Life on the Ocean: Part 2

With each new breath-taking day comes more learning's, some funny and some that just take immense patience! Thank the heavens above for our very patient and ever eager to teach hosts, Capt. Steve and his wife Renata.

We have been on-board the Dixi Rollar for 12 days and so far so good. We learn new tips and tricks to living on the water, every single day. If you just follow the simple ways you will soon learn that's its all logical and easy! 
 
As promised, here is part 2 of life on the ocean along with some more tips to ensure that life on board is hassle free and easy.

8. Remember to tie every single thing down or it will blow away! The wind on the sea blows it all away, even the lettuce of your plate!

9. Use a minimum of 4 pegs per item of clothing when hanging washing. Or your washing will blow away! You will either never find it or you will feel like a right arse fishing your belongings from the water!

10. Always keep two 5lt bottles of water in the fridge, they keep the inside chilled when the fridge is off at nights or when out to town.

11. Never leave your bread dough out to rise on deck because Joshua WILL leave his footprint in it...lol

12. NEVER and hear what I say, NEVER hang your cozzie or damp clothes in doors to dry, it won't dry and you will stink to hell and back if you wear that cozzie or item of clothing again. Hear what I say... People will smell you from a distance!

13. Hold onto your eating utensils when eating a meal on deck. If you loose your fork, you eat with your fingers.

14. Your boat will stay pretty clean if you simply wash your feet and hands whenever you are near water, which is pretty easy as you live and travel on water anyway. You very rarely wear shoes so its easy to keep clean.  Just wash whenever you get the chance :-)

Ocean living is a wonderful way to live.  You are surrounded by the most exquisite views every moment of each day.  You only own what you really need.  Life is simple, nothing is big and complicated and there is no 'rat race' of big city life.  Each day is filled with new learning's and new people from all over the world.  We get to spend real time with each other, doing awesome stuff!

No TV, no laptop and no constant pinging of cell phones... this is true bliss!
 

bliss  

1. Extreme happiness; ecstasy.

2. The ecstasy of salvation; spiritual joy.

 

 

 

 

 

Bob Marley - One Love

More good vibes!

Jack Johnson - Better Together

Sharing some good vibes with you :-)

Life on the Ocean - Part 1

Life here on the ocean is completely relaxed, so relaxed that today I felt a little guilty about being this relaxed. I was soon reassured that its the right way to live life and to just keep on enjoying this feeling of relaxation!

Let me see if I can describe 'relaxed' to you. In my own words.
Relaxed: To think about nothing, to worry about nothing, to want or need nothing, to sit and do nothing while you stare into the vast nothingness across the horizon.

re·lax·a·tion  

/riˌlakˈsāSHən/

Noun The state of being free from tension and anxiety. Recreation or rest, esp. after a period of work.

Synonyms rest - recreation - repose

This is the first time in my entire life that I have felt complete and utter relaxation! I feel healthier, happier and younger every day. I do think that the constant close proximity to sea water is also a secret to longevity.
A morning at the beach means a free full body exfoliation, swim in the sea, a glorious sun tan and endless chats with those in close proximity. All of this costs me nothing!

The local sailing community is so relaxed, they shower in the nude on the back of their yachts, they tan in the nude and a couple swim in the nude every single day! Too cool I tell you. I too would swim in the nude of the water wasn't crystal clear..lol

There are some very basic rules to being on a boat/yacht simply because you live life in close proximity to people so being courteous is just the right way to live.

1.  No peeking into the hatches.  Or you may be surprised by what you see.  Each cabin has a hatch and because the cabins are small, when you peek through a hatch, especially the loo and shower area, you are guaranteed to be peeking at someone in their private space.  (Advice for all children who like to take a peek...lol)

2.  Tip Toe at all times.  You have to put some thought into your weight and way of walking.  Each foot step rattles through the boat so watch how you step, walk and climb when moving around the boat.

3.  SAVE WATER!  The days of long, hot, glorious showers end the minute you go onboard.  Water is scarce all over the world, but especially when on a boat.  Catch the rain water, so you have water to rinse dishes and clothes, for washing and drinking.  Wash your clothes and dishes in sea water first and rinse in a minimal amount of fresh water.

4.  Keep it clean and tidy at all times.  Because of the close living style, any untidy area makes the entire boat untidy.  Clean up after yourself and tidy what you use away.

5.  No mobile phones on the deck!  It goes without saying!  if it slips out of your hand it will end up in the sea and you will never ever find it!

6.  Cook meals and eat early.  Because you are on a boat, your exercise is minimal after meals unless you dive into the sea for a swim.  Eat earlier so your food has time to settle before bed time.

