I always fight the urge to roll my eyes when someone comments on our ’vacation’ when we’re cruising, knowing full well that most days on the boat are perfect for us, but nothing that appeals to most.: Tight quarters, limited water, exposed to the weather, seemingly endless maintenance, repairs & projects, just to name a few.
Cruising in a new country brings its own challenges. You arrive and you have to figure out where the authorities are to clear in both yourself and the boat (something that would be right at the airport when most of us fly). You need to get currency or hope that they’ll take dollars.
You need groceries next, as we can’t afford to and don’t like to eat out every day. Grocery stores and markets are one of my favorite places to visit in a new country, but it’s an experience looking a new products on the shelves and figuring out what to cook. And it all has to fit in just a few bags, as we are usually walking or biking or bussing back to the boat. Between the Internet and new local friends, it’s not too hard to figure out, and Trip is very happy with most meals on board. Lotta clued me in to Peruvian pink peppercorn trees that grow as an ornamental tree near our marina, and after a few days of drying, we have peppercorns for next season!
Of course something on the boat is always breaking (cruising = fixing things in exotic locations). In Europe there’s the added challenge of tools and new gear being metric. Because we don’t know the area we don’t know who to call. Again, the Internet usually comes to the rescue. We’re also able to reach out on social media to groups like ’Women Who Sail’ or our global cruising club. Sailors are a group that really enjoy helping fellow sailors. And one of the most wonderful things we’ve discovered this year is the friendliness and resourcefulness of the Portuguese. We have been helped over and over again, big scrapes and small, by local strangers who asked little, if anything, for their help. We can only hope to pay it forward.
Living in a marina in a new country is like moving into a tiny apartment in a huge apartment complex in the United Nations. We have new neighbors from Germany, Sweden, Ireland, Denmark, England, Russia, just to name a few. Some are temporary as they get ready to head further east or west. Others are there longer term, like us, such as Valeriy and Elena, with their always happy wire-haired dachsund Ozzie. Elena has already taught me how to make borscht and where to buy the best pelmeni (Russian meat dumplings). And, of course, our friends Mads & Lotta, who live near the marina. While we’re back in the US, we regularly get pictures of Kalyra from these friends along a note about how she is still floating and is looking good. Such a crew of new (& old) friends is fun to embrace.
There’s lots more to deal with – new SIM cards for local Internet, figuring out how to do laundry in a machine with instructions in a different language, getting a haircut, etc. It’s all a bit of adventure, but if you’re patient, it’s pretty rewarding.
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