Sunday, November 26, 1995 - Trinidad

Sort of a weird day. In the morning, the sky was completely blue and beautiful, so Roy painted the mizzen mast. As soon as he had finished, clouds moved in and it started raining. Luckily, it didn't last long, and Roy managed to salvage the paint job. I was feeling rather crummy from my cold. Updated the log and then tried to make backups, but the A drive refused to cooperate. Since it's Sunday, Roy treated me to lunch at Pizza Boys. We carried our umbrellas, but it didn't rain a drop. As usual, the pizzas and cherry shakes were delicious. When we got back to the boat, the sky was blue, so I went paddling. Five minutes later, it was raining. By the time I got back to the boat, it had stopped. I wiped off my glasses and set out again. Paddled along the coast of the island across from us. I was surprised to see so many houses. Most of them were quite nice, with sturdy retaining walls and docks. They were accessible only by boat. I wondered if people lived in them year-round or if they were vacation rentals. Got back to the boat right after sunset. The tide was fairly high. I should have had Roy hand my shower bag to me after I got on the dock, but I was a smarty-pants and thought I could do it by myself. I inched my way carefully out on the board, trying to get in position to jump to the dock, but the boat bounced or something, and I lost my grip and went towards the dock before I was ready. I thought I'd go into the water, but my foot landed on the edge of the dock and slipped. The next thing I knew, I was face down on the dock with my legs hanging over the edge. A neighbor was hurrying to my assistance, so I immediately leaped to my feet, assured him I was fine, and headed towards the shower room. Wouldn't you know the neighbors would be sitting on their deck when that happened. I was far more embarrassed than hurt. No broken bones -- just a few bruises, scrapes, and scratches. In a couple of days, I'll be good as new, but I'll never be able to face our neighbors again. A few hours later, the tide had gone down some, and I needed to take my pot to the restroom and empty it. Roy lifted my pot off the boat and showed me the safe way to get onto the dock. When I got to the restroom, one toilet was completely clogged up, and the other was locked. Someone had turned the latch as she left and closed the door. There was a release hole in the knob, and I had had lots of experience rescuing three-year-olds who had locked themselves in the bathroom, so I went back to the boat and got an awl, but the awl didn't work, so I went back to the boat again and got a small, thin screwdriver. That did the trick instantly, but seconds before I got there, a woman flushed the clogged toilet and out gushed the flood, all over the floor, out the door, down the walkway. I feel sorry for the poor maid in the morning.

Saturday, November 25, 1995 - Trinidad

A boat about half a mile from us caught fire this morning. The people were calling for help on the VHF. Several dinghies zoomed over there and soon had the fire under control. On the net this morning, the guy on Itchy announced that he had charts and guides to the Windward and Leeward islands that he wanted to swap, so I contacted him and arranged to meet him later this morning at TTYA. Roy went with me. We carried our umbrellas, because it was sprinkling when we left the boat. By the time we got on the bus, it was pouring. I couldn't see out the fogged-up windows, so I told the driver we wanted to get out at TTYA. He confused TTYA with TTYC. When the rain let up and I could see, I was fairly certain we'd gone past the TTYA, but the driver kept insisting it was farther. We finally got to the TTYC, which is about five miles farther down the road, got out of the maxi, crossed the road, and caught a bus back to the TTYA. The guy from Itchy had four charts and two guides that we could use. He was on his way west, so we took him back to the Jofian and showed him a bunch of charts of the Western Caribbean. He picked out the ones he wanted, and we had a deal. Both of us came out ahead.

Friday, November 24, 1995 - Trinidad

Went downtown in the morning and bought my ticket to Miami. I'll leave here December 4th at 9:15 a.m. From Miami, I'll try to fly stand-by to California. I can hardly wait. It's been almost three years since we left Richmond. I'm looking forward to seeing my children and grandchildren again and meeting my new granddaughter. Went over to the cruise-ship terminal to try to get a map from tourist information. It was a nicer terminal than the ones in the ABC islands, but the tourist information booth left a lot to be desired. They were out of maps. In fact, they were out of just about everything. First time I ever saw a tourist information booth that wasn't loaded with brochures. This island just isn't very tourist oriented. Walked around and did a little shopping. What a madhouse this city is! The sidewalks and shops are so jammed with people, you can scarcely move. I finally gave up, bought a few groceries at HiLo, and returned to the boat. Roy has almost finished working on the mizzen mast. All he has to do is paint it and refinish the base. It looks like a brand new mast.

Thursday, November 23, 1995 THANKSGIVING DAY - Trinidad

The Thanksgiving dinner at the yacht club was scheduled for five o'clock, so I talked Roy into taking the day off and going to the tar pits with me. We took the 10:30 free bus to town, walked over to the new City Gate bus terminal, and caught a "Super Express" bus to San Fernando. Trinidadians seem unable to pronounce "three". At best, it comes out "tree". This morning, it sounded like "two". When I handed the driver two two-TT bus tickets, he kept saying what sounded to both Roy and me as "Two dollars each." This confused us, since that was the amount we were giving him. (They say "dollars" for "TT's", which always confuses us.) Finally, a customer showed us a three-dollar (TT) ticket. Then we realized he meant "three", not "two", so I gave him another two-TT ticket. It was a long, uncomfortable ride to San Fernando. A wizened old man next to me kept saying in French, "Un, deux, trois" (one, two, three) and holding up three fingers. I told him I understood, but he kept on, so I had to just ignore him. Towards the end of the ride, he kept trying to tell a young man who was standing to sit down, but the young man was busy flirting with a young woman, so he continued to stand. This annoyed the old man. Everyone was laughing at him. It was a relief when he finally got off the bus. By the time we got to San Fernando, it was nearly one o'clock, and we still had to get to La Brea. I was worried about running out of time. We caught a maxi and got to La Brea in about half an hour. We scarcely had time to get off the bus before a self-styled tour guide pounced upon us and began leading us on a tour of the pitch lake, which he said was the largest in the world. He gave an interesting tour, spoke good English, and knew a lot of facts and figures, some of which we were skeptical of. He had two assistants, whom he referred to as "demonstrators". They presented me with fresh-picked flowers and pulled up chunks of pitch to show to us. The guide said that 300 to 400 tons of pitch a day were collected from the lake. A nearby processing plant boiled the pitch at 330 degrees Fahrenheit, filtered out the impurities, poured it into barrels, and let it harden into asphalt, which is shipped all over the world. He claimed that 75% of all the asphalt in the world comes from this lake, which we doubted. We both considered 100 TT's would be a generous amount to pay him, so we were shocked when he demanded 300 TT's for himself plus another 100 for the demonstrators. We tried to reason with him, but he insisted. He was a large young man, had his two assistants, and was in his own country. We were two small people, no longer young, and the only foreigners for miles around, so we ended up being intimidated into paying him what he demanded. We were glad it wasn't more. We felt ripped off, but just wanted to get out of there. By the time we got back to San Fernando, it was 3:30 and we were afraid we'd be late for the dinner, so we took a maxi instead of the big bus. It was a lot more comfortable and much faster. It only cost five TT's each, so we kicked ourselves for not taking a maxi to San Fernando. When we got back to Port-of-Spain, we caught another maxi to West Mall, where we had to catch another maxi to the yacht club. It was nearly five o'clock by then. Several maxis went by, but they were too full to stop. Finally, one stopped and we leaped on. Got to Linda's Bakery in five minutes and picked up the pie we'd ordered for the pot-luck dessert. Reached the yacht club restaurant at one minute past five. Then, of course, the dinner didn't start for nearly an hour. We were lucky enough to get a table with a compatible couple, so we enjoyed a pleasant conversation as well as a delicious meal. Roy and I have so much to be thankful for. We're thankful we're still healthy and agile. We're thankful our brains are still functioning normally (some people might question that). We're thankful we're able to explore exotic lands. We're very thankful we're citizens of the United States of America. Above all, we're thankful we have such wonderful children. Each and every one of them has turned out so well. We're both as proud as can be of all our children.

Wednesday, November 22, 1995 - Trinidad

Roy continued working on the mizzen mast. He gave me one of his sandals to take to a cobbler's to see if they can repair the broken strap. On the net this morning, a cruiser at the yacht club had asked for educational software. He is donating a computer to the St. Dominic School for Abused and Abandoned Children, and he wanted some software to go with it, so I told him I'd bring over a foreign-language vocabulary-drill program. He was happy to get it. He had a CD-Rom on his notebook computer. It played the most beautiful music. The fidelity was astonishing. From the yacht club, I walked to Pizza Boys and ate lunch. Then I went downtown and left his sandal at a cobbler's. They said it would be ready "later". No clue as to how much later. Walked to Queen's Park West, where I had seen a nice-looking beauty salon. Had a much-needed perm. They did a very good job for half the price in the United States. By the time I got out of there, it was nearly five o'clock. Picked up the sandal and caught a bus to West Mall, where I bought chicken for supper. It was pitch dark by the time I got back to the boat. Could hardly find my way through the yard. I wondered why they didn't have more lights on. Found out when I got to the boat -- most of the electricity was off throughout the area. The water was off, too. Roy had to run the engine to fix supper. He had a delicious supper all ready for me.

