| Volume 4 Holiday 2005 Edition |
Letter from the crew...
2005! Where did it go? We
had every intention of heading
West this year, but here we
are...still in South America
...but at least way south in
South America. It was a well
thought out decision. We still
had lots of boat work to be
done and the window for
venturing across the legendary
South Pacific was shortening.
Besides, we hadn't seen all of
this continent yet and the
Pacific would wait for us.
2005! Where did it go? We
had every intention of heading
West this year, but here we
are...still in South America
...but at least way south in
South America. It was a well
thought out decision. We still
had lots of boat work to be
done and the window for
venturing across the legendary
South Pacific was shortening.
Besides, we hadn't seen all of
this continent yet and the
Pacific would wait for us.
Satisfied Snake
Poses No Threat
While visiting the Amazon River,
we took a riverboat ferry to the
small town of Padre Cocha. There
we found a young guide to lead us
through the jungle to visit a local
indigenous village and their pet
anaconda. After assuring himself
that the 15' reptile did not appear to
be hungry, David hoisted her up on
his shoulders for a photo. She was
heavy and not particularly energetic.
Good signs!
Marcie was offered the same
opportunity, but upon reflection
decided that having a snake
wrapped around her neck was not
high on her list of fun things. She
did, however, touch the snake...a
first!
Poses No Threat
While visiting the Amazon River,
we took a riverboat ferry to the
small town of Padre Cocha. There
we found a young guide to lead us
through the jungle to visit a local
indigenous village and their pet
anaconda. After assuring himself
that the 15' reptile did not appear to
be hungry, David hoisted her up on
his shoulders for a photo. She was
heavy and not particularly energetic.
Good signs!
Marcie was offered the same
opportunity, but upon reflection
decided that having a snake
wrapped around her neck was not
high on her list of fun things. She
did, however, touch the snake...a
first!
| David gets a hug from an anaconda. |
Turnabout's Fair Play
We've all seen those movies where
a cow falls into the Amazon and five
minutes later only a skelton remains,
the flesh picked clean by piranhas.
Huh! Our guide assured us that
piranha only go after blood and red
meat.
We were fishing for piranha on the
Amazon one hot, sultry morning
when David landed one of the big
suckers (it weighed in at close to 5
ounces and was nearly 6 inches
long). David disproved the guide's
assurances when the "catch of the
day" took a bite out of his finger.
The guide commented that this was
very irregular behavior since David
wasn't bleeding at the time.
We returned to the lodge in time
for lunch and were served this badly
behaved piranha as our appetizer at
which time David returned the
favor...quite tasty!
We've all seen those movies where
a cow falls into the Amazon and five
minutes later only a skelton remains,
the flesh picked clean by piranhas.
Huh! Our guide assured us that
piranha only go after blood and red
meat.
We were fishing for piranha on the
Amazon one hot, sultry morning
when David landed one of the big
suckers (it weighed in at close to 5
ounces and was nearly 6 inches
long). David disproved the guide's
assurances when the "catch of the
day" took a bite out of his finger.
The guide commented that this was
very irregular behavior since David
wasn't bleeding at the time.
We returned to the lodge in time
for lunch and were served this badly
behaved piranha as our appetizer at
which time David returned the
favor...quite tasty!
This, our 4th annual newsletter,
allows us to share with you
some of the highlights of 2005
from our perspective. We have
always documented our
voyages extensively with a
"Passages" photo journal and
long letters home. In our 6th
year aboard (and you thought
we wouldn't last a year!), each
place still holds its own allure.
We're happy, relatively
healthy, definitely older and
only a little worse for the
wear. We love hearing from
everyone so please...keep in
touch:
nine of cups1@yahoo.com
allows us to share with you
some of the highlights of 2005
from our perspective. We have
always documented our
voyages extensively with a
"Passages" photo journal and
long letters home. In our 6th
year aboard (and you thought
we wouldn't last a year!), each
place still holds its own allure.
We're happy, relatively
healthy, definitely older and
only a little worse for the
wear. We love hearing from
everyone so please...keep in
touch:
nine of cups1@yahoo.com
| Sunrise on the Amazon was breathtaking |
Nope...we're still here! We just can't seem
to leave the place. Instead of heading West
as previously discussed, we headed south
this year to high latitudes and cold weather.
The adventurous call of glaciers to view,
endless canals and fjords to explore and the
timeless allure of exotic places called
Patagonia, Tierra del Fuego and Cape Horn
still beckon.
