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Expedition Stories
Our fleet navigates the world in search of adventure. These are the stories they bring back…
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Previous Reports
4/23/2005
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National Geographic Endeavour
From the National Geographic Endeavour in the Carribean
Aruba Having sailed steamily through the tropics from Panama along the coast of Colombia and Venezuela, with a Zodiac cruise of the mangrove swamps en route, it was the aridity of Aruba that most impressed on our morning tour. The island lies in a rain shadow, its northern shore having desert fauna and flora. Iguanas and lizards clamber over parched volcanic rocks; colorful parakeets and orioles alight atop organ pipe cacti, the latter plant utilized ingeniously for boundary fencing. Even the local beer has to be made not only with imported raw materials but also, uniquely, from desalinated sea-water. Although “discovered” by a compatriot of Columbus at the end of the fifteenth century, the Spanish took little interest in an island rendered unsuited to plantation economics by poor soil and minimal rainfall. The Dutch seized the island in 1636, just a few years after they had established a presence in northern Brazil. Generally, Dutch successes were in trade and commerce rather than colonization and they quickly unterstood the strategic significance of the island. The Dutch allowed the local native Arawaks to tend introduced cattle and established the island as a source of meat for other Dutch possessions in the Caribbean. Gold was discovered here in the 1820s and a gold rush ensued that lasted a century until the last mine closed in 1916. Black gold followed, with what was at one time the world’s largest oil refinery established on the southeastern tip of the island. When Exxon pulled out in the 1980s, the Arubians turned to tourism for their economic salvation: the string of hotels and beach resorts that we passed after leaving the dock testified to the current success of this development. An autonomous state within the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Aruba is the prosperous face of the contemporary Caribbean. Arubian culture draws widely from its various historical roots. The features of the local people often remind us of their Arawk origins, the indigenous language and culture having survived into the nineteenth century. The local Creole language, papamiento contains elements from Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch, French and English as well as African and Amerindian vocabulary. The language, now taught in the schools and spoken here with pride, epitomizes the history of the Caribbean and provides a tentative answer to a question we shall often be asking on this voyage: what does it mean to be Caribbean?
4/25/2005
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National Geographic Endeavour
From the National Geographic Endeavour in the Caribbean
Isla Las Aves, Venezuela Expedition Leader Art Cooley called Isla Barlovento “the Back of Beyond,” a place you’ve never heard of, in a corner of the Caribbean where no one ever goes. Long experience has shown that these are always the very best of places, so we were eager to explore these seldom-visited islets off the Venezulean coast. Leaving the National Geographic Endeavour at 6:30 by Zodiac, we cruised up shallow channels into a fringing mangrove forest on Barlovento and entered a teeming metropolis! True, there were no people other than ourselves, but nearly every one of the low bushy trees was occupied by nesting red-footed boobies, a busy, active colony that gave us a perfect opportunity to observe these striking seabirds and photograph them from point-blank range. Snow white, downy chicks peered from nests tucked in amongst the dense greenery, sleek adults wheeled above and preened in the tree tops while grayish juveniles squabbled with each other on crowded limbs or regarded us with one eye and then the other, showing off the exquisite pink blush at the base of their blue bills. Nearby, egrets and herons fed in the shallows, mangrove warblers sang from concealed roosts in the tangled branches and a peregrine falcon made occasional passes, patiently enduring the harassment of a pair of carib grackles while waiting for its next meal. Returning to the ship for breakfast, we then turned our attention to the watery world surrounding the islets. Kayaks and boats full of snorkelers hit the beach, scuba divers slipped beneath the waves and swimmers splashed in the clear, sunny shallows. Here we found great fishy cities and coral kingdoms, astounding architecture and swirling crowds, another metropolis of the southern Caribbean. Tiny fish indistinguishable from jewels flashed through the bright water, while silvery barracuda stalked the deep blue. Corals grew one upon another, waving fans and ferns on the reef's top giving way to crenellated castles and promontories at the drop-off, many of them decorated with iridescent Christmas tree worms like the one in this photo. Later in the day, Dennis and I used the ROV to provide a live look at the strange and lovely side of this world that lies beneath the reef, 200 feet down. It was a rich day. These are the places to see, this was the place to be: the back of beyond, the center of the universe.