Tuesday, November 21, 1995 - Trinidad

Roy has been repairing the mizzen mast on the boat, instead of removing it. The mast had split open, so Roy had to replace large portions of it. He's doing a super job and is almost finished, despite the daily downpours. As usual, I helped by staying out of his hair. That's the one thing I'm good at. Spent the whole day downtown. Picked up Roy's glasses, found the tiny public library, and went to a movie. This is the first place we've been since leaving Florida that had movie theaters. The theater had undoubtedly been grand back in the 30's, but it's showing its age. It didn't even have a drinking fountain! I got so thirsty I bought a carton of orange drink at the refreshment stand. Under normal circumstances, I wouldn't have touched the stuff. The pricing scheme for seats was a little strange. They were classed as box, balcony, circle, and house. The prices ranged from 15 TT's down to 7. Since they were so cheap, I figured I might as well buy the best, so I got box, which turned out to be what we used to call "first balcony" or "mezzanine"; it was the front row upstairs. There was a double feature, a lot of ads, and previews. The two movies were fairly good.

Monday, November 20, 1995 - Trinidad

Roy finally got rid of his cold. He gave it to me. I spent most of the day riding buses. Went downtown after breakfast to buy a new swimsuit, as both my old ones are wearing out. I had seen an ad in the paper for a swimwear store at Long Circular Road and Delhi in St. James. The suits in the picture looked good, so I wanted to go there. Walked all over the bus terminal, looking for a bus to St. James but didn't find one. Asked at the information booth and was told to go to the yellow maxi stand a block away. Walked over there and was told to take a route taxi on the street just past Court's furniture store, so I went there. The entire block had a line of waiting taxis. I went to the head of the line and found a taxi that would take me near where I was going. When the driver told me to get out of the cab, I did so but was totally lost. Began walking in the direction the driver had indicated. Fortunately, I looked down a sidestreet and saw Long Circular Mall, so I went over there, but it didn't look the way it had last week and I couldn't find my way to Long Circular Road. Walked around and around. Finally asked a guard. He told me to go up to the next level. I did so, and lo! there everything looked familiar. The mall is built on the side of a hill. It's sort of weird. Anyway, I finally found Long Circular Road, but I didn't know which direction to go to get to Delhi, so I phoned the store and they told me. It was only a block away. They didn't have exactly the suit I wanted, but I bought an attractive one at a good price. Returned to downtown Port-of-Spain, found an optical shop, and dropped off Roy's double-bifocal glasses that need a new nose-piece. Then I went to Scott's and bought the hose attachments for the new vacuum cleaner. Ate a crummy lunch at McDonald's, went to the bus terminal, and caught a Carenage bus. Got off at Ace Hardware and bought a fluorescent-light fixture. Then I walked a couple of blocks to West Mall and bought chicken and cereal at HiLo. Also bought some Pantene shampoo and conditioner. Then I returned to the boat. Last week, there had been an announcement on the net about a Thanksgiving Dinner. Unfortunately, I hadn't written down the details, but I thought it was at Powerboats. A few days later, I heard an announcement for another Thanksgiving dinner. It was at TTYA (Trinidad and Tobago Yachting Association), so I went there to sign up for it but was greatly disappointed by the looks of the place. It was more of a snackbar than a restaurant, and it smelled of fried grease, so I didn't sign up. This morning, there was an announcement for a Thanksgiving dinner at TTYC (Trinidad and Tobago Yacht Club), and I realized it was the one I had heard of first. Today was the deadline for signing up, so Roy and I caught a bus and went over there. Much more like it! This was a nice restaurant on the edge of the water. It had tablecloths and china plates and silverware. It was at least ten times the size of the snackbar at TTYA. The people were very pleasant, too. The menu looked great and included turkey imported from the U.S. The price was 65 TT's, so we signed up and paid. They're even going to provide free transportation back to Peake's after the dinner. Dessert will be pot-luck, so we stopped at Linda's Bakery and ordered an apple pie. While we were there, the rain suddenly came down in a deluge. The sound of the rain beating on the roof was the loudest I'd ever heard. We were sure lucky we were under a roof. Anyone outside would have been drenched in a minute. When the rain quit, we returned to the boat. Roy looked at the vacuum cleaner and its hose. He said it was not going to do the job of picking up the sawdust; he needed a shop vac. Why hadn't he said that in the first place? Grrrr. But later, he tried out the new vacuum cleaner and really liked it. Then he had a ball vacuuming everything in sight. Roy cooked a delicious supper, while I showered and shampooed. This cold is making me very tired, so I went to bed at 8:30.

Sunday, November 19, 1995 - Trinidad

Robin showed up to see us off on the tour of the eastern side of the island, so I was finally able to return the ticket. It's a shame I can't use it. It will cost about $385 for a round-trip ticket just to Miami. We went past Queen's Park Savannah, which is a large, grassy park in Port-of-Spain. I'd been wanting to see it and wasn't disappointed. Then the bus climbed a high hill and stopped at an overlook. We could see all of Port-of-Spain, much of the surrounding area, and way out to sea. It was a great view. The drive would have been a lot more interesting if it had been narrated. The driver was supposed to tell us where we were, but he only did so when someone asked, and then his voice was so soft it couldn't be heard beyond the third row. I was very glad I'd taken my map with me. Without it, I wouldn't have had the remotest idea where we were. Went to Manzanilla Point and down the coast to Mayaro Point. What a lovely view! The ocean, with surf rolling in, was on our left and coconut palms on our right. There were a great many abandoned houses along the coast, and we wondered about them. Later, the driver told us that they had been resort houses, but when the oil platforms were built, a lot of oil leaked into the water and ruined the beach. What a shame! Then a hurricane blew all the roofs off the houses, so they were abandoned. It was one o'clock when we arrived at Mayaro, and we were hungry. The driver stopped in front of the Waterfront Restaurant. We took one look at the place and knew we weren't about to eat there. Maybe gringos are too fussy, but we want to stay healthy. After some discussion, the driver said he'd take us to a KFC, about 15 kilometers from there. He went back the way we'd come, which was disappointing; we'd been hoping to see something new. Instead of going to KFC, the driver stopped at a Royal Castle in Sangre Grande. At least it had clean restrooms, but that's about all it had. The menu consisted of hot dogs and "Veggie Burgers", whatever they are. Roy and I each ordered one. They turned out to be thin, crisp, fried patties of unknown ingredients on buns with lettuce and tomato slices. There was also a sauce that was too spicy for my taste. I was hungry enough to eat it, but I certainly didn't enjoy it. They didn't have anything decent to drink, so we had water. They didn't even have anything for dessert. We wandered around town, trying to find candy bars, but all the stores were closed. We finally bought some sorry cookies from some outdoor vendors. To make up for the lunch, the driver offered to take us to the waterfall. We were all eager for that. He drove up into the mountains. The narrow paved road turned to dirt and eventually ended altogether. We had to walk about half a mile up a trail to get to the falls, but they were worth it. They fell straight down in a mist from quite a height. There was a lovely rainbow. Reminded us of Bridal Veil. Nearly everyone but us had brought swimsuits, so they were able to go under the falls. We hadn't known there'd be an opportunity to get wet. Maybe that was announced yesterday when we were at the market. I waded fairly close to the falls anyway, so I could enjoy the refreshing spray without actually getting wet. On the way back, the bus konked out. For a while we thought we might have to push it, but eventually the driver got it going again. The sun was setting by the time we got near Peake's. The bus went all the way to the end of the road to drop a couple of people off, so we got to see what's out there. Were surprised to see a number of shops and some sort of hotel.

