Still no wind. Boo. I have to keep reminding myself that engines on a sail boat are good for more than just docking, anchoring and picking up mooring balls. They’re great for maneuvering through tight reefs into a beautiful anchorage for the night. Such is Culebrita, a little island off the east coast of Puerto Rico.
When we arrived here, we were hoping to have the anchorage to ourselves. That was not to be. It was a beautiful Sunday, and the anchorage was packed with boats full of people drinking beer while floating on rafts or just hanging out with friends and family on the beach.
We could see the old lighthouse on top of the island and decided to hike to it. We hacked our way through the overgrown trail trying not to step on the mounds of hermit crabs that lined the path. They make a terrible crunching noise when you step on them. We came upon a pile of them looking like they were having an orgy. (I’ll try to remember to bring my camera next time. It was a sight.) Turns out they were just eating a horseshoe crab. Cannibals!
Alas, we got to the top of the island and ascended the path to the lighthouse that sits near the cliff. I decided to check out a resident goat (he had made such a mess all over the grounds) when I heard Jeff make a terrible yell. I thought he got too close to the edge and was falling off because I hadn’t heard him yell like that before. Turns out that a bee had taken a liking to his left hand and thought it would be a great place to leave the stinger. I pulled the stinger out, and we hurried down the hill, pulling ice from our Yetis to ease the swelling. By the time we got back to the beach, Jeff’s heart rate had slowed to normal and his lips weren’t stinging anymore. Adrenaline is a crazy thing.
One by one, the boaters began to leave, and we were left in the anchorage with just one other sail boat. We turned off all the lights and laid out in the bean bags on the bow staring at the night sky. We hadn’t seen that many stars since one night in New Hampshire 11 years ago. It was the perfect end to a fantastic day.
Click here to watch Episode 2 on YouTube.
November 2019