Wedensday is the day

Tatt av vinden
Bjørn Larsen
Mon 12 Jan 2015 13:17
Yesterday we flushed the boat for sand that blows from the nearby beach. Almost like the sirocco in Spain that blows sand from Sahara or another desert in Africa. The wind was down, and after a little more than an hour of work we were happy about the result. Last night the wind picked up again – more than expected. I need not tell the result.
 
But Wedensday morning we expect light winds, and at first daylight – off we go. Not that we do not like it here, but our schedule tells us to go, and as the weather trumpfs everything for sailors, Wedensday is the day. And we shall not be alone. It seems that almost ten boats will leave the same time. It’s the weather of course. And when Chris Parker says go, we go. Chris is on the air every morning 08:30 local time to tell the weather to us sailors. 12.350 Hz.
 
We read some news, and we have of course read about the horrible terrorist attac in Paris. But we also read that some 3,7 million people gathered in the streets of Paris to show their protest against such meaningless violence and in support of freedom of speach and in support of peacefully living toghether – whatever your faith is. Seems that the spirit from the Bastille is still alive in France. That warms.
 
We are in a country that have had their share of violence, from domestic guerillas. Knowing that, it feels extra good to walk peacefully around in the streets of Santa Marta, Cartagena, in Tayrona National Park and to Ciudad Perdida. It was promising to read in the newspaper in Cartagena that the local guerilla group ENL now seeks negotiations with the goverment. ENL was the group that took the hostages of tourists on their way to La Ciudad Perdida in 2003 . That gave Colombia a very bad reputation for years – in addition to the drug traffic of the area. Now it is all history, at least in this part of Colombia. The military has cleared the interior, and US coastgard has cleared the sea.
 
We shall move on from this very friendly city. That is what sailors do, leaving for new destinations. Kuna Yala calls.
 
In the meantime see our pictures from Cartagena. They will appear later today in the picture section.