Lanzarote

Lowena
Michael & Amanda Dyer
Sat 17 Nov 2007 08:34
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!


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