We saw something really cool two days ago. We saw dolphins two miles off shore while we were sailing. The dolphins were jumping and playing in our bow waves. There were about thirty dolphins. We went up to the bow to examine them more carefully. When we were up front we saw two babies. Catherine grabbed the camera and took a movie. Hope you like the movie.
-- Xavier
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Volunteer work in the Dominican Republic
Hello everyone,
In our efforts to make this something more than a "Club-Med" sailing trip, when we are in the Dominican Republic we plan on doing a week of volunteer work. We hope that this will give all of us a chance to experience more than just the tourist features of the countries we are visiting and we are looking forward to sharing our energy and skills with others. To help us accomplish this, there is an organization called Orphanage Outreach that has a program set up for family volunteers. Though their program we will be helping out at an orphanage and in the surrounding community in Monte Cristi.
Over the past months many of you have supported us with you comments and interest, now we would love it if you would consider supporting our efforts financially by making a donation to Orphanage Outreach. Any donation, from $5.00 to $500 would make an incredible difference in the lives of the children at the orphanage.
To donate you can do so through Orphanage Outreach's web page
www.orphanage-outreach.org/estrella.php
Use the Find a Volunteer to Sponsor link and search for "Jacob-Dolan"
Then follow the steps provided.
If you would rather send a check, please do so by making it out to Orphanage Outreach, and mailing it to Peter's mother,
Jacquie Dolan.
951 Laguna Rd
Pasadena, CA 91105
(She will cull together whatever checks she receives by the end of February and submit them together to Orphanage Outreach.)
We will be sure to share our experience with you here on this blog.
Thank you for your support,
Peter, Eliza, Josephine, Catherine, Jeremiah, and Xavier
In our efforts to make this something more than a "Club-Med" sailing trip, when we are in the Dominican Republic we plan on doing a week of volunteer work. We hope that this will give all of us a chance to experience more than just the tourist features of the countries we are visiting and we are looking forward to sharing our energy and skills with others. To help us accomplish this, there is an organization called Orphanage Outreach that has a program set up for family volunteers. Though their program we will be helping out at an orphanage and in the surrounding community in Monte Cristi.
Over the past months many of you have supported us with you comments and interest, now we would love it if you would consider supporting our efforts financially by making a donation to Orphanage Outreach. Any donation, from $5.00 to $500 would make an incredible difference in the lives of the children at the orphanage.
To donate you can do so through Orphanage Outreach's web page
www.orphanage-outreach.org/estrella.php
Use the Find a Volunteer to Sponsor link and search for "Jacob-Dolan"
Then follow the steps provided.
If you would rather send a check, please do so by making it out to Orphanage Outreach, and mailing it to Peter's mother,
Jacquie Dolan.
951 Laguna Rd
Pasadena, CA 91105
(She will cull together whatever checks she receives by the end of February and submit them together to Orphanage Outreach.)
We will be sure to share our experience with you here on this blog.
Thank you for your support,
Peter, Eliza, Josephine, Catherine, Jeremiah, and Xavier
Visual Quiz
We visited Isla Caja de Muertos the other day, and went on a great hike up to the lighthouse which sits atop the center of the island. Along the way we saw this sign:
See if you can spot the oddity that we found.
See if you can spot the oddity that we found.(Answer to be posted in a few days.)
Saturday, January 23, 2010
A post from Clara
Clara has put together a post about Christmas. I able to add it to the blog but it appears below because I dated it to go along with Matthew's entry. Please scroll down to see it.
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Salinas
WOW!!! Manatees are amazing! I personally have seen two, but three have been sighted in all. They come up to breath every three to five minutes, in the event that they need to escape danger they can hold their breath for up to twenty minutes. Manatees feed on sea grass, like warm water, enjoy protected bays and dislike running engines. So life along the edges of Salinas Bay is supreme, boats stick to the deep channel that runs through the middle of the bay, only dinghys could navigate the shallow banks near the mangroves, mangroves are another factor that pleases the manatees. Well the first manatee sighting was back in Farjado at the marina two others have been seen here at Salinas.
Another interseting experience we have had here at Salinas is that we rented peddle, yes peddle not paddle, boats from the marina. These boats are bicycles on pontoons with platforms on either side the peddles power a propeller which is attached to a stationary rudder on the back of the boat the rudder can be pulled out of the water in order to drag the boats up on land. And yes if you peddle backwards the propeller does spin backwards. The handle bars control a rudder that is between the pontoons right in front of where you sit and peddle. On these boats if you have no desire to get at all wet then that is fine you do not have to get wet in the slightest. These boats were loads of fun especially when you are drifting with the wind and/or current.
-Catherine
Another interseting experience we have had here at Salinas is that we rented peddle, yes peddle not paddle, boats from the marina. These boats are bicycles on pontoons with platforms on either side the peddles power a propeller which is attached to a stationary rudder on the back of the boat the rudder can be pulled out of the water in order to drag the boats up on land. And yes if you peddle backwards the propeller does spin backwards. The handle bars control a rudder that is between the pontoons right in front of where you sit and peddle. On these boats if you have no desire to get at all wet then that is fine you do not have to get wet in the slightest. These boats were loads of fun especially when you are drifting with the wind and/or current.
