Here I am, onboard Lowena in Lanzarote, preparing to set sail tomorrow
for Antigua. I flew out on Monday from Gatwick, having travelled the
breadth of the British Isles using public transport (not to be
recommended if you're carrying vast amounts of luggage). With aching
shoulders and somewhat longer arms I arrived here in the marina of
Puerto Calero and was welcomed aboard by mum and dad with a bottle of
Champagne. Very nice, after a long and tiring trip! The next morning,
bright and early I set off with mother dearest for a tour of the island
(organised on behalf of the rally). We began with a trip to the
spectacular 'Cactus Gardens', a volcanic basin filled with a myriad of
different varieties of cacti, some of which were enormous and ungainly,
others small but perfectly formed. Our guide demonstrated the origin of
Cochineal food coloring by taking some defenseless beetles from the
cacti and squashing them between two pieces of paper, producing a dark
red colour. From there we visited the vast underground cave network on
the island, formed from bubbles in a giant lava flow. Atmospherically
lit, the caves were a place to relax and get away from the midday sun,
the haphazard passages forming a labyrinth of gigantic proportions
(these are the longest caves in the world). Remarkably, in the middle of
them all was a chamber which had been transformed into a concert hall.
Boasting a totally irregular reflective surface, and porous,
sound-absorbing rock, the acoustics are second to none. In the evening
we visited a beautiful hotel in the North of the island, again
integrated with the volcanic environment. The deep blue pool, set
underneath an overhanging canopy of rock, formed the backdrop to a very
pleasant evening, spent in the company of our fellow 'rallyiers'.
On Wednesday we had a briefing for the voyage, in which we discussed how
best to plan our passage given that there seems to be a lack of wind for
the next few days. The plan seems to be to sail along the coast of
Africa until we reach the trade-winds, then turn right and head for the
Caribbean. On Thursday night we were invited for cocktails and canopes
in the marina restaurant. Somebody brought along a keyboard, and I was
nagged into performing a few songs for their entertainment (despite the
fact that the background noise of people talking made it virtually
inaudible to anyone but myself!). People on the rally are very friendly,
and everyone has wished each other good luck and fair winds for the
coming voyage. We're looking forward to getting to Antigua (where Fraser
will be joining us), relaxing on the beach and opening up a bottle of
rum of two. Just 2879 miles to go!