We are now in Santiago de Cuba having arrived here yesterday afternoon. We had a very pleasant beam reach sail taking 32 hours to complete the 180 mile trip from Grand Inagua.
We have now parted company with Carol and Steve on 'Innamorata' and Pam and Dennis on 'Glide' who are heading for the Dominican Republic and we probably won't see them again this season. We all enjoyed a farewell BBQ on the beach at Datum Bay in the Acklins. Dennis caught a 40 pound Wahoo and so we thought it only right we should help him eat it. We had spent the day snorkeling and trying our hand at spear fishing. We speared one Lion fish and frightened the daylights out of two others. Not bad for our first attempt but more practice required.
CUBA
Since arriving we have spent most of our time getting checked in to the country. There has been a procession of officials coming to the boat. First the Doctor, then Customs and Immigration followed by the Health Dept to check our fruit, veg and raw meat. However the crowning glory was two sniffer dogs checking for drugs and explosives. Firstly the big black slobbering beasts scratched Andrew newly varnished stairs and then proceeded to shake their heads splattering slobber all over the boat. The explosives dog found our flares - woo hoo! Anyhow we are now checked in and free to explore.
We have made friends with an English couple Tony and Angela on 'Tana Vika'. Today we shared a taxi to the Castillo del Morro built in 1639. The fort stands on the hilltop overlooking the harbor entrance and is in very good condition. This is only the second fort we have seen since leaving the Med. We enjoyed a few hours exploring and taking the stairs down to sea level and climbing back up. The rugged coastline and mountains are terrific to see especially after the low lying Bahamas.
Castillo del Morro, Clare and Angela
SO WHAT'S NEXT
Tomorrow we will go into Santiago de Cuba and explore more.
Love Candy xx
At 11:11 PM10/02/2013 (utc) our position was 19°58.98'N 075°52.37'W
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