Saturday, November 18, 1995 - Trinidad

This was the morning for our trip to the Central Market. Got up at five, ate breakfast, and reached the bus at exactly 6:30. Eleven of us went. The Central Market was huge. It covered at least one entire city block, maybe two. There were some buildings with stalls for the meat, fish, and poultry vendors, but the produce vendors were outside. They had their fruits and vegetables in big piles. There were hundreds of vendors and thousands of customers. The place was so crowded, we had a hard time pushing our way through the throng, but eventually we reached the far end, turned around, and started back. Then the sun was behind us instead of shining directly into our eyes, so we could see and were able to start buying. Nearly everything was farm fresh and looked the way fruits and vegetables should look. We bought potatoes, onions, cabbage, cauliflower, cucumbers, string beans, corn, apples, papayas, and what Roy thought were large oranges, which turned out to be grapefruit. The vendors weighed everything in old, old scales, the kind that use lead weights of specific sizes. You couldn't buy just any old quantity; you had to buy the quantity that matched one or a combination of weights. There were mountains of eggs. Never saw so many eggs at one time in my entire life, but I hadn't brought my plastic egg holder, because I hadn't known there'd be eggs at the market. They weren't in cartons; they were on flats, so I didn't buy any. On the way back to Peake's, we stopped at HiLo, so I bought a dozen eggs there as well as chicken and candy. Finally found gum drops for the first time since we've been in Trinidad. Also found those yummy coconut drops that I loved as a kid and rarely see any more. Took everything back to the boat and put it away. Then I went back downtown to try to get a replacement for our hand-held vacuum cleaner that had finally given up the ghost. Waited in front of the chandlery for the 10:30 free bus, but it didn't show up, so I began thinking maybe it didn't run on Saturday. Another woman had her hand- held VHF with her, so she called the office. Sure enough, no free buses on Saturday, so we began walking towards the bus stop on the highway. We were about a hundred yards from it when the blue bus pulled up. I started running, not really thinking I'd be able to catch it. Running has never been my forte. Even as a kid, I never liked to run. I haven't run so far or so fast in years. Luckily, someone else was also running for the bus. By the time he got there and got on it, I was to the highway. There was no traffic, so I sprinted across. The driver was nice enough to wait, so I hopped on and sat down. The bus went right to the new City Gate bus terminal, which just opened today, so I spent some time walking around, looking it over. It's the best bus terminal I've ever seen anywhere. It's spacious, airy, and well-planned. Buses are easy to find. The waiting room has benches for a thousand people or more, and even has television to watch while you wait. There's an ATM, a ticket counter, and an infor- mation booth. The employees are very courteous and nice. It's certainly a lot more convenient having all the buses at one central location instead of having to walk all over downtown looking for the one you want. I found out there's a bus that goes directly to the airport, so I'll check it out next week. Walked down Independence Square, which isn't a square at all but a boulevard. The woman at Ace had told me Scott's is just past the cathedral. That made it easy to find, but I was surprised to see that it was in a poor part of town. Hopeless derelicts were sleeping on the sidewalk or congregated in a small park. The building Scott's was in looked nice, though, and wasn't far, so I zoomed over to it. I've never seen a hardware store quite like it. There were three floors, and they had just about anything you could possibly want in the hardware line. They had all the well-known brands, such as Makita, Eureka, and Coleman. You couldn't wander around browsing, however; nearly everything was behind the counter. They were very security conscious. To even get into the place, you had to check in at the front desk, flanked by security guards. I told the man at the desk that I wanted a hand-held vacuum cleaner. He told me to go to the second floor, so I started up the stairs, forgetting that the second floor is the third floor. Life is confusing in this country. The clerk on what I thought was the second floor sent me up to the next floor. They didn't have Dirt Devil, but they had what appeared to be a super nice Eureka hand-held vacuum cleaner. It was expensive, but I bought it anyway. Unfortunately, I forgot to buy a hose for it. Ate lunch at a combination Pizza Hut and Kentucky Fried Chicken. Had a cute little pizza that was about five inches in diameter, but it wasn't very good. It was mostly biscuit, with a thin coating of cheese, pineapple, and green pepper. Couldn't even begin to compare with the pizza we'd had at Pizza Boys. The place was packed, though. I had asked for a chocolate shake. The clerk said they didn't have chocolate, but they had strawberry. I said, "OK, strawberry." She brought me vanilla. That was all they had. Got 1600 TT's from an ATM and went back to the boat. The first thing Roy said when I proudly showed him the new vacuum was, "Where's the hose?" Terrific. I phoned Scott's to see if they carried hoses, but apparently they close at noon on Saturday, so it will have to wait until Monday. Phoned Kathy and told her I was coming to California for a visit in December and January. She was glad to hear it and said she'd pick me up at the airport. She also said I could sleep on her living-room floor for a couple of nights until I find a place. Roy hadn't had lunch. When I said, "Pizza," his eyes lit up. He wanted to go to Pizza Boys, and he wanted me to go with him, so we took a maxi down there. He ended up eating a fish sandwich, because he was too hungry to wait for a pizza. He also had two scoops of cherry ice cream, and I had one scoop. When we left Pizza Boys, large splats of soft rain began hitting us. Luckily, a route taxi came along just then, so we hopped into it. Had an interesting ride up a side-street. Got back to the boat just in time to close the hatches and portholes before the deluge hit. Filled the water tank and all the plastic jugs and had plenty of rain left over.

Friday, November 17, 1995 - Trinidad

Finally a day without rain, so I was able to varnish the toerail. Sure glad to get that done. The stuff I put on the chigger bites hasn't helped much so far. Maybe they're not chigger bites. If I still have them when I get to California, I'll go to Kaiser and find out what they are. Went to the travel agency to see if she'd gotten the information I wanted. She just doesn't seem to comprehend that I'd like to have as much information as possible, so I can make an informed choice. Instead, she gives me one fare, and then when I ask for another, she's surprised. "Oh, you want..." I've tried to explain over and over that I want them all, but she just doesn't get it. Here's a sample of Trinidadian "English": "Oh gor Mr. Humphrey, how yuh could rags up people so? All yuh now take de platform yuh done white a'ready, people watchin yuh an is a set a stupidness yuh go talk? Fus ah shame." No wonder we can't understand what people are saying -- we can't even understand what they write! Our Dirt-Devil vacuum cleaner has quit, so I went down to Ace Hardware to see if I could get another, but they didn't have what we wanted. They said I could probably get one at William Scott on Independence Square, so I'll try there tomorrow. Paddled over to Malu to return the ticket, but no one was home. Continued another two or three miles along the coast. Passed a boat storage yard, a beach, a bunch of old buildings, and the Coast Guard. A guy in uniform was standing on the end of the dock, holding a rifle. I waved and he waved back, but I stayed well clear anyway. When I got to the point, three guys were fishing on an old dock. Two of them looked like soldiers. They were wearing camouflage pants and had guns. One of them called to me and asked where I had come from. I said, "Peake's," and he said, "All right." I don't know what difference it made where I was from, but I'm glad it was all right.

Thursday, November 16, 1995 - Trinidad

Day of adventure! I rode the 8:30 bus downtown to get my reciprocal ham license. (You have to get one for each country you go to if you want to transmit.) I might never use it, but it was an interesting experience getting it. Walked down Abercromby Street, looking for number 17. By chance, my eye just happened to alight on a small painted sign on the side of a building. It said "Telecommunica- tions" and pointed down a short, dark alley. I walked to the end of the alley and came to a glass door that also said "Telecommunications" so I went through it and climbed four flights of stairs. (Trinidad is like Europe in that it considers the second floor to be the first floor, etc., so the third floor is what we would consider the fourth floor.) Came to another glass door, but this one didn't have anything written on it. Went in and told the man at the desk I was looking for Telecommunications. He said I'd come to the right place. When I told him I wanted to apply for a reciprocal amateur radio license, he pointed to the man at the next desk and said to see him. That gentleman was reading the morning paper and seemed totally nonplused when I asked for a reciprocal license and handed him my documents. He studied them for five or ten minutes and then left. Twenty or so minutes later, he returned with an application form for me to fill out. I did so and handed it to him. He took it to his secretary to have her type something up. I might mention that everything he did was with the greatest slowness and deliberation, so that this entire process took at least ten times as long as it should have, but he was pleasant enough once he got over his initial shock. In due course of time, the secretary brought in the paper she had typed. He studied it carefully for several minutes, signed it, and gave it back to the secretary to make a couple of copies. This done, he folded the original, put it in an envelope, and told me to take it to Excise and Wireless in the Customs building on the corner across the street. I thanked him and walked back down the four flights of stairs. When I got to the Customs building, I showed the envelope to the man at the front desk and told him I needed to go to Excise and Wireless. He said it was on the fourth floor. Since that would be the fifth by U.S. standards, I was glad there was an elevator. But when I got off at the fourth floor, the woman at the desk said that was the wrong floor. She thought Excise and Wireless might be on the second floor. Rather than wait for the elevator, I walked down. On the way, I met a man in uniform who knew where the place was and took me right there. I had to walk through a large room that had piles of cardboard cartons stacked in it. The Supervisor of Excise and Wireless was very nice. She was also efficient. She gave me a form to take down to the cashier on the first floor. I went down there, paid 14.40 TT's, and returned to the second floor. The supervisor promptly gave me my reciprocal license. Mission accomplished. My next project was to go out to the airport. I walked around looking for a maxi that might go there. Asked several people, but no one knew. Finally a came to a street that was full of red-and-white maxis. I never saw so many minibuses in one place in my life. There were three lines of them stretching the entire length of the block. There must have been more than a hundred. I went up to a man in uniform who appeared to be a dispatcher. Now if anyone should know which bus to take to get to the airport it's the dispatcher for the bus company, right? Wrong. He walked over to a bus and asked the driver. The driver told him something in Triniglish. The dispatcher told me to follow him and started walking along the line of buses. Suddenly, a woman came running up. I don't know if she was a driver or what, but she was very nice and knew where to go, so she took over from the dispatcher. She led me to the corner and down a block. Then she hailed a maxi, told the driver where I wanted to go, and told me the bus would take me to Arouca, where I could catch a taxi to the airport. I thanked her and got in. To my surprise, the surrounding towns turned out to be part of a megalopolis. We went from town to town without a break in between; I couldn't tell where one town ended and the next began. Passengers kept getting on and off, and the driver forgot about me. When we got to Arouca, we crossed a wide, busy street that I figured was the road to the airport. Sure enough, a few minutes later, the driver noticed me and asked where I was going. When I told him the airport, he realized he'd gone too far, so I got a free ride to Arima and back to Arouca. At the busy road, he pointed to a white cab and said to take it. The fare from Port-of-Spain to Arouca was only 3.50 TT's. From there to the airport was another 2 TT's. This airport, this international airport, has to be seen to be believed. The Mexican airports were twenty-first century by comparison. This airport looked as if it had been a cow pasture that someone had laid a strip of concrete on and thrown up a few buildings. The hangars looked like barns with pointed roofs. There was a Kentucky Fried Chicken stand, an ice cream stand, and several shops. I no sooner got out of the taxi than the waiting taxi drivers asked me if I wanted a taxi! Since only two airlines come in here, it was very easy to find American. (The other is BWIA, which I think stands for British West Indies Airlines.) There was only one clerk at the desk, so I asked him if I could get the ticket reissued in my name, but he said it couldn't be done. The ticket could be used only by the person it was issued to; otherwise, it was totally worthless. That was really disappointing. I sure would have liked to use that ticket. What a bargain that would have been -- all the way to Denver for $100! I wandered around for a while, looking the place over. Saw two drinking fountains, but neither one squirted more than an eighth of an inch, so I gave up and bought a cup of ice cream instead. It was delicious and quenched my thirst for a while. When I looked as if I was ready to leave, the taxi drivers leaped up again. These were private taxis, and the drivers wanted $20 U.S. or 116 TT's to take me to Port-of-Spain! I told them I'd only paid 5.50 TT's to get there, and I'd go back the same way. Then they showed me a route taxi, so I took it to Arouca for 2 TT's. Only waited a couple of minutes for a maxi back to Port-of-Spain. On the way back to Peake's, I got out at West Mall to buy a few groceries. Also bought a tube of Gamma Benzene Hexachloride at the drugstore. That's supposed to zap chiggers and similar beasties. In the U.S., it can be bought by prescription only, but here I had no problem buying it over the counter. When I got back to the boat, Roy was feeling some better. He had gone over to the IMS boatyard and liked it a lot better than Peake's. We walked over there together so he could buy a board at the carpentry shop. He also wanted me to see the yard, but I told him I didn't care where he hauled out, because I'm going to California for two months. He bought a six-foot board of nice mahogany to repair the mizzen mast.

