly woman
trying to pull the anchor up!!!”. Ok, immediately I think the worse. Some
pirates are trying to come on board and kidnap everybody. Without even putting
my shirt on, I jump out of the cabin, ready to fight. In front of my eyes the
situation is now clear: as Alice said, we had some visits tonight. The supposed
pirates reveal to be instead a sleepy but terrorized couple from Montana, who
used too little chain for their anchor and whose boat had been pushed by the
current <i>luckily</i> right against us.
Yes, I said luckily. Lazy Jack literally saved Pau Hana from smashing against a
scary reef, where lied already two sunken sailboats. Another reason why sailing
in the middle of the Pacific will be 100% safer than travelling along the coast
or, worse, near dreamy atolls and wonderful islands. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">The other story is about us becoming
ecologist!!!! Maybe when someone was sailing here 30 years ago will remember
only the real paradise. However my friends, if you may wonder to travel here,
be prepared to see tons of plastic dragged from the see to the coast of these
beautiful islands. Luckily someone comes to pick it up a few times per year
from the most touristic places. But when you’ll visit the local villages, you
suddenly realize how we are destroying our beautiful world.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">It’s enough for the moment from the Kuna Yala,
I don’t wanna say everything about them, experiences must be different for
anyone of us so, let’s come to meet the little Kuna when you have the chance!!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">P.s. Nearly forgot to tell you that National
Sport here is Basketball….which was a kind of weird considering that the
tallest Kuna is 1.60cm tall.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05886987642222702171noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-427539146353040512.post-61162619590194728972015-05-16T21:58:00.002+02:002015-05-16T21:58:55.346+02:00Sailing from Hollandaise Antilles to Colombia<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">Bonaire, Aruba and Curaçao, the Dutch creatures
of the Caribe where we can surf, kite surf, wind surf, dive and even do kayak
on a perfectly shaped bay. We are travelling with Roberto and Victoria, our
special guests from Switzerland who came on board to test the Catana 59. We
were very positive about having them on board, especially after they opened
their huge baggage and showed what they brought for us. I can imagine that it was
like when Marco Polo showed up in Venice with the epic food and spices bought
from the Gran Kahn. Champagne and foie gras
are only two of the delicatessen that were welcome into the fridge. But my legs
were shaking when I saw a Parma Ham and a few kilos of Parmigiano Reggiano. Like for the kids, it took us a few days to
understand what kind of people we were dealing with, and it was a nice surprise
to figure out how nice and easy they were. It was funny sometimes to see the
contrast from three different generations of nice people getting along together
in difficult conditions as it can be during the navigation with someone you
don’t really know. I’m putting so much effort to improve my culinary style and
I’m taking little advices here and there thanks to the amazing people I had the
chance to work with. Chef Matteo, working now in the USA, and Roberto Zanca,
chef at <i>La Corte Sconta</i> in Este are
always ready to help me with recipes and advices to stimulate my fantasy. We are starting to understand that life on
the boat is never boring. If there’s not a problem to be fixed nor broken
thinks (which is very rare), we spend
our time fishing, sailing, talking, swimming and cooking. Sometimes I feel like
Alice and I are wiping in a washing machine, spinning like hell. However the smile on our faces is always
shining and the landscapes are making us proud to be here every moment. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">When we got to Spanish Waters in Curaçao we
nearly went on a reef, one of those typical things that happen when look here
and there while your boat is going on the wrong direction. Luckily, I looked
for one second at portside and saw a strange movement in the water not more
than a meter far from us: we were really close to a reef. The Captain was fast
enough to turn starboard and give us the right adrenaline for a big aperitif.
The spot is clean and wealthy and right in front of our boat there is a
windsurf school that let Roberto’s experience show us what he could do with
that. The guy knows how to manage a sail and everyday makes us jealous of his
rides. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">Unbelievable but it’s already Christmas and
today, more than ever, my cooking skills are under judgment. Luc and Martine
are invited and the atmosphere is colorful and sparkling like the champagne we
can toast with. Crab legs, stuffed calamari, mushroom lasagna, crab cake, scallops
and king prawns with asparagus….only some of the incredible food I had the
chance to deal with, closing the show with artisanal panettone and pandoro
dipped into a fresh zabaione . <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">Everybody was very happy and grateful. We had
some really amazing time considering also that Captain and Mme Nicole made
awesome presents for us to thank us for the help until this moment.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">Some of these moments will be so far more
important and remarkable than a lot of places we are now visiting. The journey
with people never seen before and the friendship we built with other travelers
are making our trip to Australia even more interesting.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">Sometimes it seems strange to say that we cannot
spend 2-3 weeks in each of these places, but we have 10 months to arrive in New
Zealand before the cyclones season. The way is still so long. So, after a few
days of hard party and visit to the island’s main attractions, we are sailing
to Aruba, the last of the Hollandaise Antilles before to reach Colombia. It’s
good that with this kind of catamaran we can reach nearly all of these islands
on a day trip, without spending too many nights in the deep black sea!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">And it’s right there, when we are relaxed and
quite, that we made a little mistake. Doing our routine with the sail arriving
to the port, the wind suddenly jumped from 6 to 27 kts and our Gennaker took
less than one second to twist around the Genoa, starting to make a noise like
if an helicopter was trying to land on our boat. As we often tried to explain
to Roberto and Victoria that would love to buy a big cat and not having someone
around to help, sometimes two people are absolutely enough, however other times
six are not. The immense power of the
240sm sail was impossible to contrast and the situation needed a melting of power and intelligence to be
resolved. After two hours of sacrifice ;-) we got the crazy sail and sat at the
table in front of a fresh salmon filet, we could laugh of what just happened.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">Sailing is always like this, unpredictable and
fascinating. We now enjoy the beach and the sun of Aruba, one of the favorite
places for the big cruises and Marlin fishermen. The mooring is one really the
best we had till now: every 10 minutes an airplane lands or takes off right
above our heads, making us shake like belly-dancers. KLM made a great job down
here, but all this tourism exploitation is reflected in the island’s nature.
It’s really difficult to see fish or birds here. But if you like casinos, pubs,
fine restaurants and huge cinemas, that’s your spot. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">December the 27<sup>th</sup> Lazy Jack is ready
for the 250 miles navigation from Bonaire to Santa Marta, Colombia. The wind is
on our side and we sail easily kissed by the sun and blessed by Mother Nature:
we have the chance to cross a big group of excited dolphins that stay with us
about 15 minutes, playing with our hulls. It’s the first time for Alice, she
never met a dolphin in his habitat before. Our stomachs are well marinated and
I cook in navigation with no problems at all. Helped by Roberto, I fish a
fantastic tuna, which is after his proper blast freezer treatment ready to
become a tasty sashimi, on top of an avocado and papaya ring, mixed with Venus
rice. The night passes smooth and nice. In the morning we reach 19 knots of
speed!!! This is a great record for LJ! The wind helps us to reach the
Colombian shores and we pass through what every sailor knows as the Cape Horn
of the Caribbean with no issues at all. Maybe we’re just lucky, since we later
met an Australian couple who destroyed his Genoa right in this tricky spot. Mme Nicole can’t wait to enter Santa Marta
Marina and begins the arrival ritual by putting a nice bottle of champagne in
the cooler, to be ready for the celebration. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">Santa Marta. A Caribbean loud and crowded city.