Will we make it there? Will we "round the
Horn", you ask? Who knows? It's the plan
du jour, but weather, sea conditions and
current frames of mind will determine where,
if and when we'll go.
Wherever we go, whatever we see, we'll
be sure to share it with you on our website
and in next year's newsletter.
Year to date nautical miles: 2,611
Total nautical miles to date: 24,083
Total countries visited: 26
to leave the place. Instead of heading West
as previously discussed, we headed south
this year to high latitudes and cold weather.
The adventurous call of glaciers to view,
endless canals and fjords to explore and the
timeless allure of exotic places called
Patagonia, Tierra del Fuego and Cape Horn
still beckon.
Will we make it there? Will we "round the
Horn", you ask? Who knows? It's the plan
du jour, but weather, sea conditions and
current frames of mind will determine where,
if and when we'll go.
Wherever we go, whatever we see, we'll
be sure to share it with you on our website
and in next year's newsletter.
Year to date nautical miles: 2,611
Total nautical miles to date: 24,083
Total countries visited: 26
| Leaving South America? |
After many, many months of hard
work, Nine of Cups was pronounced
"fit for the sea". She has nearly all new
electronics, including a new autopilot,
one fuel tank has been replaced and
another fuel bladder added. She has
new rigging, new canvas including a
cockpit enclosure, much of the wiring
has been replaced and new alarm
systems have been added. Hoses have
been changed, sheets and lines replaced
and she even changed her colors...she's
now all Captain's Navy Blue including
new UV on the sails, new bimini,
dodger and various covers. The crew
managed the refit work themselves and
breathed a sigh of relief when it was
finally complete so they could return to
the pleasures of sailing.
work, Nine of Cups was pronounced
"fit for the sea". She has nearly all new
electronics, including a new autopilot,
one fuel tank has been replaced and
another fuel bladder added. She has
new rigging, new canvas including a
cockpit enclosure, much of the wiring
has been replaced and new alarm
systems have been added. Hoses have
been changed, sheets and lines replaced
and she even changed her colors...she's
now all Captain's Navy Blue including
new UV on the sails, new bimini,
dodger and various covers. The crew
managed the refit work themselves and
breathed a sigh of relief when it was
finally complete so they could return to
the pleasures of sailing.
| Cups Changes Her Colors; Pronounced Fit After Refit |
| David spent lots of time up the mast, re-rigging, replacing lights, rewiring and adding spreader boots. |
Sometimes, people just "click"
when they meet and so it was
with the family de Ravago. We
met Magdala and Gonzalo in
Lima on our first trip to Peru
last year. We revisted them in
Callao this year and shared
family picnics, elegant meals,
tours, outings and even
Magdalita's 10th birthday
party. Gonzalo was solely
instrumental in extracting us
from Peru's bureacratic
handling of foreign yachts.
Some people you just
meet...others become friends
forever!
when they meet and so it was
with the family de Ravago. We
met Magdala and Gonzalo in
Lima on our first trip to Peru
last year. We revisted them in
Callao this year and shared
family picnics, elegant meals,
tours, outings and even
Magdalita's 10th birthday
party. Gonzalo was solely
instrumental in extracting us
from Peru's bureacratic
handling of foreign yachts.
Some people you just
meet...others become friends
forever!
| 4th Camelid Spotted |
Pisco in Pisco
Pisco, a distilled white brandy, is the
national drink of Peru and we were the
guests of the Picasso family for lunch and
a winery tour at their vineyard and
bodega, Vista Allegre in Ica, Peru where
MANY pisco sours were consumed on a
lovely, warm afternoon. Peruvians will tell
you that only Peru makes "real" pisco.
We haven't had the nerve to tell the
Chileans yet.
Pisco, a distilled white brandy, is the
national drink of Peru and we were the
guests of the Picasso family for lunch and
a winery tour at their vineyard and
bodega, Vista Allegre in Ica, Peru where
MANY pisco sours were consumed on a
lovely, warm afternoon. Peruvians will tell
you that only Peru makes "real" pisco.
We haven't had the nerve to tell the
Chileans yet.
| Cups at Puerto Lucia's dock, LaLibertad, Ecuador |
| Sea Lion Spies in Chile |
We saw the little black fishing
buoys bobbing up and down
beside the boat and paid no
attention...until one of them
"barked" at us, then dove
gracefully below the surface.