Wednesday, November 15, 1995 - Trinidad

Did the laundry at six o'clock in the morning. Even at that hour, there was someone else wanting to use a washer. They have good Maytag washers and dryers here, but only two of each. Since there are scores of liveaboards here and the maids also use the washers and dryers to wash the restaurant and apartment linens, there's usually a long line. I thought if I got there early enough, I'd beat the crowd, and I did, but only by minutes. Anyway, I managed to get three loads washed and dried, so now all our clothes are clean, thank goodness. Walked over to Immigration to see if using someone else's ticket would be a problem. It would be. Went down to the American Airlines office in Port-of-Spain to see if they could change it to my name, but they couldn't. I'd sure like to be able to buy that ticket to Denver for only $100, but I don't want to end up in jail or having to pay a big fine. Tomorrow I'll go out to the airport to see if anything can be done there. Filled out the contract for tying to the dock and paid a week's rent. It's only $49 a week, including electricity. Roy has a sore throat and feels crummy. He slept a lot and started feeling some better towards evening. My bites are itching a lot less. Someone told me it would take a month for them to go away!

Tuesday, November 14, 1995 - Trinidad

On the net this morning, I asked if anyone else who went on the tour Saturday had broken out with itchy spots. Someone came on and said they were chigger bites, that practically everyone who goes to Asa Wright gets chewed up by chiggers. I thought they looked like chigger bites and itched like chigger bites, but I was confused by their being on my midriff instead of my ankles and lower legs. It's good to know that's all they are. Robin on Malu is organizing another tour for this Sunday, so we signed up for it. It will be to the Eastern side of the island. She also has a one-way American Airlines ticket to Denver for sale for only $100. Since I'm thinking of going to California for a visit, that would be a real deal. I let her know I was interested. She was looking for some plastic slides. Roy had a bunch, so she said she'd be over after the net. Also on the net, there was an announcement of a trip to the Central Market this Saturday at 6:30. It's only 10 TT's round-trip, so we signed up for it. Lisa and Arlie came by to collect the money and give us our tickets. Robin came by and was delighted to get the slides she needed. She showed me the ticket to Denver. Unfortunately, it has someone else's name on it. This could cause a problem with Immigration, so I'm going to check with them before I buy it. Jalanath got hauled this morning, so we went into her spot. Got there just in time. Moments later, a sudden squall came up. There aren't any finger docks here; we're tied bow-to. It's good to be at a dock again, but getting on and off the boat is sort of tricky. Roy has connected the two planks and tied them so the end of one sticks out over the dock. We have to walk the plank to get off the boat. Or back on. It's easy at low tide, when the plank is only a couple of feet above the dock, but at high tide the plank might be five feet above the dock. In the afternoon, I went to the American Airlines office in Port of Spain to see if they'd change the name on the ticket, but they refused. They said it was non-transferable. Went out to Long Circular Mall and was really impressed. It's a lot larger than West Mall. The TruValue Supermarket there is clean and bright and attractive. Looks like a U.S. supermarket. It has just about everything under the sun except what I want. I thought there'd be lots of maxis going to the mall, but I didn't see any when I was ready to leave. I asked a well-dressed young woman who looked as if she were waiting for a bus where the bus stop was. She said the buses didn't come there, that I'd have to go down to the main road to catch one. Then she said her boyfriend would be there in a couple of minutes with his car and he'd give me a ride down to the main road. She was as nice as could be. Sure enough, in a couple of minutes, her boyfriend arrived and dropped me off on the main road where lots of maxis were going by. I soon caught one.

Monday, November 13, 1995 - Trinidad

Itching not as bad as yesterday, but still annoying. Put more stuff on the bites. I hope they're bites. Maybe I'm allergic to some plant I came into contact with in the rain forest and broke out in a rash. But it's strange that most of it is in the middle part of my body, which was totally covered. There's none on my legs and arms. Maybe I'm allergic to something in the lunch we ate at the center. I know there were foods and spices I've never ingested before. Yesterday, I transposed two digits of the P.O. Box number I left for Steve, so this morning I bought a 60 TT card at Powerboats and phoned Steve. Luckily, he was home, so I gave him the correct number. For three or four days, I've been trying to varnish the toerails that I sanded a few days ago, but it always rains just enough to keep me from doing it. Happened again today. Tim and Viv's boat, Jalanath, was supposed to be hauled this afternoon, but it's been postponed until tomorrow. As soon as they haul out, we'll move into their space at the dock.

Sunday, November 12, 1995 - Trinidad

Some kind of bug must have bitten me in the rain forest; I'm covered with bites. They don't look like mosquito bites; they look like chigger bites. Maybe they're ant bites. Or termites. Whatever, they itch like crazy. I've been putting Alcolado Glacial and Hydro- cortisone on them. Both stop the itching for a while. Went to Hi Lo and bought some chicken, bread, and oranges. The bus driver scared me half to death by READING while driving at high speed on this curving road. I thought he was going to crash into the rear of a car in front of us, but fortunately he looked up in time. After lunch, we paddled in to try to figure out how to phone the U.S. on these crazy phones. There doesn't seem to be any way to use our calling card. We can't even phone the operator to find out how to make the calls; when I dial the number shown in the phone book for calling the overseas operator, all I get is the message: "Barred call." Ridiculous. The only thing that works is using a prepaid card. I had bought 40 TT's worth of cards, but that's only enough for six minutes. Phoned Steve and left a message on his machine. Reached Kathy, but the card ran out before I was through talking with her. At least, I got most of the information I had phoned for. Roy returned to the boat, but I paddled around. Had a very interesting time. Talked with an English couple who have been here three years. Finally got the scoop on the local language. In addition to English, the people speak a French patois. No wonder we couldn't understand it! It's probably similar to the Creole language in Louisiana. Back in slavery days, there were a lot of French plantation owners here, so the slaves picked up a garbled version of French, and that's been handed down along with the official English. Even well-educated people who speak flawless English use the patois when they're talking to each other. So that explains it.

Saturday, November 11, 1995 - Trinidad

Got Malu on the VHF at 7:30 this morning. Found out tomorrow's tour had been canceled, but there's still room on today's tour to the rain forest at the Asa Wright Nature Center. The tour left at 8:45 from Peake's chandlery and cost 145 TT's each, including lunch. I woke Roy up and told him about it. He was as enthusiastic as I was, so I called Malu back and told Robin we'd go. Then we had to really scramble. It was already 7:45. I threw breakfast together, we gulped it down, and Roy washed the dishes while I paddled in. He's a lot faster than I am. In fact, he was waiting at the chandlery when I got there. Then it turned out that the bus didn't actually leave until nine. Robin told people 8:45 so they'd get there on time. It was the same comfortable bus that takes us downtown. The drive to the nature center took nearly two hours. We went through Port-of- Spain and several small towns on the far side. Saw some small farms and chicken ranches. One coop had the poor chickens packed in so tightly they couldn't even walk around. Then the road turned north and began heading up into the mountains. It was very narrow and had many twists and turns and hairpin curves. Up, up we went. There was jungle all around us. The air was pleasantly cool. Finally we reached the nature center. It was housed in a wonderful old plantation house. We felt like guests of a wealthy British landowner. We were served tea and coffee on the verandah while we were waiting for the guide. We had a terrific view out over the rain forest. All kinds of birds were flying around and feeding. The guide was very knowledgeable and spoke flawless English. He pointed out many varieties of insects and trees and birds. Told us about army ants and leaf-cutting ants. Showed us huge nests that termites build in the trees. I've never been especially fond of bugs, but it was interesting. After the tour, we ate lunch in the dining room. It was elegant. China plates, silverware, cloth napkins. We had stuffed chicken breast, rice, okra, fried plantain, and salad. For dessert, we were served mixed fruit. Everything was delicious. After lunch, we strolled to a little waterfall and pool where people were swimming. Got back to Peake's at 5:30. What a neat day!