The contrast between the highly protected and sophisticated marina and the
crazy streets full of sound and smell of <i>brochetas</i>
is overwhelming. We say goodbye to our
Swiss guests and start to set up the boat for a 15 days stop-over in this
marina: Lazy Jack needs to be cleaned, a new lazy bag (which was damaged during
the arrival) and some relax. Mme Nicole and the Captain left me and Alice in
Santa Marta and went to Bogota to make a tour of the Colombian main
attractions. We are the boat’s keepers, but we also enjoy our free time in this
original corner of the world. I can get a Colombian style new haircut and found
some surf spots around, Alice can spend her time with her Wi-Fi spot in the
marina. She gets a bit scared when the 50 knots wind that shakes the boat: the
catamaran pulls so strongly that we almost broke the floating pier. Santa Marta
is definitely way too windy in January. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">After their land trip to Colombia’s heart, Mme
Nicole and the Captain come back with two super special guests: Mme Michou and
Maître Jan. They travel together since 10 years and they are good friends. We
welcome them in the best way possible, with a delicious dinner and a fresh made
Lemon Merengue Pie. Our 6 weeks together towards the Colombian coast and San
Blas Islands start in a super positive way.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05886987642222702171noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-427539146353040512.post-33025930594273907612015-02-19T18:17:00.002+01:002015-02-19T18:17:23.612+01:00SAILING FROM TRINIDAD & TOBAGO TO BONAIRE<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Bloody
Hell!!!</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">We are
finally leaving Trinidad and everybody is feeling good. </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I’m just
joking. Maybe a bit of emotions or the long waves from east, we are all smashed
by the <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>sea sickness. The plan is try to
reach Testigo Island where we can spend a day. The boat run well and also if we
have always some little things to fix we are really enjoying the cruise.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Cooking<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>while cruising on a catamaran is so much
comfortable than on a mono hull, but is still far from be easy. The very good
thing is that yesterday we went to shopping<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>on three different amazing place, made for the one that want to eat
first choice meal. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And for who knows how
to cook it ;-)</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The first
it’s a normal big shopping center in Port of Spain, where we could find nearly
everything like in Europe except the gourmet things. And the other two that you
can easily google it to find some real gourmet food:</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">BLOOMS :
sell every kind of high quality frozen meat and fish. Everything<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>is vacuum sealed and well maintained. They
have also a good choice of olive oil and sauces. I cannot recommend something
in particular because all the food we bought there was absolutely
excellent.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The prices are quite high but
sincerely worth the quality.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">PERPPERCORN:
this shop is into a shopping center<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and
from the outside it looks like a chocolate shop, but it’s a real mini market
with every kind of deli from Italy, France and all over the world. Here you can
easily find Riso Arborio, Foie Gras, Champagne, Tahine, Pasta, Tea, Nutella
etc… Also here your wallet will be lighter after the cash out, but like the
other, we can say that everything was excellent .</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">This is the
first experience for me of cooking on board, and honestly I lie if I say that
I’m not a bit scare of what I’m going to do, however this challenge makes me
everyday always more committed to this job. </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I always
wanted <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>to be a chef, it was just hard to
accept it, but once I’ve done it, I felt like limitless, or better, borderless.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">We arrived
at Testigos during the night and that was a lot more comfortable than we thought,
the big open<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>bay between the two island
allowed the entry without any issue and the mooring was quite good. When we
woke up in the morning<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>we couldn’t wait
to jump into the trip’s first bath. Blue sky, green forest and turquoise sea,
nothing better than a day spent swimming, fishing and eating our own catch of
the day. </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The
fantastic sunset under the note of Ravel’s Bolero was only the signature on a
perfect day. What was funny of this three island, was mainly the facts that all
the women are living on the big island with the school for the kids, and all
the mans are on the other<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>island mainly
fishing lobster. </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Lazy and
happy we pointed the boat on Isla Blanquilla at 3pm in the afternoon, planning
to be there before the dark the next day. I start also to understand how to
calculate and program a trip on a cruise, so much different than when we are on
a race and we are always sniffing for the best corner with the right wind. Here
the gigantic jennaker is always the protagonist and make us sure to have at
least our 8-9knots with comfort especially on the night cruise. </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">At 6am the
next day, with 15kts of wind, a 10kg tuna decided that our Rapala was his
choice and so I had the chance to<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>explore a bit of my knowledge in raw fish and<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>tropical fruit. The smile on the face of the
guest it’s always the top for me.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">After a
meeting with the Venezuelan coast guard concluded with two Coronas we finally
let down the anchor in front of one of the most typical pictures of the
Caribbean sea: white sand, blue water and one only palm standing<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>on a perfect beach. That was enough to make
us happy and proud of our day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Next step
is also our first real destination : Los Roques. This colorful and breathless
archipelago it’s an amazing place to visit, we snaked in from the south island and
anchor on a turquoise bay, full of corals, pelicans and mangroves. The beach in
front of us was also one of the main attraction for some fishermans or day trip
for tourist, so we thought to spend a few days surrounded by the most amazing
nature. </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Days are
going fast and Captain Jack is not here for relax or joke to much, the aim is
to do the world tour in approximately three years, and the schedule of friends
that are joining us on board is already settled, so sometimes we feel like if
we were rushing a bit, however, every place is special and also if we stayed
for a couple of days, it’s always hard to leave it. </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">It was the
same for our next stop on Aves Islands, amazing view and hundreds of birds
right on top of a tiny little island that makes us feeling like lost on the
peaceful sea. </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Our next
destination is going to be Bonaire, apparently the first place till know that
should be fully organize and has supermarket, restaurants and other tourists.
It seems funny to say but fe feel like to see some sort of life around us. We
entered the island from the South and we were a bit surprised to find a fully
filled coast line with salt and oil company. A big cruise ship was sitting on
what we could imagine it was the city center and not many other boat where on
our side in the marina where we anchored the cat. The island’s first impression
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>was no longer last after the first tour
along the beach. Everybody that love to dive should come on this side of the
world, and actually lots of people come here for these reasons. The colors of
the water is excellent and<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the
visibility unbelievable. We can easily see something from the surface to twenty
meters on the bottom of the sea, corals and fishes are always ready to welcome
you on their world and for us it’s so much nice to snorkel<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>on this paradise. On the opposite side we can
say that other than snorkel or diving there is not much else to do. </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The island
is a Dutch colony, and the population is divided by the hollandaise and the
“carribegni”. The first are people very serious and tipically from north of
Europe. The other are more or less the opposite with a touch of afro American
style. So when you go around on this island, don’t be so confuse if crossing a
street you’ll see a car stopping twenty meters before to let you pass and the
next time you’ll try to cross, you’ll hear some high volume music coming from a
messy car that seems run into you. </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">We are
going to stay here for a week or so, waiting for Victoria e Roberto, a couple
of dentist from swiss that are coming on board to see if they like this boat
and eventually buy one. We don’t know much about them but from the mail they
send to Captain back and forward, they sounds very nice. </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">For the
moment we chill a bit on the sun of the Caribe and we enjoy the company of Luc
e Martin, other two big guy that are travelling since a few years with their
Amel Super MAramou 2000S.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">From
Bonaire See You Soon <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05886987642222702171noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-427539146353040512.post-26201986243527323062015-02-15T22:15:00.002+01:002015-02-15T22:15:24.730+01:00UZIWA ON BOARD the beginning TRINIDAD & TOBAGO<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br /><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">When the wheels
of the airplane screamed, I was looking into Alice’s eyes. I’m happy to be here
and to start this new adventure with her. Everybody in my family said that if
we could make the ten months on a boat, it will be forever. I would say that
between me and her it’s already forever. Honestly, at the moment I’m too
excited to think of what it will be. I’m just getting sharp to sail and cook as
better as I can. The incredible heat <span style="color: red;">welcomed</span> us
to Trinidad. Palms three and birds seem to be the owners of this place. When we
first spotted a white and “blonde” guy in the middle of an African American
crowd coming to us, we understood<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>we
found our guy. From the moment when we jumped in that car, our life was
different. I thought I could speak a good French, however I found myself a bit
lost. Luckily Alice always gets where I can’t and<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>like a teacher at school she was always ready
to help me to find the good way to communicate. </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Captain
Jack, a man on his sixties, tall, white hair and tanned enough to say that his
spending a bit of time on the sun. He’s an outstanding example of a very
magnetic person. Cleaver enough to succeed on his life, he was a vascular
surgeon. He likes to say that he was the champion on his branch of study, and
we can easily believe it. It’s always like this: when <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>you meet someone, the first impression lasts
minimum three days and after that you start to have the real feeling of who
really are the people around you. </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">It’s the
first time we jump on big Cat like this, and still after a few days it’s very
special to walk on it. At the beginning we were on board also with Gerome, a
French guy working as well as mechanic and a lot of other things, he has
Italianorigins and he could also speak some Italian. Actually I thought he was
a lot more Italian than French, good on the big things to do and so messy on
other little thousands. We had to wait a couple of days to finally meet the
person that also if she was not on board yet, she was already terrifying us.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Mme Nicole,
a woman on her more beautiful age that apparently doesn’t like the skin of the
tomato and likes a lot French classy style table settings. These were the only
reports before we met this super gentle lady, with a smile like no other and a
beautiful relationship with the washing machine and the anchor of her boat.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">If Captain
Jack was already an interesting person, Mme Nicole makes their couple even more
special. This two big guys, when they realized that was time to retirement, I
can guess they squeeze d their pocket of dreams and things to do, and made up
some very good plans. First of all they walked from Antwerp to Cannes, then sailed
the Mediterranean sea, and finally got a bigger boat and decided to sail around
the world.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">After the
trans-atlantic, Miami boat show and the northern part of the Caribbean sea,
they left the boat in Trinidad for a few months of more organization before to
head north and think to cross the Panama canal. As the Captain like to say: the
canal is a place like no other, it’s a way point in your mind, and once you’ve
done it, you have to keep going thought the Pacific Ocean. I like to think that
for us the Canal is going to be the end of a first big step, where we will know
our self better than before and so we will know if our commitment will be so
strong to keep going and make sweet love with the gigantic Pacific Oc.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">For the
moment I don’t really think much about it, also because we don’t even know when
we are going to leave this place yet. Between work on the boat and immigration
paper, our days are fully stuffed of things to do that makes easier also to
test and learn all the different personality on board.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<ul style="direction: ltr; list-style-type: disc;">
<li style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><div style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0cm; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">The
impact with the kitchen<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>-</span></div>
</li>
</ul>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I will
never forget how happy I was when before to arrive at the boat the first time
the Captain pull over and stopped at the nearest Subway. For a chef it’s always
a good indicator to see that his client can stand and smile at the table also
when he has a tuna and olives sub or a meatballs foot long. That was our first
dinner on the boat. I will never forget as well the next day, when we went to a
small grocery store in front of the immigration where it took us nearly an hour
to pay because this is the carribe, and life is better when is slow. First
lunch: cesar salad. First dinner: pumpkin soup with yogurt and almonds. What I
understood from the first two meals: smaller portion and good vibrations on the
table. I guess I will be definitely happy to cook on a nearly fully equipped
kitchen. I like to say “nearly”, because a good kitchen is like a good
woman,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>she need someone that take care
of her and add some little things that will makes her sexy. So let’s start to
make some sexy food. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05886987642222702171noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-427539146353040512.post-89655538238417076292015-02-05T03:16:00.002+01:002015-02-05T03:16:43.605+01:00Ready for the next Bus from Santa Cruz de Bolivia to Asuncion<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Ovviamente non potevamo non
concludere la ns ultima tappa in bellezza. 25 ore di autobus, da Santa Cruz de
Bolivia ad Asuncion in Paraguay. Le uniche cose che ancora ci sostengono nel
procedere sono la certezza che al ns arrivo saremo ben coccolati e, che per un
po’ non saremo più sballottati tra bus ed ostelli. L’amico Rolando e la sua
famiglia sono pronti ad accoglierci. Il viaggio, immancabilmente, ben presto si
trasforma nel pellegrinaggio della speranza. Di tutti i bus decenti che abbiamo
visto, il ns era rigorosamente un ronzino dall’aria smilza e un po’ acciaccata.
