Thursday March 22nd:
I got up early to snap some shots of Tom’s clinic at Vela today, and after some quick breakfast, I was down to the center by 10:30am. Very early for me! Nice to be at the beach for a full day of fun!
I snapped a bunch of shots of Tommy and the clients absorbing his advice, and then took out the two new GPS units for initial setup. (Photo web gallery work in progress, check back later for pics.) Tom bought a pair of them Wednesday in Porlamar, and we have reopened the GPS speed trials!! The newer Garmin Foretrex units are very nice, you wear them like a watch on the wrist, and they can display the Max Speed in large digits, making it easy to see. I’m sure these will get plenty of use in the next few days!!
I meant to get out on the water for more photos today, but I ended up returning to the room for some lunch and emails, and before I knew it, I had lost the overhead light, and it was almost three in the afternoon! It had been blowing in the 4’s and 5’s all day, and it was time to see how fast I can ride!
I took a GPS out for the end of the day session, and with the 93lt and the 5.7M I was initially not as fast as desired. Only 26.7MPH! Connie and several others had done better than this, so I just had to go again with the 6.4M sail and the same board. This was a bit of overpower, but I held on, and ripped out a 32.3MPH downwind blast!! Now I was much happier, and I could show my face on shore! Sure Gerry was faster at 32.5MPH, but at least I had shown a respectable speed! Still not faster than my own record, but at least in the right range. You get extra tired with the GPS on the arm, as the constant desire to go fast works the body well! I was toast at the end!
A great day of sailing, finished with some cold beer at the beach bar with friends, life is good! We did the happy hour and a little more before it was time for the dinner party at the condo! Roxy had wanted to cook a big meal for Connie and I, along with Swede and Marcy for the past few weeks, and tonight was the night!
We all joined up at the room for beers and wine, as we discussed the fun life here in Margi, with the smell of Roxy’s cooking in the background. She is so nice to do this for us!! It was an hour or so in the making, and she produced a huge pan of Paella! She had a bunch of chicken, squid, scallops, and much more in the frypan, and with the huge pile of rice and such, it was enough to feed at least 8 people! The flavor was amazing, and I had at least three plates full of feasting! Very tasty stuff there Roxy! Thanks so much!
With the meal complete, we sat and drank some of the special brew Wicho had brought. This is a huge bottle filled with various plants and tree bark, along with honey, and plenty of rum! Very nice flavor, and it makes the meal complete. We may have had a few extra, and the fun didn’t stop until near midnight! A great after dinner party at my place! Thanks to all!
After some cleanup, it was off to bed for more tomorrow. See Ya!
Timoteo y Connie