Friday, November 10, 1995 - Trinidad

A couple of days ago, someone told us there's a local VHF net on channel 68 from 8 to 8:30 every morning, so I tuned it in this morning. Robin on Malu announced two tours this weekend, but she didn't give details, so after the net I tried to contact her, but without success. I asked about good supermarkets and was given the names and locations of two, so we caught the 12:30 bus to Port-of-Spain. Walked around the downtown area. Saw the Parliament building, which is a big Victorian style building left over from British rule. It's painted red, so it's known as the Red House. We ate lunch at a little local restaurant that was very inexpen- sive. We only paid 35 TT's -- less than $6 U.S. for the two of us. The food was mediocre, but the fruit punch was the best I've ever tasted, and the ice cream was delicious. After we'd eaten, we walked two more blocks and saw McDonald's, KFC, Pizza Hut, Pizza Boys, etc. Oh well, we'll know next time. When we found the Excellent Supermarket that had been recommended, we were greatly disappointed. It didn't have much of anything. The Hi Lo we've been going to is a hundred times better. We caught the 3:30 bus back, and I got off at West Mall. Tried to use the ATM at the entrance, but it wouldn't accept my card. I'd forgotten there was a Cirrus ATM in Hi Lo. I only had 45 TT's left, so I couldn't buy very much. I was afraid I wouldn't have enough left for busfare back to Peake's. Bought chicken and some vegetables. Came to 42.63. After I'd checked out, I saw the ATM, so I got 1000 TT's, but I didn't feel like buying more stuff and going through the checkout again. At least I had busfare.

Thursday, November 9, 1995 - Trinidad

I had intended to go to the laundromat at 5:30 a.m. to beat the crowd, but I overslept and didn't get there until 7:10. I lucked out; there was no one else there. By the time others began arriving, I had both washers in operation. They're very good Maytag washers and dryers. It's sure good to have clean clothes again, especially sheets and towels. It was a nice sunny morning, too, so I had no problem taking the dry clothes back to the boat. Since I hadn't made it to the Post Office yesterday, I took a maxi to the Carenage Post Office this morning and mailed all the cards. Bought a newspaper across the street. By luck, Peake's bus came along on its way back to the yard, so I caught it. We spent the afternoon working on the boat. Roy moved the cockpit speaker to a new location, and I began sanding the toerail.

Wednesday, November 8, 1995 - Trinidad

Roy talked with Tim this morning and was assured he could do any work he wanted on the boat, so we went up to the office to sign the contract. The woman in the office wanted to see our Customs papers. We hadn't brought them with us, so Roy went back to the boat to get them, but he brought the wrong papers, so he had to go back a second time. Then it turned out we didn't have anything from Customs but a receipt. The woman in the office said we should have a long form. She accepted our application anyway, but in the confusion, Roy didn't sign the contract. I registered in the office and got an access pass and two passes for the free bus. Also got a key to the restrooms and bought a dozen tokens for the laundromat. We decided we had better try to find the Customs form we were supposed to have. I thought I might have inadvertently left it at the Immigration office in Port-of-Spain in all the confusion. We rode the free bus into town at 12:30 and walked towards the waterfront. I had a bunch of postcards and Diane's birthday card that I wanted to mail, but we didn't find the Post Office. We didn't see any decent-looking fast-food places to eat lunch, so we decided to go to the restaurant at the Holiday Inn. We had seen it near the waterfront, so it was easy to find, and they always have good food. We enjoyed a first-class buffet in first-class surroundings. The desserts were especially delicious. We really pigged out. Cost 156 TT's, which is less than $30 U.S. Went to the Immigration office, but they didn't have anything of ours, so we went to Customs. The officer had our file, but he told us we weren't supposed to receive a copy. He assured us everything was in order and there were no problems. By then it was 3:15, and we were supposed to catch the return bus at 3:30. Luckily we had noticed a Richmond Street which went through to within a block or two of the bus. I'd forgotten to bring the map, so we'd have been lost without Richmond Street. We walked as fast as we could but were seven minutes late. Nevertheless, the driver had waited for us. We thanked him, and Roy tipped him ten TT's.

Tuesday, November 7, 1995 - Trinidad

I accidentally dropped the line when I put my Royak in the water. Roy was already in his Royak, so he retrieved my line and pulled it back to me. Boy, did he laugh! Revenge for all the times I'd laughed at him for letting his Royak get away from him. When we paddled in to sign up for the slip at the dock, we saw that another boat was already there. We went hunting for the dockmaster to see if there might be another opening coming up. The office clerk told us he was on the dock, so we walked out there but didn't see him. We asked a woman if she had seen him. To our surprise, she turned out to be Mrs. Dockmaster. She was just as nice as can be. She walked all over the yard in her bare feet looking for him and finally found him near the chandlery. He said that a boat named Carressa was going back in the water and would be tied to the dock at high tide. As soon as that was done, we could have the corner slot. They told us to stand by on Channel 68 this afternoon around four o'clock. They'll let us know when to bring the boat in. That settled, we went to the chandlery and bought the Trinidad courtesy flag we had ordered. Roy took it back to the boat and raised it. He had no sooner gotten in his Royak than it started pouring, so it's lucky he was going back to the boat. It was already pretty wet when he got there and closed the hatches and portholes. I waited for him under the overhang of the main building. An artist had just finished painting a picture of the boats at the dock and had had to quickly take his painting and easel to the shelter of the overhang. I complimented him on his picture, which was really well done. He is quite talented. After fifteen minutes or so, the rain let up, and Roy returned with the things I had asked for. Then he went back to the boat, and I left to get chicken for supper. Stopped at Powerboats and bought ten bus tickets, in case a big bus came by. While I was waiting at the bus stop, the artist pulled up in his car and offered me a ride. He was very nice. Took me right to West Mall. He had been born in Trinidad and lived here all his life except for traveling in Canada, Europe, and the U.S. He was obviously well-educated and spoke flawless English that I had no problem understanding. I asked him about the language of the local people, and he assured me it was English. He said they spoke rapidly and with a heavy accent, but they spoke English. So now I'm really confused. Is it English or is it Trinidadian? If it's English, why can't I understand what they're saying? And what in the world does "callaloo" mean? I was really impressed by West Mall. Inside, it's like being in the United States. There are all kinds of shops, it's air-conditioned and it's attractively decorated. At a Hallmark card store, I bought a birthday card for Diane, ten postcards, a map of the island, and a cruiser's guide to Trinidad and Tobago. Then I went to the Hi Lo Supermarket. This is the same chain we went to yesterday but what a difference! This store was much larger and nicer. They had far more attractive produce. I bought cauliflower and enough chicken for two days. Also bought some cookies and candy. When I was on my way to the bus stop, I inadvertently stepped on some soft mud. My foot flew out from under me, and I went down splat on the sidewalk. Luckily, I didn't land in the mud. There were a bunch of schoolboys around, but they didn't laugh or make fun of me. I jumped to my feet immediately, unhurt except for my pride and dignity. Soon caught a maxi-taxi back to Peake's. The rain had obligingly held off all the time I was shopping, but as soon as I got in my Royak, it started in again, and by the time I reached the boat, it was pouring, so I got a free shower. We ate lunch and listened to Channel 68. Roy got anxious as four o'clock approached and paddled in. It's lucky he did, because it turned out the whole thing was a misunderstanding. Tim, the dockmaster, and his wife, Viv, had thought we just wanted to tie to the dock for a day or two. When they found out we wanted to be there two or three weeks, they said no way. That corner slot is strictly temporary. However, they expect their boat to be hauled out in about a week, and then we can have their slot. Roy made an appointment to be hauled November 30th. They gave him a contract form to fill out and bring back in the morning, but when I read it, there was a clause saying we could only do minor or routine work on the boat. Since Roy has to repair the mizzen mast and might have to replace some planks, this doesn't come under the category of minor or routine. We might have to go to Powerboats instead of Peake's. We've got to clarify it before we sign the contract.

Monday, November 6, 1995 - Trinidad

Paddled ashore and went to Peake's chandlery to get a Trinidad courtesy flag. I hadn't bought one in Florida, because at that time we weren't planning on going to Trinidad. The chandlery was out of the flags but said they'd have some tomorrow. We walked over to Powerboats, but they didn't one either. In fact, they didn't even have a chandlery, which surprised us. We went to the office and got their rate sheet. Also inquired about dock space, as we'd like to work on the boat in the water for a few weeks before hauling out. To our amazement, they only charge 22 cents a foot (U.S.) to tie to the dock, and that includes electricity! We can certainly afford that. They expect to have an opening tomorrow. While we were there, I bought two $20 TT telephone cards. We returned to Peake's and got their rate sheet. Their haulout prices are slightly higher, but their dock rates are actually lower -- only 18 cents a foot! Their facilities are much nicer, and they have an opening right now, but before making a decision, we wanted to take a look at the yacht club. It was noon by then, so we took a maxi to the pizza place where we ate yesterday. Had the same lunch, except this time we had cherry delight shakes, which were even more delicious than the previous ones. After eating, we went around the corner to the ATM. I had no problem, but it kept spitting Roy's card back out at him. Maybe his magnetic stripe is worn out. I had that problem once in California. If that's the problem, he's going to have fun getting a new card. We were somewhat disappointed by the Hi Lo Supermarket. Since this island is so verdant, we expected an abundance of fresh fruits and vegetables, but the produce at Hi Lo wasn't much of an improvement over that in Venezuela. They had nice looking fresh chicken, however, so we bought a package of thighs that actually looked like thighs. In Venezuela, the things they called thighs included the drumstick and what appeared to be about a fourth of the rest of the bird. Huge. We also bought eggs, cookies, dates, candy, and a can of my favorite juice, Dole Pineapple Orange. First time I've ever seen it in a can. They didn't have any decent bread in the supermarket, so we walked a block down the street to Linda's Bakery. They were out of whole wheat bread, but they had a delicious-looking fruit loaf, so we bought one. We noticed a lot of sailboats in the water in back of the bakery, so we walked over there. To our surprise, this was the Trinidad Tobago Yacht Club! We had thought we had passed it on the bus, but apparently that had been the Trinidad Yachting Association, so it's very lucky we had walked to the bakery. We went to the TTYC office and got their rate sheet. They charge $260 U.S. a month or $15 a day. They might have an opening tomorrow. We walked out and looked at the docks. There were slips instead of end ties, which would be a lot more convenient, but their restrooms and showers were disappointing. Also, we didn't want to get locked in to a month, since we might only want to stay at a dock for two or three weeks, or we might want to stay five or six weeks. There was a marine-supply store a couple of blocks away, so I walked over there to see if they had courtesy flags, but they were closed for the afternoon. Up until then, we had taken only maxis, but a big bus came along, so we got on it. However, the driver couldn't take cash, only tickets, so we got off. Then one of the passengers called to us that she would sell us two tickets, so we got on again. That was certainly nice of her. The tickets are only $2 TT each, no matter how far you ride, so one of these days, we'll buy some tickets and ride all over the island. Got off at the Yachting Association. We were disappointed to learn that they don't have docks. You can anchor out or moor and pay them a fee to use their facilities, but we wanted to tie to a dock, so we didn't even bother to inquire about their rates. We were both very thirsty, so we were happy to see a jug of cold water. Didn't see any cups, but Roy had his water bottle with him, so we drank from that. Then a man came along and pulled a cup from a box right in front of our noses. The water was delicious and just the right temperature. We drank bottle after bottle, while we chatted with the man. He had been there several months, so he gave us some valuable information. We had a long wait for a maxi back to Peake's. We were going to go ahead and take the opening they had, but by the time we got there, it was quarter past four. The office closed at four. Oh well, there's tomorrow. Read a letter in the local paper that confirmed our suspicion that the residents of Trinidad speak a language other than English. The writer described it as "a callaloo of languages, rich, beautiful and, more importantly, our own." Presumably, it's similar to Papiamento, in that it's a mixture of the African languages the slaves brought with them, the Spanish and English of their former masters, and the language of the aboriginal inhabitants of the island. No wonder we couldn't understand what they were saying. The educated people speak English as well, but sometimes with a heavy accent.

