18:17.401N 065:16.862W
Shaya Moya
Don & Susan Smyth
Sun 17 Apr 2011 21:24
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Monday 11th April:
We left Whackville this morning and headed towards
Puerto Rico. I did some fishing along the way but through him back once again.
We're just a little worried about the Cicaterra poisoning. Almost half way to
San Juan we stopped off at a little island called Cayo Icacos for an eraly
morning swim. We were done swimming just in ti9me to watch all the tourist
charters invade that wonderful piece of heaven with the noise and suncream.
30 miles later we reached San Juan and sailed
along the coast around the old town with its huge fort and colourful houses into
the commercial harbour. The harbour was full of little chaps racing their little
sailing boats as well as giant cruise ships and cargo vessels. We slowly made
our way towards what we thought would be a modern marina... it wasn't so modern
and i'm not sure its even a marina. We managed with some help from the locals to
get lines on and make home for the next few days.
D rushed off to clear in and Sue and I started the
nesting procedures. We were just done turning sailboat into houseboat when Dad
arrived back to warn us that customs and immigration wouild be coming aboard. I
was blissfully unaware that we'd have a problem until the other two got dressed
up smart for our visitors. When the customs heavies arrived donning their police
issue sunglasses just above their police issue smirks we were all in the cockpit
waiting. D quickly passed the coppa our passports and we watched to see him go
through them. He found my visa in a hurry and gave me a little entry form to
fill out. The other two unfortunatelt did not have the correct Private Vessel
Visa and so it got interesting. 'You two will have to come with us,' One coppa
said. 'We have to go to the office,' the other said, meaning the station.
So while i sat in the cockpit holding my SA
Passport with just my dirty baggies on, the two smartly-dressed british passport
holders were escorted in true COPS fashion away down the dock... Pic to
follow!
The suspects arrived back at the boat a full two
hours later with visa waiver forms and prison stench. We did however manage to
get over the ordeal with a drink and made our way into the old town for
dinner. Raices was the recommendation one of the coppas gave us so we went to
check it oput and it was great. The only problem was that just as our food
arrived, the table next to us got theirs. The biggest pork chop with the
most crackling you have ever seen just sat staring at us from next door...
'We'll have to come back' Dad said.
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