We finally made it. We left Cap Cana on Wednesday with a small weather window, spent a rolly night at Mona Island, and then had a fairly calm motor to Boqueron.  Getting into Mona Island was not for the faint of heart!  There is a small opening between the reefs where you can safely get in.  That opening puts you dangerously close to the reef. We were lined up and then a big wave came and we surfed in.   After the reef, there are a few mooring balls but they are so close to shore.  It was a pretty anchorage, but not for the faint of heart in a northern swell!

When we left the next morning the waves were about 5 feet and coming from all over.  Once we got away from the island though, the seas gradually flattened out, and we had a good trip.  It was late afternoon on Thursday when we arrived at Boqueron, so we called immigration and they told us to come in on Friday.  We called Raul, the cab driver, and he took us to Mayaguez that afternoon to clear customs.  He also gave us some time to shop at the mall for Tristan’s birthday.  What a shock that was!  It was so weird to be in a busy MALL after so much time away.  Dan loves Puerto Rico, the jury is still out for me, as I keep comparing it unfavorably to Dominican Republic, but more on that later.  At the mall, we raced around for 3 hours, and only got to spend 15 minutes in Borders bookstore, which was something Dan and I had been looking forward to for months!!  But Tristan got his birthday present, and a Baskin Robbin Ice Cream Cake, which we carried through the mall for an hour, and then the 30 minute cab ride home.  It was great though, and he was extremely grateful.

That night we ate at Galloways and has luck would have it, they had a book exchange.  We hadn’t brought any of our books in, but the owner told me to take as many as I wanted.  We were very happy. Boqueron is all decked out for the holidays. Today we explored the town some more, looking for some fresh fruit and vegetables.  I was so happy I was able to get some more avacados.  Tonight we will take some pictures of all the lights.  We are leaving tomorrow to head to Caba Rojo, then to Gilligans Island and then Ponce.  We won’t have internet until Ponce.  Yesterday we saw the most beautiful sunset, with the GREEN FLASH!!  First time we have ever seen that.  I hope  to get some pictures of the sunset tonight and put them on the website in Ponce.

  At Mona Island, you have a very narrow space to enter between some fierce looking reefs.

  Mona Island   Boqueron at last