THE ADVENTURE COMES TO AN END………(maybe not, until we see what Trump does)
The crew of SummerSalt is home and unpacking, washing numerous loads of laundry, opening 6 weeks of mail, paying year end bills and sleeping a lot. The motion of the water still makes us stumble sometimes, but we slowly getting our land legs back.
It is a little strange to watch television again, news and politics are like a soap opera, skip a month or two and you can get up to speed in a few minutes. Many wondrous things appear when a person does not get bombarded with constant negative issues. I cancelled my satellite service before sailing off and have no desire to get it back. Thirty minutes of Lester Holt is enough each day to keep up with world affairs.
SummerSalt is tucked away for the winter in a small lagoon in Islamorada (half way down the Florida Keys), clean and no longer salt encrusted like a margarita. Early spring, she will make her way north to Charleston either by one long shot up the Gulf Stream or by daylight hops up the intercoastal waterway, or a combination of both. Someone lucky enough to have a boat has a duty to share it and this boat is prepared to do her duty. So plan on a sunset harbor cruise in 2017.
Since this is the final entry on our trip to Cuba, I wanted to make an effort to wrap it up and tuck it away to be pulled out occasionally (especially when it’s cold and rainy).
Some personal observations:
– Sailing around Cuba is not the best way to see Cuba. The government is very paranoid that any boat can be used as an immigration vessel, so boaters are not allowed off their boats unless in an international marina and there are only six such marinas in over 2000 miles of coastline. We have no regrets though since we brought our own really nice hotel room and our own toilet paper.
– Cuba is changing, very slowly, even with Castro’s death, 58 years of total control will not shift quickly. In all honesty, Cuba needs to make some changes before it would be a great place to visit. Most Cubans have no experience in hospitality, they desperately want to please, but do not have the resources yet to provide basic conveniences we have come to expect: like toilet seats and paper, clean water and air. US credit cards are useless (cash is king) and wifi is as rare as icebergs in the Caribbean. Don’t get me wrong, we love Cuba, just like you love a puppy even before it is house trained. Trinidad, Cayo Guillermo, Cienfuegos and Sancti Spiritus were some of our favorites, unique in their own ways, yet completely Cuban. Havana is wondrous and overwhelming at the same time (remember your first visit to New York City?)
– A highlight of our visit was the Hemingway House, the grounds sprawling and beautifully landscaped. Pilar, Earnest’s beloved wooden yacht is on display in jaw dropping shape. The photos we posted look like just another nice home, but add the legend and drama, that place transforms into a 3 dimensional Hemingway novel. In Key West, we went by the US version of Earnest’s home, were confronted with people lined up around the corner to get in, and were grateful for the opportunity to have experienced the serene Cuban version.
– Anita and I highly recommend you put Cuba on your list of places to see before you die, but wait till the changes reach your comfort level, and like us, it will linger right at the top of the favorite places you have ever visited.
In Closing:
We could not have made this trip without the generous help from Charlotte and Rick Edgecomb, who watched over our dog and cat (Lily and Mia) and kept our home safe. Also a world of thanks to the staff at Gentle Family Dentistry and Greg Bottone, who all worked harder so we would not worry about things back in Charleston. Another shout out goes to Tom Yarbrough, who drove down from Vero Beach to help get SummerSalt into her winter home, then drove us back up to Fort Pierce where we rented a car for the remainder of our journey to Mount Pleasant. Thanks to Anita’s family who gave her up for Christmas, in trade for a belated version in January.
A special thanks to all of you for sharing this adventure with us, writing it all down made it so much more real for us and we hope that it helps you to throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor, catch the trade winds in your sails, love explore, dream and discover.
May 2017 be full of good surprises for each of you,
Steve Michel and Anita London