Mancavano la griglia del radiatore e un paio di file di sedili. Ma una cosa
buona avevamo: 36 posti e quindici persone a bordo. Anche a voler pagare di
più, esiste solo una compagnia che effettua questa tratta, ed è la Stel
Turismo. Chiunque cerchi di vendervi i biglietti in stazione, li ricompra comunque
al botteghino della Stel guadagnandoci una commissione. Calcolate che il
viaggio costa circa 300 mila boliviano x persona e che difficilmente fanno
sconti ai gringhi. (l’arrivo dell’ultimo minuto è sempre un rischio ma
caldamente consigliato x ottenere i migliori prezzi) <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Si parte bene, aria condizionata
a manetta e televisione che non da segni di vita. Alle 2 di notte arriviamo al
confine paraguagio e un’ora più tardi al primo avamposto della dogana, dove con
tutte le ns valigie siamo scesi ed uno ad uno in fila, come pronti ad
un’esecuzione, ci hanno fatto avvicinare dei cani ed esaminato le valige.
Ovviamente in cerca di droga o chissà cos’altro. In Paraguay fiorisce il
contrabbando di droga e vestiti di marca, ecco che ogni due ore di viaggio,
veniamo fermati e controllati a dovere.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Siamo gli unici turisti del bus,
tutti gli altri stanno tornando a casa o andando a trovare amici . Dettaglio
simpatico da riportare: in uno dei controlli, arriviamo in questa stazione di
servizio trasformata in dogana. I poliziotti escono dalle loro tende tipo
Quechua della decathlon, si mettono una giacca mimetica e cominciano a
controllare le ns valige. Una volta finito, un paio di loro si rimettono in borghese
e saltano a bordo con noi. Ci siamo anche chiesti per quale ragione, in quanto
non sarebbe impossibile pensare che potrebbe essere che vogliano essere certi
che qualcuno non smerci qualcosa di strano durante il tragitto. Ma le storie di
contrabbando sono sempre incredibili. Ed infatti, ecco che ad un certo punto,
nel pieno del Chaco Paraguaiano, veniamo affiancati da un pick up ed una volta
accostato. Mi ritrovo a dare una mano a uno di questi due poliziotti a
scaricare pacchi su pacchi di vestiti contraffatti. Mi è sembrato per un attimo
di tornare ai vecchi tempi con l’amico Talebano Alberto di Reggio Emilia,
quando sembrava che le scarpe di Prada e le borse di Louis Vuiton fossero il
futuro della vendita on line.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Alle dieci di mattina e con 49 gradi all’ombra, ci facciamo
finalmente stampare il passaporto. Seduti in attesa di sentire il ns nome per
entrare nell’ufficio dell’immigrazione, eravamo tutti dipendenti dalla sbuffata
di aria condizionata che usciva dalla porta di fronte a noi. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
12 controlli di polizia e 3 gomme
bucate più tardi, arriviamo finalmente ad Asuncion. Ovviamente il driver ci
comunica che non ci lasceranno veramente alla stazione ma in una stradina
giusto dietro. Troppi problemi con la polizia. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Noi possiamo solo che sorridere,
la capitale del Paraguay sembra un luogo incantato dopo ciò che abbiamo visto
fino ad ora. Un misto di culture e stati sociali. Anche solo attraversandola in
autobus si può davvero notare come esista ancora il sud America come noi lo
avevamo visto fino ad ora, ma molto più preponderante è come si sia instaurato
invece un benessere dilagante. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
In pochi istanti rimane solo il
ricordo delle lunghe notti spese nei bus e le ricerche degli ostelli più
economici all’alba del nuovo giorno. Dopo una pizza ai carciofi e cuori di
palma ed una pallina di gelato alla vaniglia, immensa doccia e manco a
dirlo…testa sui cuscini.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Il risveglio in terra paraguagia
non poteva offrire di meglio. La famiglia di amici che ci ospita è davvero
incredibile. Abbiamo a disposizione tutti i comfort possibili immaginabili. A
cominciare da una cuoca ed un autista, fino alla piscina, campo da basket e
bici, quasi dimenticavo anche la lavandaia. Proprio a quest'ultima è toccato il
lavoro più duro. Ha per caso fatto lo sbaglio di chiedere se avevamo qualcosa
da lavare. Non abbiamo nemmeno aperto gli zaini, le abbiamo consegnato tutto il
backpack, scarpe incluse. Forse non avevamo nemmeno bisogno di lavare veramente
tutto, ma era più l’idea di aver lasciato alle spalle una grandiosa esperienza di
viaggio, che si è anche rivelata una delle più intense per corpo e mente fino
ad ora.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Se avessi potuto avrei bruciato
lo zaino e comprato tutto nuovo di fresco shopping, ma infondo sono troppo
affezionato ad alcune magliette ed alle giacche che mi hanno accompagnato lungo
i sentieri tra le Ande o nelle giornate di festa tra i mercati peruviani. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Insieme a Roly J,r che ha la
stessa età di Alice, scorrazziamo in giro per tutta la città. Ma prima ancora
di visitare il centro, ci porta a fare un esperienza unica che nella sua
semplicità è riuscita a sorprendermi. Siamo andati a trovare le sue due tigri.