Sea lions...lots of them, frolic
and thrive in the cold South
Pacific waters. The guttural
yaps are not "hellos", but rather
"who are you and where the hell
are you going?" sounds. I
always answer "We're the Nine
of Cups heading south" and
invariably "Been there" is their
sharp retort as they dive back
down finished with Q's and A's.
buoys bobbing up and down
beside the boat and paid no
attention...until one of them
"barked" at us, then dove
gracefully below the surface.
Sea lions...lots of them, frolic
and thrive in the cold South
Pacific waters. The guttural
yaps are not "hellos", but rather
"who are you and where the hell
are you going?" sounds. I
always answer "We're the Nine
of Cups heading south" and
invariably "Been there" is their
sharp retort as they dive back
down finished with Q's and A's.
There are four members of the camelid
family indigenous to South America. We
had already seen the domesticated llama
and alpaca and even the wild vicuna in
the mountains of Ecuador, but we had
yet to spot the elusive guanaco until we
visited the altiplano region in Chile in
Parque Lauca near Arica.
family indigenous to South America. We
had already seen the domesticated llama
and alpaca and even the wild vicuna in
the mountains of Ecuador, but we had
yet to spot the elusive guanaco until we
visited the altiplano region in Chile in
Parque Lauca near Arica.
| New Old Friends |
| Quito Very Grimm |
Lazy Crew
Apologizes Publicly
We do apologize for the long
time between website
updates. We do all updates
via land-based internet
kiosks. Slow connections,
inconvenience and a
particularly lazy crew are the
culprits. Nostra culpa! We'll
try harder in 2006.
Apologizes Publicly
We do apologize for the long
time between website
updates. We do all updates
via land-based internet
kiosks. Slow connections,
inconvenience and a
particularly lazy crew are the
culprits. Nostra culpa! We'll
try harder in 2006.
| Legendary Pink Dolphin Surfaces in Amazon |
Pastimes...Do we ever get
bored? Rarely. Among other
things, the crew reads a lot...as
many as 2-3 books each per
week. Take away television,
radio and internet and reading
becomes the only viable
alternative to work when you're
at sea (well, almost the only
one!!). When visiting the
States, we raid thrift shops for
paperbacks to read and later
exchange with other cruisers.
bored? Rarely. Among other
things, the crew reads a lot...as
many as 2-3 books each per
week. Take away television,
radio and internet and reading
becomes the only viable
alternative to work when you're
at sea (well, almost the only
one!!). When visiting the
States, we raid thrift shops for
paperbacks to read and later
exchange with other cruisers.
Yes, they really are pink and
they really do exist in the fresh
waters of the Amazon. We
spotted several of them, but
alas got no photos...the one
above is borrowed from the
internet. According to local
legend, the pink dolphin could
change into a handsome man
and seduce young woman thus
accounting for a number of
unexplained pregnancies in the
villages.
they really do exist in the fresh
waters of the Amazon. We
spotted several of them, but
alas got no photos...the one
above is borrowed from the
internet. According to local
legend, the pink dolphin could
change into a handsome man
and seduce young woman thus
accounting for a number of
unexplained pregnancies in the
villages.
Our friends, Doug and Fay Grimm,
visited us in Quito, Ecuador in March
2005 for 10 days of sightseeing, fun and
wonderful camaraderie. We're lobbying
for their return to visit us in Chile in 2006.
visited us in Quito, Ecuador in March
2005 for 10 days of sightseeing, fun and
wonderful camaraderie. We're lobbying
for their return to visit us in Chile in 2006.
| Drying Out in the Atacama Desert |
Touted to be the "driest place on
earth", we visited the little oasis
town of San Pedro de Atacama
and trekked in the dunes of the
Atacama Desert of northern
Chile. With some areas of the
desert having registered no rain
in the last 400 years, it is indeed
pretty darned dry, contributing
to that "prune look" we
continually strive for.
earth", we visited the little oasis
town of San Pedro de Atacama
and trekked in the dunes of the
Atacama Desert of northern
Chile. With some areas of the
desert having registered no rain
in the last 400 years, it is indeed
pretty darned dry, contributing
to that "prune look" we
continually strive for.
| Hello, Kitty! |
Paracas in Paracas!
We asked the significance of the name
of the town we were anchored
off...Paracas. Ah, that's the Spanish
word for big sandstorms. Good that we
asked because it's nice to put a label on
it when it happens. Two days of 40
knot winds blowing fine sand into every
crack, crevice, nook and cranny of the
boat resulting in a one inch layer of
sand on the decks and subsquently
mud pies when we tried to clean it up.
