Underway from El Salvador to Costa Rica
Website Entry s/v Encanto
7November2005

Bust'n outta Bahia del Sol at sunrise.
Volcano jetting from scattered clouds and blue skies.
Orange blaze in the eastern sky.
Emotions flood us, anxiousness to excitement.
Memories of people, places, passing ponders.
Memories of laughter and tears.
No time to linger, we face the bar.
The sand bar of trepidation,
now lay flat.
Ahead of us, sailing vessel, Alaska Son, crosses with ease.
We follow. Steady as we go.
Behind us, the Tarazad panga races to our port side.
One quarter of a mile to the bar.
With outstretched hands, Colette reaches out with a big black bag, I reach back.
Murray regally stands, arm length control of his 40 horsepower, four stroke.
An unforgettable pose.
Ten pounds of raw coffee beans in trade for a $12 TIGO phone card.
My eyes welled with tears as Colette and I make the pass off.

Gratefulness to them and to Jose fill my heart.
Jose calls to bid us farewell as he drives to his next fare.
Our last call made in El Salvador.
Tears heard in his voice, mine cracks.
Others call on the VHF to bid us smooth seas and fair winds;
some we will see again.
some we many never see again.
The impermanence of life.
The bittersweet of this cruising life.

Beckoned to follow our hearts,
on an adventure,
that lead us where we never intended to go,
but often delighted to have come.

S/v encanto
website: www.encanto.nl
sea e-mail: kg6lyw@winlink.org
land e-mail: amberchan@encanto.nl

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