Ovviamente ognuno di noi da bambino ha avuto o sognato di avere un cagnolino o
un gattino. Chi magari aveva il criceto o la tartaruga, comunque un animaletto da
compagnia. Il ns amico aveva un paio di tigri in giardino. Finché erano
piccole, tutto bene. Ma dopo che un paio di giardinieri ed i due cani del
vicino furono dati per dispersi, avevano ben pensato di creare uno spazio
apposito, finanziando una associazione che riqualificasse un parco in disuso
all’interno della città. I questo parco vivono ora decine di animali esotici ed
è diventato quasi come uno zoo, ma non troppo spettacolare per i turisti, in quanto
tiene molto più conto delle esigenze degli animali a cui non manca certo lo
spazio. La cosa più bella è stata però vedere come queste due tigri immense,
appena ci siamo avvicinati alla rete, abbiano riconosciuto il loro padrone. Da
distanti e incuranti dei passanti che erano fino a poco prima, sono venute ad
appoggiarsi alla rete con la testa, lasciandosi accarezzare ed ammirare ad una
distanza inusuale e che creava in noi un misto di stupore ed adrenalina.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Asuncion è una capitale
incredibile, molto più simile a qualche città del Brasile forse che a quelle
della costa pacifica viste fino ad ora. E’ il classico esempio di come
convivano due società completamente differenti. C’è chi suona un campanello per
farsi fare un succo e chi vende la camomilla secca l mercato, seduto su dei
cartoni. Ma questa è la vita nei paesi in via di sviluppo, ed il Paraguay
sicuramente è in super sviluppo, vien da pensare che da queste parti tra qualche anno avremo delle nuove Miami sul
fiume. A proposito di fiume, memorabile la nostra gita in pick up sul versante
brasilero delle cascate di Iguazu. Partenza programmata alle 3 del pomeriggio,
saliamo in macchina alle 21pm. Direzione Ciudad del Este. L’amico Roly è una
gran persona, ma al volante ragazzi è come una scheggia impazzita. Sorpassi nella
notte a destra ed a sinistra con velocità minima misurata di 180 km/h. Io ed
Alice eravamo attaccati alle portiere come ragni e Magaly nel sedile davanti
continuava a implorare il suo pequegnu di rallentare. Alla fine arriviamo alla
dogana della città del commercio per eccellenza. Ovviamente, a detta di
qualcuno, in Paraguay tutto è infrangibile, e soprattutto le leggi. Quindi dove
c’è una dogana, c’è anche un passaggio alternativo. E quindi Brasile fu, senza
nemmeno aver tirato fuori il passaporto. Abbastanza surreale la scena che ci
vede entrare nell’hotel prenotato via internet qualche giorno prima. 2am della
notte, noi distrutti e con i piedi scalzi, entriamo nella hall di questo 4
stelle e forniamo i ns nomi. Questi ci guardano e ci comunicano che non avevano
nessuna prenotazione. Insomma dopo varie discussioni esce fuori che c’era un
altro hotel con lo stesso nome ma che si trovava dall’altro lato della
frontiera. Quindi altro giro ed altra corsa ed alle 3 di notte appoggiamo
finalmente le teste al cuscino. L’indomani, un po’ assonnati, godiamo di
un’abbondante colazione a buffet e andiamo passeggiando in quel di uno dei
luoghi più belli al mondo. Le cascate sono indescrivibili, un luogo da vedere e
valorizzato dalla macchina del turismo, che invece di distruggere, cerca di
proteggere un luogo incastonato tra il fiume, la foresta e le montagne.
Esperienza da provare, il motoscafo che vi porta fino a sotto le cascate. Lo so
che fa molto turista, ma vi posso assicurare che quando sarete in mezzo al
fiume in piena e vedrete le rapide cercare di assalire la barca, non penserete
più di essere in mezzo ad un teatrino. Per non parlare di quando vi porteranno
sotto ad alcune delle cascate dove verrete completamente immersi nel fragore
dell’acqua che vi martellerà la testa. Abbiamo anche il tempo di incontrare
Angela, un’amica di scuola di Rolando. La prima persona che io abbia mai visto
con i lineamenti tipicamente asiatici e specialmente cinesi ma molto bella,
dal passaporto paraguaiano, che parla
spagnolo e che porta un nome italiano. Un bel mix di simpatia e spensieratezza
che ci porta a spasso per la movida notturna di Foz de Iguazu fino a tarda notte. Il giorno del ns ritorno è
anche il nostro ultimo in Paraguay. E come si dice in questi casi. Se dobbiamo
concludere un’esperienza per aprirne altre di nuove, lo si deve fare col botto.
Fortunatamente non in macchina, ma grazie ad altri amici che ci aspettavano per
pranzo e che hanno organizzato una cosa incredibile per salutarci. Chef
stellato con catering privato su casa affacciata sul fiume. Finger food e
cooking show, musica e tanti sorrisi…wake board e tramonto sul fiume con la
Alicina che mi stringe le braccia alla schiena mentre sfrecciamo verso
l’Argentina in moto d’acqua. Che dire? Penso già al rene che dovrò vendere per
sdebitarmi dell’accoglienza quando i ns nuovi amici paraguagi verranno a
trovarci in Italia. Ma in fondo, quali sarebbero veramente le ragioni di
viaggiare, mangiare, scoprire e stupirsi se non quelle di condividerle con
qualcuno. La condivisione della propria felicità non ha prezzo e può solo che
portare verso amicizie ed esperienze più profonde, che legano le persone a
ricordi indelebili di momenti unici. Per il momento possiamo solo ringraziare
tutte le persone che hanno reso il ns viaggio fantastico e soprattutto quelle
che ci hanno permesso di concluderlo in maniera ancor più incredibile. <o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05886987642222702171noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-427539146353040512.post-8118353713554062192015-01-12T04:25:00.001+01:002015-01-12T04:25:43.382+01:00Bolivia, dove la montagna si fonde con l'Amazzonia<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Il piccolo autobus dal quale
salutiamo il paesino di Uyuni prende lentamente il largo in mezzo alle
montagne. Ancora pieni di immagini spettacolari che ci scorrono nella mente ci
rilassiamo al calare della sera. Notiamo qualche indecisione di guida da parte
del conducente, soprattutto durante le lunghe discese tra le verdissime valli
di Potosì e Sucre. Ma la comica stava solo per cominciare. Un viaggio che
sarebbe dovuto durare poco più di due ore, è finito per diventare il classico
calvario Bolivinsky style. Ogni mezz’ora bisognava fermarsi perché nessuno
aveva insegnato all’autista come usare il freno motore, causando quindi non
poco surriscaldamento ai freni. Ma la scena madre ci vede fermi dopo una mega
discesona, nel bel mezzo di un paesino che sembrava la valle incantata. Con i
lama che ci passavano a fianco guardando il bus della speranza con i freni che
fumavano, e la moglie del pilota che riempiti due secchi d’acqua nel fiume
adiacente, cominciò a irrorare le ruote del mezzo. Guardandoci ridacchiando ci
chiediamo dove altro dovrebbero succedere queste cose se non in un viaggio? Nel
giro di qualche giorno percorriamo le vie dell’argento e visitiamo la capitale
culturale di questo stato. La bellissima Sucre ci fa tirare un sospiro di
sollievo e ci fa godere delle più autentiche emozioni nel farci suoi. Tutto
scorre come niente fosse, tra l’immenso mercato e le centinaia di negozietti
sparsi ovunque non ci facciamo mancare nulla. Da provare la empanadas, detta
Saltegna regional….una delizia. Una bella pasta brisee di fuori e 1800°C
internamente…occhio alla lingua.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Quando saliamo sul bus per Santa
Cruz ci dispiace molto lasciare questa città, soprattutto perché siamo
consapevoli che ancora una volta avremo 12 ore su strade dissestate e ginocchia
in gola. Bisogna dirlo, la qualità dei bus da quando siamo arrivati in Bolivia,
è drammaticamente crollata ma ce la facciamo passare dato che non ne avremo
ancora molti da prendere. Il nostro obiettivo è il parco Amborò che sembra
esser un luogo interessante, dove la montagna incontra la foresta amazzonica.
Troviamo rifugio a Buenavista, dopo ancora un paio d’ore di taxi collettivo e
una buona mezzora per trovarlo. Il feeling con il luogo ci colpisce subito e
più che un luogo mistico, sembra un posto dove vengono a svernare tutti i pensionati
dell’America latina. Con il vento che ci impedisce anche solo di parlare, nel
retro del moto taxi, scendiamo verso il fiume che ci dicono essere balneabile.
Incredibile come ovunque ci giriamo si intravedano immensi alberi da frutta.
Manghi, avocadi e altri che on conosco ma che davvero sono ottimi. Il villaggio
è molto povero e i ritmi sono rilassati. Nessuno sembra dover lavorare per
vivere ed è sorprendente come dove si veda regnare la calma più assoluta, sia
invece il controllo a regnare sovrano. Piano piano cominciamo a capire che la
Bolivia è ormai diventato il maggior produttore di Cocaina in sud America e che
la limitrofa città di Yapacani è la capitale dello smercio. Questo a detta di
qualche local che si vede aveva un cugino al bar e che aveva appreso da fonti sicure
al pub che le cose funzionavano tutte in funzione di un rapido passaparola. Ovviamente non essendo soggetti a particolari
vizi, non potremo confermare nulla. Data ormai la nostra imminente partenza per
il Paraguay con il famoso bus scassato di 25 ore che attraverserà tutto il
chaco boliviano e paraguagio, decidiamo di non volerci spostare ancora come
invece hanno deciso di fare i ns amici Annika e Remo. LE nostre giornate sono
semplici, come i succhi di frutta fresca del mattino, le passeggiate al fiume,
le foto ai tucani, i tramonti sulla foresta e il sapore della vita più pura.
