GUANAJA, BAY ISLANDS OF HONDURAS TO THE COLOMBIAN ISLAND JEWELS OF PROVIDENCIA, SANTA CATALINA, AND SAN ANDRES APRIL - MAY 2014

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APRIL - MAY 2014

LEAKY SEA COCKS, SPECTACULAR DOLPHIN SHOW, PURPLE WATER, 

BILL'S BIRTHDAY,

SHARK DIVING, CLIMBING THE PEAK TWICE AND OTHER MEMORABLE HIKES, ULTRA TV AND RADIO INTERVIEWS, LOCAL FESTIVALS, 

AND AMAZING NEW FRIENDS WITH INCREDIBLE FAMILY HISTORIES

Ahoy, Everyone from  ULTRA!  We hope that this blog finds you all happy and healthy!  We last left you with our adventures in Roatan and Guanaja. We were ready to depart Guanaja the next morning, however, we were going to install a new fuel lift pump.  But mother nature had other ideas, the weather window was to be great and it was time to roll.  The fuel lift pump that is on the engine now will be fine, but if we had the time, we would use it to just mark one more thing off of the never-ending ULTRA maintenance list.  We called our fun friends Steve and Alice on S/V Ocean Star, that we have now been traveling on and off with for 2 years, and asked what time they would pull up anchor.  They informed us that they would have to go back to Roatan because one of their sea cocks (a thru hull fitting/valve with a lever that has a hose connected to it that either prevents/or allows seawater to come inside the boat depending on the need at the time, for example to cool an engine or for a salt water faucet, etc. ) had broken loose and water was coming in the boat at a slow pace.  However, any more pressure on it, might cause it to be damaged even more and lots of water to come in.  For ULTRA, the weather window was perfect so we had to press on and make the passage to Providencia and Santa Catalina.  
We arrived in this most beautiful place!  It was not the best passage considering the weather and autopilot issue, but we made it safe and sound to this magnificent place! Full of amazing water, hiking, and fun new friends.  After Providencia and Santa Catalina, we headed to their sister island, San Andres. 

We hope that you enjoy this Blog entry!  If you have a magical place in mind that is off the beaten path, then this is the place.  If you would like more information, please contact us and we will be happy to share more with you.  We recently explored the amazing San Blas Islands of and island hopped our way to the beautiful area of Bocas Del Toro, Panama.  We are currently in Bocas Marina, Panama. We look forward to sharing those adventures with you soon! We do not always have internet, but that is an ok price to pay for being in paradise! Oh yes, and we are still fixing things aboard all of the time.   : )  

Cheers and have a wonderful day,

J & B & Sailor Kitty  

S/V ULTRA

FUN PHOTO HIGHLIGHTS:

AMAZING DOLPHIN SHOW PERFORMED OFF ULTRA'S BOW ON THE WAY TO PROVIDENCIA!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO THE LOVE OF MY LIFE!
TRES LECHES CAKE IS WHAT HE WANTED JOANNE TO MAKE HIM FOR HIS B-DAY! 

RED TIDE THAT IS MORE PURPLE

THIS IS A BUCKET OF BAT GUANA THAT RICHARD'S FRIEND JUST HARVESTED FROM A LOCAL CAVE; HE SAID IT WILL EXCELLENT FOR HIS GARDEN!

SCOOTER RIDE ALL OVER THE ISLAND

BILL'S BROTHER MADE OF CONCRETE! : )

EASTER BRUNCH CHILLING OUT

THE EDITING OF OUR ULTRA TV INTERVIEW

BILL'S GETS RUM AND MORE RUM  FOR HIS BIRTHDAY!

HIKING PABLO ESCOBAR'S PROPERTY

ULTRA'S MAIN SALON FULL OF OUR FUN FRIENDS FOR BILL'S BIRTHDAY!

JOANNE AND RICHARD OF RICHARD'S RASTA BAR

GIGANTIC CONCH IN THIS WONDERFUL 

MARINE PARK!

THE BLOWHOLE IN SAN ANDRES

OUR FUN FRIENDS FROM SAN ANDRES

PABLO ESCOBAR HOME RUINS

THIS RESTAURANT DECORATES WITH BOTTLES

THE HORSE RACE

WE HITCHED A RIDE HOME FROM THE HORSE RACE WITH A LOCAL 

CAT BOAT RACE

PARTY TO CELEBRATE ULTRA'S TV INTERVIEW AND THE DEPARTURE OF THE PRODUCTION CREW

DINNER AT LA REGATTA

OUR RED SNAPPER GIFT HAS ARRIVED!

JUST A FRACTION OF OUR SEA BEANS
2 HOUR HUNT

ISLA PROVIDENCIA:

SCUBA DIVING ADVENTURE WITH THE GRAY REEF SHARKS:

ISLA SANTA CATALINA

HIKE TO FORT WARWICK

CRUISERS WE MET THAT ARE SMOKING A MARLIN THEY CAUGHT ON THE WAY FROM BELIZE
YES, THIS IS AN OVEN.

SOMETIMES THE STORES ARE FULL TO THE GILLS, AND SOMETIMES THEY ARE BARE!

BILL'S BIRTHDAY: 

CANNON WE FOUND WHILE SNORKELING

BILL TYING UP OUR DINK AT PABLO'S OLD DOCK

WE DECIDED NOT TO GO THIS WAY UP, FOR FEAR OF AN AVALANCHE
WE ARE SUPER ADVENTUROUS, BUT NOT THAT ADVENTUROUS!

BILL'S BIRTHDAY PARTY ABOARD ULTRA!

