Christmas was super special, with skype calls with people that I miss dearly and simply cant wait to see again when we are back in South Africa. We also received heaps of messages and comments via Facebook which were just awesome. It's so important knowing that people actually miss your presense when you arent a hop skip and a jump away.
On Christmas eve we went to the ATM to draw our last R200 to buy food for dinner and Christmas day lunch. There we had R490 instead, someone had deposited R290 into our account in Johannesburg the day before. What an awesome surprise! We bought what we needed and ate like royalty.. well as close to.
Father Christmas found Moonjoos and the Sanders- Costello clan. Christmas morning was magical. Joshua woke up at 6am with his cousin Faith, calling him on Skype. He flew out of the cabin and straight to the computer to say hello and merry Christmas, Feliz Navistad (in Spanish), and then he saw his pressie under the tree. His eyes grew big, looked at the plate where he place and ice cold beer and a traditional Colombian cookie. Just a quarter of the cookie was left and the beer replaced with a handwritten note from Father Christmas.
"Dear Joshua, I have heard so many good things from so many people around the world and this makes me proud. Thank you for the beer and cookie, I saved you a piece of my cookie to share with you, and I saved you a sip of beer too, it's in the fridge." Lots of love, Father Christmas.
Joshua ate the piece of cookie and drank his sip of beer and then opened his pressies. An awesome water pistol from Captain Brett and the Moonjoos Station. A small bag from Colombia which he uses to carry his UNO cards, a car, an army man and his bean bag. A holy stone necklace. A packet of chocolate and toffee lollipops, and a packet of fruit sweets. All small enough to travel with which is a blessing!
Christmas lunch was delicious. Barry did the cooking this year. Baked potatoes, cold meat, white sauce, fresh tomato and salsa. Full tummy's and it was time to siesta!
Travelling takes you away from those traditions which you have with your family back home. Thank goodness for skype, which allowed us to connect with some special people. Home sickness always hangs around and is a reality. With Joshua and Barry making it so special, I did just fine :-).
The best present I received was to speak to my girls and then my Mom. Mom only has a basic mobile phone without the bells and whistles that you and I are used to. So when my friend Christopher called my Mom, placed her on speaker phone and then connected to us via skype, and I heard her say "hello my lovie, merry Christmas", I new all will be just fine. Oh how I have missed chatting and being close to my Mom. Christopher rocks!
The streets, buildings, boats, cars, trucks, busses and taxis, the horse and carriages, everything is drenched in Christmas lights! Every night there has been a Christmas pageant at the old fort which is a few meters from the boat. The fireworks displays at night are just breath-taking, like nothing I have ever seen. Every single person in Cartagena have been in the Christmas spirit since we arrived here on the 2 December. Can you imagine, 23 days of celebrations and music all around us!
With just 26 days until we fly out of Caracas, Venezuela, we have a whole lot still to accomplish on our 'to do list'. Our backpacks are packed, and we are in full swing with the boat jobs that must be done by the 10th January. We are also working to raise money to get from Cartagena, Colombia to Caracas. Its going to cost us $550 USD.
We are so looking forward to this adventure. We have been on Moonjoos for 15 weeks now and living on water since June this year. Life on the water is magical but I am so ready to sleep in a comfy bed that doesn't move, to have a good shower so I can wash properly and smell good afterwards, and to enjoy nature along the way.
Then we fly from Caracas to Brazil to South Africa! Bring on the African sunsets, braai's, friends and family!
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