-Catherine
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Dockside Science
After New Year's we were somewhat stuck at the dock waiting for the refrigeration to get fixed. The boys had enjoyed the fireworks we set off for New Year's (this seems to be a Puerto Rican tradition ... when in Rome) and they were interested in creating more explosions. So the following science experiment ensued. Xavier and Jeremiah worked together writing different parts of this entry. Enjoy.
-- Peter
Success with vinegar and baking soda.
-- Peter
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Today we started a science experiment. We combined Coke and Mentos to watch it blow up. We did it at the slip at Puerto Del Rey Marina. We did this because I wanted to blow something up. Tomorrow we are going to do something similar with vinegar and baking soda. I can’t wait to see which explosion is bigger!
[Day One]
Materials for Day One
On our first try we used 1 cup of Diet Coke, 2 Mentos, 1 crystal lite ice tea container, a measuring cup and tape. First we measured 1 cup of Diet Coke into the measuring cup. Next we pored the Coke from the measuring cup into the crystal lite container. We then taped the two Mentos onto the cap of the container. We walked out onto slip number 1086. We shook the container, so the Mentos would fall. We placed it down and stepped back to watch it explode. The top domed and then flew off into the water, Coke spilled out after it.
On the second try the Mentos were dropped in the Coke before we could get the top
On the third try we did the same set up as the first. This time we hit the top so the Mentos would fall instead of shaking it. The outcome was different too. The top only domed it did not pop off.
On the fourth try we did the same thing as the third except with two cups of Diet Coke. The top came off and knocked over the container.
On our last try we used one cup of Diet Coke and three Mentos. The top only domed.
[Day Two]
Materials for Day Two
We used vinegar, baking soda, measuring spoons and cup and a plastic bottle. Our hypotheses for all of them was the top will fly off. The first try we put one cup of vinegar and one teaspoon of baking soda in the bottle. The outcome was the top domed.
The second time we used two cups of vinegar and one teaspoon of baking soda. The outcome is that the top flew off.
The final try we used one cup of vinegar and two teaspoons of baking soda. The outcome was the top blasted into the water and the bottle jumped up off the dock.
During this experiment we learned that the combination of Diet Coke and Mentos is less powerful than the combination of baking soda and vinegar. This became clear because the vinegar and baking soda shot the top off farther. It would be nice to figure out a way to get the ingredients to mix after the top was on. That way it would not explode too soon and we could compare our results better.
-- Jeremiah and Xavier
[Day One]
Materials for Day OneOn our first try we used 1 cup of Diet Coke, 2 Mentos, 1 crystal lite ice tea container, a measuring cup and tape. First we measured 1 cup of Diet Coke into the measuring cup. Next we pored the Coke from the measuring cup into the crystal lite container. We then taped the two Mentos onto the cap of the container. We walked out onto slip number 1086. We shook the container, so the Mentos would fall. We placed it down and stepped back to watch it explode. The top domed and then flew off into the water, Coke spilled out after it.
On the second try the Mentos were dropped in the Coke before we could get the top
On the third try we did the same set up as the first. This time we hit the top so the Mentos would fall instead of shaking it. The outcome was different too. The top only domed it did not pop off.
On the fourth try we did the same thing as the third except with two cups of Diet Coke. The top came off and knocked over the container.
On our last try we used one cup of Diet Coke and three Mentos. The top only domed.
[Day Two]
Materials for Day TwoWe used vinegar, baking soda, measuring spoons and cup and a plastic bottle. Our hypotheses for all of them was the top will fly off. The first try we put one cup of vinegar and one teaspoon of baking soda in the bottle. The outcome was the top domed.
The second time we used two cups of vinegar and one teaspoon of baking soda. The outcome is that the top flew off.
The final try we used one cup of vinegar and two teaspoons of baking soda. The outcome was the top blasted into the water and the bottle jumped up off the dock.
During this experiment we learned that the combination of Diet Coke and Mentos is less powerful than the combination of baking soda and vinegar. This became clear because the vinegar and baking soda shot the top off farther. It would be nice to figure out a way to get the ingredients to mix after the top was on. That way it would not explode too soon and we could compare our results better.
-- Jeremiah and Xavier
Success with vinegar and baking soda.
Sunday, January 3, 2010
Rainforest Adventure
After ten days in Puerto Rico, it is clear to us that we have only scratched the surface when it comes to the wonders and experiences that this land of enchantment holds. The northeast costal area provided ample activities for us when visiting with the rest of the Jacob clan, and we even had a soggy taste of the interior with them. (See Matthew's report on our visit to El Yunke National Forest.) Waiting for repair work on the boat's refrigeration gave us the impetus to explore more of the interior. With a forecast for sunny skies we headed back into the rainforest on a hiking, climbing, rappelling, and zipline adventure.
We all woke early on Sunday and piled into a rental car for a drive to Caguas where we were to meet up with our guides. The drive inland took us past lush pastures, flowing green banana (or maybe plantain) plantations, and spectacular views of the top of El Yunke and surrounding peaks. Once in Caguas we piled into the adventure company's van and headed up into the mountains. As we wound our way up the narrow road (one lane wide but a two way road) Marcus and Diego (our guides) explained that we were passing through an area once covered with sugar and coffee plantations. Over the past seventy or so years as agriculture diminished the rainforest has reclaimed this area creating a wild natural orchard. Tropical trees of all sorts were mixed in with banana, plantain, and breadfuit trees. Wild coffee plants crept through the understory and bright red blossoms of Poinciana shrubs accented the landscape. All very different from the semi-arid landscape of the Virgin Islands which we have become accustom to.
