Aruba July 7 2009

Kids at beach   Our friends came today!!  All the way from Charlotte bringing gifts and a cooler.  Only truly good friends would pack for a family of four, include in their own luggage school books for your kids, and also bring down a cooler.  Ok, it’s not truly a “cooler”.  It runs on DC power, and acts as a mini freezer.  Why do we need this?  Well, ever since we saw the one on Independence we knew we had to have it.  Independence uses theirs for beer and travelling with them through the out islands of Venezuela, we saw how great it was.  Also, our on again, off again refrigerator, which had been working well since Curacao, stopped working.  It was too much to have everything in the freezer, including drinks.  We agonized over the decision of asking them to bring us a cooler, but in the end, with 8 thirsty people staying on board, there was no way around it.  Of course they said yes, but we still felt bad.  The cooler travelled well, less than 25 pounds, and fits perfectly in our cockpit.  The temperature inside gets to 29 degrees!   Awesome!  Now I have something on Dan.  Whenever he feels reluctant to do something for someone else I simply say “Cooler” and shame him.  Life is good!

Aruba June 2009

Back in Aruba, and deciding what to do.   Our friends Karon and Alan want to come for their yearly visit in July.  We gave them the option of coming to the San Blas islands, but trying to get 4 people, two of which are children, to the remote San Blas Islands became too much of an ordeal.  We agreed to stay in Aruba, and they agreed to come earlier in July.  After their visit, for sure we will be leaving Aruba.     Right.

Back in Aruba May 2009

The flight back to Aruba was uneventful.  Alegria was waiting patiently for us, bobbing gently in her slip.  Sanders and XJ at Renaissance Marina had taken great care of her.  Being back on the boat was easy, getting used to the heat was not.  For the next few days we moved slowly, still wrapped in the blanket of memories of soaring condors, mysterious valleys, the colors of a desert at twilight and the beauty of the Peruvian people. 

To say we had a fabulous time would be a huge understatement.  I am still amazed we were able to go on such  a big excursion, planning it along the way, living out of backpacks and putting the whole thing together at on a moments notice.  I’m extremely proud of Tristan and Tessa, how they never complained about anything, including lugging a heavy backpack around.  They were always extremely organized, a side of them I’m not sure I saw before, and there wasn’t anything they weren’t excited about doing.  I’m also proud of us as a family, acting on a gut feeling, and just trusting in the goodness of people.  While we were a little sad to get back, I think we all know there are many more of these trips ahead of us.