Sunday, November 5, 1995 - Trinidad

Woke up after fifteen hours' sleep feeling almost normal again. We're in a lovely location. The water is clear and calm, and there are green hills all around us, covered with real trees. There isn't a cactus to be seen. The jungle is so dense, it would be impossible to make your way through it without a lot of chopping with a machete. So far, the Trinidad experience has been quite different from what we expected. The temperature is pleasant, we haven't been bothered by mosquitoes, and the people speak a strange language that doesn't resemble the English we know and love. They understand English, however, and the radio and television speak English, newspapers are printed in English, and signs are in English, so we feel half at home. Even though it was Sunday, we decided to try to go to Immigration. We paddled ashore and tied up in front of Peake's boatyard where other dinghies were tied. It was a nice place, with green grass and an attractive building. We chatted with an Englishman, who was scrubbing the bottom of his dinghy. He told us where Immigration was and said they were always open, but they'd probably charge us overtime. We didn't care about that; we just wanted to get cleared in. We walked through the boatyard, which is the largest and nicest we've ever seen. They have an enormous Travelift. Went out to the road and walked past Powerboats boatyard, which is also very large. We noticed a bus stop across the street and saw quite a few buses going by, mostly vans. After about three-quarters of a mile, we came to the building that housed Immigration and Customs. The Customs official was there but not Immigration. Another couple had been waiting over an hour for the Immigration official. We explained to the Customs official about our clearing Customs in Port of Spain. He was very nice. He phoned the Immigration guy again and found out he'd be in at twelve. It was 11:20 then. The other couple left, and we went outside and walked around. Saw a new marina that's in the process of construction. Saw a very long, expensive sailboat that was tied to the dock. Also saw the big Greek freighter that had come in earlier this morning and tied to the dock. Returned to the office about quarter to twelve. The Immigration official soon arrived, and since the other couple hadn't returned, we got to clear in first. He was very pleasant. The charge was only a hundred Trinidadian dollars. He told us we could go to Tobago and return if we wanted to without clearing out and in, but if we wanted to go to Tobago and from there to another country without returning to Trinidad, we'd have to clear out here first. (Trinidad and Tobago are two separate islands but one nation. The money is referred to as TT.) As soon as we were cleared in, we headed for the bus stop. We wanted to go to a supermarket that we had heard about. A van bus soon came along (they're called maxis here) and we got in. The fare was $3 TT each. The big buses charge $2 TT, so there isn't much difference. It's a weird feeling to be riding in the left lane with traffic coming towards you in the right lane. It's scary at first, especially going around curves. The steering wheel is on the right side, so you see cars going by with no one in the "driver's seat". Spooky. The maxi let us off at West Mall, where there's a supermarket. Unfortunately, the mall was closed. This is another island where the stores close at noon on Sunday if they open at all. We were hungry and couldn't find a place to eat that was open, so we rode a maxi back to a pizza-hamburger place we had passed that looked nice. It was open. It was clean and attractive and had the best pizza we'd ever eaten. They also had shakes and all kinds of ice cream dishes. Roy had a fish sandwich, two slices of pizza, and a vanilla shake. I had two slices of pizza and a chocolate shake. Really delicious. After we ate, we walked around outside. Saw that there was a supermarket right there. It had closed at one o'clock. If we'd gone there in the first place instead of going to West Mall, it would have been open. Figures. There was also an ATM that accepted both Plus and Cirrus, but Roy didn't have his card with him, and I had plenty of money left from yesterday. I wanted to phone Kathy at two o'clock, which would have been ten a.m. in California, now that the U.S. is back on standard time, but even though I followed the instructions in the phone book, all I got was a message "Barred call". (The public phones here require prepaid cards instead of coins, but I didn't have a prepaid card.) I tried every combination I could think of with the same results. Then I tried to dial the operator, but only got a stupid message saying, "Please hang up and dial again. If you need assistance, dial the operator." Great. That's what I was trying to do. Why didn't they say how to dial the operator? After numerous attempts at various phones, I finally gave up. We returned to Powerboats and relaxed in their waterfront, open-air restaurant for a while. Roy drank a Sprite, and I drank water. The sky looked like rain, but it didn't materialize. We walked around the boatyard and talked with some people who were working on their boats. Found out Powerboats charged $4 U.S. a foot to haul out and 40 cents a foot for laydays. The electricity is 60 cycle but sometimes low voltage. Powerboats does not have compressed air, but Peake's does. Peake's is a little more expensive but nicer. Both places allow live-aboards and do-it-yourselfers, and both have showers, restrooms, laundromats, and grocery stores. There's also a smaller boatyard called IMS. We'll check them all out tomorrow. Returned to our Royaks and paddled across to an island called Gaspar Grande. It is also covered with dense jungle, but there are a few houses on it near the waterfront. We didn't stay long, as it was getting late. Roy paddled back to the drydock, where there were some freighters, and I paddled to a tiny island that looked interesting. Then we returned to Jofian while it was still daylight.

Saturday, November 4, 1995 - Trinidad

Yesterday afternoon, we debated whether to go in towards the coast and anchor for the night or just keep going. We made the wrong decision. At the time, we were only making three or four knots, so we figured it would take us all night to reach Trinidad, but a few hours later we picked up a favorable current and began making five or six knots. We reached the point that led into the Gulf of Paria in the middle of the night. We cut back on the RPM's and eased our way around the point, using the radar. Luckily, the moon was very bright. We immediately found ourselves in the traffic lane for freighters. They were all over the place, and most of them seemed to be coming straight at us. There were ships in front of us, ships in back of us, ships to the right of us, and ships to the left of us. Sometimes we were dodging three or four at the same time, not to mention avoiding rocks and islands. It was a nightmare, but we survived. What a relief when the sun finally came up! We were headed to Port of Spain, the capital of Trinidad, because Street's Guide said that was where we had to go to check in. We should have known better than to rely on a guide that was nearly ten years old. It was a long way across the gulf to Port of Spain. On the way, we passed a bay that was filled with sailboats. There were hundreds and hundreds of masts, crowded so closely together that they looked like trees in a forest. That should have given us a clue, but we kept going. When we finally got to Port of Spain, it was a dirty commercial harbor, full of freighters. The docks that Street said we should tie to were falling apart. We motored slowly, looking for a place to tie up. At least we didn't have any wind or waves to contend with; it was dead calm. A man on a remnant of a dock signaled to us to go to the next dock. It didn't look like much, but we went over there. Another man waved us in and tied our lines for us. He was what cruisers call a "Boat Boy", rather an insulting term. "Boat Boys" are grown men who hang around the waterfront, eking out something resembling a living by assisting boaters in any way they can. We could, of course, have secured the boat by ourselves, but he did make it easier for us, so we paid him $5. Then he wanted to watch the boat for $20. We told him we'd pay him twenty Trinidadian dollars but not U.S. dollars. The exchange rate is about five to one. He agreed to that. A Customs official in uniform came over and showed us the building we had to go to for Customs, so as soon as we'd changed our clothes, we went over there with our papers. The "English" that is spoken here is so heavily accented that we had a hard time understanding what anyone was saying, but in due course we got checked in. They charged us $22.83. Then the Customs officer drove us to Immigration. That was nice of him, even though it was only a block or two. There was a very surly man in Immigration who was not in uniform, but he was behind the desk, so we assumed he was the officer. That was another mistake. We were given two forms to fill out, one in quadruplicate and the other in quintuplicate. Fortunately, they provided carbon paper. While I was filling out the forms, the "official" went into the next room to watch television. It only took a few minutes to complete the forms, but we didn't dare disturb the "official", so we waited patiently. (When you go into a foreign country, you're totally at the mercy of the local officials.) Several people walked through the room, some of them in uniform. Finally, the real Immigration Officer arrived. He spoke reasonably good English. He asked us if we were going to be keeping the boat in Port of Spain. When we told him we were going to Powerboats to haul out, he said we couldn't clear in in Port of Spain; we had to clear in in Chaguaramas, where Powerboats is. Terrific. He told us to let Customs know, so we gathered up our papers and headed back towards Customs. We were worried about paying Mr. Eyeballs, as we had used all our small U.S. bills and only had twenties left. We certainly didn't want to give him a U.S. twenty. There were banks across the street, but we figured they'd be closed on Saturday. Went over there anyway. Trinidad was a British possession until the empire fell apart, so they drive on the left side of the road. Try crossing a busy street with all the traffic going the "wrong" way. Fun. When we finally got across, the banks were closed, as we had expected, but we found an ATM. It didn't accept my Cirrus card, but it did accept the Bank of America Plus card, so we were able to get a thousand brand new Trinidadian dollars. That was a relief. We gave twenty to Mr. Eyeballs for watching the boat, and we took off. Chaguaramas is close to the entrance to the Gulf of Paria, so it took quite a while to get there. When we were almost there, splat! down came the rain. This rain didn't fool around; it poured cats, dogs, fishes, and just about everything else. We filled our water tank to overflowing and filled every water container we had and still had plenty of rain left over. No wonder the landscape looks so lush and green! We shouldn't have any problem keeping supplied with water in this country. The rain was so dense that Roy had to use the radar to see where he was going. Luckily, as we approached the anchorage, the rain let up. We could see that many of the boats were on land, presumably at Powerboats boatyard. (Despite its name, they haul sailboats and were highly recommended by every cruiser we talked with who had been there and by several letters in the SSCA Bulletin.) I tried to call the marina on VHF. Someone came on and told me they closed at twelve o'clock on Saturday. It was then one o'clock. Figures. The water was quite deep, but Roy eventually found a spot where we could anchor in 33 feet of water. It was very obliging of the rain to stop long enough for us to get anchored. It soon came down in torrents again, and we had to put up the side curtains. We ate lunch and then lay down for naps. I don't like to sleep during the day, but I was exhausted from two nights of standing watch. As soon as my head touched the pillow, I conked out. Nearly slept around the clock.