Once we reached the vicinity of the Carite Rainforest, we hopped out of the van and donned our gear. It seemed quite odd to put climbing harnesses on over bathing suits, but in short order Diego and Marcus had everyone cinched up and ready to roll. After climbing up the road to where it forded a river we left the pavement and headed up the river. It quickly became clear why we had bathing suits on. Unlike our hikes in West Virginia where the point was to not fall in the water, here we were splashing right up it.
Once we reached a 30 foot set of cataracts, we left the river and began climbing up through the forest. Clinging on to branches, roots, and fixed ropes we made our way onward finally arriving at the rappelling station. Marcus clearly reviewed proper rapelling procedures and then decended down the rope. From the top, as he disappeared down the face, it looked like a pretty straightforward decent. Only after each of us started down did we realize what we were in for. After about 15 feet the wall sloped rapidly inward so that we were left hanging free in the air with a huge 80 foot waterfall tumbling beside us. With each addition foot of our decent, we inched closer to the falls until we had to turn and walk down the lower face of the falls themselves. Those of us at the bottom in some ways wanted to warn whoever was coming down next, but that would have taken much of the thrill out of it.
After we all completed the rappelling there was still more in store for us. Hiking a little ways down through the forest lead us to the first zipline station. Here we clipped into a set of rollers and flew across the valley soaring above the treetops before landing on the other side. Back and forth we went on a series of three lines, shouting and screaming with surprise and excitement. Then it was only a short hop to the place were our hike began.
A great part of this whole adventure was the chance to sit for a meal with everyone before heading home. Diego and Marcus served us a meal cooked up by a local family which included great regional dishes. Everyone enjoyed trying the breadfruit fritters as we chatted about all the different activities. We even tried practicing our Spanish and appreciated the tutoring our guides provided.
On our drive home we again marveled at the amazing scenery, and we wonder what other adventure might this place have in store: exploring limestone caves, seeing a huge radio telescope, finding a bay full of manatees, or an island crowded with monkeys. Each of these are possibilities ... we will be sure to let you know what we discover.
Below are some videos from the day's adventure.
(A few of them are sideways because we don't have the software with us to rotate the view 90 degrees.)
Eliza rapelling down the falls.
Xavier coming in for a landing.
Josie zipping right along.
Catherine flying through the treetops.
Saturday, January 2, 2010
Christmas is Wherever You Are
"Better late than never,” as the saying goes. I don’t know if that’ll be true in my case. It depends on if my style of writing measures up to that of the sweetness of the Jacob-Dolan’s or the entertainment value of Matt “Funny Man” Jacob’s. But I’ll give it a whirl because I want to give my perspective on spending Christmas in the islands with the Jacob-Dolans, complete with a Christmas Eve miracle, a Christmas angel, & the firm belief that “Christmas is wherever you are”.
What smart alecs we were on Christmas Eve! The 8 of us spent the day touring the forts of Old San Juan, then letting the Sangria flow at dinner. We walked around the town square where festivals were happening on every corner & every square inch of space was decorated for the holidays. It was wondrous! But on the way home, it started to pour down rain. I mean, it was like someone turned a hose on us full blast. Drainage was poor & the roads quickly became flooded. Liza & Peter were in one car with Josie & Xavier, while Matt & I were in another car with songbirds Catherine & Jeremiah. We laughed as we hydroplaned & made fun of other cars that stalled as their engines got flooded.
We dropped the Jacob-Dolans off at the marina, then Matt & I went back to the resort. It was surreal --- we actually saw horses wading in the streets! Our smart alec ways caught up to us. We drove into 4 ft. of water & our car died. Water came into the car up to the seats. I got a little freaked out when I saw how scared Matt was. He kept insisting we HAD to get out of the car. I told him no power on earth was going to make me leave the car & he would need the Jaws of Life to get me out. Orange construction barrels were floating in front of us!
Then, a miracle --- a Puerto Rican angel appeared out of nowhere at my window. He encouraged us to put the car in neutral & he would push us. As he spoke, he reached down into the water & pulled out a bicycle that hit him in the legs. He just casually put it back down & it floated away. Matt said, “There’s no way I can let him push me,” & he got out of the car to help. WHOOSH! Even more water came into the car. I steered the car until we were clear of the water. Matt kept yelling at me to put the car in Park, but I got flustered & just kept turning the windshield wipers on. He came to the driver’s side & put the car in Park & by the time he turned back around the angel was walking down the street. He didn’t want accolades, he didn’t want money, he had just done his good deed & went on his way. He saved our lives, & no one can convince me otherwise.
By the grace of God, our car started again & we made it to the hotel. When we opened the car doors to get out, it looked like a cartoon with all the water draining out of it. The employees were most accommodating & gave us tea while they used a Wet-Vac on the car to get all the water out. Here’s the killer --- there was only 200+ miles on the car! It was brand new!