Quella che ti regala il piacere di confermarti che sei sulla giusta strada.
Certo che ogni volta che lasciamo la spiaggia sul fiume, ci ricordiamo che
bisognerebbe davvero che qualcuno si prendesse la briga di portare un po’ di
cultura ambientale da queste parti. Forse le aziende produttrici potrebbero
fare imballaggi biodegradabili o magari anche solo cominciare a linciare con
vischiate sulla schiena ognuno di questi animali che ogni volta che si muovono
lasciano dietro di loro una scia incredibile di plastica e rifiuti in genere. L’ultimo
tramonto speso in Bolivia, lungo il fiume…con un cielo che sembrava quasi
incendiarsi ed i maiali che facevano a gara con i polli per accaparrarsi un po’
di cibo tra i resti lasciati dalla gente, ci ha lasciati uno gusto dolce amaro
in bocca. Ma viaggiare in fondo è anche questo, scoprire che l’umanità non sta
andando tutta nella stessa direzione, non prende le medesime decisioni e
soprattutto talvolta sembra vivere in epoche completamente differenti. Io non
me la prendo, non me la prendo mai con le diversità…mi limito a viverle e farne
tesoro. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">Ready for the next Bus.. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05886987642222702171noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-427539146353040512.post-1801116506652035462015-01-05T16:52:00.002+01:002015-01-05T16:52:25.892+01:00Salar De Uyuni following the Dakar<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Un autobus di 10 ore he impazza
attraverso una unica strada perennemente diritta e non asfaltata. La stessa che percorre tutto
il percorso attraverso il centro ed il sud della Bolivia, fino a tuffarsi in
mare dopo aver attraversato Atacama ed il Cile. Decidiamo che il Salar De Uyuni
è una delle cose che vogliamo mettere nel ns album fotografico ed in quello dei
ns ricordi. Non appena si scende, non si può non rendersi conto dell’atmosfera
da veri esploratori dalla quale si viene asaliti. Pochi turisti e decine di
Toyota 4x4 che si riforniscono di ogni qualsiasi cosa serva per attraversare il
deserto ed accamparsi per diversi giorni. In realtà qui tutto gira attorno alle
agenzie di tutto il mondo che mettono i turisti su delle jeep per 3 giorni e 2
notti con la promessa di dar loro la possibilità di catturare in camera
l’effetto “reflection” (v. foto). La cosa viene resa ancor più interessante dal
fatto che per circa la metà percorso, si seguiranno le medesime vie della nuova
“Dakar”. <o:p></o:p></div>
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La meraviglia è unica alla prima
vista del salar. 23 metri di profondita per non so quante migliaia di
superficie. Mi sento come un bimbo che va al lunapark per la prima volta. La
sensazione è quella di camminare sulla luna, in un mondo differente e lontano
da tutto ciò che siamo abituati a vedere. La sorpresa è resa ancora più
piacevole dal fatto che parlando con un’americana qualche settimana prima, ci
aveva riportato la sua esperienza del salar. Ce lo descriveva come niente di
speciale, dove secondo lei non valeva la pena passare del tempo. Ecco che spesso e volentieri ci guardavamo
tutti e quattro fino a che qualcuno sussurrava: Americansky!!!<o:p></o:p></div>
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Guidare sulla superficie candida
del salar è un’esperienza da provare, è un misto di cautele come se si stesse
guidando su del ghiaccio fragile e di sensazioni come se si stesse andando per
mare. Qualcosa scorre sotto le ruote ma non si ha la percezione di essere su
strada e soprattutto sembra a volte quasi di non muoversi affatto tanto tutto è
così bianco luminescente. Spesso viaggiando in questi luoghi, si è talmente
presi dal fare fotografie e commentare cose, che non ci si riserva nemmeno un
momento per se stessi. Anche solo per pensare. Credo sia stata proprio quest’esigenza
che dopo la ns prima notte passata in un piccolo villaggio disabitato e
costruito interamente di sale, mi abbia fatto svegliare quando ancora il sole
non era sorto. Vestito qualche indumento pesante ed un berrettino, mi sono
incamminato verso l’alba, in un paesaggio che incarnava la sensazione di essere
in un deserto, soli e vivi. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Al primo sentore del “forse mi
sto allontanando troppo”, mi accorgo che sono seguito da un cagnolino. Il
villaggio è lontano e quasi si confonde con le montagne, la linea dell’orizzonte
davanti a me comincia ad illuminarsi di una luce rossa come il fuoco. Decido di
sedermi in quello che per me era un deserto, ma appena trovo la tranquillità di
guardare veramente, mi accorgo di non essere solo. Con il mio nuovo amico che
sembra volermi far da spalla, scopro di essere stato seguito da un gruppo di
lama in cerca di cibo (fortuna sono erbivori), e davanti a me le più rare
Vicugne. Assomigliano a delle antilopi della savana ma non sono semplici da
avvistare e soprattutto da avvicinare. Mi sento in pace con l’ambiente, ed è
possibile che anche lui lo sia nei miei confronti, legato a questo pensiero, mi
fondo all’alba che verrà.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Se il giorno si può dire essere
ben cominciato, beh mai mi sarei immaginato di quanto la grande bellezza di
questo luogo avrebbe continuato a farmi sentire speciale e fortunato di
esserci. Lasciato il sale cominciamo ad addentrarci nel deserto di pietra, fino
al confine con il Cile. Contornati da immensi vulcani e lagune iridescenti
piene zeppe di fenicotteri, quasi viene a farci male il dito che preme sulle
nostre macchine fotografiche. Ed ancora una volta mi accorgo di come la tecnologia
ci abbia portati a volere immortalare e condividere ogni singolo momento, tanto
da farci vivere quasi immediatamente nel ricordo di quell’attimo scattato poco
prima. Ancora una volta, ripongo la mia macchinetta nello zaino, mi siedo, respiro.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Vivere il presente come non
dovesse finire mai, non è l’unica cosa da ricordare nel mentre si visitano
luoghi incredibili come questi. Infatti a volte, si finisce per dimenticare
dove siamo. Le tecnologie, la conoscenza e la macchina del turismo, fanno
sembrare questi luoghi raggiungibili da tutti. Tanto da non creare nessun senso
di pericolo o anche solamente percezione di dover prestare attenzione a
qualcosa in particolare. Ecco che spesso capita di vedere turisti che camminano
e saltellano a caccia della foto da urlo, nel bel mezzo di Geyser in piena
attività, o che vogliono fare le cose fighe e decidono di attraversare il
deserto in bici e calcolano le provviste in base ai km da percorrere pedalando….senza
considerare che più della metà del deserto è fatto di una ghiaia fine che fa
sprofondare le ruote per più di mezzo metro rendendo impossibile l’avanzamento
se non spingendo il proprio ciclo. Lo sanno bene i nostri due amici Italiani a
cui abbiamo regalato cibo ed acqua nel mezzo del niente e ad ore (di macchina)
dal primo paesino disabitato dove potersi riparare dia -15°C che qui piombano
giù appena dopo il calar del sole. Ma senza andare tanto a guardare le grandi
emozioni, ce ne sono alcune di piccole ed insignificanti, come fare una
corsetta di venti metri per vedere chi arriva prima alla macchina, che ci è
mancato poco non lasciasse Annika ed Alice vedove dei loro compiantissimi
uomini soffocati dalla mancanza di ossigeno. Prima regola del viaggiare al
salar: il tragitto si svolge tra i 2800 ed i 5200 metri di altitudine. Quindi
niente corsette e d’obbligo una borsetta di foglie secche di coca che potrete
comprare da qualsiasi fruttivendolo e che vi aiuteranno a far passare il mal di
testa da altitudine.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Nonostante siamo lontani dal mare…il
nostro motto: “ Stay salty!!!” rimane sempre un must. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05886987642222702171noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-427539146353040512.post-11207676414028221852015-01-05T16:29:00.001+01:002015-01-05T16:29:25.572+01:00From Cuzco to Exploring Lake Titicaca <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Mentre discutevamo dei nostri
piani di viaggio con i nostri ormai inseparabili Annika e Remo, scopriamo da
qualche blog su internet che esistono un paio di compagnie di bus che
effettuano la tratta DIRETTA Cusco-Copacabana (Lago Titicaca, Bolivia). Controlliamo
