I’m counting. Last night was sticky and warm with very little breeze coming in thru out hatch. And I am so ready to be off this boat. Nothing personal. It’s just that I see the light at the end of the tunnel and I’m wishing it was Saturday morning at 8 a.m.
It is interesting to imagine what it must have been like in the days of Sir Francis Drake and the boys. Heading off to sea with little more than a compass. No nautical maps. No depth finders. An absolute lack of certainty about just about everything. No weather channel either. I mean how would they know how much food to take, water to drink? I’ll bet they didn’t have the following conversation. “Hey, captain. I see land off the port”. The captain replies, “Well, let’s keep sailing around the area until we eat all this food and use the water, mate. Urgggggggg…can’t be wasting anything, urggggggggggg. And then we’ll go ashore and see what we can pillage.” I can’t tell you how many times we have “reassessed” our water and food. It is a hoot. But our crew is good. They excel at planning and preventing waste which is a good thing. It’s just funny and one of those things where you just have to be here to appreciate how funny it really is.
But I digress. The captain was a very important person. His job must have been about managing expectations, negotiating uncertainty, charting the course. Good thing they already found the new world because our explorer gene has probably gone dormant. We can’t leave home without a Garmin. An expected time of arrival. Our phone to alert all who care that we are on our way, that we are part way there, that we’re just down the block and arriving shortly.
So, yes, those brave soles that faced the ocean way back when were amazing people and you realize it and appreciate it even more after a trip like ours. And I’m feeling like a bit of a woose (spelling is suspect), for pining for a clean bed, a 10 minute shower, a toilet that is connected to a sewer system…all the things we’re use to having but can’t have aboard this boat. Did I mention air conditioning? That would be helpful too.
So, today we will attempt to get a mooring ball at Monkey Point so that we can snorkel. Then it’s on the another snorkeling venue that features a sunken ship. Then it’s on to the next night’s port and Ray and I will attempt to fix a dinner that everyone will find some satisfaction in eating. Pork tenderloin grilled, rum cooked beans, previously frozen fruit that we will call a fruit salad, and applesauce. M&Ms of the peanut variety for dessert. And wine.
Then we will count our zzzzz’s and then it will be Friday and we’ll snorkel, eat out, pack up everything, do some cleaning, count our zzzzz’s and then we’ll return to the boat to Conch Charters and head for the airport. I hope we don’t gross the other passengers out with our “boating” odor. Just think sticky, sweaty. Rode hard and put away wet might be a better description. Then when we touch town in San Juan, Ray and I will rent a car and head for the rain forrest where we will spend 2 days at 1500 feel where the air will be cooler and our bedroom won’t rock. And the fish will be replaced by birds as the things to watch for. Bring it on. I’m so ready!!
The rest of the crew will hang together for another day at the Sheraton Old San Juan. Then people will start their journeys home. Pat and Richard and we will meet up one more time and leave the following day. Home beckons.
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