Ibiza part 2

Hi from Clare,                                                   Saturday 13^th August 2011

Well we are having a quiet week enjoying the long awaited sunshine and crystal clear 28 degree sea water.

AND THE BEAT GOES ON

We are slowly circumnavigating the island of Ibiza. Each day we sail for a few hours to the next anchorage.  We usually leave around lunchtime when the wind comes up which makes for good sailing and a few friendly competitions with our cruising buddies on ‘Tactical Directions’. Basically we can beat them to windward especially in light conditions and they can beat us off the wind especially in stronger winds.

Sailing round West Coast Ibiza

OH TO BE YOUNG AGAIN

We spent two days together in San Antonio which is one of the Ibiza’s famous holiday destinations for the young. Without exaggeration we were some of the oldest tourists in town. In San Antonio the Henna Tattoo is a thriving business and it would be fair to say that the young wear more tattoos than they do clothes. In the day the streets and outdoor cafes are packed with bikini clad girls and boys in board shorts. At night the restaurants and bars are well patronized and there are street markets and carnivals along the foreshore. We watched a ride at the carnival called ‘The Slingshot’. How anyone (and some under ten years old) could go on this ride is beyond me. Two people sit side by side in a chair held by a slingshot contraption which shoots them up into the air at great speed – it was truly terrifying. I ran and took cover under a nearby umbrella incase the occupants threw up.

San Antonio

NO NEED FOR ALARM

We have watched a few television shows at home showing Ibiza as being the ‘anything goes’ holiday destination. San Antonio is very vibrant but everyone is well behaved. We anchored in the harbour expecting to be kept awake all night with doof doof music but it was very quiet. We did see a few sorry sights in full party gear making their way home around lunchtime the following day. But apart from that it was pretty tame.

WE’RE LOOSING IT

San Antonio was our place for loosing things. Firstly Andrew lost the key for the dinghy outboard. We think it fell out of his pocket and so  we retraced our steps in search of the key but to no avail. We will have to buy or make a new one. At present Andrew is starting the engine by using a piece of string in the kill switch.

Later that same day I lost a bifocal lens from my sunglasses. This was a real blow as I wear my sunglasses every day. We had been shopping in the local fruit and vege market and I changed glasses whilst there as it was dark under cover. It wasn’t until some time later I found that a screw had fallen out and one lens was missing.  We debated whether it was worth retracing our steps for the second time that day.  However the stakes were higher and so we went back into town and returned to the market.  When we arrived the busy morning trade had lulled and a staff member was sweeping the floor. I showed her my sunglasses, she disappeared out the back and returned with my lens – I could have kissed her.

We have spent quite a lot of time with Tony and Jacqui from ‘Tactical Directions’. The boys have helped each other with boat maintenance and passage planning and we have spent enjoyable evenings sharing drinks or playing Rummy. The competition is to be continued because at present the girls are winning, that doesn’t sit well with Tony – however it is all in good fun.

ONE IN A MILLION 

We are currently anchored off the beach at Espalmador.  It is a renowned beach and certainly the best beach we have seen in the Med. The beach is shallow with a sandy bottom. The water is bright aqua, very clean and lovely and warm. It is very popular, each day there are hundreds of people and hundreds of boats. The women are mostly topless but we have seen very little nudity beyond that. Last night there was a mass excitis of boats around sunset with only a scattering of yachts staying overnight.  This morning they all returned to enjoy another beautiful day.

  

                                         Beach scenes at the main beach on Formentera

SO WHAT’S NEXT?

Tomorrow we will continue on to Ibiza town which is another well known party destination. It will be interesting to compare it to San Antonio. I will let you know what we think in our next newsletter.

Love Candy xx