The next morning, we went to church. I guess it was painfully obvious to the “regulars” that we were newcomers to the congregation, but everyone was most helpful in translating the mass to us. The “band” --- not a choir, but a band --- played guitars, maracas, tambourines, etc. Everyone in the church was clapping & dancing. What a joyous celebration! Some of the ladies brought extra maracas & tambourines & were passing them out. It was such a festive service. Even when the folks were walking through the aisles collecting donations, they had their maracas with them!
Towards the end of mass, a man explained to us that the priest was going to take the statue of Baby Jesus out of the manger & anyone could come up to the alter & say a private wish to Him. Catherine & I took him up on his offer. Then the man explained that the priest was asking anyone who had a Christmas birthday to approach the altar. There was a lady who went up & even though we didn’t understand what she was saying, her emotions were so genuine & she began to cry, which got some of us teary-eyed as well. Right before mass was over, the priest asked if there was anybody from out of town. All of a sudden, every single finger in that church pointed to the 8 of us & the whole congregation started clapping. What a beautiful moment! The priest asked where we were from and in my faltering high school Spanish, I told him we hailed from Pennsylvania and Massachusetts.
We all returned to the Ohana and exchanged gifts. The Jacob-Dolans had found a piece of a palm tree a couple days prior and that served as our Christmas tree. What a wonderful afternoon we had on the boat, laughing and joking. Liza & Peter were gracious hosts and time just flew by. Matt and I treasure our time with the kids. We then headed to dinner at L’Estacion. We ate outdoors amidst the enormous palm fronds and it was absolutely magical being there together.
I have to admit, I felt a little trepidation at spending my first Christmas away from home, but I tell you in all honesty: In all my 49 years, this was hands down the BEST Christmas I’ve ever had, & that’s the truth. I realized I didn’t need the stockings hung up on the fireplace or grandma’s special stuffing in the turkey because truly …… Christmas is wherever you are. THANK YOU, Liza, Peter, Josie, Catherine, Jeremiah, & Xavier for making this Christmas so very special for me & Matt. We love you all so dearly!
- Clara Jacob
What smart alecs we were on Christmas Eve! The 8 of us spent the day touring the forts of Old San Juan, then letting the Sangria flow at dinner. We walked around the town square where festivals were happening on every corner & every square inch of space was decorated for the holidays. It was wondrous! But on the way home, it started to pour down rain. I mean, it was like someone turned a hose on us full blast. Drainage was poor & the roads quickly became flooded. Liza & Peter were in one car with Josie & Xavier, while Matt & I were in another car with songbirds Catherine & Jeremiah. We laughed as we hydroplaned & made fun of other cars that stalled as their engines got flooded.
We dropped the Jacob-Dolans off at the marina, then Matt & I went back to the resort. It was surreal --- we actually saw horses wading in the streets! Our smart alec ways caught up to us. We drove into 4 ft. of water & our car died. Water came into the car up to the seats. I got a little freaked out when I saw how scared Matt was. He kept insisting we HAD to get out of the car. I told him no power on earth was going to make me leave the car & he would need the Jaws of Life to get me out. Orange construction barrels were floating in front of us!
Then, a miracle --- a Puerto Rican angel appeared out of nowhere at my window. He encouraged us to put the car in neutral & he would push us. As he spoke, he reached down into the water & pulled out a bicycle that hit him in the legs. He just casually put it back down & it floated away. Matt said, “There’s no way I can let him push me,” & he got out of the car to help. WHOOSH! Even more water came into the car. I steered the car until we were clear of the water. Matt kept yelling at me to put the car in Park, but I got flustered & just kept turning the windshield wipers on. He came to the driver’s side & put the car in Park & by the time he turned back around the angel was walking down the street. He didn’t want accolades, he didn’t want money, he had just done his good deed & went on his way. He saved our lives, & no one can convince me otherwise.
By the grace of God, our car started again & we made it to the hotel. When we opened the car doors to get out, it looked like a cartoon with all the water draining out of it. The employees were most accommodating & gave us tea while they used a Wet-Vac on the car to get all the water out. Here’s the killer --- there was only 200+ miles on the car! It was brand new!
The next morning, we went to church. I guess it was painfully obvious to the “regulars” that we were newcomers to the congregation, but everyone was most helpful in translating the mass to us. The “band” --- not a choir, but a band --- played guitars, maracas, tambourines, etc. Everyone in the church was clapping & dancing. What a joyous celebration! Some of the ladies brought extra maracas & tambourines & were passing them out. It was such a festive service. Even when the folks were walking through the aisles collecting donations, they had their maracas with them!
Towards the end of mass, a man explained to us that the priest was going to take the statue of Baby Jesus out of the manger & anyone could come up to the alter & say a private wish to Him. Catherine & I took him up on his offer. Then the man explained that the priest was asking anyone who had a Christmas birthday to approach the altar. There was a lady who went up & even though we didn’t understand what she was saying, her emotions were so genuine & she began to cry, which got some of us teary-eyed as well. Right before mass was over, the priest asked if there was anybody from out of town. All of a sudden, every single finger in that church pointed to the 8 of us & the whole congregation started clapping. What a beautiful moment! The priest asked where we were from and in my faltering high school Spanish, I told him we hailed from Pennsylvania and Massachusetts.
