Dear Friends,

It has been seven months since our last travelogue and we have to admit there have been some interesting new adventures this year; some good, some bad. In addition to our usual yearly projects we scheduled a land trip to Argentina in February and upon our return, planned to head to the western Caribbean via Bonaire, Curacao, Colombia, the San Blas Islands, ending up in Panama for the summer months.

As you may recall, we were embroiled in two major repair/maintenance projects upon our return to Venezuela last October, overhauling the engine and removing our 20-year old teak decks. Upon our arrival we were surprised to learn that the engine had been overhauled as planned but had not been replaced in the boat. It seemed that our mechanic had accepted a position on a large yacht on the east coast. Well, after two and a half weeks we finally located an available mechanic, installed the engine, launched the boat and were ready for the next adventure.

After six year in the tropics our teak decks looked pretty sad and we decided to remove the teak and replace them by painting the decks and cabin with a nice light-colored non-skid. Definitely, cooler, cleaner and much cheaper. We found a great Venezuelan contractor to complete the job, but since all of the boatyards were full we had to complete the job in the water, which included moving the boat to several locations. Not a fun project when you are living aboard. Our crew did a great job and VIVA looks better than new.





The next bit of bad news came when we discovered that the newly-overhauled engine wasn't running properly. Low oil pressure and loss of power were the two major problems. The good news was that Robert, our original mechanic was returning to Puerto la Cruz and vowed to correct the problem without charge. Of course this meant having to raise the engine again after we had just varnished the entire interior! Needless to say, Pam was not a happy camper.


Learning to love her engine! 

 At this point we decided to let Robert do his thing, get off the boat and take our planned trip to Argentina while he was "sorting things out".

Argentina, where do we start? First of all, the country is immense and it would take weeks or months to see it all. We opted for an initial stay in Buenos Aires and then a week in the Patagonia lake district at the foot of the Andes. Buenos Aires is without a doubt one of the most vibrant, cultural and entertaining cities we have visited in many years. Great food and local wine, lots of culture, an exciting night life and more tango than you could ever imagine......and best of all, incredibly cheap! 

Other than the language, it is hard to believe you are in South America. We were lucky to have some good recommendations from other cruisers and also some great referrals from an Argentine couple on our dock.

Buenos Aires is made up of several districts, which are all worth a day or two exploring by themselves. The first day we took one of those terrible 3-hour city bus tours with somebody always late or whining, but it was a great way to get oriented with stops in all of the city's districts and points of interest. The rest of the time we just used the very efficient subway system. 

One of our favorite hangouts was the Cafe Tortoni, a grand old European-style cafe built in the 1800's. For less than $10.00 you can have two glasses of wine and a light snack in an elegant surrounding. They also have two different tango shows in the evening. Needless to say, we made numerous stops there

They also have two different tango shows in the evening. Needless to say, we made numerous stops there.

Our Sundays, everybody flocks to San Telmo in an old commercial district. It is very bohemian with a great antique flea market in the main plaza, a multitude of musicians, mimes and assorted street tango dancers/entertainers...a great place to people watch.

Of course Argentina is known for its beef and we found some great parilla (BBQ) restaurants in every part of the city. Certainly not a great spot for vegetarians. Equally abundant were the tango shows. We were hustled at all the hotels to attend one of the larger stage tango/dinner shows, very expensive ($75.00 per person) and more like a Las Vega production, but we always opted for the small tango cafes which were much more intimate. 





After our boating lifestyle, it was a little hard getting used to dinner at 9:00 PM but it didn't take us long to adapt. You just slept a little later in the morning.

In the very upscale Recoleta District, we roamed the famous Cementario de la Recoleta where Eva Peron is buried. The site was a little hard to find until we learned her family name was Duarte. Then it was just follow the tourists! The cemetery was located in a large park, surrounded by a huge crafts market on the weekends. Another great place to people-watch with a glass of wine and the camera ready. 





A few other areas we enjoyed were La Boca, the original Italian immigrant settlement, very colorful buildings but a bit touristy, and Palermo, another bohemian residential area with many old homes from the late 1800's that are being renovated with some very nice restaurants and shopping areas, a la Beverly Hills. We couldn't get over the cheap prices and were always able to get a great three-course lunch for two with a bottle of wine for less than $15.00. Another one of our favorite haunts was Puerto Madeiro, the old port where the old brick docks have been renovated into first-class restaurants, offices and loft apartments and is also the site of a first class marina and yacht club.

After a week in Buenos Aires we flew to Bariloche in the lake district of Patagonia. Located in the foothills of the Andes, it is about 1500 miles from Buenos Aires and is reminiscent of the German/Swiss Alp.  We rented a car for a day for a leisurely drive around the lakes, which included a stop for a cable car ride to a beautiful lookout in the Nahuel Huapi Nacional Park.

Scenes from the Patagonia Lake District

In addition to all the hiking trails there was a revolving restaurant on the summit where you could drink a glass of wine while the entire panorama slowly turned around you. My idea of a nature hike!

From there we took a bus to Angostura, another delightful little lakeside town and then on to San Martin del Andes. San Martin is a ski resort on a lake and the whole town looks like an Alpine village with wooden buildings surrounded by rose and flower gardens. Great area for hiking, sightseeing and eating. We spent one day on a local boat excursion down the lake for a nice hike and lunch.

For the 1500-mile return trip to Buenos Aires, we opted for one of the super  "Cama" or sleeper buses with fold-down seats, hot meals and wine! A very comfortable alternative to flying.

Upon our return to Buenos Aires, one of the final highlights was a trip to the an "estancia", one of the several old cattle ranches that have been restored and made into guest hotels. We took a bus to the little town of San Antonia de Areco (sort of like the wild west) and got a cab from the bus stop to a little hotel, small, clean and $17.00 per night! San Antonia is an old colonial town with several good restaurants and  numerous leather and silver artisan's workshops. You can visit the shops and there are some great buys directly from the artists. The next day we took a cab to the La Bamba Estancia (that's right La Bamba), which is one of the most famous ranches and spent the day horseback riding, swimming and were served a fabulous BBQ lunch and more of that great Argentinean wine.

The final week in Buenos Aires was spent re-visiting our favorite districts restaurants and local hangouts. There is still so much that we missed, but we hope to return in the near future.

When we returned to Puerto la Cruz, Robert had our engine problems solved and it was finally time to be heading west. Unfortunately, the security situation in Venezuela has truly deteriorated over the past year with boardings and thefts becoming more common at all of the nearby coastal islands and anchorages we used to enjoy. We have always been aware of the unsecured outboard motor thefts and an occasional robbery, but the thieves are now well armed with hand guns and shotguns as compared to past robberies with knives and rusty machetes. It is no longer the occasional dinghy outboard heist, but instead involves overpowering the cruisers and stripping the boats of all they can carry. We feel very fortunate to have seen the best of that country over the past six years with its pristine coastal anchorages and offshore islands in addition to exploring the inland beauty of Merida, Angel Falls, Colonia Tovar and other local scenic spots. In the past we have had some quality work performed and have met some wonderful locals who were not only helpful, but became friends as well. And it will be hard to forget paying 8 cents a gallon for diesel fuel, nine dollars for a liter of good scotch, and three dollars for a case of beer! 

Some unforgettable anchorages

But the time has finally come to say Adios Venezuela!

Best wishes,
Steve & Pam