7.  Plan according to the weather.  Choose the right days for washing clothes, visiting the main land.  Saying this though, the weather changes with the wind so planning isn't always a winner.

The sailing community is very friendly and everyone is keen to assist and advise.  The local net (radio) is on from 07h30 to 08h00 daily excepting Sunday's.  Here you will find out about upcoming tropical storms, social outings, items for sale, free or swap, which boats are new and which are leaving.  The local restaurants also advertise special meals and celebrations.  If you listen to the Net daily you will have all the info you need.

There is so much to share so we will keep you updated on all of our experiences.  For now, it's time to fold washing and have a bite of lunch.

Until next time.

Blu, Baz and Joshua

Plot our journey on the map

Take a moment to look at the map of the Caribbean Sea and I will take you through the route we have taken since leaving South Africa on the 2 June. 

We departed SA and flew to Sao Paulo Brazil, then flew to Caracas Venezuela. We bussed all along the coastline of Venezuela and arrived in Guiria, the Northwestern tip of Venezuela.  We then ferried from Guiria to Trinidad and then flew from Trinidad to Grenada. We are now on the Dixi Rollar which is anchored off of Hog Island. In a few weeks time we will sail from Grenada to Union Island.

If you are planning to backpack to Venezuela or the Caribbean, feel free to email us for info, we will gladly share our tips with fellow travelers.  We very quickly found out that most information on the internet for this particular route is pretty sketchy and inaccurate.  But this is what makes the journey a real journey :-)

Blu

Backpacks, Adventures and Zip-lock Bags!

It took us only 30 days to reduce our entire existence down to 1 backpack each. We arrive in the Caribbean and our lives now revolve around zip-lock bags.

Every single thing involves water, we live on a boat, we motor to the mainland with a dingy and our primary transport is a kayak which takes us from bay to bay, boat to island and boat to boat.

We have a zip-lock bag for our mobile phone, money bag, lip ice and sunblock. There is another zip-lock bag for a towel, sarong and Joshua's t-shirt. The third zip-lock bag has fruit and snacks.

You don't leave the boat or land without all your belongings in a zip-lock bag. If you do you will suffer the wrath of salt water and beach sand.

Besides that, it is summer and its the rainy season. You can bet your bottom dollar that you will get caught in a rain shower along your journey whether it be on land or out to sea.

If you are walking the streets on the island and the heavens open, all you do is dash to the closest Rum House and take cover with the locals. There are at least 3 on any one road so shelter is easy to find.

The locals welcome visitors with open arms so feel free to take cover and enjoy a hearty chat. Friendliness is free of charge.

Back to the zip-lock bags... If you meat up with a friend, guaranteed she or he will pull out their famous zip-lock bag. Too hilarious for words.

If you are keen to send us a parcel then please pack in a couple of zip-lock bags too. They are guaranteed to come in handy :-)

Backpacks, Crocs and zip-lock bags are now our way of life and its just too cool!

 

Our day at Mt Qua Qua, Concord Falls, Grenada

Sunday, 16 June and it's Fathers Day across the world, even here in the middle of the Caribbean!  The tropical rains have passed and we took full advantage of the sunshine and clear skies.  We packed up a barbeque, a braai in the South African language, refreshments and off we went with an awesome group of friends, to the West side of the island. 

Destination:  Mt Qua Qua, Condord Falls.  Off we drove in convoy along windy single lane roads, past massive houses scattered up along the mountains.  All of the houses are painted with bright colors so they are easily spotted.  The local people are friendly and eager to tell you a story or give you some history of their island.

We parked the vehicles along the narrow road, gathered up all of our picnic bags and off we set, into what immediately felt like the jungle, the rain forest, the mountains.  Everything is green at this time of the year, tropical rains feed the island vegetation which is thick with fruit trees, wild flowers, moss and various other beautiful plants and trees.

The walk up to the flat rocky picnic area is easy but slippery in certain parts along the path.  It is shady and protected even when it rains. We soon found the ideal picnic spot and off loaded all of our bags and the resident barbeque.  We set off on a hike up the side of Mt Qua Qua to the Concord Falls.  The hike is slippery because of all the rain and there are a couple of river crossings which are knee deep (for me anyway).  The river is crystal clear so that made the crossings pretty easy for all of us.  The entire hike required concentration and balancing skills to ensure we didn't fall.

