I got up early to present myself and clear into the country. At the dinghy dock I locked my dinghy with the chain as always and was greeted from behind: “Dude, there is really no need to lock your dinghy here. It’s all pretty safe… and I mean no offence but honestly man…who is gonna want to steal YOUR dinghy?” He had a point.
I then went to the immigration office. Filled out the papers then walked to a bank with an atm to get local cash to pay the bill. I was then sent to the Armada (Navy). I knew your were supposed to take an interpreter along for this but I was feeling sure of myself and my spanish skills now and just walked right in. I was asked different things in breathtaking speed and with about half of the syllables of the words missing. I was desperately trying to catch keywords from which I could then derive a probable content. Feeling less sure of myself and my spanish skills now.
But one of the officers turned out to be compassionate and spoke slow and so we were able to sort everything out.
All I now had to do was visit Customs, the Agricultural Department and the Port Authority. They were all closed because it was Sunday. I would have to come back the next day. I did a bit of shopping and checked out the town and enjoyed the friendly faces and the greetings and then went home to the boat. On the way I chatted with a family from California who had their catamaran moored next to Amy. Then Hubert who I had met with Zissi in Cabo Verde and then seen again in French Guiana came by in his dinghy to say hello. We made an appointment for a beer at night in the nearest bar. I had a bit too many beers but was feeling great. By then I had promised Hubert to help him with his computer and his friend Frank to record his guitar.
The next morning I checked in with customs and the other two and then went to fill one of my 20l jerry cans with diesel at the local gas station about a mile away from the dinghy dock.
After a few meters an older man on a motorcycle whistled and motioned for me to climb on which I did. We raced at breathtaking speed to the gas station where he waited and then took me back to the dock. Again at great speed but this time balancing 20l of diesel on my one knee holding my trolley below one arm and trying to hold onto the man with the other. It was only a bit unnerving but really great fun. The man’s name is Chicho and I now have his number in case I need another ride. I then went back to the bar to take a shower. Yes! You can shower here for 50 pesos (about 90ct) and then I had a coca cola and used their internet.
The next day I went back to town to buy some vegetables and other provisions. The following short conversation took place after I had bought some bananas from a street vendor. I think it will be easily understandable even in spanish:
-“Yo soy el comandante… comandante José!”
-“Mucho gusto… yo soy el capitán Kai, …. Que tenga buen día, comandante.”
-“Igualmente, capitán!”
And that was it. We both went on our different ways only I had a big smile on my face.
I then went to see Hubert on his nice schooner and we got his problem with the navigation software on his raspberry pi computer fixed. After that I temporarily rigged my antenna for my little HF receiver to the masttop to try the different sources of weather fax, text and voice via high frequency that I would need to be able to receive during my passages to Bermuda, the Azores and the UK. I received faxes from Boston and New Orleans and everything seemed to be working fine.
