Life got even better as we had El Oculto all to ourselves. The weather not too hot during the day, humidity was down, the sunsets spectacular and the evening filled with a cool breeze so cool we needed a blanket to keep us warm in bed. The snorkeling again was incredible. A rare treat was to see a sea snake, many moray eels, baby trigger fish and a couple of octopus.

We think Tika had the best time of all chasing all the birds:

"YUMMY, dinner!!!!"

"I SWEAAAAR I didn't eat it, look!!!!"

After three days in this bliss bad weather was predicted as another tropical wave was underway and so we decided it was time to head back Marina Maremares where we are well protected from eventual storms. Just as we left the anchorage the already dark sky started opening up and a very heavy gust of wind let us know that the waves was already upon us. Luckily we had the main already double reefed but decided it was safer to lower the main and just sail with the jib, which we did. We didn’t get any other strong gusts but learned later that Cumana just about 20 miles east from us got hit with damaging winds. We sailed at 6 knots while rain was pounding on our dodger and a cold breeze chilled us. I called Maremares to let them know we were underway, but our slip was still occupied for another three days, bummer. We dropped the hook in El Farro which is by far the prettiest anchorage on any of the Puerto La Cruz Islands. The drawback is that every day around 10am one boat after another unloads tourists for the day and on weekends all the locals bring their power boats over and turn this quite place into a zoo. Every boat has their stereo on full blast you can’t tell who has the loudest music; that might not be too bad if they were on the same station. The nice thing is at 3 all the tourists are heading back to the mainland and around 5 the power boaters are heading home as well and we have the place all to ourselves again. Since it wasn’t a weekend only one other powerboat was anchored for the night. It was nice and quite although a swell rolled us a bit around, but we enjoyed the cool breeze as the wave had passed. In the middle of my sweetest dream I heard voices screaming. I jumped out of bed, my heart was pounding and I ran on deck, it sounded like there was some kind of disaster out there. I ran into the cockpit and saw an about a 50 foot power boat dropping anchor about 40 feet behind us with at least 30 people onboard, partying and the music full blast and that at 00:30 in the morning, I wanted to shoot them. They stayed about one hour before they thank goodness disappeared again. On the second day a flock of pelicans dashed into the water next to our boat and scooped up bills full of anchovies. One pelican had his bill so full his head was pulled underwater every time he attempted to fly off. Each time dozens of anchovies managed to escape out of his bill while others gobbled them up immediately. It was too funny to watch this guy as he over and over tried to lift off. The bill was so heavy he could not lift it out of the water, not even an inch. You should have seen how big his bill was it was enormous where is the camera when you need it?! Where there are anchovies there are bigger predators and Sid pulled his good fishing pole out. One cast and he landed a nice bonita, another cast a second good tasting bonita. He cast eight times and we had a wonderful dinner consisting of a wonderful appetizer of bonita sashimi, bonita poki (Hawaiian) and bonita tartar (yummy) and seared bonita. Unfortunately we also hooked a pelican, reeled him gently towards the dinghy, threw a towel over his head and bill, while I was holding on to his bill Sid took the hook out of his belly and as he was set free he sat numb for a few minutes while starring at us, then wiggled his butt feathers and happily swam away. We hoped the next day that the anchovies would come by again but no such luck.

Carlos the guide that took us to the islands on the tour boat we rented whenever we have visitors came by and brought us the freshest mangoes from his garden and a present. Last time we did a tour with him I found a stone that looked like a sailboat. He took it home and made us a present. He mounted the stone onto a piece of wood surrounded it with shells and also brought us a doily his mother had made, what a super nice guy.

Since the weekend was approaching and we definitely didn’t want to be in this anchorage for that so we pulled anchor and headed towards Maremares planning to anchor out until our slip was open. There was no need to anchor out as Jean had a slip for us right between the two nicest, biggest and most expensive mega yachts in the marina, remember my Christmas present a tour on Rompemar a 6 million dollar mega yacht? Paradise after her face lift feels pretty special to have the privileged to be placed next to the big bucks boats, well at least until our slip opened. We’re back in our slip and are enjoying once more the beautiful facility of the Maremares Hotel with its incredible pool, the many wonderful restaurants within just walking distance, the company of our old friends at the marina, sitting under the tree of knowledge every evening sipping on a cocktail and exchanging stories and indulging on the wonderful meals at our Sunday potlucks. There is no better place to be than here during hurricane season, it feels like home.