4/27/2005
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National Geographic Endeavour
From the National Geographic Endeavour in the Caribbean
Port-of-Spain, Trinidad Bottlenose dolphins frolicked around the ship throughout the early morning hours as we continued eastward along the coast of Venezuela. Mike Greenfelder gave a colorful and informative talk on coral reefs followed by Brent Houston, who told us the story of the National Geographic/Lindblad Expeditions meeting and the development of the itineraries for the upcoming 2006 South Pacific season. With this information in hand, many guests decided to “seal the deal” onboard by booking upcoming voyages. Bocas del Dragon led us to the Gulf of Paria, and soon we were alongside in Port-of-Spain Trinidad. A speedy clearance ensued and after a welcome by the local guides shore side, we were off and away, headed for the famous Caroni Swamp. A true wonder of the natural world, the Caroni swamp is just outside of the city, yet is 40 square miles and is home to many species of fish, cayman, snakes, waders, herons and egrets, yet the most sought after bird of the day had to have been the scarlet ibis. Thousands of these brilliantly red-colored birds nest and roost here, and as we made our way further and further into the swamp we could see the flocks overhead returning to the roosting mangrove trees. From a respectful distance we watched as fluorescent birds circled and landed in and among egrets and herons alike. In the evening, we visited a beach where female leatherback turtles come ashore to nest. I don't think any of us were ready for the power of this experience. The photo today shows a larger female (they can reach 10 feet long) as she digs out the nesting chamber with her two hind flippers. She does this by alternating flippers, and skillfully yet carefully scooping out a chamber before depositing up to 100 ping pong ball-sized eggs. She will return periodically to do this several times before leaving the area and traveling around the Atlantic, even reaching Nova Scotia, Western Europe and Northern Africa. That sounds like a long way to travel, but it is, in the end, always worth the effort; wonderful and magical. The same holds true for us aboard the National Geographic Endeavour .
4/29/2005
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National Geographic Endeavour
From the National Geographic Endeavour in the Caribbean
Tobago After two days of wet tropical forest, jungle if you will, lush mangroves, giant turtles and calypso music we are now back to the slower ‘island’ pace… “Take it easy, man.” Today, all day, was Tobago island with its warm, white sand beaches, dry forest, blue skies freckled with fluffy little clouds, glass bottom boats riding on blue, blue water, like looking though liquid light onto a landscape of corals and fish splattered with electric colors, as we cruised out and about to Little Tobago Island. Flying fish skipping away from the boats, each hop endless like the jumps of weightless astronauts, hard to watch it all without becoming mesmerized by the vague blue and silver of the fish against the sparkling surface of the water. Flying fish, wonderful to watch and a treat to eat, a flying fish sandwich and a brew in the shade beneath a tropical sun, a star so close it will burn your hand if you reach out to touch it, nothing better than that. After lunch there were water sports, of course, snorkel and SCUBA, kayak and swim. For us, dive masters and enthusiastic guests, it was SCUBA around a rock, a pinnacle a few hundred feet off shore, encrusted with corals, surrounded by fish and we too were weightless, adrift and amazed. Can there really be that much to see? Yes, but it is not all just seeing, diving is much more sensuous than that. Turn inward, enjoy the feeling of warm water, the gentle swaying, relax and take a turn with nature on the best dance floor of all... but be careful though, nature does not like to be led, we are the children and she thinks we still have lots to learn.
