From Porlamar, Margarita

Paul has said that you have to go out of your way to miss Islas Los Testigos from Grenada...and so since we were starting from Grenada...we didn't go out of our way...we stopped. It was 88 miles at 6 knots over 14 plus hours of sailing and that would be if we could keep up the 6 knots with wind directly on the stern and fairly light - 12-15 knots - thankfully there is also a 1 - 2 knot current to help us! P&J knew that they might be a little slower than we were so they were planning on getting a very early Easter morning start. Since I get up early usually...we just figured we would be a few hours behind them for awhile. At 11:30pm...we get a call on "our channel" they can't sleep...they are going to pull anchor. I wake up and respond...waited about 45 minutes to try to get back to sleep...Paul rolls over...wakes up a little and I tell him P&J have already lifted anchor...and, well, the rest is water behind us. Another saying that Paul has..."It's a race"... We got into a comfortable sail with the pole out, a bit rolly but we put the mizzen out to help a little with that. 5 - 7 knots is what we got..thank you current!!! P&J were motorsailing, equalizing their batteries, and staying 2 miles in front of us. Both Paul and I tried to sleep again off and on...for me...just too much roll...BEAUTIFUL EASTER SUNRISE!!! Isla Los Testigos (The Witnesses) is a grouping of 16 islands of different size. They are inhabited...first and foremost by a HUGE colony of Frigatebirds and then by solemente hablamos espanol personas...yes, how fun for me...not only do I get to practice my Spanish...but I get to watch Paul, his hand signals and his amusing LACK of espanol! We passed Isla Noreste...went inbetween Ilsa Rajada and Isla Conejorenamed by Paul the frigatebird island, around the corner of Testigo Grande and anchored for the night in Balandra Bay. Since it was Easter evening...we relaxed...caught up on sleep...and decided to go to the Coast Guard Station on Isla Iguana on Monday morning. A little sprinkle in the morning...then this rainbow... Paul picked up P&J on Little Bit...they hopped aboard the Lady H...but not before I had a little fun on the "phone" with mentioning putting our ladder down and waiting for them to swim over...really...it was funny!!This is the little village where most of the locals live.. Once ashore we walked up the hill watched by a Coast Guardman. He turned out to be the highest ranking officer on the island (at 25 years old) and a wonderful young man...he escorted us up to his office, P and Paul started the paperwork of "checking in", and I wandered off with camera! I asked if I could take pictures (in espanol of course) and each young man that I asked said of course...but I was very careful not to take any of them. I went out to a knoll behind the Coast Guard station took this picture....when I started to turn around a young man came over to me from behind the generator area and was a little apprehensive of what I was doing...so I assured him I was only taking pictures of the scenery...not of the Coast Guard station. I did however sneak this one in...of their "barracks"...where they sleep...
We then walked down the village beach..Paul with the Lady H anchored behind...An "alley" shot of this little fishing village!And one of the wonderful boats that I like so much...they are called a Peneros. It would be soooo fun to have one for a dingy! Far to the left in this picture there was a young gal walking a pig across the street...she took him down to enjoy the water...she said it was mucho color!! And a beach shot of the fishing village...pig and all! Back to Balandra Bay then J and I went ashore to walk up the sand dunes! I wore shoes...good thing the sand was so very hot...and the hill was very steep! The dunes are the ones that we could see sailing in on the other side of the island...walked across...took pictures... My opinion...the leeward side was prettier...the Lady H and Delphinus anchored. After lunch we moved anchorages across from the reef and closer to the restaurant where we were going to have dinner. P&J and I snorkeled on the leeward side of Isla Langoleta...visability was not very good...but there was some beautiful large brain coral colonies...and I found this spotted moray... Then this picture of Paul, P and my new puppy...Paul says yes we can have her and we will be picking her up on our way back to the Testigos (understand that the Testigos are not on our way to Blanquilla)....then a wonderful lobster dinner at Casa Verde - Paul's blog below....An additional sunset picture from the dinner table of the Lady H and Delphinus at anchor. I also must add this note...Paul says that the previous times he has been here there were 20-30 boats anchored here. This time there are only five...the antics of the U.S. government (I specifically name Pelosi, Reid, Frank) in governmental control and destroying capitalism and prosperity (except for their own - did everyone know of the "earmark" Pelosi put in the last bill that continued prosperity for her husband's firm - AND how much of the taxpayers money she spends to keep up her elite lifestyle...why do we allow it????) are having an impact as far south as Los Testigos...yes, the liberal Senate and House truly know how to control. Rather than have the owner of Casa Verde be prosperous here...I wonder if they would rather he go to the U.S. (perhaps illegally) and live off of the U.S. government...because once in the U.S. they would have more control over him...then more votes to keep them in control...does anyone else see the crazy circle here? Sadly...it is already happening!! My "note" is over...
The next morning I was watching the turtles feed next to Isla Langoleta where we were anchored...and oh, how I tried to get pictures...but until I have a bigger zoom...I need to learn to just relax and watch...I finally did give up on taking pictures! Then Paul and I motored over to Playa Real (Royal Beach). Beautiful clear water here and beautiful beach! We took the dingy ashore...walked on the beach and I walked over the rocks to the other side (windward side...it wasn't much of a walk) and took more pictures...we watched the birds...relaxed...back to the boat...and then motor sailed back for dinner on P&J's boat! Wonderful lasagknee (as they call it), salad, garlic bread and brownies for desert! Early night... Wonderful sail the next day to Margarita Venezuela...again started out slow, rolly AND motorsailing (the batteries did need the charge anyway) but got better as the day went on. We stayed close to Delphinus for the 48 mile 7 hour sail. Now the race indeed begins...who can ballast their boat the fastest with the most amount of rum...Paul or Phil....