Friday, November 3, 1995 - On Way to Trinidad

Motored all night and all day. The wind remained below 15 knots and was often below 10, so we had an easy ride. Except for the swells, the sea was fairly flat. We lucked out again. We're looking eagerly forward to getting to an English-speaking country. It will be nice to be able to understand what people are saying, and for them to understand us. On the other hand, Trinidad will probably be hotter than the pleasant temperatures we've gotten used to, and it will probably have mosquitoes. Yuk. We haven't been bothered by biting insects since we left Bonaire.

Thursday, November 2, 1995 - On Way to Trinidad

The weather forecast is still ENE 15 to 20, but this might be as good as it's going to get. As winter approaches, the wind will get stronger, so we decided to make a break for it. The German woman from Kleine Brise came by the boat and said they're leaving at noon for Los Testigos. They checked out the same time they checked in, so they're all set. She also told us the banks are now paying 285 to the dollar, and today is some kind of holiday. That scared us; we were afraid none of the officials would be working, but it turned out to be All Souls Day. Yesterday was the Day of the Dead, or All Saints Day. It's a religious or folk holiday, not a government holiday. It was business as usual at Customs, Immigration, and the Port Captain. We had no problem checking out. They even left us enough money for busfare downtown, so we could get more money. On our way back from the Port Captain's office, we got on a bus going in the wrong direction and ended up in Apostadera. Two men got on the bus and immediately got into an argument with the driver. The driver started the bus abruptly and one of the men either jumped or fell off the bus. After a very short distance, the driver stopped the bus abruptly, and he and the other man jumped off and began swinging at each other. They weren't kidding around; they were really fighting. We were the only passengers left on the bus, so we were a little uneasy. We couldn't understand what the men were yelling at each other. Maybe the argument was about the increase in fares. Another driver got on the bus, drove it off the road, and parked it. He asked us where we were going. We told him Porlamar, and he indicated a bus on the other side of the road, so we went over there and soon caught a bus going in the right direction. It was a relief to get away from the fight. We'd no sooner stepped off the bus in Porlamar than a man offered us 270. That was less than the new bank rate, but it was less hassle than a bank, so we took it. Exchanged another $20. Ate a delicious lunch at our favorite place. Then went to Rattan's to squander the rest of our money on groceries. When we got back to Pampatar, we still had a few Bolivares, so I bought a newspaper and a candy bar to use up most of them. On the bus, we had seen people reading Spanish newspapers with headlines about violence and looting in downtown Porlamar over the increase in bus fares. I wanted to buy a copy of the paper, so I could read the entire article, but they were sold out, so I had to settle for the Daily Journal, which is published in Caracas and didn't have anything about Porlamar. We left at 2:30. Beautiful day. Wind less than 15 knots, and seas fairly calm, except for some swells rolling in from the northeast. Looks as if we have a good chance of making it.

Wednesday, November 1, 1995 - Isla Margarita, Venezuela

Better radio reception this morning. Talked with David on Mistine. He gives weather forecasts for the entire Caribbean area every morning. He recommended our waiting another 24 hours, until this tropical wave passes by and conditions settle down, so that's what we'll do. Went into Porlamar at noon to eat lunch at that good cafe we found the other day. The place is always immaculate and attractive. For dessert, we ordered strawberry ice cream. To our amazement, they brought us sundaes! There were two scoops of strawberry and one of vanilla, topped with whipped cream and strawberry sauce. Boy, were they good! The money situation here in Venezuela is getting worse and worse. The country's on the verge of bankruptcy. We were approached by one exchanger after another, each offering a different rate. The first one offered 290! But it turned out that was only if we exchanged $100; he didn't want our $20, and of course we don't want to be stuck with a bunch of worthless Bolivares when we leave here. After being offered low rates by several other exchangers, a young man eagerly accepted our $20 in exchange for 5500 Bolivares. That's the highest rate we've gotten yet. We picked up a free English-language newspaper with article after article about the corruption and crime in this country. Last year, fourteen major banks folded. The government poured several trillion Bolivares (about eight billion dollars) into the banks to pay off the depositors, but as soon as the bankers got their hands on the money, they took off with most of it and fled the country. There was an article by an expert in South American finance who compared the economic problems of the various countries. She called Venezuela "a basket case". Bus fares went up this morning from 20 Bolivares to 30 Bolivares. The extra nickel doesn't hurt us, but it's rough on working people who rely on the bus to get to and from work and whose pay might only be the equivalent of $200 a month. We wanted to see the Proveenduria Supermarket that a German couple had told us about. They said it was even better than Rattan's and had more U.S. products. When we asked the cafe manager about it, he said it was just a local market with lower prices, but he told us where it was. He didn't know which bus to take, so he advised us to take a cab, which we did. The cab fare was 500 Bolivares, or less than $2 at the rate we got this morning. We were amazed when we saw the place. It turned out to be an entire shopping mall. We walked around, looking at all the stores. Bought a small electric fan. When we finally got to the grocery store, we were disappointed. It couldn't even begin to compare with Rattan's. There wasn't even a produce section! We didn't buy anything. When we got back to Pampatar, we bought chicken for supper. Our timing was perfect. Minutes after we reached the boat, it started raining. Came down pretty good for a while, but it soon quit. Then Roy dove into the water to clean the through-hulls and scrape the propeller, so we'll be ready to leave.

Tuesday, October 31, 1995 - Isla Margarita, Venezuela

It rained again last night. When I got up, the wind was blowing straight out of the north and it was actually chilly, but by noon the sun was out and the world was warm again. We lazed around the boat all day. Radio reception was very poor, but the forecast sounded as if the wind would be dying down, so maybe we'll be able to get out of here tomorrow.

Monday, October 30, 1995 - Isla Margarita, Venezuela

We had planned on checking out today and leaving tomorrow, but the weather forecast isn't favorable. A tropical wave is going by just to the north, and the winds will be increasing to 15 to 20 knots out of the east, so we'll wait another day. That's fine by me, because I'm tired from getting up at 5 a.m. two days in a row and need to rest. It began raining about two o'clock in the morning and continued for several hours. Filled one of our five-gallon jugs and half filled the water tank. Roy had planned on taking a jug to Pampatar this morning to fill it at a faucet, but Mother Nature obligingly did it for him, so he didn't have to. We relaxed on the boat all morning. After siesta, we paddled ashore to mail Roy's postcards and buy eggs and chicken. Had no problem with the first two, but when we went to the store where I usually buy chicken legs, they didn't have any. Not knowing any other place in Pampatar to buy chicken, we decided to take the bus into Porlamar. We needed more Bolivares anyway. As soon as we got downtown, money changers approached us. We exchanged $20 at 250. Then we spent most of it at Rattan's. Their vegetables were disappointing again, so I just got a head of cabbage. Their cauliflower and broccoli would have been thrown out two weeks ago in the United States. They didn't have chicken legs, so we got breasts. Also bought juice, candy, Noodleroni, etc. We lucked out catching a bus back. Scarcely had any wait at all, and there were plenty of seats, which is really unusual. We got back well before dark.

