Resting, eating, drinking, relaxing, reading, resting, eating, drinking, relaxing and realizing time has just run away again. We arrived in Medregal Village almost two weeks ago and have gone through at least 8 novels combined. The third day here Chris and Luima came to visit and spent two nights at the Medregal Village Resort. We had such a good time with them and I think all we did was eat, drink and relax. Although Chris did take us on a car trip around this area, enjoyed snacks on the beach with ice cold beer and Cuba Libre (there goes the eating and drinking again), relaxed at a lonely resort with more ice cold beer and a platter full of sea snails and crabs which had just been collected in the shallow waters in front of the Hotel, get this the whole platter cost us $1.50 and the beer 30 cents each. I noticed a papaya tree with the biggest papayas, the owner saw me eyeball them and told me to pick one. They were still very green and unripe, but the perfect papaya to make Green Papaya Salad, most delicious. As we left the owner's son came towards us with a dead snake dangling in his hand about 6 feet long. Luima was not too jazzed about it but I got a good look at it and couldn't keep my hand of the silky skin. On the way out I spotted a banana flower for my banana flower salad and along the way we passed a Tamarind farm and the tree limbs that hang over the road side we though were fair game and picked quite a few Tamarind. I made some tamarind sauce which I basted onto chicken legs baking in the oven, end result wonderful tasting Tamarind glazed chicken legs, a new recipe in our galley. Unfortunately time went by too fast and Chris and Luima had to leave. We went right back into reading and relaxing, cleaning the bottom of the boat (Sid), early morning water aerobics with pool noodles (Manuela), meeting at 5ish at the resort with all the other cruisers for cocktails. Every Saturday night Jean Marc organizes a BBQ, this time it was a plate full of sauerkraut, sausages, bacon, smoked pork chops and pigs feet, yummy. Can't wait to get away from here and start a diet.
Last summer we were here Jean Mark had just hauled out the first boat in his new yard, in the mean time he has 8 boats in the yard and the first one just got launched with a brand new paint job. Good paint job for a fraction of what we paid in AquaVi. The lift is really neat as it lowers across the beach into the water and even a boat with 7 foot draft can easily get onto the lift, then it is pulled back out over the beach onto the yard. He just received a trailer to haul out Catamarans as well. Before we leave Venezuela we'll haul out here too for a new bottom paint job. The yard reminds us more of a nice KOA campground and each boat gets the most beautiful view over the beach and water, not to mention the mountains behind them. Palapa huts are also available one between each two slips, to work in the shade, power and water and all. This yard is out in nowhere so shopping for things are a bit tougher, but most everything can be found in Corupano a two hour car drive away. Jean Mark drives there every Wednesday and offers a ride to cruisers. I went last Wednesday and again had a wonderful time. Corupano is a small but very busy town and pretty much anything can be found here knowing where everything is of course. Just before the town are some saltwater ponds and to my amazement I saw hundreds of pink flamingos standing on one leg close to each other across the other side of the pond and on our return they were all right next to the road, my first wild flamingos.
The weather here is just amazing, we were surprised last summer how cool the evening got even during summer. Now it gets down right chilly at night and on occasion during the day I have to put on a jacket to keep warm and sip on hot tea during the day. Sid likes to sleep in the cockpit and the other night it got so cold that he had to use two blankets to keep warm. This morning he read 70 degrees inside the boat. The Christmas winds are still howling and for the last 10 weeks we had 20 to 25 knots blowing almost daily. It's definitely been blowing non stop since we arrived, except it lays down at night but starts right up again around 10 in the morning until sundown or even later. Last night was the most peaceful of all nights not a sound was to be heard not even a little splashing the water was as slick as the surface of a mirror. Today it's howling again and we are actually getting tired to listen to the howling through the rigging. Looks like next week we should finally have a good window for Trinidad as the wind are predicted to slow down to 15 knots, so lets hope for the best. We're leaving tomorrow for Laguna Grande, then on Sunday to Isla Margarita with a one day shopping spree to load up on rum and wine and Tuesday off to Trinidad. Yeah, Trinidad here we come.
BANANA FLOWER SALAD
Slice flower and soak in salt water at least one hour. Drain.
Cover with salt water and boil 5 minutes. Drain and cool.
Mix 1 cup each soy sauce, oil and vinegar with crushed red peppers and garlic. Heat.
Mix flower with 1 chopped onion.
Pour on warm dressing. Stand one hour. Chill and serve with sliced bread or crackers. Holds well in refrigerator
GREEN PAPAYA SALAD Serving Size: 2
1 large green papaya (a touch of yellow showing is OK)
1/2 cup raisins
2 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/3 cup white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 clove garlic -- crushed
1 carrot -- shredded
salt and pepper -- to taste
Peel papaya and cut in to half. Scrape out the seeds and shred papaya flesh on a coarse grater. Add all the above ingredients and toss. For variation, cabbage or bell peppers may be added.
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