We all returned to the Ohana and exchanged gifts. The Jacob-Dolans had found a piece of a palm tree a couple days prior and that served as our Christmas tree. What a wonderful afternoon we had on the boat, laughing and joking. Liza & Peter were gracious hosts and time just flew by. Matt and I treasure our time with the kids. We then headed to dinner at L’Estacion. We ate outdoors amidst the enormous palm fronds and it was absolutely magical being there together.
I have to admit, I felt a little trepidation at spending my first Christmas away from home, but I tell you in all honesty: In all my 49 years, this was hands down the BEST Christmas I’ve ever had, & that’s the truth. I realized I didn’t need the stockings hung up on the fireplace or grandma’s special stuffing in the turkey because truly …… Christmas is wherever you are. THANK YOU, Liza, Peter, Josie, Catherine, Jeremiah, & Xavier for making this Christmas so very special for me & Matt. We love you all so dearly!
- Clara Jacob
Friday, January 1, 2010
WHAT I DID IN PUERTO RICO ON MY CHRISTMAS VACATION
I know I put a recent comment on the last blog concerning the above topic, but I wanted to come clean and post a real blog entry. After spending three consecutive nights on Ohana, I passed the initial initiation and am now allowed to post my most intimate thoughts for the world to read. I hope everyone is as excited as I am. Kdfh/sflnla fjkkslfjdklhfhafhl kl……..Sorry, I must have passed out on the keyboard. Anyway, here we go.
Wed Dec 23rd: The lovely Clara & I arrived in San Juan a few hours later than we hoped thanks to USAir and their “mechanical” problems. Surprisingly our luggage was there when we got to baggage claim, and we were off on our journey…..except there is only one road from San Juan to Fajardo, and it took us almost 90 minutes to go 35 miles. Got to the Fajardo Inn and were pleasantly surprised to find a very nice establishment in the middle of nowhere. While Clara unpacked I went to the Puerto Del Rey Marina to pick up the Ohana Crew and bring them back to our hotel. While the adults had a light dinner in the Blue Iguana Restaurant the kids watched iCarly and ate vending machine candy. It was a toss up as to who had the better time.
Thurs Dec 24th: We met up with the Ohana crew and headed to Old San Juan to do a little sightseeing. Our first stop was San Cristobal Castle at the northeastern edge of the town. The structure was massive and had literally hundreds of different levels and rooms on the five different levels. There were a lot of exhibits about the defense of the fort from the 1500s to the late 1800s, but very little about the ½ hour it took the US to steal it from Spain in 1898. Oh well, I guess we don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings. After spending a few hours in that fort we headed up to the northwestern edge of the town to tour El Morro, the oldest fort on the island. Only 5 levels to this one, and there was a famous 77 step staircase which dropped from one level to another at a 45 degree angle. After many hours in the PR sun it was cocktail time, so we headed to Mojitos for some dinner and adult refreshments. We sampled a PR favorite (Mofongo) and were quite refreshed by the time we left. On the way home it rained, which is like saying Da Vinci painted a few things in his life. As I said before in my comment, the road in front of our hotel was covered in four feet of water, but I didn’t realize this until I was stuck in our little rental car in the middle of it. Since simple physics won’t permit a car engine to work under water, I (and our Christmas Eve angel who appeared out of nowhere) had to push the car 75 feet through the water and part-way up the hill to our hotel----all while someone was holding a giant garden hose over our heads. Did I mention the rain?? Luckily the hotel had a wet vac, and even luckier that the rental car company won’t be reading this blog.
Fri Dec 25th: MERRY CHRISTMAS. Headed to mass this morning in the Fajardo town square with the Ohana Crew. Everything was in Spanish but it didn’t matter as the joy of all the people in the church was overwhelming. We truly felt like part of their little community. After church we headed back to the marina to take our first steps on Ohana. One small step for Matt; one giant step for Clara! We exchanged a few gifts and Clara and I kept thinking the same thing: Whiskey-Tango-Foxtrot. How does a family of 6 rather strong willed people spend 1 year living on that boat? But so far there have been no attempted felonies onboard, so whatever they are doing seems to be working. Once we were done on the boat we headed to La Estacion for our family style Christmas Dinner. (I’m hoping to be able to cut and paste the menu from their website and post it below because I can’t spell half the things we had.)
Sat Dec 26th: Now as I try to recall the days they start to blur one into another. Perhaps I shouldn’t have had the full pitcher of sangria for dinner. Oh well…..we really just hung around one of the two pools at the hotel today with Liza and the kids while Peter did some repair work on the boat. Then Liza and I headed off to the airport as the Smiths (Katie, Stuart, Elsie, Luke) and the Kerrs (Thomas, Anne, Jordan, Grace, Ryan and Liam) were flying in to meet us. Both flights were pretty much on time, although security at the airport was a little bit tight because of that idiot on the Amsterdam/Detroit flight who lit himself on fire. We got everyone back to the hotel and had a nice little get together until all the kids did their best China Syndrome imitation and it was time for me to get the heck out of there. Who knows what they did the rest of the night.
