The night is disturbed by the sloshing of water under the cabin. At one point I wake up to check if there is water rushing over the floor. The water tanks are under cabins 15 & 16. A morning sail through rain begins the day.
After lunch we dropped anchor in a cove off Isle Culebrita, sometime called snake island. This is one of the oldest bird sanctuaries in United States territory. It was established in Culebra on February 27, 1909 by President Teddy Roosevelt.
A few hiked to the ruins of an existing light house at the highest point of land. The first and foremost reason people come to Culebra is probably to do nothing. The white sand beaches are amongst the finest in the world. Coral reefs are close to shore. We walk to the other side of the island. Dozens of hermit crabs scatter out of the pathway. A beautiful beach is waiting for us. Palm trees sway in the breezes of a sunny afternoon. We brought blowup rafts and lazily float around soaking up the sun.
At 3:30pm we cruise to Ensenada Honda and anchor in a cove. Dinner is served at the gourmet restaurant “Seabourne”. The passengers are the only customers. A rum punch is offered upon arrival. The menu is a choice of flank steak fettuccine and stuffed pork loins. Delicious chocolate crepes end the meal.
A full day of fun! A full night of undisturbed sleep!
The trip was not only memorable for the amount of animals we saw but also for the people and accommodations at the two camps where we stayed. Our first guide, BK, was a wealth of information about the animals, landscape and down to the plants and what they were used for. Everyday out was a learning experience with him. All the people at the camps were gracious and the food was excellent.
Our second camp in the Okavanga was just as good as the first as far as the staff, accommodations, food and animals. After our experience at the first camp we amazed that the high quality remained the same. Our guide, G, made sure we were able to enjoy every experience including a rush through the bush to witness a cheetah and an ensuing hunt that he heard over his radio.
In both camps there were enough guides out that if they saw something the other guides were informed which helped in seeing as much as possible. It was also nice that the concessions were large enough that we did not have vehicles following each other throughout the day.
Normally there is always something in a trip of this length that we think could be improved upon but this is the rare case where we cannot think of anything. From the time we left the States to when we returned it was one of the most hassle free vacations we took.
Perhaps emphasizing the use of the laundry facilities at the camps would be useful because of the luggage restrictions would be the only thing I can think of as an improvement to future clients.
Kenneth Dropek
2 days ago
Mary was so pleasant and professional. She made sure all of our questions were answered.