The Honeymoon Sail Continues: O is for Once in a Lifetime Experience

Our first views of Haiti.

The boat boys come out in full force to greet you on entering the harbour at Isle a Vache, Hait,

We arrived in Isle a Vaches on Sunday March 18th after 40 hours of sailing and motorsailing. The trip took us from Great Inagua, Bahamas, through the windward passage between Haiti and Cuba and around to the south coast of Haiti. The ocean was much calmer, so much so that with Anthony's new intake valve we were able to run the watermaker for 12 hours in the windward passage. It was tiring but a much easier passage than our sail down to Great Inagua. We were greeted by many boat boys in dug out canoes as we arrived in the harbour at Boie a Fete. It was a little disconcerting to be trying to anchor and get settled while being pursued by umpteem boats. Of course the next challenge was trying to speak French after 40 hours of ocean travel; however most of the fellows speak enough English that between our French and their English we can figure things out. I had brushed up on my Spanish this fall in case we returned to the Dominican Republic but my French is pretty rusty. We can hardly believe that we are here as it seemed that this winter was not the year to push to the Caribbean. Tired as we were we rowed into the hotel Port Morgan to learn what we could about the island. As it turned out no one could speak much English so we sat down and had a glass of wine and a beer. That put the finishing touches on our tiredness and we ate baguettes that Ashley had brought to us and tumbled into bed for 11 hours. This morning we rowed over to a another boat to see what we could learn. As it happened the folks on the boat have been here for many years and spoke both French and English. Jeneu had even printed out some local information to help cruisers when they visit. It turns out that if we are only here for a few days the Haitians don't even hassle you to clear in. We had hoped to sail along the DR coast and get to Barahona before Doug and Jane, our cottage neighbours left but unfortunately the weather is not going to let us leave here until the weekend. Isle A Vaches is like stepping back in time. It is a tropical paradise that is unspoiled. There is no hydro or water on the island and the people live very simply. Once it is dark it is very dark in the village. The night we went to Jean Jean's bar he brought out a flash light for dinner lighting. The people in the village walk to the town well to get their fresh water and the local women wash their clothes in sea water. The two adorable girls have plastic jugs and were on their way to the well to get water. We thought it best to hire a local guide to show us around the village and so we chose Carma, a gentle man whose English was better than some of the other boat boys. He is married; however he lives with his mother because he and his wife do not have enough money to build their own house yet. She and his adorable daughter live with her mother. His wife did our laundry for us....by hand and gratefully not in sea water. He took us through the village and it was like reading a National Geographic magazine. It was hard not to take dozens of pictures; however many Haitians do not want their photograph taken as in the voodoo culture they believe it removes one's soul. I asked people in my best French if I could take a photo and in most cases I got lots of smiles. In the evening we went in the hotel for dinner hoping to do some internet but as is often the case their Wifi signal was not working. They said that I could come in the next morning and use one of their computers which I did but it was painfully slow and of course I could not post any pictures or do the blog. We had a delicious shrimp creole dinner and listened to Emmanuel on the keyboard singing local music. It was a lovely evening in a beautiful setting. The hotel is all stone and just beautiful and very intimate.

The next day we spent jerry jugging diesel from the hotel in the morning and paddling the kayaks in the afternoon. Ashley, one of the boat boys who has been going to the "boulangerie" bakery for us had asked if he could try the kayak. We were a little worried that we might be inundated with other boys wanting to do the same thing but Ashley obviously handled the situation well and we did not get a stampede. I asked him if I would try his dug out canoe at the same time. The canoes are hollowed out of mango wood on the island and the paddles are solid mango wood as well. Ashley usually uses a coconut tree palm frond for a paddle; however he borrowed a paddle for me. I think I would have preferred the palm frond because the paddle was extremely heavy. If you think a canoe is tippy you have not paddled a dug out canoe. The boat boys make it look easy but it is definitely a skill.

In the evening we went to Jean Jean's place for a conch creole dinner. We had met him on our tour with Carma and he is trying to start a little business.

Jeneu, the cruiser that had helped us the other day had recommended eating there. There was just Rob and I and one table. We asked he and his wife, baby and young son to join us. It couldn't have been more at the other end of the continuum from our night at the hotel. That being said we enjoyed the food very much; however the next morning was a different story for me. I was so sick that I completely passed out twice, was totally incoherent and the second time hit my head so hard that I made it bleed. Needless to say I gave the captain quite a scare and he went to the hotel to get help. Kiki, one of the local boat boys who speaks good English went and brought the nurse to Celebrian. She didn't speak English but Kiki did the translating. She seemed to feel that it was a severe reaction to the conch meal that I had eaten at Jean Jean's and said that there is a lot of oil used in the local creole cooking which can cause some people dsyentery. I am on antibiotics and several other medications to get my strength built up. My fever broke over night so I am feeling much better but still very weak. The captain ate the same thing but had no ill effects...thank goodness.

Every day the boat boys come by to try and sell you things or try to get you to give them things like diving masks or money for school etc. but we are gradually learning who the scam artists are. Yesterday Rob was so frazzled when he was being bothered with passers by that he said in his best French "No merci...mon fille est morte." "No thank you...my wife is dead." I managed to raise my head enough to say...not morte yet...but definitely malade.

We had planned on going to the market in Mme. Bernard today. |It is supposed to be quite the experience, but Rob did not want to go without me. We will be leaving on Saturday afternoon if the forecast remains the same so unfortunately will not get another opportunity to see it. Our plan is to motorsail the coast of Haiti and the DR and go around the points during the night when the wind is down. This passage of two nights and a day will take us to Boca Chica, just the other side of Santo Domingo where we will clear into the DR.