Sun Dec 27th: It was time for our first day trip on Ohana. A motley crew was assembled; actually it was mostly a chick cruise, but I was allowed to attend because I had to take care of Clara. We set sail at around 11am with Peter, Liza, Josie, Catherine, Katie, Elsie, Anne, Jordan, Grace, Clara, and yours truly. Our destination was….somewhere out there. I think it was Isla Palamitos or Palimoninos or something like that. Peter set the anchor about ¼ mile off a small sandy island and everyone except Peter and Clara swam to the island. (Josie, Catherine and I jumped into the water off the boom.) We snorkeled around for a bit and then headed back to the boat. Peter rowed Kekei over to the island to give some of the wimpier people (won’t mention names Katie or Anne) a ride back to the boat. I even got to take the helm on the way back to the marina. Quite cool.
Mon Dec 28th: Today we lost a member of our party, but it was planned. The always lovely Clara ditched us to spend a few days in Palm Springs CA with a good friend of hers. So she and I left the hotel at 7am that morning to get her to the airport for her 10am flight to Philly (and then to Phoenix and then finally to Palm Springs). I think she arrived safely as I have not received notification from the airlines to the contrary. A group of us headed to one of the beaches in Luquillo after lunch, and we were treated to some awesome surf. The little boys had a blast being tossed around by the breaking waves. Annie put on the best show as she didn’t quite make it over one wave and it planted her in the ground. 6 year old Liam had the line of the trip: After one wave rolled him over a few times he emerged from the foam, covered with sand, and said rather bluntly: What the hell happened there? At least I thought it was funny……..When I got back to the hotel I found that Josie & Catherine had shanghaied my room, and I was told to report to Ohana for my first night’s sleep on the boat. Liam joined me as we took the girls’ places on the boat.
Tues Dec 29th: Did not wake up screaming this morning covered in puke, so I guess it was a successful night on the boat. But today is the big day for it is the first annual Male Bonding Overnight Sailing Trip 2009. Capt Peter was joined by Jeremiah, Xavier, Thomas, Ryan, Liam, Stuart, Luke and yours truly. We set sail at 10am after having to listen to Liza try to tell us all the stuff we should be doing on our male bonding trip. As if. Once that nuisance was taken care of we got down to serious business. Thirty minutes after leaving the marina Luke put on a spectacular projectile vomiting show starring the chocolate milk and pancakes he had for breakfast. Luckily I was upwind to witness the event as Stuart got him to the side in time. But I’m proud to say that he held up well after that initial purge and had a blast for the rest of the trip. Peter found us a nice mooring ball, I hooked the rope, and Thomas got us tied up. Then the motor was put on Kekei and we headed off to Little Palaminito for some swimming and snorkeling. This island is only a couple of hundred feet long and has a nice sandy slope to the beach. There was some great bodysurfing being done by all the little boys. Once we were back on the boat Peter grilled some hot dogs and sausage and we got down to some serious bonding. Liam was my star pupil as he learned a new line to say to his mom when she asked him to do something: “I’m sorry honey, but I can’t hear you without a beer in my hand”. (Annie loves it.)
Wed Dec 30th: A nice sized storm came in from the north overnight and made for some interesting sleeping. After breakfast the rains came, but it was time for Ohana to get the lead out. We got the sails up and we were off to the races. Liam and I were hanging on in the front of the boat as we plowed through the surf at speeds of up to 8 knots. (This is like going 80mph in your dad’s old station wagon, the one with the simulated wood grain paneling.) Thomas took the helm and put us through a nice tack move while we were still on the front of the boat. I kept wondering if we should be there, but no one said anything so I guess we were fine. Liam sure didn’t mind. We were soaked from all the waves breaking over the bow but were having a great time; you know, male bonding and all that other good stuff. We got back to the marina, and Peter did an excellent job of getting the big boat into the little slip, although I was none too happy with being assigned the bow lines. I was supposed to be the first one to jump off the boat onto the dock to keep the bow from causing havoc to anything in its path. Anyway, we got “near” the dock (kind of like Puerto Rico is near Cuba). There was a good 6-7 feet to the dock and Peter is yelling at me to JUMP!!!! Now, 25 years and 25 lbs ago, no problemo…..but I did my duty and the limp should go away in the next few months. Overall, a great trip and a great experience. And to think they have done that almost every day for the past 5 months.
Thurs Dec 31st: More rain in Fajardo, so the only logical thing to do was embrace it. All 17 of us headed up to El Yunque National Forest (of Rain) to do a little hiking and exploring. We started off with a little 1 mile loop, had some PBJs for lunch, and then did another 1.7 mile hike along some spectacular waterfalls. And the whole time it just rained and rained and rained. We ended up at the Visitors Portal as I guess some overpaid consultants of the National Park Service decided this sounded better than Visitors Center. Anyway we pretended to learn something and tried not to fall asleep during the movie. After dinner, we all gathered in one of our hotel’s parking lots and Peter put on our own mini-fireworks show. We had some champagne and toasted the New Year, and everyone was in bed by 9:30pm. That’s called Island Time.
We’re supposed to be headed to Culebra tomorrow by Ferry if the weather cooperates. If not I guess we’ll just hang by the pool. And then all the visitors head North on Saturday, back to the snow and cold and non-80 degree weather. For the crew of the Ohana, its onward for the 2nd half of their year long adventure.
