Paradise Isla Providencia

Oh my this place is great! We have been so social here for some reason. We have toured the island and are meeting the locals that have been so kind and welcoming as well as extremely generous. 

I've been taking pictures and would love to share them all with you but for space reasons I'll try to group them as much as possible. I have been posting them on our Facebook page Saga Sea if you want to get sooner. 

I am trying to walk as much as possible but the lack of exercise has soften me. My Fibrocrap is flaring up some so I'm trying to build back up slowly. Steve, on the other hand has hiked up to the highest peak of the island, I will post the video. 

We paired up with another couple and rented a cart and drove around the island. We enjoyed some spectacular views, pirate history, loved seeing all the cotton trees, which they hold sacred and are not allowed to cut down, awesome mosaic sculptures, friendly people, beaches without sand flies, and the amazing island culture. 

  

Their culture and dialects refects that they are mostly descendants of the pirates, slaves and the Puritan settlers. This island may be owned by Colombia but the Columbian culture isn't prominent here. 

Fishing and tourism seems to be the biggest industries here on the island. Yet, unlike the smaller sister island San Andres, Providencia has remained mostly rural. We here the rumors that it might not last much longer. Developers from Colombia has plans to make this paradise more of a resort destination. 

That saddens me a bit, We are enjoying its charm and how welcoming they are to cruisers. That might end when the larger resorts take over. 

The weather so far has been so pleasant. A few high wind days and a couple of showers but mostly very very pleasant. 

During our motor tour we met the local radio DJ and musician, Robert Britton. Some of his music will be on our videos

Oh and this fabulous ship came in 

It is a school and sail ship that had around 20-30 teenage students aboart for six months. They learn to sail while continuing their school work aboard. Awesome opportunity! 

Best of all we got to come aboard 

The galley was amazing 

Everyhing from a coffee maker and coke machine to a walkin cooler. 

They even have a bread mixer and waching machines. Their generator can't handle everything at once so all AC power devices are on an operating schedule

Oh Steve was told this was a converted fishing ship from Denmark.  

If you look closely that is a lady holding a dog under the bowsprit

So this brings us up to last night. We met these three guys while eating dinner in town. 

This is Boogie 

Dogs and alcohol seem to be the common language