S/V L'ORIENT

A festive display of holiday cheer in Cartagena Happy holidays to our followers, even you folks from strange and unappealing cultures that we certainly won't visit in 2019 (or probably ever). Tis the season !!! Some problems at the nuclear power plan 20 miles north The much anticipated visit from Princess Emily was fun, fun, fun......and also quite useful for her as she now is an auditor of large international bank servicing loans to Colombia. We toured Cartagena- by bus, horse, and on foot. Is your horse safe ? Response- "This is not my horse" While Emily shared our amazement at the nice new condos and construction cranes everywhere, the look of revulsion on Emily's face is a, well, look of revulsion. Emily sizing up some unappealing lunch options... The 95 degree butchery in the Bazurto Market with no refrigeration caught her a bit by surprise. Ham and cheese on rye m'am ? Uh, no. Looking for Saks Fifth Avenue - you said we were goin

Colombian jungle version of Jack and the Beanstalk (the mosquitos are oversized too) We've transitioned successfully to boat life after our trip to God's freezer (Wisconsin). It remains here, in a word........hot. Kirstin and I are both pretty fit but the heat here is so debilitating that you actually cross traffic to get to the shady side of the street, where it's a relatively cool 93 degrees. All around us Colombian women wear Levi's and long sleeves in the hot sun.......of course without sweating or ruining their uniformly perfect hair. Not sure how that works. Venezuelan money-purse workshop; low overhead in this sidewalk virtual sweatshop You can't choose your neighbors As we've made our loyal readership aware, sometimes the "haves" and the "have-nots" come in uncomfortably close contact. We may have mentioned the cramped, old 40 ft steel boat next to us with a mom, a missing father (back in Europe earning money), 6 childre