As many of you know I used to write for Latitudes & Attitudes, and will most likely do so again. One of the best pieces of cruising advice they give is “Attitude”, that’s what cruising its all about, and its true! Change Latitudes, change Attitudes!
I meet so many cruisers who just don’t adapt to their environment. So many cruisers go to the market in foreign countries and expect to buy the same products as they do at home. “I just like such and such peanut butter, soft drink, or tooth paste”. The world has so many wonderful things to offer like malta (soft drink), new fruits, vegetables, beers, and so many other things. The best cruisers are the ones who easily adapt to their environments and accept new languages, customs, products, and foods. Truthfully…, its part of the fun for me.
I’ve been relaxing for a few days now. Although my crew was great having 4 people on Splendid for a week was tiring, not to mention the antibiotics I was on. I have had copious amounts of dishes and cleaning the past few days but I’m pulling it all together.
Today is my first day off of antibiotics for two weeks. I’m still having problems with my ears and I have studied on the internet for countless hours on what could be irritating me. As you know I just had my $500 tooth extracted and it has reveled a cavity on the tooth behind it. I just don’t think I’m going to get out of this tooth nightmare so easily. I’m paying dearly for not taking care of my teeth and flossing every day. Hindsight is 20-20 right? After a lot of research I think my impacted wisdom teeth are causing most of my problems, I’m going to have oral surgery and have them removed next week :( To save some money I’m going to have them both done at once however I think the procedure will be exceptionally grueling, but it will get the whole thing out of the way quickly. I’m going to take a week and just chill after the procedure and work on my next video.
There is a weird vibe hanging around, I’m sure it will pass shortly. The French and American sailing communities are morning the loss of J.P. and Don. It is such a wasteful loss of life. It is amazing the damage one man can have on so many. Many of you might say “Panama” is dangerous but the killer was from Spain (Europe). I hear he had been in and out of mental institutions his whole life and has had a bad run with drugs. Everything happens for a reason right? I’m looking for the good in all of this and just don’t see it at the moment.
Most of the time the world just doesn’t make sense to me. The things we do for money, power, oil, drugs? Man I just don’t get it, WTF? I understand the hopeless feeling the killer must have had after he lost his boat on the reef a few months ago, I can relate for sure. Splendid is everything I have in the world but if for some reason i lost her I could easily find something in a shipyard somewhere that I could nurse back to cruise on. Looking for the reason in it all just isn’t going to happen, I give up!
I have a lot to do in Panama next week and will be there for a few nights. I’m going to start staying in the hostels so I can get to know the managers for future business.
My plans have changed a bit. I have a charter at the end of March, and after that I go to work on the ship for three weeks or more. When I return to Splendid I’m thinking to take a group of backpackers to Cartagena. Once in Cartagena I will haul Splendid and really put my knuckles to the grindstone. Nothing is more motivating to me than being stuck in a dirty ships yard on the hard paying by the day. Splendid will emerge with a whole new look :)
After that I’m going to take a few months off and find my center in the San Blas. I’m hoping I wont have any teeth/ear problems and can just shoot fish every day till I’m ready to come back to society/this reality.
It’s good to lay in a hammock and watch the stars for countless hours. I plan on doing just that tonight.
Peace, Love, and Coconuts.
-Alex