It’s been an exciting week so far for everyone here in PR, especially for the little kids; and a wonderful 10 days for me. Sorry for the long winded post, but I just couldn’t find the time to do this every day. There was always something better to do!!! But we’d like to thank Peter, Liza, Josie, Catherine, Jeremiah and Xavier for being such excellent hosts and allowing us to share a part of their amazing journey this year. And I hope they’ll keep on bloggin’ so we can keep up with all of their adventures.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from Fajardo, Puerto Rico.
The Guest Blogger.
Wed Dec 23rd: The lovely Clara & I arrived in San Juan a few hours later than we hoped thanks to USAir and their “mechanical” problems. Surprisingly our luggage was there when we got to baggage claim, and we were off on our journey…..except there is only one road from San Juan to Fajardo, and it took us almost 90 minutes to go 35 miles. Got to the Fajardo Inn and were pleasantly surprised to find a very nice establishment in the middle of nowhere. While Clara unpacked I went to the Puerto Del Rey Marina to pick up the Ohana Crew and bring them back to our hotel. While the adults had a light dinner in the Blue Iguana Restaurant the kids watched iCarly and ate vending machine candy. It was a toss up as to who had the better time.
Thurs Dec 24th: We met up with the Ohana crew and headed to Old San Juan to do a little sightseeing. Our first stop was San Cristobal Castle at the northeastern edge of the town. The structure was massive and had literally hundreds of different levels and rooms on the five different levels. There were a lot of exhibits about the defense of the fort from the 1500s to the late 1800s, but very little about the ½ hour it took the US to steal it from Spain in 1898. Oh well, I guess we don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings. After spending a few hours in that fort we headed up to the northwestern edge of the town to tour El Morro, the oldest fort on the island. Only 5 levels to this one, and there was a famous 77 step staircase which dropped from one level to another at a 45 degree angle. After many hours in the PR sun it was cocktail time, so we headed to Mojitos for some dinner and adult refreshments. We sampled a PR favorite (Mofongo) and were quite refreshed by the time we left. On the way home it rained, which is like saying Da Vinci painted a few things in his life. As I said before in my comment, the road in front of our hotel was covered in four feet of water, but I didn’t realize this until I was stuck in our little rental car in the middle of it. Since simple physics won’t permit a car engine to work under water, I (and our Christmas Eve angel who appeared out of nowhere) had to push the car 75 feet through the water and part-way up the hill to our hotel----all while someone was holding a giant garden hose over our heads. Did I mention the rain?? Luckily the hotel had a wet vac, and even luckier that the rental car company won’t be reading this blog.
Fri Dec 25th: MERRY CHRISTMAS. Headed to mass this morning in the Fajardo town square with the Ohana Crew. Everything was in Spanish but it didn’t matter as the joy of all the people in the church was overwhelming. We truly felt like part of their little community. After church we headed back to the marina to take our first steps on Ohana. One small step for Matt; one giant step for Clara! We exchanged a few gifts and Clara and I kept thinking the same thing: Whiskey-Tango-Foxtrot. How does a family of 6 rather strong willed people spend 1 year living on that boat? But so far there have been no attempted felonies onboard, so whatever they are doing seems to be working. Once we were done on the boat we headed to La Estacion for our family style Christmas Dinner. (I’m hoping to be able to cut and paste the menu from their website and post it below because I can’t spell half the things we had.)
Sat Dec 26th: Now as I try to recall the days they start to blur one into another. Perhaps I shouldn’t have had the full pitcher of sangria for dinner. Oh well…..we really just hung around one of the two pools at the hotel today with Liza and the kids while Peter did some repair work on the boat. Then Liza and I headed off to the airport as the Smiths (Katie, Stuart, Elsie, Luke) and the Kerrs (Thomas, Anne, Jordan, Grace, Ryan and Liam) were flying in to meet us. Both flights were pretty much on time, although security at the airport was a little bit tight because of that idiot on the Amsterdam/Detroit flight who lit himself on fire. We got everyone back to the hotel and had a nice little get together until all the kids did their best China Syndrome imitation and it was time for me to get the heck out of there. Who knows what they did the rest of the night.
Sun Dec 27th: It was time for our first day trip on Ohana. A motley crew was assembled; actually it was mostly a chick cruise, but I was allowed to attend because I had to take care of Clara. We set sail at around 11am with Peter, Liza, Josie, Catherine, Katie, Elsie, Anne, Jordan, Grace, Clara, and yours truly. Our destination was….somewhere out there. I think it was Isla Palamitos or Palimoninos or something like that. Peter set the anchor about ¼ mile off a small sandy island and everyone except Peter and Clara swam to the island. (Josie, Catherine and I jumped into the water off the boom.) We snorkeled around for a bit and then headed back to the boat. Peter rowed Kekei over to the island to give some of the wimpier people (won’t mention names Katie or Anne) a ride back to the boat. I even got to take the helm on the way back to the marina. Quite cool.