5/1/2005
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National Geographic Endeavour
From the National Geographic Endeavour in the Caribbean
Soufriere, St Lucia As we approached the island of St Lucia in brilliant early morning sunshine, the majestic Pitons above the township of Soufriere were an immediate reminder that the Lesser Antilles are an attractive destination for vulcanologists as well as lovers of sun, sea and calypso. Soufriere – there was a volcano with the same name on St Vincent, the island we visited yesterday – derives from the French word for sulfur and the first stop on our morning excursion was at an impressive sulfur springs. The sulfur-laden air is reputed to be good for some respiratory complaints – in small doses, maybe! We also stopped to photograph the Pitons at close quarters, two volcanic plugs as our geologist explained. As on other small islands on this voyage, tourism now offers the best prospects for economic growth and it was disturbing to note that a new resort had been constructed between the two Pitons on land that many islanders had hoped would be preserved as a national park. On islands with high employment, running at 40% throughout the Lesser Antilles, the temptations to look for short-term gains at the expense of long-term sustainability must be very great. One of the reasons for such high unemployment has been the downturn in agricultural incomes on the island. Many of the island communities have gained full independence in the last quarter of the twentieth century but moves towards federalism across the Caribbean have been painfully slow. The former colonial powers, on the other hand, have forged ahead with European Union, and mutual trade agreements between the EU and the USA have had a devastating effect on the price local island producers can obtain for such staple crops as bananas. Bananas traditionally provided the small producer with a regular weekly income and it is difficult to find a replacement in kind within the agricultural sector. For a flavor of the old plantation life and a taste of new-style sustainable tourism, we ended our morning’s visit at the delightful Fonds Doux plantation. Its French colonial house is still lived in by the owners and the estate is productive of a variety of crops ranging coconuts to cocoa. We were given a most informative tour of the cocoa drying and fermentation sheds (pictured) and saw aspects of the cocoa harvesting process in action. The morning ended delightfully with drinks and snacks in the beautiful grounds of the estate.
5/3/2005
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National Geographic Endeavour
From the National Geographic Endeavour in the Caribbean
Montserrat Montserrat is one of those islands in the Caribbean where some people are still likely to ask, “do people still live there?” That’s because most of the island had been badly devastated by its Soufriere Hills volcano which began erupting in July of 1995 and is only now beginning to quiet from ensuing years of smoldering, duelling ashy dance with death. The volcano has quieted considerably since those intervening years of dome growth and collapse, of pyroclastic flows, mud flows; of villages being buried fathoms deep, valleys being leveled off to look like football fields and new deltas being created along the coastlines that are now ringed with black sand beaches that encircle the island like ebony jewels. And what of the original twelve thousand inhabitants, two thirds of whom had to flee their homes seeking shelter in neighboring islands and further afield in North America and Europe? Well presently some four and a half thousand are still on the island, determined to rebuild their homes in the northern third of the British Overseas territory. The resilient islanders have taken the challenges in stride and are working with nationals who have come in from neighboring islands as well as consultants and other technical teams from the United Kingdom and elsewhere to build a new town and reestablish infrastructure such as roads, a new airport, new homes, new communities mostly funded by Britain and the European Union. The inhabitants consider themselves to be the custodians of an island that still has much to offer those who come to see how they are coping. There are still the verdant, green center hills where the Montserrat Oriole, (Icterus Oberi), the island's National bird resides alongside other bird species and the National flower, the Heliconia, where the Oriole makes its nest. There's other flora and fauna too and memorable sites that would leave one breathless, speechless and humbled at what nature can do, at its worst and best. The islands former capital, now a waste land of sand, stone and rubble must be seen in order to fully understand. The island's volcano in the south soufriere hills must be seen, stark, steaming, smoking, with giant scars on its flanks and not a blade of grass any where near it. And yes, many miles away, to the north, one must meet the people, hear their story of survival of renewal; men, women and children, their sense of humor intact as they bravely work to regain their livelihoods, their dignity, their spirit renewed, strong in the knowledge that things will get better and that every day brings with it hope for a better future.
4/24/2005
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National Geographic Endeavour
From the National Geographic Endeavour in the Carribean
Bonaire Today was spent exploring the idyllic island of Bonaire, an obviously different experience to the mass tourist destinations of many Caribbean locations. Tourism is an interesting animal, and can really change an island depending on what type of tourism is used. Many locales are filled with massive hotels, people lounging on white sandy beaches, and not much nature oriented tourism. Bonaire, however, has an incredible focus on its natural gems, and most of us found it truly rewarding. We explored the island on two fronts; one snorkeling or SCUBA diving amongst the waters which are entirely a marine park, and the other a terrestrial journey. The waters of the Bonaire Marine Park, which encompasses everything from the high tide mark to 200 feet deep, are amongst the best protected and most pristine reefs in the Caribbean. Since 1979, all marine creatures have received full protection, including coral live and dead. Snorkelers were rewarded with crystal clear water, healthy coral, a diverse fish population, and a few turtles. Hours were spent observing the myriad of fish, including parrots, butterflys, damsels, and tangs. A slight current was providing nutrition for gigantic sponges as well as blue creole wrasses and even the barnacles on our mooring line. On land, we were treated to incredible natural wonders as well as we explored this quaint island. While passing through impressive desert landscapes filled with various cacti, we observed a wonderful bird show. Parakeets, parrots, mockingbirds, and doves were exciting, but the sure highlight was the massive flock of flamingoes. Bonaire experienced a heavy rain this past winter, and many of the flamingoes were concentrated in one pond right next to the road. We paused in our buses to have brilliant views of these incredibly vibrant birds as they fed on the shrimp that give them their color. The view of a flock of these “lawn ornaments” taking flight is one that will not be forgotten. Most of us on board the National Geographic Endeavour are experienced, nature-oriented travelers. We make choices on our destinations while considering many different factors. Bonaire has chosen to showcase an incredible natural offering both above and below the water. I only wish more places would make the commitment to the natural world that this paradise has.
