We're still here!!
AJAYA'S CRUISE
Phil & Nikki Hoskins
Fri 6 Feb 2009 13:33
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A very belated Happy New Year to you
all!
Not surprisingly we are still here. Actually we
have been trying to move on for a couple of weeks but the weather Gods who've
been heaving the snow over Western Europe have decreed we get adverse winds
here. Very frustrating. And guess what - this has been the coldest
& wettest winter for years in these parts!! On the really bad days we
just mutter "Gosport" & "winter" & thank our lucky stars we are
here. "Ajaya" will never be finished but we've managed to complete most of
the outstanding jobs & feel as ready as we will be to attempt the crossing
if a little later than the many varied craft that have passed through here in
the last few months. From the smallest tubby home built steel concoction to the
multimillion pound super yachts built to make you drool.
Knowing the area so well has allowed us to
concentrate on the work in hand & not feel we need to
explore. Our extremely good friends & their extended family who
all live here have been more than fantastically good to us & we've
thoroughly enjoyed Christmas & New Year in their company. It's been like
being with our own families & we thank them whole heartedly for making us
feel so welcome & part of everything. The island has so much to
offer. Dispite taking a short winter break here for the last ten
years or so we've still discovered new delights especially on the coastal walks.
Not being townies the capital Arrecife doesn't inspire us nor the
out & out tourist hotspots but the remote cliff sides are secluded,
peaceful & idyllic. Silence - not even the vague, irritating buzz of a
distant motorway. Do you remember the sound of silence?
Bliss!
Puerto Calero is a very safe, secure &
comfortable marina. It will be very difficult to leave. The remoteness is
not everyone's cup of tea. For most a hire car would be a necessity to
access the large supermarkets, chandleries & the many other attractions.
Although the buses to the major places are cheap, for us exploring Lanzarote was
always best by car to really appreciate the islands beauty. Which, due to
the copious amounts of rain this year, is stunning. It is actually
green!
Of all the places we've cruised/visited it is still
in the top three for returning to long term sometime in the future. It's a
bit of a shame New Zealand, Greece & the Canaries are so far apart! On
that note lets just say we hope to start moving again within the next week with
the intention of visiting Las Palmas & Mogan on Gran Canary
before making brief stops in Gomera & Hierro two of the smaller islands
in the Canary group.
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