San Andres Colombia

Well we left Providencia Colombia for San Andres on Sunday night and arrived Monday morning. We will stay here for the remaining of our 90 stay in Colombia. 

San Andres is a bit larger island and way more advanced and populated than Providencia. We will have a touch of the city life for a few weeks. 

When we left Providencia, a huge amount of boats traveling from country to country for a Rally had arrived. We had a nudist next to us. That was a bit much watching him pee off the back and do his morning yoga. 

I have taken apart an old hammock that I never felt comfortable in and Im repurposing it as a dog bed for Schooner. She is already trying it out and Im not finished with it 

Schooner has adobted a couple as her aunt and uncle that she enjoys visiting. They have a lovely catamaran with a nice ledge for her to lay and watch us. She is pleased they are here in San Andres as well. 

So Sunday morning we said good bye to Mr. Bush and he tried to convince me to leave Schooner but I was only willing to leave Steve, lol

Our view is now of blue water and tall buildings 

Island living

Island life is slow. One day runs into the next. There really isnt a weekend or week days. Lately we have been keeping tract of the days by who is in port. The four Catamarans left and now we have a new group. We have met two of the five new boats in port. They are coming and going so fast I cant keep up. 

Steve celebrated Texas Independence Day on March 2nd. 

I enjoyed my new hammock and took apart the old one. Im crocheting a bucket bag with the string

Schooner sits around chewing on her rawhides and waits for shore time

And we all go snorkeling with neighbors on lovely clear water days 

So we can't complain here in Providencia 

Migration of the Cruisers

Migration of the cruisers. Providencia is a stopping place for cruisers coming from the Panama Canal that came from the Pacific side or cruisers that are coming up from Panama that have worked their way from the Eastern side of the Caribbean. 

These cruisers are on a much faster tract than us. We are here for the culture experience. We stay for the 90 days most countries allow us to visit. 

Many of them enjoy getting in groups and experience the place together. We have joined in for a few meals and Steve hiked to the highest point of the island with a group. They have gone snorkeling and enjoyed Valentines dinner together. The snorkeling pictures come from a fellow cruiser that takes great picw of sea life. 

Steve and I have been hanging out with the locals. One couple had family in from France. One of them had these great glasses that are to help from getting seasick. I have seen them online but I had to try them on. I need to find me a pair even if they dont work. Hahah

Yesterday, Steve reworked our sun cover. A fellow cruiser has a great design and we had to try it out. So far we love it. I finally get more shade on the side and Steve doesn't feel the need to pull it down in higher winds. 

So like I said it is migration time for many of the cruisers. We had around 11 boats in this gorgeous anchorage. This morning 6 of them headed off to the Caymans. We enjoyed our coffee outside watching them head off. We are now down to 5 and expecting one to leave for the Panama Canal in the morning. 

Cruisers come and go. Wonder who will come next while we are here. Wonder if we will know any of them. The cruising group seems so large at times, yet youcontinuously  run into someone you know or someone who knows someone you know. Small world

I have been visiting my little dog friend, Isla. Still having the vet treat her. Also arranging for her to get fixed. A local has volunteered to care for her after her surgery. 

 

So island life is good.  

Island Life

Life is good here in Providencia, Colombia. We joined a few other cruisers on the beach last week for a traditional island meal, rundown. We have had something very similar in Guanaja and I believe it is an island dish that has many names depending on which island you are on in the Caribbean. 

Another fun part of that day was taking a launch to the far south tip of the island. We tour the island by land but this time it was by sea. Providencia has some gorgeous waters. 

So the rundown dish consists of all kinds of seafooded and starch and root veggies cooked in fresh coconut milk. 

A local family prepared the dish at the beach on an open fire for us 

The whole family and friends participated. We had a great time and we thank all that made it possible  

This is Isla, she is a stray pup that hangs out at the dock and greets everyone. Because she has this skin condition the locals have shunned her and attempt to keep her away because they are afraid to catch it themselves. 

I believe it is mange  so I have started feeding her daily, trying to give her a high protein diet to help her regain her strength to fight the parisite.  I am also working with the island vet in getting her cured so she can be fixed and find someone to care for her when I leave in a few months. 

I wash and feed her at the docks where the local can see me tend to her. I was laughed at when I had to cary her to get bathed. The next day I met the vet at the docks and several members of the community came out to speak to the vet about their concerns for her. I was please to see that there are a few people that do care about her they just needed a ressurance that they efforts were not wasted.  

The vet was pleased to hear I was sticking around for a few months. He feels we can help her and find her a place in this community 

So here is to island life and their herbs. Even comes in energy drinks which gave me a headache and tasted like redbull

Until next time my friends. Love the ones your with and yourself 

Paradise Isla Providencia

Oh my this place is great! We have been so social here for some reason. We have toured the island and are meeting the locals that have been so kind and welcoming as well as extremely generous. 

I've been taking pictures and would love to share them all with you but for space reasons I'll try to group them as much as possible. I have been posting them on our Facebook page Saga Sea if you want to get sooner. 

I am trying to walk as much as possible but the lack of exercise has soften me. My Fibrocrap is flaring up some so I'm trying to build back up slowly. Steve, on the other hand has hiked up to the highest peak of the island, I will post the video. 

We paired up with another couple and rented a cart and drove around the island. We enjoyed some spectacular views, pirate history, loved seeing all the cotton trees, which they hold sacred and are not allowed to cut down, awesome mosaic sculptures, friendly people, beaches without sand flies, and the amazing island culture. 

  

Their culture and dialects refects that they are mostly descendants of the pirates, slaves and the Puritan settlers. This island may be owned by Colombia but the Columbian culture isn't prominent here. 

Fishing and tourism seems to be the biggest industries here on the island. Yet, unlike the smaller sister island San Andres, Providencia has remained mostly rural. We here the rumors that it might not last much longer. Developers from Colombia has plans to make this paradise more of a resort destination. 

That saddens me a bit, We are enjoying its charm and how welcoming they are to cruisers. That might end when the larger resorts take over. 

The weather so far has been so pleasant. A few high wind days and a couple of showers but mostly very very pleasant. 

During our motor tour we met the local radio DJ and musician, Robert Britton. Some of his music will be on our videos

Oh and this fabulous ship came in 

It is a school and sail ship that had around 20-30 teenage students aboart for six months. They learn to sail while continuing their school work aboard. Awesome opportunity! 

Best of all we got to come aboard 

The galley was amazing 

Everyhing from a coffee maker and coke machine to a walkin cooler. 

They even have a bread mixer and waching machines. Their generator can't handle everything at once so all AC power devices are on an operating schedule

Oh Steve was told this was a converted fishing ship from Denmark.  

If you look closely that is a lady holding a dog under the bowsprit

So this brings us up to last night. We met these three guys while eating dinner in town. 

This is Boogie 

Dogs and alcohol seem to be the common language