The mosquito's were shameless and zoned in on us from the first river crossing.  Millions of them all along the way.  The secret to shaking them off it to keep on moving, don't stop just keep on walking :-)

After around 30 minutes of walking, climbing, jumping, wading, laughing and admiring, we looked up and there she was, the Concord Falls.  The falls were gushing with fresh rain water and the rock pool at the bottom was oh so inviting.  A swim in the crystal clear and chilly pool was great reward.

Back down we walked, to the picnic site and everyone eagerly starting preparing food.  We had a delicious spread for lunch:

• Tuna - cooked on the braai
• Chicken pieces
• Cous Cous with garlic and sundried tomatoes
• Pumpkin - cooked in the coals
• Corn (mielies)
• Rock bread
• Garlic bread
• Freshly picked mangoes

What a spread that was!  In no time we had cooked, eaten and cleared up.  Time for a swim in the river a short siesta and that was us, done for the day. 

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We made our way down to the parking area, spent some time chatting to the locals and finally left for 'home. 

This spice island is such a fantastic destination, especially for families.  Everyone and everything is ideal for children and this makes it so enjoyable... each and every single day.

Until next time..

Blu

Joshua Liam Sanders - Rock Climbing from the age of 2! Awesome little boy who is now 4 years old and a true adventure junkie.

Rapp Jumping - Southern Berg, South Africa

Travelling with young children

I have always wondered how many families out there simply choose not to travel because they have young children.  Well that seems to be a common thought for quite a few families in South Africa and I refer to South Africa simply because I lived in various parts of South Africa during my 3 decade stay.

Travelling with Joshua has been nothing but fun!  We have been travelling with Joshua, Kaelah and Christine for the last 6 years and it has all been a breeze!  Planning ahead and packing wisely is what will ensure you a happy and hassle free journey.

One of the secrets to a happy travelling child is to teach them from a baby to sleep in various places.  This has been our saving grace with Joshua.  He sleeps anywhere at anytime without wanting his bed at home.  Now that we no longer have a permanent home, Joshua finds it easy to sleep wherever he lays his little head.

Flying with a child is really awesome.  From the time of arrival to book in at the OR Tambo airport in Johannesburg, the airport staff to notice of Joshua and treated him as a 'mini passenger'.  Boarding the plane and spending a solid 18 hours flying, the air hostesses always made a special round to check if he was comfortable.  The attention on all modes of transport have been very much the same with fellow passengers keeping him entertained and vice versa.

Packing a a biggy!  Joshua's daypack had a change of clothes and two spare t-shirt, a pack of UNO, a set of wax crayons and a soldier.  His fellow travel buddy being his little stuffed turtle, 'Squirt'.  Included were a couple of sweeties from Ouma and Christine (for the road), his water bottle, tissues, wet wipes, toothbrush and toothpaste and Tee Tree Oil for all types of scratches and bites.  That was it, and it kept him well entertained and prepared for his 5 day backpacking trip from South Africa to Grenada.

As of Sunday, we move onto the Dixi Rollar.  Joshua has his allocated space on the yacht and will settle in right away.  We will be joining a community of sailing families.  Some families have children and some have cats and dogs on board.  Yes you read correctly...cats and dogs!  The coolest sailing pets around I tell you.  Most have more travels under the collar than most of the humans on this planet.  From all over the world they come and each has their very own personality.

The local people absolutely love Joshua.  They always engage in a conversation with him about all sorts and his happily takes part.  We allow him to adventure, explore and speak to the people along the way... afterall that is how children learn.

Keep a close eye on Joshua Liam.  This young boy of ours is truly an amazing adventurer :-)

Joshua Liam Sanders - 4years 3 months old
Young adventurer and Eco Warrior

Frim Trinidad to Grenada..

From Trinidad to Grenada...  we finally departed Trinidad on Thursday, 6 June at 14h35.  A very welcoming country when entering but attempting to leave is quite another story.  This was the first time our luggage was searched and we had been travelling for 5 days already with no interest in our luggage at all.  Our one backpack was also all of a sudden overweight by 10kg's.  mmmm.... not sure how that happened as we were within limits on all previous flights, busses, taxi's and the ferry. 

According to our flight schedule we had only one stop, well that was nonsense, we flew from Trinidad to St Vincent, St Vincent to Barbados and then Barbados to Grenada.  A 5 hour flight!  Yet another adventure to keep our excitement levels sky high.  We finally landed at 19h35 and were welcomed by the friendliest immigration official.

Met by a friendly face, Barry's longtime friend, Shaun Tarr met us at the airport.  He loaded up all our baggage, our weary bodies and off we went on a whirlwind drive to the local supermarket for milk, and to the local Italian restaurant for pasta and sushi.  I had never met Shaun but always heard good things, so the evening was spent chatting up a storm.  Showering him with question after question over some good Italian food.  Shaun's 'island guiding' began from that moment. 

