Last Post- Bringing it back to the beginning

Taking this opportunity to post some of the very first images from Ghost I took back in June.  Here we all are getting the boat ready, cleaning, packing it up.
I think it's only fitting that the last post brings us back to the beginning.

signing off
Happy Travels!

blog: what a horrid word

I remember when it was torture to be forced to watch slides of someone's vacation. Now they get blogged or facebooked and suddenly people want to see them.  The medium really is the message.

I remember when people who felt the urge to write kept journals. Now they splash the most self indulgent  inane minutae imaginable in a blog and aren't the least bit self conscious about it.

I don't think I have the necessary sense of self importance( if that's what it is) or self aggrandizement (if that) to continue this blog.  Or maybe I'm just not chatty enough.  I'd rather watch the sunset than take it's picture.

In any case, this is farewell to my brief entry into blogdom.

I will be sending email updates to my sons and family, describing what occurs as GHOST sails through the Caribbean. If you are a friend and wish to receive these emails, write me at runyonwoods@gmail.com and I'll add you to the list. That will be the only way to keep up.

Three Belles

Carol and Riva have a beautiful wooden boat... Three Belles

Luperon, Dominican Republic

More photos from the day we got to Luperon.

 After a long hard crossing from Big Sandy Cay, Turks and Caicos

 The Dominican Republic!!

 Already a welcome change from the flat islands of the Bahamas

 7:30 am-ish- we sailed all night through 20-30 knots of wind

 At Wendy's Bar- everyone checking their computers

 This poor goat was pregnant- I hope she had her kids already- she was huge!!

 Local guy hot spot, they all gather to play dominoes.

27 waterfalls

it is colie and kelly’s last day in dr, so I rented a car and took them to this place called 27 waterfalls, which I had done with ivy and river before.  I sent them on up and am typing this (hoping to make hannah laugh) while they hike. The waterfalls are not large, but they tumble one after the other down a gorge of rock.   When I did it, I thought our two skinny young guides  would walk us to the top and we would jump and slide down, but I was wrong.  The guides help you climb UP the falls, right through the streams of water cascading down. Your guide stands above the fall, reaching down and explaining in pigeon English “put your right foot there and give me your left hand’’ where upon they haul you up through the water falling down over you.  Or you climb up a rickety ladder or a 60 degree steep rock face over a twenty foot fall, holding on to an old frayed knotted polypropylene rope thinking “this is crazy the rope will break”  . sometimes the gorge towers 60 feet over you in sheer rock. the water is cool and feels wonderful after the very oppressive heat of the dr. after 27 falls and treks through rocky streams and hikes up steep hills, you get to the highest fall. No time to rest , jump off 15 feet down into water 6 feet deep, “don’t forgetto raiseo your kneeos”. At the next fall they tell you to lie down, cross your arms and slide down the rock chute you climbed up, over the edge to another 10 foot splash “raiseo kneeos!”  you now have 25 left to go. No man 5 months out of back surgery should do this.  In the states this whole enterprise would be shut down as too dangerous, but it is thrilling and the cool water pools are wonderful.  Colie and Kelly will be tired. 

Afterwards we’ll have a exciting ride back to Luperon, through really beautiful countryside, dodging potholes, pausing for herds of beshitted cattle and their calves being herded by guys on horseback cracking whips or the singleton cow or  a herd of goats wandering in the middle of the road ( on the way here one was a bull, who went where he wanted). Past plies of burning trash. Past horses and foals grazing by the road or standing in it. Past villages full of side by side decrepit stucco or wood houses 12 feet wide.   Everyone hangs out in plastic chairs on the edge of the road, so they don’t miss a chance to say hi to their neighbors or look at the gringos going by. Machetes close to hand. They don’t seem to notice the garbage.   Buy some gas at $5 a gallon to run the Honda generator that I bought until I can import a new fisher panda. A shower and maybe g&t’s on GHOST , dinner at Puerto Blanco ( where the waitresses haul you up to dance over and over) with carl and riva and ivy. Another day past. Dr enchants you at the same time it appalls you, charms you and disgusts you all at once. 

Kevin's Camera

Great thing about being in the harbor is getting to know the other boaters.  I got a chance to walk around Luperon and the surrounding hills and beach with Kevin.  Here are some pictures we snapped on his camera.

 That's the town and harbor way down there.

 Got my hair done on the way to the beach.

 There's Kevin!

 These trees are amazing!

 Made it up to the yacht club- found this sweet puppy!

 Luperon Harbor from the yacht club bar.

 Streets of Luperon

 Taking a break with some locals.  That's Tony in the blue shirt- he spoke great English!

 Drinks and dinner with other boaters! @ Puerto Blanco