i prezzi e ci accorgiamo che non sono differenti da quelli proposti da un tipo
dell’agenzia in Plaza de Armas. Quindi, invece che perdere una giornata per
andare in stazione a prenotare i biglietti, acquistiamo la tratta DIRETTA senza
fermate per Copacabana in un bus con poltrone letto della compagnia Huayruro. Belli
come il sole, la sera dello stesso giorno andiamo al terminal de bus di Cusco e
nel giro di mezz’ora forgiamo l’appellativo che lì in poi diverrà il nostro
modo di descrivere lo stile dei peruviani:
quel PERUNZKI dell’agenzia probabilmente, dopo aver incassato l’amount
del biglietto, invece di acquistare i voucher per la compagnia che ci aveva
venduto, ha ben pensato di comprarlo per la compagnia più economica. Risultato:
due coppie, due bus diversi, a due orari differenti e con un concetto di
DIRETTO del tutto PERUNZKI. Il nostro bus non è poi così male, se non fosse che
alle 5 del mattino ci ha lasciati nel bel mezzo della brughiera di confine
peruviana a 3500 metri, per poi farci salire in un furgone capitanato da una
gentildonna locale che ci ha guidati alla frontiera con la Bolivia e poi
consegnato i soldi per raggiungere in taxi la ridente località di Copacabana,
nostra destinazione finale. Ci chiediamo come sarebbe stata la compagnia che ci
avevano detto non essere diretta. Primo assaggio di Bolivia: alla vista del
lago Titicaca (il lago di grandi dimensioni più alto al mondo: 4000 metri)
decidiamo subito di andare a visitare la Isla del Sol e ci prenotiamo per la
corsa delle 13.30. Dispiaciuti di essere stati ingiustamente separati dai
nostri compagni di viaggio svizzeri, pensiamo a dove saranno già arrivati visto
che probabilmente il loro era il vero bus DIRETTO a Copacabana. Dopo aver
girovagato un po’ per la città, stremati dalla notte selvaggia in autobus,
approfittiamo della wifi che in realtà si rivela non funzionare su un bar
costruito su un tetto, da dove avvistiamo due backpacker dal capello biondo
tedesco: i nostri Annika e Remo giungono a Copacabana con il DIRETTO 5 ore dopo
il nostro. Fortunatamente la permanenza sulla Isla del Sol ci fa dimenticare
dei piccoli inconvenienti bolivinzki e ci godiamo i paesaggi mozzafiato,
incastonati nel mezzo del lago a 4000 metri. Di tutti i luoghi finora visitati,
questo schizza immediatamente in cima alla hit parade. Assolutamente da provare
la trucha (trota) e la animal touch competition, ovviamente vinta dal
sottoscritto, che dopo aver sculacciato per tutto il giorno porcellini, pecore,
capre e asinelli, ha ben pensato di strizzare le orecchie ad un lama in posa
per la foto, facendolo imbizzarrire. Shit happen!!!! Ci divertiamo troppo in
quest’isola che per quanto stia attirando sempre più turisti, davvero rimane un
gioiellino dove riposare e camminare spensierati per ore senza incontrare
spesso anima viva. Alzarsi la mattina all’alba e sulla terrazza affacciati sul
lago essere guidati nello yoga dalla ns splendida “Alice l’istruttrice” ci
rendeva tutti migliori, tanto far svegliare Annika e Remo prima ancora di noi
per essere in prima linea ad allungare i muscoli. Ma la grande sorpresa di
questo luogo sono state per noi le sue spiagge, un po’ perché forse non ce le
aspettavamo, ed un po’ perchè la loro bellezza supera di gran lunga alcune
delle più belle località che fino ad ora abbiamo visitato. Quindi ancora una
volta, se decidete di avventurarvi nel percorso che abbiamo fatto, tralasciate
le coste, e preparatevi a rimanere piacevolmente sconvolti dai paesaggi
dell’entroterra che rendono davvero un viaggio degno di essere chiamato tale.
Ci sono anche un sacco di itinerari possibili ed inesplorati dal turismo
intorno al lago, praticamente al di la di Puno, Copacabana e la ormai
fintissima Isla Flotante di Uros, tutto il resto rimane praticamente ancora
quasi fuori da tutte le rotte, e se avete il tempo e la voglia, trovate un
pescatore o qualcuno che vi faccia salire a bordo per una battuta di pesca o
per farvi fare un giro panoramico anche di più giorni, non rimarrete di certo
delusi.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Sembra strano da dire ma ormai il
nostro programma comincia a diventare serrato, siamo in Bolivia da solo pochi
giorni e ci sembra davvero di aver cominciato con il piede giusto, ma dobbiamo
fare i conti con i tempo che ci resta e quindi eccoci di nuovo in bus con
direzione La Paz. Costeggiamo il lago fino a raggiungere immense campagne, con
il bus parcheggiato su di una zattera attraversiamo un fiume fino ad arrivare
ai piedi della Cordillera Reale che ci mostra le sue cime innevate…tutto
idilliaco…se non che alla vista della città…decidiamo di fare immediatamente
rotta sul paesino di Coroico…da dove vorremmo percorrere la famigerata “strada
della morte”. Purtroppo non si può certo dire che la capitale boliviana sia un
luogo ideale per trascorrere qualche giorno. Una città alquanto grigia e priva
di grandi attrattive, ma un ottimo punto di snodo per visitare tutto lo stato
ed organizzare i trasporti per qualsiasi destinazione. Le molte agenzie
turistiche a ridosso della Cattedrale e le decine di ristorantini lungo la via
principale, vi faranno da sfondo nel mentre deciderete cosa fare in questa
bellissima parte di mondo. Noi come al solito tentiamo di fare la furbata alla
backpacker, ed invece che andare sulla strada della morte con un agenzia che
organizza una discesa in bici come fanno tutti, andiamo direttamente a Coroico
da dove più o meno partono con le bici, confidando sul fatto che ci fossero
noleggiatori. Non che ci sia davvero dispiaciuto…ma i noleggiatori di Coroico
sono tutti falliti o hanno le bici sgonfie e non hanno voglia di ripararle e
quindi ci siamo sparati 25km a piedi, che in leggera discesa si sono davvero
rivelati meravigliosi anche se ovviamente meno adrenalinici. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Spostarsi in lungo ed in largo è
molto semplice da queste parti, nel senso che non è difficile trovare un mezzo
di trasporto di qualsiasi genere che ti faccia raggiungere una destinazione. Ma
ormai sono mesi che viaggiamo sempre dentro questi vanettini schiacciati come
sardine e la mia, ma potrei benissimo dire…la nostra…tolleranza si sta
assottigliando sempre più, tanto da cominciare a farmi sognare atti violenti
contro alcune di queste persone che si comportano come bestie al pascolo.
Bolivinski.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05886987642222702171noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-427539146353040512.post-80643178682875552222015-01-02T19:58:00.003+01:002015-01-02T19:58:56.945+01:00Experience Lima and Macchu Picchu<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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La mattina che decidiamo di lasciare Chicama e la sua
"ola mas larga del mundo", è anche giunto il momento di salutare
l'amico Matteo. Lui riprenderà il suo viaggio verso l'Amazzonia fino a
raggiungere di nuovo la Colombia, dove ad aspettarlo ci saranno i ragazzi di
7000miglia lontano. Il nostro programma invece rimane quello di scendere la
costa fino a Lima e piano piano cominciare a vendere le tavole. Un grande
abbraccio e tanti ringraziamenti per i bei momenti passati insieme, chissà
quando sarà la prossima volta!! E soprattutto dove!!<o:p></o:p></div>
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Tra il caldo del bus diretto a Trujillo e la costante
striscia di rifiuti plastici abbandonata sulle strade, cominciamo a pensare che
questo Perú nasconda qualche scheletro nell'armadio, sotto l'armadio e
possibilmente anche dietro l'armadio. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Più si scende verso la città e più si rendono necessarie
precauzioni un po' più severe. Ormai le storie di scippi, rapimenti e
aggressioni si moltiplicano di giorno in giorno, ma a dire la verità, noi non ci
siamo mai accorti di nulla. Certo ci siamo sempre affidati al buonsenso e ci è
andata bene, ma purtroppo questo è un posto in cui va anche un po' a fortuna.
Appena scesi dal bus in quel del centro di Trujillo, veniamo subito affiancati
da un signore sulla cinquantina che ci avverte di essere in una città molto
pericolosa e di fare attenzione. Continua a ripeterlo talmente a disco continuo
che decidiamo di cambiare strada solo per seminarlo. A noi tutto sembra molto
piu moderno e carino di tutti gli altri paesi che avevamo visto fino ad ora, ci
sono persino i Mcdonald ed altri francising, senza contare le decine di banche.
