Our days here in Santa Marta is falling into a routine….school, food shopping, washing, cooking. I mean we do it anyway but in a different location and that makes it fun! Now I feel trapped. Why? Because we are still here for few reasons.
Chris got talking to Stewart the helicopter pilot and there is lots of jobs around here or in the world for that matter as a private pilot. Now Chris has always had the dream but never the time or money and now this opportunity popped up….so we went through the finances and yes, we can just about do it. Chris got to go to Florida for 6 weeks to start off with and another 5 weeks to follow after. Cool! Why not.
Our days up to that moment went preparing the boat for me on my own like full gas bottles, diesel lots of bulk buy of food and of course wine etc. I went into a mode of just go and get it over and done with….
When the day was here it was awful. Kids upset, I cried and generally just felt lonely. Bloody great. 6 weeks….lucky mum was coming after 2 weeks.
Did another week of schooling so that when mum was over it was James summer holiday. Found another pool to go to, run by the Colombian army that had bigger water slides and trampolines. Our days got into a funny routine while waiting…a lot of dvd and playing games and in the evening me sitting in front of the computer googling what ever…
So finally mum came over. The heat knocked her flat, the kids knocked the will to live out of her with all their energy but at least I had company and help when out and about :))) Went to Cartagena for 4 days as a mini holiday and that was good fun. A bus journey for 4 hours with a crazy driver but boys happy with ipads and Alice sleeping most of the journey…an empty bottle for boys to pee in and potty in a bag for Dotty ( Chris nickname for Alice )
Apartment with pool and rooms with tv. Happy days!!!
Cartagena is like Santa Marta but more historic buildings and bigger. A big Spanish fort, Fort Felipe where we trawled through some small under ground tunnels in half dark and slightly jumpy….well, you never know what lurks down there…like some other crazy tourists or ghosts or what ever. Don’t like scary places…
It was immensely hot and the best the kids found was the usual square with pidgeons. Honestly, travel the world and what sticks to their little minds? Scaring pidgeons :)))
Back from Cartagena you pass this very big slum area….sad to see. No running water or toilets and just surrounded by so much rubbish as that doesn’t either get picked up. The poverty is every where….
So, nice to be back yet again on the boat and days spent around different pools or just chilling. Before I understood it, it was time for mum to go home. Very sad…and yet again I sat on my own googling what ever in the evenings…on the bright side Chris was coming home. How much have the kids changed in 6 weeks. A lot I hope. they have all grown, Alice talks proper sentences and throws proper tantrums. Charlie and James got interested in cooking, good at sharing one dvd player as the other one was nicked off the bus going to Cartagena and very good at tidying stuff away after meals…excellent at fighting each other with sticks and of course Charlie lost one of his brand new crocs down the rocks where they are forever hopping on to the amusement for the locals.
They have also got a local kid as a friend, we always see him at the beach and none of us understand each other but still good fun….so yes, things are moving forward….
xxx
moodyfinn 