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Wednesday, May 17, 2006

Caribbean Odysea 2 : The Virgin Islands

Gosh gosh, aren't the virgin islands everything but virgin ? Seems like most of it has been spoiled and taken over by wealthy (should I say stinkingly rich ?) residents/tourists…. Prices are outrageous here (imagine, 3US for 5 minutes of internet, which will make you understand why this email is shorter than average, and I might not be replying to each of you all individually, though reading your emails was great fun and heartwarming..).

My first five days of sailing were great, though not as challenging as I expected. We mostly stayed on a fixed course, with me keeping a watch from 2am till 6am, quite an experience, steering a boat, under the starfilled sky and black sea all around you, navigating on the stars. Then watching every instant of the sun rise, cause we were heading east, as a marvelous ending ot each watch, though I usually was exhausted by that time.

It is funny how a sailingtrip is such an isolated environment, just the three of us, on our own rythme, each with our own thoughts to ponder during the long hours. There is very little new input during a trip, so you tend to reflect on a lot of decisions and oll things, making me often think of Haiti and my friends, and of the future, which is not very clear, but still bright like those sunrises every morning.

Talking about the future, anyway, this Monday 22 of may I'll be heading towards Sint Maartine, the island next door, by plane (you needed to have an onwarding ticket upon arrival here in Tortola, migration requierements are such a bitch, so I needed to buy a ticket which I choose to be the cheapest and thus closest island). But, Sint Maarten sounds interesting an island divided between the French and the Dutch, so me as a Belgian should fit right in.

From Sint Maarten, hoping to quickly find a boat towards the south, Venezuela or Trinidad, so that I can be in Brasil beginning of June (if anybody has any good contacts, don't hesitate to let me know, it is always nicer to discover a country through the people living there…). Then my Caribean Odysea will be ove rand I can start my Brasilian one…

Signing off for now, and, upon my morning star that always came out to great me, have been wishing you all the best, cause I have had time to think of all of you, and am dearly missing you all. Hope next time I will have a less expensive way of writing to you all, so I can give you the time and emails you all deserve…

Keep shining, my little stars !

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