Port Antonoio Jamaica...Mon

Stahlratte April 13...off Jamaica

On the evening of April 9^th, the bikes were loaded onboard without incident. While it was tough to watch Captain Ludwig mandhandle Blondy onto the rubber raft for the transport to the Stahlratte, I knew that he had done this transfer before, and he did know what he was doing.

The next morning, the moto people and the other travellers gathered at the dock for the embarkation from South America.

I was very pleased to see that the crew had done an excellent job of wrapping the bikes. There was no way that waves and water were going to drown the bikes...

Soon, we were underway and preparing to head for Jamaica...

Soon after leavetaking of Cartegana, the wind and the weather combined to serve me up with the biggest headache and case of nausea since my last drunk 26 years ago. Someone had asked me if I had my sea legs, and remembering the somewhat easy transit in December, I replied in the affirmtive.

After leaving the safety of the Cartgena headlands, and setting a course towards Jamaica, the winds picked up and the pitching of the boat was very noticeable to this Canuck, who lost all of his sea legs very quickly. Initially, I attributed my nausea and uneasiness to a bad hambuger that I had bought in the local square the night before. With the remains of the burger and anything else coming out of both ends, I sought some relief in my bunk. My bunk was forward in the bowels of the ship, and the rolling was just too much for my internal gyroscope, and I soon was looking for a better perch for the long night. I settled on a couch very near to the bathroom, knowing that I would be using it a lot during the night. I did not get any sleep the first night, and when the boat took and unusually big wave, I was thrown across the breadth of the boat. I remember sitting on the deck, thinking that a broken arm was a bitch of a way to end my ride. Fortunately, nothing on me was broken and I guess I had just been dreaming of the incident where my youngest son had broken his arm after a fall out of bunk on one of our beachombing expeditions off the west coast of Vancouver Island.

This was not the west coast, and the night was very long and stressful for most of the travellers as we struggled to adjust to the pitch and roll of the strong seas. The lack of sleep, a combination of another bout of food poisoning, and a definite case of sea sickness put me out of commission for the best part of three days. I would sleep fitifully, arise to pee and get some water, and then return to my bunk to try and regain some sort of sense of balance and to place the horizon in my brain where it should be, instead of the topsy-turvy messages that I was unable to decode sucessfully. Eating was out of the question, and while I was no longer up-chucking, I was not taking anything of substance in, either. After about 40 hours of heavy winds, the seas began to calm a bit, and on the third day, as they say, I arose to a better view of the world.

Heading for Panama??

A girl from Toronna at the helm...

The skipper decided to head around the western end of Jamaica, in order to avoid further headwinds..

Going fishing...

Look what flew into the boat....

 Making the turn around the northwestern tip and heading for port...

 Port Antonio,  Jamaica....

 Finally we land...

Thank You, America Sur

Last night on this continent, and very mixed feelings about leaving South America.  In my very short tour, I have grown very fond of the cultures and vibrations of this great continent.  I am very grateful that I have been healthy enough and fiscally restrained so that I have been able to encounter the people, places and events that have made my life significantly different and better for the past few months.

I was thinking that when the Gods were turning out the climates, continents and occupants thereof, that there is some sort of karmic justice to the way mankind is distributed over this hemisphere.  For example, my Canadian family has been suffering through a very cold and miserable winter, while the folks down here hardly notice a difference in the weather, although floods and hurricanes can, and will, do serious damage. While the folks in the Northern Hemisphere learn to live and thrive in minus temperatures, and the presence of oil sands and diamonds drive a forceful economy, the easy going climate of this region of South America somewhat softens the impact of a less than stellar economy.  Hopefully all of the non-spending backpackers will go back to their northern roots, acquire meaningful and productive jobs, and return as spendy snowbirds.

I know that further south, in Peru, and parts of Ecuador, the mineral wealth is just beginning to be exploited, and the presence   of the big players on an international scale may eventually bring some wealth and prosperity to those folks who are really struggling to live, let alone enjoy some of the bright things being pumped out of China for the rest of us.  I sincerely hope that their government leaders have the courage and an understanding of the world economy so that the welfare of their people is put before the instant payoffs offered by the multinational  mining corporations.   I don't pretend to know what the individual governments in South America have in store with respect to their foreign policy, nor do I have a clue about their domestic strategies, and all I can comment on is the very real need for social reform, education improvements, and a clear imbalance between the wealthy and not-at-all-wealthy, which needs to be addressed in my view.    From what I have been reading of Cuba, I am guessing that I may be somewhat disappointed with the results of the Socialist Revolution in Cuba, and until I see the country and gain some insight into the ways people are living, it is not for me to judge.

I think that one of the major benefits of visiting this continent was gaining a better and very real appreciation of the history of the New World.  I am better able to think in terms of "Pre-Colombian" and "New World"  histories as I have moved around through different countries and regions of South America.  It was an eye-opener for me to walk through a walled city in Peru that was being built at the same time the Egyptian pyramids were being constructed.   When I trudged up the stairs of Manchu Picchu and saw the terraces and the very sophisticated astral observatories, I began to fathom the depth and sophistication of the Pre-Colombian peoples.  I learned and appreciated that many different groups of people flourished and lived productive lives long before the conquering Spanish, and I was amazed at their art and their understanding of the world around them.

I feel as if I have just bumped into the tip of the iceberg called South America, and there are layers and layers of experiences to be had in this wonderful hemisphere.

I am thinking that maybe I should have rubbed her bottom, or something, to guarantee that I will return to South America.  The statue is kind of like the Blarney Stone, eh??

Blondy sleeps on the Stahlratte tonite, and tomorrow we start our journey towards Jamaica and Cuba, with a landing in Isla Mujeres on May 25th..

 No, I am not doing a pirate imitation.  My pinned tooth became looser and looser, fortunately falling out over coffee and not whilst I was dreaming....

A trip to an emergency dentist and 100 pesos made the glue do its thing, although I think I now have a good reason to return for dental work in  SA....

Back in the teeth business...

 Blondy was pawing at the door to get onboard, so away we went to the dock...

 It looks like there will be seven  bikes riding Cuba, and a whole bunch of backpackers...

 I hope those knots are tight...

Captain Ludwig loaded Blondy onto a rubber ducky by running her off the dock, balancing on the skid plate, and lifting her stern into the rubber boat.  I couldn't look.  He has done this a few times, so I have to have faith...

She does look kind of shiny, doesn't she???

The journey to Mexico begins....I am sending up some Caribbean weather to my snow-bound Canadian and European friends...start planning your riding season...off the grid until  June...Dave