4/26/2005
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National Geographic Endeavour
From the National Geographic Endeavour in the Carribean
La Blanquilla, Venezuela Ah, the splendors of the Caribbean – of course splendor, akin to beauty, is found in the eye of the beholder, or so it is said. Therefore, one person’s vision of an idyllic spot in these emerald waters might, and most likely will, differ greatly from another’s. One might think of grand hotels, colorful parasols, and luxurious yachts stretched out along a long, curved beach of impossibly white sand. And certainly, such a scene can be easily found in many destinations that can be readily booked through your local travel agent. It is a pleasing image, after all, and one that sends millions of like-minded people to the Caribbean every year. Still, if you look closer at that image, you might begin to see a few things that you would prefer, in a best case scenario mind you, to leave out. Maybe the first to go would be the pesky sundry peddlers staked out along the beach; all charging an outrageous amount of money for items that you likely just forgot in your hotel room two blocks and six lanes of traffic away. Perhaps, those very hotels would be the second to go, because the natural beauty of your little paradise can’t be fully appreciated with a concrete backdrop. Surely next to go would be all those souvenir shops beckoning the sun-dazed patrons with garish and cheaply-made products each of us has certainly survived the bulk of our lives without need of. And now that you think about it, thinning out a few of those same patrons wouldn’t hurt the overall picture much either. Don’t get me wrong, a great beach is nice regardless, but it’s even nicer when you aren’t laid out in orderly, tightly spaced rows that might be best appreciated by German engineers. While you’re at it, you might as well finish things up by eliminating that string of power lines those hotels were formerly using, and sweep all those marinas out of the frame so that you can get a nice, clear view of the sunset over the ocean. Now you’ve got yourself a spot—a true gem of the tropics, if only such a place could be found without all the necessary deconstruction. Viola! I give you my vision of the Caribbean… La Blanquilla. Sure, it’s off the beaten path, but it has none of those things that tend to clutter up the initial vision of paradise while keeping true to all those details that make the Caribbean so appealing in the first place. White sandy beach? Check. Palm trees? Check. (Okay, there are only two and a half, but they’re out there giving their best!) Warm tropical breeze? Check. Turquoise-colored, fish-filled waters? Again, got it. And the best part? There’s NO ONE ELSE HERE! That’s right, 70+ square miles of absolute paradise to share only amongst ourselves. So, after a day of diving, swimming, snorkeling, lounging, and kayaking, my fellow travelers and I ask you: which vision holds more appeal?