A great nights sleep and we were up at 6am and ready for the day ahead.  Joshua, Barry and I walked outside and we were met by the breath-taking view of Port Louis.  With the old fort on our right and the volcano ahead, the harbor below, the old and modern style buildings on the opposite side of town... man! what a view.  There and then the three of us knew this was the right decision.  It was the right decision to sell up our entire existence to embark on lifetime of adventures abroad.


 

We then jumped into the car and Shaun took us on a guided tour around the Southern part of the island, St George's.  The local mall is equipped with awesome air-conditioning, as with all the small shops.  After getting shopping done for Shaun's upcoming sailing course we dropped all the shopping, drove back down to the harbor, parked the car and set off on foot to the local market place.  Now this was exactly where we wanted to be!  Meeting the locals, finding out where to buy fruit and veg, spice, chocolate and coconut milk.  This is where you find fresh, healthy food within our 'shoe-string' budget.  The locals make the most delicious sauces, pickles, preserves, fudge and this is where you buy the spices!  After a swim in the warm sea we went home and enjoyed a divine meal called, Tequila and Lime Shrimp.   Followed by glass of rum and ginger beer.  The perfect way to end a perfect day.







Grenada the Spice Island.  This is truly the most beautiful place I have ever been too.  Grenada is RICH in culture in every part of the island.  The views, the people, the buildings, the food, the harbor, the bird life, the chocolate, the rum, paw paws hanging from the trees.  The list is endless! It is all just so different from the way our life was in South Africa.

It's summer here now, hurricane season has started with the first tropical storm hitting Cuba last week.  It's hot and humid.  Early evening brings relief with a cool sea breeze but along with that comes the mosquitoes and sand flies.  Our day starts at 05h00 with a morning temperature of 25 degrees.  No matter what the temperature is, the streets, shops, businesses and market stalls are alive with people.  Everyone knows everyone and everyone has something interesting to share with you.

We are house sitting for this week and then we will board the yacht with Steve and Renata.  Now this is what I am really excited about.  Learning how to sail.  A completely new way of life, one which I have never experienced.  Tomorrow we are off to Hog Island to meet Renata and to spend time on the yacht, explore the island and to start learning.  We are like three Joshua's in an ice-cream shop :-)

Remember to follow us on Facebook, Pinterest, Skype and Twitter (as soon as we figure that one out...lol).  Share our blog with your family and friends and if you would like to sponsor us a day in the Caribbean, please feel free to donate 100 bucks in your currency to our adventure.  Every cent will go to buying us another day, week or month in the Caribbean. 

Have a magical time, wherever you are in this crazy but beautiful world.

Blu

From Venezuela to Trinidad!

After an eye-opening 2 days in Venezuela we finally managed to book our space on the C Prowler ferry, which ONLY departs Guiria (Pier 1) on a Wednesday at 3pm. This ferry transports passengers only from Guiria to Trinidad. The immigration and customs officials are strict and thorough. In order for us to leave Guiria we had to have: * Passports * Proof of accommodation in Trinidad * Proof that we are 'moving on' * Itinerary The ferry costs $130 one way and that includes soft drinks, coffee, good island style music and a very comfortable 3 hour ride. The views were just amazing! The sea was calm, the skies clear and the people could speak English :-). We sailed all along the coastline, passing the island which Christopher Columbus first discovered! Around that island... and there she was, Trinidad! A sight for sore eyes! The immigration officials came on board, checked papers, stamped passports. We then disembarked and moved to the customs officials. This was the first time that our bags were searched and inspected by a sniffer dog. A big no-no is camoflaged items of any sort, clothing, accessories... Not even a sleeping bag. Thanks to a very pleasant customs official and to the fact that we were in transit, our 2 items were not confiscated, with a stern warning to keep them packed away throughout our stay in Trinidad. We then had to make our way to the main road to find a Maxi Taxi. These are yellow and white mini busses that run throughout the city. The cabs that wait at the port for passengers are far too expensive, wanting to charge $30 to Port of Spain. We opted to take the Maxi Taxi which cost us $10 for the 3 of us. Our drivers name was 'Cookie Monster' which Joshua found totally amusing! He took us to the Melbourne Inn, an awesome bed and breakfast. We were greeted by a friendly woman with that beautiful Jamaican accent, which I soon realised, is how everyone speaks. We dumped all our packs and set off up the main road to find a bite to eat. A busy road, buzzing with night life, restaurants, ice cream shops, bars, food vendors and... Every single person spoke ENGLISH! We settled with a veggie pizza from Domino's 100TT, a cold beer each and enjoyed our meal in the garden at the inn. The heat is just another story altogether! 25 degrees at 5.30am, room fans working overtime, all the time! A minimum of 3 showers per day is a must to survive! The streets are spotless! Not a piece of litter or cigarette 'stompies' anywhere. The shops and banks open at 7.30am. Each offering a variety of coconut milk, coconut breads and fresh fruit and veggies. A welcomed relief for us vegetarians :-) We have only been travelling for 4 days but in this 4 days we have eaten weird food, drunk strange coolies, met the scariest and nicest people and encountered different cultures and beliefs. In 4 days we have been to: * Sau Paulo * Venezuela * Trinidad

