We made landfall in Graciosa, a little spec of an island on
the northern end of the chain of 7 islands that are the Canaries.
The Canaries are technically part of Spain, but certainly
feel like their own world, and the people are quick to explain that they are
Canarians first, Spaniards second. The islands on the east side, are all
volcanic and look like the surface of the moon, very stark and very little
vegetation, but beautiful in a unique way. A lot of vistas and mountains look a
bit like Arizona, where we are from, but with the added bonus of being
surrounded by a gorgeous blue sea.
Graciosa is a sleepy village with sand streets and low,
white washed houses with large porches for staring at the sea. It has a
collection of a few hippie folks who came to visit from around the world and
apparently never left. There are 3 little markets, and it takes visiting all 3
to collect what you need, but a fun undertaking, nonetheless.
The wind was quite strong for several days, and the
anchorage we were at was not the most comfortable, but we toughed it out and
then headed south to the next island, Lanzarote. We wrapped around the bottom of
the island, another 35 miles south, and anchored in a bay right outside a
marina, and next to a large resort town called Playa Blanca. We met up with
some friends, on Begonia, and Imagine. Begonia was heading west to meet friends
on another island so we hung out for almost a week, working on boat projects
and getting things ready for the crossing. We rented a car one day and drove to
the other side of the island where there is a large, inexpensive grocery store,
and we did another provision for the next few months. It takes a staggering
amount of food and planning to feed 8 people and try to predict what well need
the most of.
We then sailed to the next island, Fuertaventura (big
adventure) and found a great village called Gran Tarajal. It is neatly manicured
and every planter is cleaned and raked everyday, a very clean place. As an
added bonus, the town marina is the cheapest in the Canaries, something every
cruiser is ALL about, so we relaxed for a few days. We had a sail repaired in
the marina from a guy living and working on his boat, and as the crossing is
starting to loom, feel like we’re getting things in order. We’ve also spent a
lot of time researching the right medication for Senegal and Gambia, both
malaria prone areas, and getting things like mosquito nets for all the beds.
We’re excited to see Gambia and Senegal, but part of us is
wanting to get on to the crossing, as the anticipation seems to just keep
building and building. I’m sure we’ll be really glad we went to west Africa,
and there really is no better way to see it than from your own boat, I mean,
when else might we be in this part of the world with this amazing opportunity?
We’re moving on toward Dakar, Senegal in the next few days.
Again, our longest passage yet, 800 miles and about a week at sea, and almost ½
as long as the passage across the Atlantic. The Atlantic crossing will be
approximately 2000 miles. Baby steps, right?!
If we don’t post again before we leave, we’ll see you from
Senegal!
~Hems
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