4/28/2005
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National Geographic Endeavour
From the National Geographic Endeavour in the Caribbean
Asa Wright Nature Centre and Port-of-Spain, Trinidad To travel and to have fun at the same time is always our goal. This really came true on the second day at Trinidad! It was lively, unique, exciting and a special adventure in many ways! Yes, it had everything. Despite arriving back yesterday after midnight from our late night turtle watch, the expedition leader’s voice came through the PA system early. Right after 6:00am. Soon we boarded the vans for a one hour, but scenic drive to the northern range of the island. The aim was the Asa Wright Nature Center, a former coffee-cocoa-citrus plantation known as Springhill Estate. The buildings still had the flavor of an old British colonial style, but the plantation has been allowed to be reclaimed by the tropical forest. Nowadays nature rules again and for anyone interested in birds and wildlife, this is one of the premier sites in the world. Without breakfast at the ship, before our early departure, everyone rushed into the line as we arrived to Asa Wright Nature Centre. Fresh pawpaw, local grown coffee, and fresh bread were on the list for a delightful breakfast in tropical surroundings. No one wanted to stay too long in the dining room, since the verandah deck was the next place for “liming” (Trinidadean for relaxing in a very comfortable environment). Right outside was a parade of birds: tanagers, honeycreepers, hummingbirds, and oropednulas, giving us a full view at the close up feeders. Birding at its best! Colorful birds, huge diversity, an endless parade of beauty! The more adventurous grabbed the unique opportunity offered by Asa Wright Nature Centre for the first time in about 10 years, to visit the Dunstan Cave and the oilbirds. The famous explorer and polyglot scientist Humboldt first encountered this bird about 150 years ago. So far unique by the way of feeding, on oil palm fruits at night (!) and the use of eco-location and its strange breeding behavoir, in large, dark caves in large colonies. It is confined to northern part South America and the name “oilbird” derives from the use to extract oil from the fat chicks. Others made the walk down into the Arima valley to encounter bellbirds with their strange call, “klonk,” and to admire the endlessly displaying male whitebeard manakin with his strange wing snap. Of course, the number of tropical plants was almost endless along the trails and our local guides from Asa Wright Nature Centre were eager to tell and explain. As the day went on the tropical heat came along and it was time for us to depart from this very comfortable and tropical colonial verandah deck. Just before we boarded the vans a large ornate hawk-eagle and a channel-billed toucan flew over our heads. It was too soon to leave this paradise. After lunch, those still with energy left, were offered a visit to the National Museum of Trinidad and Tobago. The exhibitions swept a tremendous span: Arawak Indian culture, Spanish early colonial time, an anchor from one of Christopher Columbus ship, slavery and sugar plantations, carnival, old canons, rum, and natural history. The shoppers, of course, took advantage of the time to scan the shops in the city center of Port-of-Spain. Good bargains can be made, but as always, you have to know what you are looking for. In the late afternoon it was time for the typical tones of Trinidad: calypso and the steel drums together with limbo dancing. As the steel drum sound came through, soon the pool deck was filled by dancing guests. The rhythm really made it easy to move around. Three flashy girls also gave us an insight into the limbo dancing. A few of us were able to try, but still not near what the girls could do. Not even a burning limbo stick about one foot over the floor was not too low for these girls! How do they do it? The “party” turned into a great dancing competition and the prize was, of course, a bottle of the finest Trinidad rum. Much of the history of the Caribbean is the history of the wealth made by sugar cane and a bottle of fine Trinidad rum puts an appropriate end to a wonderful day.
4/30/2005
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National Geographic Endeavour
From the National Geographic Endeavour in the Caribbean
Admiralty Bay, Bequia, St. Vincent and The Grenadines This particular morning we clear customs into the sovereign nation of St. Vincent and the Grenadines. This grouping of thirty or so jagged islands, of volcanic origin, is well known among cruising sailors. Snug harbours, dramatic, rainforest clad peaks, and numerous pristine reefs entice us as well. Before the smartly attired officials even finish their coffee in our library, we head down the gangway and into busses, toward parrot habitat high on the peaks, and botanical gardens overlooking St. Vincent’s capital port of Kingstown. An hour’s drive and we are in the green, cool of rainforest. We ascend a trail and cross a stream speaking calmness to us. Steps and a bridge snake between enormous moss-draped boulders, hobbit style. We rest, leaning against buttressed, tendrilled, and gomier trees, the raw materials of the Carib Indians canoes. Tantalizing parrot squawks overhead quicken our pace toward the viewing platform and its window out of the thick canopy. Our view is across two ridges. The sound of water rushing through boulders emanates from the nearest valley. With binoculars we get a sense of scale. The trees on the far slope are giants, survivors of hurricanes, too remote for the chain saws, home to the endemic parrot. He is known locally as “Vincie.” Soon two come in from behind us with a racket, twisting through the air like fighter jets, flapping tight, like ducks. There is a flash of yellow, a little green, and they disappear behind the middle ridge. Then four more, much louder and closer. A tighter bank to the left reveals a lot more yellow, set off by maroon, white, and green. Arguably the most spectacular of the Caribbean island parrots. Quite satisfied, we head back down the lush green tunnel, with a bit of added bounce in our step. The small passage south to Bequia takes about an hour. As the sun falls and begins to sear the waters to the west, the National Geographic Endeavour drops her anchor in Admiralty Bay. We now share an anchorage with some of the most pelagic of cruising yachts. Stern flags fly the colors of Britain, Germany, France, and Denmark. Home ports due to windward, uphill from here. Sailors on these vessels are not just from these places, but have sailed from these places. These are blue water cruisers, with wind vane steering auto pilots, multiple reef points on the main sails, dodgers, and wind generators to keep navigational equipment charged on month-long passages. Admiralty bay is a destination. They will stay and mingle with like-minded blue water vagabonds. And then when the whim strikes, day or night they pull their hook, throw up sails, and are gone to the next Caribbean port. And in this tradition we visit the town, share some stories about where our blue water ship has been and where she is going, and we make for our next port: Saint Lucia.