SCOOTER RIDE

RED TIDE THAT IS PURPLE

THIS IS HALF OF THE HUGE PLATE FOR TWO PERSONS

YES THESE ARE RECYCLED TIRES

FESTIVALS

THESE GUYS ARE SERVING ICED COLD OLD MILWAUKEE
BEER OUT OF THEIR TRUNK
ARE THEY FROM TEXAS????

 CELEBRATING 5 YEARS CRUISING ABOARD ULTRA!   EXCELLENT SNORKELING!

ISLA SAN ANDRES

BIKING AND BEACH DAYS

Also,we enjoy beachcombing, so we were going about our business picking up shells and seabeans, and a 5 year old boy came over to see what we were doing.  He wanted to help and quickly started helping us fill our bags.  So fun and we took him to the local tienda that had a swimming pool for a dip in the pool and a popsicle and pineapple juice.  What a great day!  Great we also are getting to practice our Spanish!

OUR PEN PAL FRIENDS:
Photos of our friends that found our message in a bottle that threw out a few years ago. They said whenever we were in town, to contact them. Well here we are!  : )  So fun! He even took us to their home to show us the bottle, it was still there on the shore after over a year!

BILL'S BIRTHDAY:

CANNON WE FOUND WHILE SNORKELING

BILL DOCKING THE DINGHY FOR OUR HIKING ADVENTURE TO
PABLO ESCOBAR;'S ABANDONED HOME AND PROPERTY

THE ROCKY STEPS UP TO THE STAFF HOUSING

WE DECIDED TO GO ANOTHER WAY UP 

TIDYNG UP

BILL'S AWESOME BIRTHDAY PARTY!  

AMAZING SCUBA DIVING ADVENTURE:

THE NEXT DAY WE HIKED TO THE PEAK!

THE WATER IS PURPLE DUE TO THE RED TIDE!
Go to the link to read more about this:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_tide

WE MADE IT TO THE TOP OF THE PEAK!

HIKES TO MORGAN'S HEAD AND OF SANTA CATALINA:

WONDERFUL ARCHITECTURE ON SANTA CATALINA ISLAND

LOVER'S BRIDGE CONNECTS PROVIDENCIA AND SANTA CATALINA

THE SIGN READS:  THIS IS THE SITE WHERE PIRATES
WERE HUNG AND PROTESTANTS WERE BURNED.

ULTRA ANCHORED BENEATH MORGAN'S PROFILE.
SEE FROM RIGHT TO LEFT, THE FOREHEAD, THE EYES, THE NOSE AND LIPS AND THEN LARGE CHIN.

THIS ADORABLE PUPPY WAS OUR ESCORT TO  MORGAN'S HEAD. YES, WE FED HIM OUR LUNCH AND PART OF OUR WATER SUPPLY.  SO CUTE!

HIKING IT WITH KINGA AND HINNERK TO THE REMAINS OF  FORT WARWICK AND THEN ONTO TO MORGAN'S HEAD AND THE BEACH.

ULTRA BEACH DAY TO CELEBRATE BILL'S BIRTHDAY.  WE HEADED TO HIKE TO PABLO ESCOBAR'S ABANDONED HOME ON SANTA CATALINA:

ONE OF THE HOMES OF PABLO ESCOBAR.  WE HIKED TO IT AND THEN AROUND TO THE OTHER SIDE OF THE ISLAND WHERE IT APPEARS HIS STAFF AND GUARDS LIVED. IT HAS BEEN ABANDONED FOR MANY, MANY YEARS.

THE BEGINNING OF BILL AND JOANNE'S HIKE TO
PABLO ESCOBAR'S ABANDONED HOME

A CANNON WE FOUND JUST LYING ON THE ROCKS, WE ALSO FOUND ANOTHER ONE IN THE SEA WHILE SNORKELING.

COOL ROCK FORMATIONS!

REALLY COOL ROCK FORMATIONS!

WE MET A GREAT GROUP FROM ANOTHER BOAT THAT BUILT AN OVEN AND
THEY WERE SMOKING A TUNA THAT THEY HAD CAUGHT
ON THEIR SAIL FROM BELIZE.

CAPTAIN MORGAN'S HEAD

BILL TRYING TO GET A PRICE ON TRANSPORTING JERRY JUGS OF DIESEL.  CHECK OUT THE WONDERFUL FORD PICK UP TRUCK.  WE WOULD THINK WE WERE BACK HOME IN TEXAS!

PARTIES WITH FUN FRIENDS:

HINNERK HELPING US IN THE GALLEY TO MAKE NAAN BREAD TO GO ALONG WITH THE COCONUT CURRY FOR A DELICIOUS ABOARD ULTRA

THE WHOLE GANG!

SUNDOWNER ON MORGAN'S BEACH

   

JOANNE IS POINTING TO THE AMAZING PEAK THAT WE HIKED TO TWICE!

THE CELEBRATED CONGREJO NEGRO (BLACK CRAB)

HIKES TO THE PEAK:

CAPTAIN MORGAN'S BUTT CRACK

CAPTAIN'S MORGAN'S PROFILE LYING DOWN

AMAZING ALMOND BAY BEACH WITH KINGA AND HINNERK:

WE HOPE THAT YOU ENJOYED THIS BLOG!  WE LOOK FORWARD TO  SHARING OUR SAN BLAS ADVENTURES WITH YOU SOON!  WE DO NOT ALWAYS HAVE INTERNET, BUT IT IS AN OKAY PRICE TO PAY  FOR  BEING IN PARADISE!  
CHEERS, J AND B 
S/V ULTRA