True grit!
We asked the significance of the name
of the town we were anchored
off...Paracas. Ah, that's the Spanish
word for big sandstorms. Good that we
asked because it's nice to put a label on
it when it happens. Two days of 40
knot winds blowing fine sand into every
crack, crevice, nook and cranny of the
boat resulting in a one inch layer of
sand on the decks and subsquently
mud pies when we tried to clean it up.
True grit!
| Cutting the Rug...Bora Style |
Yes, Jelly is still aboard and at
age age 5, she's as feisty and
spoiled as ever. She's
maintained her Rubinesque
figure, her naps only
interrupted by trips to her food
bowl and litter box. Being in
colder climates has netted her a
fine, full fur coat and she now
spends lots of time cuddled up
to the crew. Her yearly
highlights included biting a
Customs Official on the leg,
hissing and spitting at our
friends' 2-year old (which
caused him to hiss and spit in
return) and hiding moths and
butterflies under Marcie's
carpets. Life is good!
age age 5, she's as feisty and
spoiled as ever. She's
maintained her Rubinesque
figure, her naps only
interrupted by trips to her food
bowl and litter box. Being in
colder climates has netted her a
fine, full fur coat and she now
spends lots of time cuddled up
to the crew. Her yearly
highlights included biting a
Customs Official on the leg,
hissing and spitting at our
friends' 2-year old (which
caused him to hiss and spit in
return) and hiding moths and
butterflies under Marcie's
carpets. Life is good!
| Getting High in the Andes |
Chile is so skinny that it takes no
time at all to get from the shore to
the mountains. We traveled from
Arica to the altiplano region of
Lauca National Park. We saw lots
of animals: alpaca, vicuna,
guanaco, coots, ducks and
vizcachas (like chinchilla). The
scenery was stupendous as we
viewed the snow-covered peaks
of Argentina in the distance.
Fantastico!
time at all to get from the shore to
the mountains. We traveled from
Arica to the altiplano region of
Lauca National Park. We saw lots
of animals: alpaca, vicuna,
guanaco, coots, ducks and
vizcachas (like chinchilla). The
scenery was stupendous as we
viewed the snow-covered peaks
of Argentina in the distance.
Fantastico!
During our visit to the Amazon, we
took a trip up river to a small village
of the Bora people. A hospitable
group, they immediately gave us
feather headdresses and bead
necklaces to wear as we joined in a
traditional "anaconda dance"...we
would have called it "snap the whip".
As you can see, we were a bit
overdressed.
took a trip up river to a small village
of the Bora people. A hospitable
group, they immediately gave us
feather headdresses and bead
necklaces to wear as we joined in a
traditional "anaconda dance"...we
would have called it "snap the whip".
As you can see, we were a bit
overdressed.
| Where in the world is NOC? On our Home page, click on "Where are we?". Type in our call sign: AA1ZL for a map with our up-to-date location. |
| Paying It Forward; Paying It Back |
While in Ecuador at Puerto Lucia
Yacht Club, we made lots of
friends with the staff and local
people. Marcie decided she'd like
to teach English if anyone was
interested. Wow, what a response!
More than 20 people signed up for
the class. The Yacht Club made a
classroom available and the
6-week class in Conversational
English was a great success.
Subsequent cruisers have continued
the classes. One way of repaying
these fine people for their warmth
and hospitality.
Yacht Club, we made lots of
friends with the staff and local
people. Marcie decided she'd like
to teach English if anyone was
interested. Wow, what a response!
More than 20 people signed up for
the class. The Yacht Club made a
classroom available and the
6-week class in Conversational
English was a great success.
Subsequent cruisers have continued
the classes. One way of repaying
these fine people for their warmth
and hospitality.
Photo of Marcie & David above taken
by Roberto, expert canoe paddler, in
August 2005 in the barrio Belen,
Iquitos, Peru in a canoe paddling on
the Amazon River.
by Roberto, expert canoe paddler, in
August 2005 in the barrio Belen,
Iquitos, Peru in a canoe paddling on
the Amazon River.
| Floating City of Belen |
Considered to be the "Venice of the
Amazon", the balsa huts found in the
barrio of Belen in Iquitos, rise and fall
with the Amazon River.
Amazon", the balsa huts found in the
barrio of Belen in Iquitos, rise and fall
with the Amazon River.