Much love!

Blu, Baz and Joshua

Our EPIC journey from South Africa to Venezuela!

Wow! What a crazy colourful 3 days it has been!

We departed SA on SAA at 6pm and flew through 2 time zones which resulted in our first flight from SA to Sau Paulo being 12 hours. We then waited for our connecting flight on TAM airlines which then took another 6 hours to get to Caracas.

On arrival in Caracas it took 4 hours to get the local tourism desk to understand our route! Spanish is the language and the Spanish don't speak English at all! It was too funny! There are soldiers everywhere! It was both relieving and scary at the same time.

The legal exchange rate is $1 = 6Bolivar. The black market exchange rate is $1 = 20 Bolivar! But its a chance you take, you have to make sure you speak with the right people or you will end up in the slammer!

From the airport we walked down to the internal departures where you buy bus tickets and flights. Another mission to get the people to understand our route but finally we got our bus tickets and soon were on our way through the hussle of the city centre to Hotel Alba Caracas or better known to the locals as Bellas Artes.

From there we caught a taxi to the Terminal de Oriente. There we booked our bus tickets on the Expreso Los Llanos to Guiria de la Costa, the closest town to Trinidad. This bus ride was 16 hours long!! We travelled along the coastline, through the most amazing local villages, towns and part of the jungle!

We booked into a hotel here in Guiria de la Costa for the night. The heat in this place cooks you from the inside, no jokes! The locals can't believe that we are from South Africa as they are under the impression all Africans are black... Lol!

The locals all drive old cars! Fords, Valiants, Dodge, Crysler and Jeep.. All OLD cars with large tanks! Cars that we would never afford in SA as the petrol would be ludicrous! Here the petrol is .80c for a gallon! No wonder they can afford the petrol!

The local transport is quite affordable, you can even hire a 'moto taxi' which is a scooter. They however drive like maniacs with only mountain bike helmets so that is not an option...lol!

No one here drinks tea, only espresso's which are 5 Bolivar each and they are guaranteed to get your tummy going! Breakfast is all meat which is also proving to be difficult as we don't eat meat!

Venezuela is known as one of the most dangerous countries in the world! So we have eyes on the back of our heads! It turns out that Guiria is known to be one of the most unsafe towns in Venezuela!

We are taking a ferry to Trinidad today and then hoping to fly to Grenada tomorrow. The ferry costs $330 for the 3 of us and flights are $495. Our budget has just become so much smaller but we are just focusing on getting to Grenada and once there we will focus on earning some money.

Joshua is having an awesome time, he is loving everything and is handling the journey like a true champion! The local women adore him. We have him attached to us at all times as I am sure they would steal him in a heartbeat!

If you are able to sponsor our adventure to the Caribbean that would be wonderful! 100bucks in your currency will buy us another week :-) and it would be most welcomed! Please message us for our banking details.

Our new comms device doesn't work here so we are relying on the local internet cafe's. We will get it up and running when we arrive in Grenada, where the locals are friendly and are able to speak English!

Speak again soon!

Toni, Baz and Joshua

We're leaving on a jet plane.. and a bus and a ferry and another ferry..

Its our last night in Jozi, bags packed, on-line check in done! We finally get to enjoy our pricey flights.

Our travel plans are in place, whether all works out as planned or not is all part of this adventure.

Fly to Sao Paulo
Connect and fly to Caracas (Venezuela)
Bus to Barcelona
Ferry to Trinidad
Ferry to Grenada

Departing Sunday, 2 June and planned arrival in Grenada on Wednesday, 5 June.

We will get phones up and running when we arrive in Venezuela.  Then we will keep you updated along the way. 

Now for some well deserved and needed family time.  Kaelah is with us for the night and its awesome!

Thank you all for your well wishes and prayers.  This is just the beginning so keep them coming.

Much love!

Blu, Baz and Joshua