Chiediamo al primo ostello che incontriamo se avessero posto, ma tutto fully
booked, velocemente ci fanno entrare e ci dicono che possiamo lasciare i
bagagli finchè andiamo a trovare una stanza, perché è pericoloso girare con gli
zaini ed una ragazza era stata scippata proprio quella mattina. Ci sale un po'
d'ansia e quindi lascio Ali ad aspettarmi mentre provo a rimediare una
stanzetta. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Scarico di ogni avere mi addentro verso la zona hotelera. A
me sembra tutto a posto, gente che si fa i cavoli suoi, nessuno che ti
importuna, pulizia alquanto curata. Addirittura chiedendo info, trovo un
negoziante che mi paga il taxi e con lui mi porta a trovare un hotel di una sua
amica. Quindi ritorno a prendere Alice ed entriamo in un ostello piuttosto
carino con camerate da sei. In camera con noi un'infermiera francese ed un
ragazzo finlandese. Quando li conosciamo, ci sono lui che rientra sulle stampelle,
una gamba ingessata e fasciatura in testa. Lei che lo assiste come una badante.
Insomma ci racconta che era stato aggredito e picchiato a sangue un paio di
giorni prima.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Io e la Ali ci guardiamo in faccia e pensiamo che forse è
meglio non uscire o magari prendere con noi un kalashnikov e due bombe a mano.
Poi alla fine si viene a sapere che questo se ne andava in giro a fare foto con
l'ipad per l'interland della città e che ad un bel momento si è messo a bere na
birra al parco al calar del sole. Bravo il finlandese.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Comunque non ci possiamo lamentare, ci trasferiamo dal
centro alla spiaggia di Uanchacho, paradiso del longboard. Li troviamo da
vendere le tavole ed anche le mute, e facciamo conoscenza con qualche local e
con Matteo della scuola surf Yenth Corra. Questi ragazzi, oltre a dare lezioni
a chiunque sia interessato, hanno avviato un progetto interessante, che
permette a bambini del villaggio che non hanno nulla per potersi divertire
oltre che la strada, di andare da loro e gratuitamente prendere una muta ed una
tavola e cimentarsi in questo magnifico sport. Inoltre il proprietario possiede
anche un ostello nel quale periodicamente offre vitto ed alloggio a turisti
stranieri, in cambio di piccoli lavori domestici e un paio di ore al giorno di
insegnamento di lingua inglese agli stessi ragazzini presso la loro scuola.
Anche se posso dire apertamente che i Peruviani in genere, salvo eccezioni
ovviamente, non sono il mio popolo preferito. Ecco che con Ali abbiamo un po'
preso a cuore questa iniziativa che ci stiamo apprestando a sostenere con UZIWA
SURF ON BOARD (short).<o:p></o:p></div>
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Date le ultime padellate e salutati gli amici della scuola
surf, ormai è ora di riversarci in quel di Lima. The gran Capital, milioni di
persone senza (o quasi) regole, che vivono ovunque. Come tutte le grandi città,
per noi sono sempre un incognita, ma di certo Lima è di tutte stata la più
grande sorpresa. Tutte le guide vi diranno di andare a Miraflores (quartiere
sul mare), ma se avete voglia davvero di vedere la città, non fatevi spaventare
ed andate in centro. Noi siamo stati in un grande ostello "1900
backpacker", dietro il museo della repubblica, ed abbiamo scorrazzato
dalla mattina alla sera senza problema alcuno in mezzo a centinaia di altre
persone. Addirittura un giorno abbiamo anche deciso di andare a Gamarra, polo
della maglieria sud americana, che si trova nel centro del quartiere la
Victoria (il più sensibile della città) e ci siamo talmente divertiti che ci
siamo pure tornati il giorno seguente. Ovvio sempre buonsenso, ma let's get
lost è sempre la miglior prima regola da seguire in una città...anche in sud
America.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Casi della vita, ancora una volta ci fanno incontrare Annika
e Remo ed altri due ragazzi tedeschi che avevamo gia incontrato. In quattro e
quattrotto organizziamo un programma di massima per vederci a Cuzco nei giorni
seguenti. Così è, dopo qualche giorno ed un viaggio in bus terrificante, siamo
tutti seduti allo stesso ristorante a sbaffarci un kebab di fegato di maiale e
qualche patata fritta passeggiando per plaza de armas e a studiare la via
migliore per espugnare il grande Macchu Picchu. Ovviamente scegliamo la rotta
dei backpacker e in mezzo alle montagne: tra Ollantaitambo e Santa Teresa giace
la via di colui che non vuole pagare il treno piu costoso del mondo. Not for
faint hearts. Partiamo all'alba con la coppia svizzero-tedesca e con
l'intenzione di raggiungere il terminale di bus da dove avremmo poi preso il
colectivo diretto a Quillabamba, fermandoci dopo 7 ore di curve andine a Santa
Maria. Non facciamo in tempo a smontare dal taxi che veniamo assaliti da un
gruppo di autisti e procacciatori che volevano venderci il passaggio fino a
Santa Maria in auto. Essendo in 4 abbiamo deciso di contrattare: dopo 10 minuti
di paura si parte con una ruggente toyota yaris berlina sulle contorte strade
curvolente. Dopo 4 ore di saliscendi tra i 2000 e i 4000 metri e di viste
incantevoli su paesaggi incredibili, si arriva finalmente alla meta, sove ci
aspettano solamente altre tre persone rette di cammino lungo le rotaie che ci
guideranno in mezzo alla foresta e lungo il fiume tra Hydroelettrica ed Aguas
Calientes. I giorni che seguono sono camminate infinite tra i luoghi
incantevoli che si nascondono tra le montagne e tra i quali proprio Macchu
Picchu. Purtroppo la sensazione che ci assale per prima all'arrivo ad Aguas
Calientes è quella di essere delle mucche pronte ad essere munte. Tutto è
organizzato ad uso e consumo del Peruviano. Ecco avete capito bene. Non del
turista. La città ovviamente vive solo grazie ai turisti, che vengono
bersagliati ad ogni angolo. Dapprima penavo che fosse solo un luogo come molti altri
dove tutto costava un po' di più, ma invece, quello è un luogo creato per non
dare molta possibilità di scelta a chi lo visita e quindi ecco che c'è che ne
approfitta in modo davvero inopportuno. Capita di sedersi al ristorante dove il
menù aumenta al momento del conto causa una "nuova tassa sul
turismo". oppure di fermarsi ad un bar con happy hours per bere un pisco
sour od un mojito ma che guarda caso per quel giorno non era più incluso nelle
offerte. Un massaggio che abitualmente costa 10, qui costa 60 e lungo le vie
del centro i "supermercati" applicano prezzi in base alla nazionalità
di provenienza. Così fanno anche gli hotel, molto amichevolmente ti
approcciano, si presentano e ti chiedono di dove sei, la tariffa varia
notevolmente se sei svizzero o russo, infatti proibiamo subito ai ns amici di
chiedere quotazioni ed in ogni caso cominciamo a dire che veniamo dal Libano o
dall Croazia che qui sono considerati come paesi poveri. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
i nostri portafogli "sopravvivono" alla terribile
notte senza elettricità e con un temporale incessante, il mattino seguente
riusciamo a lasciaci quella strana sensazione alle spalle ed a scalare a piedi
la via degli Inca su fino all'intipunku e alla porta del sole, da dove si gode
di una vista magnifica sulla città di Macchu Picchu. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Nonostante sia un luogo turistico, rimane uno di quei luoghi
in cui non si può non rimanere senza parole. le foto non saranno mai esaustive
e la magia di quel luogo sopravvive anche all'avvento delle orde di persone che
arrivano ogni 30 secondi con i bus dal centro della città.<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Facciamo il pieno di belle immagini e ricordi indelebili e
lentamente, con i nostri zainetti, ripercorriamo tutta la via del ritorno fino
a Cuzco in tempo record. Ormai anche l'ultimo giorno di Perù è arrivato, ora
non resta altro che andare in stazione degli autobus e vedere dove ci porterà
il prossimo biglietto.<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05886987642222702171noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-427539146353040512.post-69724000350889006752015-01-02T17:54:00.000+01:002015-01-02T20:01:31.650+01:00Lobitos and Chicama Uziwa surf style<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lobitos Surf Camp</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lobitos's Fisherman Boats</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Istant Uziwa Feeling</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Uziwa TEam Building Friendship</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Alice's Birthday</td></tr>
