Letter 13&14- SUMMARY

LETTER 13 &14- SUMMARY

Last time I wrote we were at the tiny island of Graciosa. After 8 days here, we left for Puerto Calero on the east coast of Lanzarote. This luxurios harbour is located near the town of Puerto del Carmen, a real tourist place! ( Lots of puerto’s here)
One evening here we went to an Irish pub to hear Irelands own Tina Turner. In many ways she was singing even better than the original and was also real good at shaking her silicon! (have a look at Claes and myself in letter 13)
Gathered in the harbour were also the contestants of the regatta. Mini Transat. Their first leg had been from La Rochelle in France, and the next one was towards Brasil. Note the pictures in letter 13. The boats are single-handed and measure only 6,5 meters! Just imagine crossing the Atlantic in a vessel like that. Usually one or more just disappear!! Have a look at the pictures in letter 13.
After a few days we went to the next harbour, the even more fancy Marina Rubicon, at the very southern tip of Lanzarote. This was the biggest marina so far with more than 500 berths and all kinds of facilities, but still cheaper than the ones in Portugal.
Lanzarote is the “youngest” of the vulcanic Canary Islands, and in my opinion has not much to offer than a nice climate.

The next island, Fuertoventura, is also very arrid and natural vegetation is almost non-existing. Lots of Germans and Brittish in a few tourist spots. This island is the biggest one, located just 60 nm from the African coast. Quite a few Arabs and Africans are trying to reach this island in rafts and tiny “boats”, and many of them drown in their attempt to create a new life in Europe!
We only had two short stops here, because we were good and ready for city-life. On the 6th of October we arrived in the marina in Las Palmas on Gran Canary. This is the very place that the regatta is starting in only 4 weeks! Las Palmas reminds us quite a bit of La Coruna in Northern Spain. It has about 350.000 inhabitants and has a lot to offer. We bought a few small things for the boat, but you know, it always adds up!
Also we tested different canned food, beer and wine for the really long voyage. In the Carribien its rather difficult to get hold of wine, and except for the French islands, it is also very expensive. Anyway it’s no reason to stock up with stuff no one likes!
We met a lot interesting people on the pontoons, also quite a few Scandinavian. What never stops amazing Mette and I are the large number of solo-sailors around. What is even more incredible is the kind of “boats” some of these guys are travelling around in. They are floating in the harbour, and that’s about it! In letter 14 I included 3 of these. I collect pictures of this kind of boats, and I think I have a hundred on the PC so far.
After 10 days in Las Palmas we headed southwards on the island to Puerto Rico and Puerto Mogan. This is almost like being in Noway. There are Norwegians and other Scandinavians all over, and many of them live here most of the year. Some just like the climate, others have to live in such climate due to different kinds of skeletal disease, arthroses and skin problems. We could get fresh newspapers every day and could listen to local Norwegian radio. It was nice for a change, but honestly we had’nt
left Norway just to experience this. Both Mette and I had been there before on a charter-trip, so we knew the area. ( In letter 14 there’s a picture of a couple from Rosendal that we met there, they were celebrating their 35 th wedding aniversary)
I went to a doctor there to get some medicine for my knee. It had given me trouble for more than a month, and I was unable to practice. Old cartlidge injuries are haunting me. I feel a little better now!
22/10 Fatuhiva crossed over to Tenerif, to Los Christianos. 2-3 years ago Mette and I, Vegard and my mother had a vacation down here, so it would be nice to see some of the place again. In the harbour we met Tropic Bird with “Norwegian-americans” Wendy and Magne Nygren with their friend Joe. We had seen them quite a few times before, but that’s how it is, some boats follow each other! Very nice and hospitable people that have been sailing for the last 5 years. Home is Virginia and Bahamas.
( 2 pictures in letter 14).
Already the next day we went over to La Gomera, and we’ve been here for a week now. Most likely we’ll stay here even longer. This is an interesting small island with high and rough mountains, more vegetation than on most of the other Canaries. On the top there is a national park covered with the original forest and bush that “feed” on the fog and mist that is there much of the time.This forest used to be covering the whole Mediteranian area, but due to climate changes it has only survived on this tiny spot out in the Atlantic Ocean. Amazing?
Tourism here is different here than on the other islands. Most people(Germans) come here to hike in the mountains and to enjoy the still “unspoiled” island.

By next Sunday or Monday we’ll be back in LasPalmas for the final preparations. Our “crew”, Kurt and Eva, are coming on the 9 th. There will be quite a few interesting courses for us, and also a lot of partying and Happy Hours sponsored by different companies.

We’ll come back with more information before start.
Love Mette and Bjarne.

PS. More pictures from La Gomera.