Sunday, October 29, 1995 - Isla Margarita, Venezuela

Got up at five again for an early-morning drive before returning the jeep. Went to another fortification that we had seen from the water, but there wasn't much of anything there. Continued on out towards Whale Point until the road ended. Then we went back towards town and took the first right. We drove out a dirt road and found a salt flat, but it was much, much smaller than the one in Bonaire and had apparently gone out of business a long time ago. The piles of salt were covered with dirt. Guess when the locals need salt, they come out here and help themselves. We saw one man scooping up a bucket of salt. Roy's such a kid! He kept going off-road and bouncing over rocks and hills and ditches. He especially enjoyed hearing me scream and laugh. Sometimes I thought the jeep was going to tip over, but it didn't. It was a relief to get back on smooth road. We bounced past a flock of vultures and out a dirt road to the beach. Saw some people gathering something, but they were too far away for us to tell what. Drove past a bunch of hovels to the highway. Soon we came to a luxury development called Margarita Lagunamar. There were several hotels, many tennis courts, and a large waterslide. Somewhere was a lagoon and a beach, but we couldn't get close enough to see them. It was close to nine o'clock, so we headed towards the car-rental place, taking numerous detours to see interesting sights. We sure hated to turn in the little jeep. It had been a lot of fun. Found a very nice, clean, attractive bakery-cafe, where we enjoyed a delicious snack. The owner was a Puerto Rican, who had lived in Germany for 17 years. He was fluent in English, Spanish, and German. He had only been in Isla Margarita for seven months, and he really regretted it, but there was no chance of selling the place now. He said the Venezuelan government was corrupt, but the German government was very honest. He wasn't making much money. Stopped at a hotel, and Roy phoned Steve to let him know where we were and that all was well. It was an ideal place to phone -- cool, quiet, and private. We were surprised to find stores open on Sunday. Even Rattan's was open, so we went in. I showed Roy the one-burner stove and the filters I had found, but they weren't quite what he wanted. We bought a few groceries and returned to the boat. It was nice to be on the boat in daylight for once. Three kids came by in a pedal-boat. There were two eleven-year-old boys and a slightly younger girl. Roy invited them aboard. First they returned the pedal-boat; then the boys swam out to the Jofian. They were nice, courteous kids. Roy got a big kick out of showing them around and trying to communicate with them. The little girl came out on a board, but she didn't stay long. Roy got the boys to dive off the Jacob's ladder. They dove and swam really well.

Saturday, October 28, 1995 - Isla Margarita, Venezuela

What a stroke of luck we had! We were supposed to return the jeep at ten this morning, so we got up at five to give us a few more hours to drive around. The jeep started right up. We needed gas, so we drove to the station across from McDonald's. Roy filled the tank and then tried to start the engine. Dead as a doornail. Couldn't have happened at a better place. We were on a downward slant, so we had no difficulty pushing it out of the way. Roy stayed with the jeep while I rode the bus downtown. (The public phones here don't take coins; you have to have a prepaid card. Of course, we don't have one.) Got to the car-rental place a little before eight. It was closed. Eight o'clock came and went, and so did eight-thirty. I was beginning to wonder if they opened on Saturday, but finally they came to life. The manager spoke enough English to comprehend what I was telling him. He and an employee put another battery in the trunk of a car and drove me back to the jeep. After they installed the battery and tightened the alternator belt, the jeep started right up. To compensate us for the inconvenience, the manager gave us another day for free! Wow, two days' jeep rental for $30! The map showed a road going up into the mountains near La Asuncion, so we drove there and actually managed to find the road. It went up, up, up. Came to big trees, such as banyan. After several miles, we came to the entrance to the National Park. The entrance fee was only 100 Bolivares each, about fifty cents! There was a really nice picnic area near the entrance, so we strolled around it. They've done an excellent job of making an attractive area, with paths and steps and rock walls and picnic shelters. Each shelter has its own fireplace, table, and benches. There's a terrific view, too. We drove to the top of the mountain. Only the telecommunications towers were higher. We were at 950 meters, or a little over 3000 feet. The air was so refreshingly cool! And what a view! We could see almost the entire island. Had a great view of Pampatar and Porlamar and Juan Griego and way out to sea. It was delightful! When we left there, we visited the old fort in La Asuncion. It had been built in 1682, and was quite similar to the one in Pampatar. Roy wanted to see the airport, so we went there next. It was small, as international airports go, but seemed to be well-equipped. Then we drove down a side road to Playa del Yaque, where wind- surfers abound. There were hundreds of them out on the water in the channel between Isla Margarita and Isla de Coche. From there, we drove to San Juan Bautista and Fuentidue¤o, hoping to find another road into the mountains. We saw the ancient spring, but the road ended without going up the mountain. This is an election year, so the politicians are out in force. We met a very enthusiastic parade of blaring loudspeakers and cheering people. Came to a village where a lot of people were standing around. We wondered what was going on. When we got closer, we saw a dead horse lying by the side of the road. It looked like a young, healthy horse, so we assumed it had been hit by a vehicle. We overshot our turn to La Asuncion and had to double back. It was getting dark by the time we got there, and we missed the turn to the wide highway we'd been on last night. Went several miles out in the country before we realized our mistake and turned around. We were glad we had headlights that worked. When we came to the amusement park, the rides were operating and were all lit up. There's a very large ferris wheel that we would have liked to take a ride on, but it was getting late, so we figured we'd better head for home.

Friday, October 27, 1995 - Isla Margarita, Venezuela

What a fun day! We picked up the jeep at ten o'clock and took off. The clerk this morning was a different one from yesterday. She didn't speak much English. When she was filling out the contract, she asked which hotel we were at. I tried to tell her, first in English and then in Spanish, that we weren't at a hotel; we were on a valero (sailboat). She didn't seem to be getting the picture, so I repeated, "Nuestro valero en la Bahia de Pampatar" (our sailboat in Pampatar Bay). Later, when I looked at the contract, I saw she'd written "Hotel Valero, Bahia de Pampatar". Oh well, I tried. The tank was only a third full, so we stopped at the first station we came to and filled it. We could scarcely believe the price of gasoline -- ten Bolivares a liter. That works out to about twenty U.S. cents a gallon! Haven't seen prices like that for decades. Headed to the western, less populated end of the island. Went through Boca del Rio and then followed the coast. About 11:30, we passed a little restaurant and wondered how it managed to stay in business, so far out in the boons. We soon found out. It was the only restaurant for miles and miles. We kept kicking ourselves for not stopping there for lunch. We would have starved if we hadn't brought trail bars and apples with us. We drove to a little town called San Francisco. It was at the base of a mountain. We hoped there would be a road going up into the mountain, but there wasn't. We were very hungry, so we stopped at the only eating place (if you want to call it that) in town. According to the menu, they had sandwiches, but that was a myth. They didn't have much of anything to eat, so Roy ordered a Pepsi and I had a bottle of water. A wash basin was standing next to the counter in plain sight, so I went over to it to wash my hands. Turned the faucet, but nothing happened. Then the proprietor leaned over the counter with a pitcher of water and poured water over my hands. So there was running water! The houses most of the people live in are pathetic. They reminded us of Mexico and Central America. They're tiny little huts, nearly bare of furniture. Chickens wander around the yards, and probably inside the houses as well. The little children run around in their brown skin. Our dopey map showed a dirt road running along the waterfront, so we tried to get to it, but were unable to do so until we came to La Restinga National Park. This is a very large lagoon that nearly cuts the island in half. There was a wide, level dirt road from the highway to the beach, and a narrower road that paralleled the beach. The beach went on for miles and was nearly empty. Roy pulled off and parked, and we walked around on the beach for a while. It's a good thing we had four-wheel drive, because we nearly got stuck in the sand. A little farther down, we saw a small bus that had gotten stuck. Roy offered to help him, which was a rather futile gesture, as our little jeeplet couldn't have pulled the bus, even if we'd had a chain or strong rope. All the driver of the bus had was a skimpy line, that broke immediately. There was nothing further we could do, so we continued on down the road. Came to a little beach community that was pitiful. I don't know if the people lived there year-round or just rented a cottage (?) for a week's vacation, but the place was littered with trash and garbage and stank of untreated sewage. The beach was nice, and it could have been a pleasant resort if it had been maintained properly. Visitors came here by boat across the lagoon. We continued on towards La Guardia, the town at the other end of the strip of beach between the lagoon and the sea. The map showed a road going all the way, but the map lied. The road diminished and turned into sand, so Roy turned around before we got stuck. We had to go all the way back to the park entrance and down the highway to Boca del Rio. Then, after only one or two wrong turns, we found our way to La Guardia by paved road. They have surprisingly good roads on this island. They're well-paved and lighted, and the highways are divided. We were still looking for some lunch. Thought there'd be a restaurant in La Guardia, which looked like a large town on the map, but when we got there, there was no there there, so we continued on to Juan Griego. We didn't want to go back to the place we ate at yesterday, so we just had some ice cream at another little place. The restroom looked nice at first glance, until I saw the two-inch cockroach walking along the edge of the wash basin. We continued on up the coast. Passed a huge, luxurious hotel with its own golf course and beach. Stopped at a viewpoint overlooking the sea. Went as far north as we could, and then headed south towards La Asuncion. I kept trying to find the road shown on our map that would take us along the coast to Pampatar. After several false starts, we finally found a side road that took us to an uncompleted six-lane highway. It will be a dandy when it's finished. We zoomed down it to Pampatar as the sun was setting. When Roy turned on the lights, they hardly showed up at all. He figured the alternator wasn't working. There was just barely enough daylight left to get us safely back to Pampatar. We parked next to the silly looking post office.