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<span style="color: white;">Lasciati alle spalle i super swell di Mancora e la sua atmosfera rilassata e festaiola. Dirigiamo verso il classico paesino non segnalato sulle mappe. Uno di quei luoghi mistici del surf, di cui abbiamo sentito parlare per la prima volta da un surfista in Equador. Poi lo senti nominare come luogo di onde leggendarie mentre scendi la costa, finche non ti ritrovi a contattare quel surfista su facebook per farti dare qualche indicazione su come arrivare. Ancora mi stupisco di come le cose accadono quando stai percorrendo la tua via. Niente ti ostacola e tutto cospira affinché tutto raggiunga il tuo obiettivo, rendendo il viaggio fino a quel punto, zeppo di esperienze interessanti ed incontri necessari. Un bus di qualche ora fino ad una cittadina di porto, poi un piccolo van stracarico di persone che tentavano di difendersi dalle dimensioni delle ns tavole ed infine un luogo incredibile sorto dalle ceneri di una cittadina americana d'inizio secolo che un giorno ha cessato di esistere abbandonando quel luogo al vento ed al caldo. Qualche anno fa, quel luogo viene scoperto da qualche pazzerello che pensa di farci surf, in breve diventa una mecca considerata l'onda più bella del Peru. Effettivamente ci ritroviamo in un luogo d'altri tempi, popolato da hippie che hanno creato dei veri e propri luoghi di surf su spot d'acqua turchese e rifugi nati dentro a case abbandonate. Alla fine, chi ci aveva parlato di quel posto per primo è stato anche colui che ci ha permesso di utilizzare casa sua per dei fantastici giorni dove ci siamo sentiti come nel film The Island. </span></div>
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<span style="color: white;">Quando decidiamo di salutare quel luogo è palese che Lobitos rimarrà un grandissimo hilight del ns viaggio. E che il surf camp del molo, sarà sempre un posto speciale.</span></div>
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<span style="color: white;">Curioso è anche come ogni volta che dicidiamo di spostarti da un luogo all'altro, ritroviamo alcune persone che avevamo incontrato in precedenza. La situazioni a volte sono irreali, come quando abbiamo incontrato per la milionesima volta Anika e Remo una coppia svizzero - tedesca che ci ha visti fare yoga sopra una collina, vicino un edificio abbandonato dove insieme a due ragazzi australiani avevamo trovato riparo dal vento. </span></div>
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<span style="color: white;">Ancora una volta, ci si incontra e ci si saluta nell'arco di un paio di giorni, il nostro ritmo di viaggio è rilassato e non segue particolari tempi, ma ogni volta che guardiamo la mappa e ci sembra di aver percorso un sacco di strada, sembra quasi che qualcuno ingrandisca il Perú. </span></div>
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<span style="color: white;">Poi infine ci si ritrova sempre al calar del sole appoggiati con la testa al finestrino di un autobus notturno mentre si osservano le distese immense di rifiuti che rotolano lungo tutte le strade che fin'ora abbiamo percorso. Ci sembra strano come tutto ció faccia davvero da sfondo a paesini meravigliosi e gente cordiale. Quasi quasi cominciamo a pensare di essere in un posto un po' incivile. </span></div>
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<span style="color: white;">Spendiamo qualche giorno nella rotta verso Porto Malabrigo, passando per Chiclayo e Pimentel dove riusciamo a rilassarci ed a conoscere la parte festaiola dei Peruviani. Finalmente arriviamo a Malabrigo, l'obiettivo non è di certo il piccolo paesino dimenticato da Dio, ma l'onda di Chicama che gli rompe davanti. Certo a molti non dira tanto, ma gli addetti ai lavori sanno di cosa sto parlando. Lo spot è considerato come in grado di produrre l'onda più lunga al mondo, 4 km di pura vida. Quando mi sveglio al mattino tutto é un po' speciale, è il compleanno di Alice, ma lei non lo sa ancora. Dorme come un ghiro e quando sente la mia sveglia fa finta di niente e si spinge dall'altro lato del letto aspettando il mio abbraccio ed i suoi meritati auguri. Perché per Alice il compleanno é qualcosa di speciale. Tutti nel corso della vita considerano quel giorno cosi speciale fino a 14 anni, poi i 18 e poi sono velocissimi uno dopo l'altro che quasi si accavallano e si vorrebbe che quel giorno non arrivasse mai. Invece lei lo vuole. Lo aspetta tutto l'anno come un pescatore sulla riva del fiume. Non ricevere gli auguri e sentirmi uscire in silenzio credo le abbia fatto fumare le guanciotte. Quando esco dalla porta del ns appartamentino ovviamente la strada è deserta e la notte stenta ancora a liberare il giorno. Mentre mi affaccio al costone roccioso ed il sole comincia ad alzarsi penso che ogni surfista avrebbe voluto essere al mio posto. Sette piccole onde una dopo l'altra, lunghe da non riuscirne a vederle l'inizio e la fine, vengono avanti davanti a me. Non una nuvola nel cielo e non una persona in acqua. Certo tutto era perfetto, se non che avrei dovuto preparare qualcosa per Alice. Tutto è venuto cosi naturale e spassoso che non ho nemmeno dovuto sforzarmi. Inizialmente volevo comprarle una torta nell'unica panetteria del paese, ma dopo che la signora mi ha spiegato come le facessero solo su ordinazione o bisognava andarle a prendere ad un altro paesino ad un'ora di distanza mi ero un po' demotivato ed avevo già pensato di doverla portare in un bel ristorante dove si sarebbero mangiate le stesse identiche cose di uno di quelli un po meno belli ma pagando molto di più. Ma ecco spuntare il vicino di casa, che aveva sentito dalla moglie che mi era davanti a prendere il pane che stavo cercando di organizzare una sorpresa alla mia dama. Dopo tre minuti eravamo a bussare alla porta di una casa che per me era abbandonata, e dove una signora visibilmente appena alzata apre la porta dandomi carta bianca sulle torte che avrebbe potuto fare. In più salta fuori che lei è la sorella di un'altra signora super gentile da cui avevamo cenato la sera precedente e mangiato benissimo. Detto fatto, torta al cioccolato e fragole e cena di pesce, con l'unico pesce che i pescatori tengono per il loro mercato locale, fatto in tre cotture differenti. </span></div>
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<span style="color: white;">Il tutto organizzato in non più di 15 minuti, perfetto anche per non destare sospetti nella ormai furiosissima Alice. </span></div>
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<span style="color: white;">Rientro in camera, ore 6.34am.</span></div>
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<span style="color: white;">"Certo che proprio bello avere un moroso come te! Pensa che Matteo mi ha fatto già gli auguri! Bravo, bravo."</span></div>
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<span style="color: white;">Ed io:</span></div>
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<span style="color: white;">"Dai forza andiamo che ci sono delle belle onde, tantissimi auguri amore mio, mettiti la muta veloce dai...."</span></div>
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<span style="color: white;">Neanche la session in solitario che ci siamo fatti e l'onda di 300mt che si è surfata ha potuto placare il suo pungente disappunto per il mio ritardo. Per tutto il giorno non faceva altro che rinfacciarmi la cosa ogni 40 min e siccome oltre ad essere intelligente, si considera pure molto intelligente. Quella considerazione di se non lasciava spazio a nessuna ipotesi di festa a sorpresa. L'unico momento della giornata in cui non eravamo stati insieme era quel quarto d'ora alle 6 di mattina e nulla poteva farle pensare che uno sciallato come me sarebbe potuto riuscire nell'impresa. Certo che mi sono sentito un po' merda, soprattutto quando dopo la terza volta che cercava di portarmi a comprarle un pezzo di torta ed una candelina, ho dovuto cedere e farle comprare uno spicchio di una bruttissima torta al cioccolato in un bruttissimo negozietto qualunque. Da quel momento era un'altra persona. Soddisfatta con il suo pezzo di torta e la sua candelina mezza rotta, fiera di essere una donna indipendente ed in grado di farsi il compleanno da sola. Perché lei è cosi, una gattona orgogliosa. Quando constatiamo che non ci sono bei ristoranti e decidiamo di ritornare dalla signora della sera prima, tutte le speranze le cedono, tanto che nel mentre si siede al tavolo con al centro una grande torta decorata alla panna e con la scritta buon compleanno soul surfer, si sorprende dicendo che doveva esserci anche qualcun altro che compiva gli anni, ma dopo qualche istante facciamo breccia nelle sue convinzioni e quasi la facciamo commuovere nel realizzare che ha un moroso ed un amico che avevano già pensato a tutto. Buon compleanno testina di smarties!</span></div>
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