5/2/2005
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National Geographic Endeavour
From the National Geographic Endeavour in the Caribbean
Iles des Saintes/Pr. Rupert Bay The World is a big place, endless horizons full of fear and wonder recede into the distance. From above beams of brilliance shine, disappearing into the darkness below. There are stories of other worlds beyond the reef, unreachable rumors of refuge and opportunity that call across the gulf of empty blue. But our small life has no concern with these flights of fancy; our home is here and we will not venture far from what we know. The World is full, crowded, difficult to walk in but comforting in its recesses and sheltering places. Our long slim legs carry us easily over the cliffs and canyons, on and around great columns of purple sponge, beneath curling arms of golden crinoids. They are sticky, like Velcro, but even though many fear them, they cannot harm us. Our legs carry us well, but never far. The World is full of danger, great mouths hunt us; we cannot forget them even for a moment. Always we keep the dark wall of the sheltering sponge close at our back, watching from safety. When light leaves the World we can go a little further. Darkness protects us from the fearful teeth and we can seek food of our own on the sandy ledges nearby. The World is strange beyond understanding. Once, a bright light shone into our shelter, brighter than day. Something huge swam beyond and great eyes looked in. Was it a mouth, come to devour us despite our care? Full of fear, we retreated into the shadows, watched and waited. Then the light was gone and the World went on as before, full of mystery. Perhaps, if we could ever travel to other worlds, perhaps we would. There must be so much to know.
12/4/2006
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Sea Cloud II
From the Sea Cloud II in Caribbean
At Sea in the Lesser Antilles After a total of 17 days sailing with Lindblad travelers across the Atlantic Ocean, the elegant barque Sea Cloud II pulled into its final destination, the bustling port town of St John’s in Antigua, ready to begin a season of fine sailing in the steady winds of the Lesser Antilles. The first trip of our Caribbean season was about to begin through the Leeward Islands of the group. The six English-speaking Leeward Islands head up the chain of the Lesser Antilles, mingling with the Dutch Windward Islands and various French possessions. Antigua is the main gateway to this corner of the Caribbean, and has been since the British established their chief Caribbean naval base here in the 18th century; this British influence could be felt directly on arrival at the airport as we drove past a large cricket ground, the most beloved sport in the area. We arrived at the Heritage Quay to board our vessel, quietly docked next to a monster of a cruise ship and looking dormant with all the sails doused and tucked away, to the background of a loud steel pan session. This steel pan music is originally from Trinidad and originated in the dockyards of Port-of-Spain during WWII when oil drums were recycled for makeshift drums. Once we were all aboard, and the mandatory safety drill was performed, our crew cast off from the dock. The winds were suitable and when we were a safe distance from the dock we sailed away from Antigua – to the delight and amazement of the thousands aboard the neighbouring ship. We all tried very hard not to look too smug, to varying degrees of success! After a magical night sailing in a northwesterly direction under a filling moon, we awoke to Caribbean skies and warmth, with some nice strong gusts of wind and the occasional rapid yet strong squall to freshen us up. We spent our first full day entirely at sail, learning from our captain and expedition leader about the ship and her rigging, and feeling ourselves transported back to another century – a time before noisy engines were invented and we were entirely dependant on these sails.
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