Mon Dec 28th: Today we lost a member of our party, but it was planned. The always lovely Clara ditched us to spend a few days in Palm Springs CA with a good friend of hers. So she and I left the hotel at 7am that morning to get her to the airport for her 10am flight to Philly (and then to Phoenix and then finally to Palm Springs). I think she arrived safely as I have not received notification from the airlines to the contrary. A group of us headed to one of the beaches in Luquillo after lunch, and we were treated to some awesome surf. The little boys had a blast being tossed around by the breaking waves. Annie put on the best show as she didn’t quite make it over one wave and it planted her in the ground. 6 year old Liam had the line of the trip: After one wave rolled him over a few times he emerged from the foam, covered with sand, and said rather bluntly: What the hell happened there? At least I thought it was funny……..When I got back to the hotel I found that Josie & Catherine had shanghaied my room, and I was told to report to Ohana for my first night’s sleep on the boat. Liam joined me as we took the girls’ places on the boat.
Tues Dec 29th: Did not wake up screaming this morning covered in puke, so I guess it was a successful night on the boat. But today is the big day for it is the first annual Male Bonding Overnight Sailing Trip 2009. Capt Peter was joined by Jeremiah, Xavier, Thomas, Ryan, Liam, Stuart, Luke and yours truly. We set sail at 10am after having to listen to Liza try to tell us all the stuff we should be doing on our male bonding trip. As if. Once that nuisance was taken care of we got down to serious business. Thirty minutes after leaving the marina Luke put on a spectacular projectile vomiting show starring the chocolate milk and pancakes he had for breakfast. Luckily I was upwind to witness the event as Stuart got him to the side in time. But I’m proud to say that he held up well after that initial purge and had a blast for the rest of the trip. Peter found us a nice mooring ball, I hooked the rope, and Thomas got us tied up. Then the motor was put on Kekei and we headed off to Little Palaminito for some swimming and snorkeling. This island is only a couple of hundred feet long and has a nice sandy slope to the beach. There was some great bodysurfing being done by all the little boys. Once we were back on the boat Peter grilled some hot dogs and sausage and we got down to some serious bonding. Liam was my star pupil as he learned a new line to say to his mom when she asked him to do something: “I’m sorry honey, but I can’t hear you without a beer in my hand”. (Annie loves it.)
Wed Dec 30th: A nice sized storm came in from the north overnight and made for some interesting sleeping. After breakfast the rains came, but it was time for Ohana to get the lead out. We got the sails up and we were off to the races. Liam and I were hanging on in the front of the boat as we plowed through the surf at speeds of up to 8 knots. (This is like going 80mph in your dad’s old station wagon, the one with the simulated wood grain paneling.) Thomas took the helm and put us through a nice tack move while we were still on the front of the boat. I kept wondering if we should be there, but no one said anything so I guess we were fine. Liam sure didn’t mind. We were soaked from all the waves breaking over the bow but were having a great time; you know, male bonding and all that other good stuff. We got back to the marina, and Peter did an excellent job of getting the big boat into the little slip, although I was none too happy with being assigned the bow lines. I was supposed to be the first one to jump off the boat onto the dock to keep the bow from causing havoc to anything in its path. Anyway, we got “near” the dock (kind of like Puerto Rico is near Cuba). There was a good 6-7 feet to the dock and Peter is yelling at me to JUMP!!!! Now, 25 years and 25 lbs ago, no problemo…..but I did my duty and the limp should go away in the next few months. Overall, a great trip and a great experience. And to think they have done that almost every day for the past 5 months.
Thurs Dec 31st: More rain in Fajardo, so the only logical thing to do was embrace it. All 17 of us headed up to El Yunque National Forest (of Rain) to do a little hiking and exploring. We started off with a little 1 mile loop, had some PBJs for lunch, and then did another 1.7 mile hike along some spectacular waterfalls. And the whole time it just rained and rained and rained. We ended up at the Visitors Portal as I guess some overpaid consultants of the National Park Service decided this sounded better than Visitors Center. Anyway we pretended to learn something and tried not to fall asleep during the movie. After dinner, we all gathered in one of our hotel’s parking lots and Peter put on our own mini-fireworks show. We had some champagne and toasted the New Year, and everyone was in bed by 9:30pm. That’s called Island Time.
We’re supposed to be headed to Culebra tomorrow by Ferry if the weather cooperates. If not I guess we’ll just hang by the pool. And then all the visitors head North on Saturday, back to the snow and cold and non-80 degree weather. For the crew of the Ohana, its onward for the 2nd half of their year long adventure.
It’s been an exciting week so far for everyone here in PR, especially for the little kids; and a wonderful 10 days for me. Sorry for the long winded post, but I just couldn’t find the time to do this every day. There was always something better to do!!! But we’d like to thank Peter, Liza, Josie, Catherine, Jeremiah and Xavier for being such excellent hosts and allowing us to share a part of their amazing journey this year. And I hope they’ll keep on bloggin’ so we can keep up with all of their adventures.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from Fajardo, Puerto Rico.
The Guest Blogger.
17 fools who don't know to get out of the rain.
Yours Truly at the helm of Ohana ... sailing off into the sunset.
"I think Liam is around here somewhere."
Male bonding 101 on the foredeck.
(Ask Liam about the wise quotes he has added to his repetiore.)
Where is our ration of Grog!!!
This doesn't look like a plank ...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)