Joy! And heartache.

The boat's spa time was coming to a close...the bottom had been sandblasted and faired, the waterline was raised, and the paint was on! Last weekend the boatyard splashed her, we showed up after hours to swap out the house bank batteries (HEAVY!), and before they opened the next day the delivery crew (everyone but Jo) cleared the slings and was underway! The boat was soooo dirty from a winter on the hard where there are a ton of trees and birds, but we decided to just wait until she was in the new slip to address it.

They splashed her and left her at the slings--we can only come/go at this yard at high tide!

Cockpit dinner at sunset with my favorite peeps. Only being at anchor would have made it better!

Yuck, yuck, YUCK! I can't wait to clean her!

The crew arrived at NAVSTA Norfolk just as the predicted increase in wind started. We got tied up, met a few neighbors, and set to work getting tanks filled and systems aligned. JOY! It was so nice to be in a slip with water and power and to see her floating again instead of in stands. We weren't going to stay long so we just did some tidying topsides and would plan to return later in the week for a deeper clean. But then...

Our new slip is awesome!

HEARTACHE. As I was picking up topsides I saw it. Why, oh why, didn't I see it before we left the boatyard??? There was no mistaking--we have a crack in the mast. Again. Yes, again. A class issue on this boat is small drainholes in the base of the deck-stepped mast, which can cause serious problems during a freeze/thaw cycles. This happened to us before over a decade ago (2012 mast crack) and when we repaired it we also enlarged those drain holes. We have sailed and lived in cold areas for half of our time since then without incident. But this one winter on the hard in southern Virginia seems to have been too much and now we have a nearly identical crack on the other side. So, yay, the old repair held! I swear this is the boat telling us how pissed she was about being left on the hard.

Our new crack. We will drill holes at the ends of it until we can get the mast taken down.

The inner sleeve and weld on the original crack have held up great over the years! 

What now? The good news is that this time we aren't living on the boat like we were during the first crack so we have more flexibility. We will clean the boat up, look at our options, research yards that can do this job well, and plan another haul out period. Ideal? No. But we honestly have a lot going on this summer with the kids/house and spending a ton of time on the boat was a bit of a stretch anyway. We will fix it when we can and we will go from there. And who knows? Maybe in the next haul out I'll get to do some more hull work that is on my long-range plan!

~Jo, Country Domestic Engineer who is hopelessly in love with a temperamental boat 

Did we swallow the hook?

And just like that...we have a house! It's not our first time owning one, but it's been a while since we've lived in one or furnished one. 

Our little home in the country.

We had NOTHING on the first day!

Let me back up just a smidge. See, we always expected that we would stay put for a few years (perhaps on the boat!) while the kids did a little normal schooling. Frank planned to go back to work during that time while the other adult tended house and tried to figure out what she wants to do when she grows up. While we were in South America Frank set to out to find a job and we all chimed in on where we prefered to end up. There were many options considered (the blessing and curse of having no constraints), with most being back with his former employer. But something unexpected happened...an opportunity aligned with the right time and place to be near family and after a good bit of discussion, we have settled in northeast North Carolina in the county Frank grew up in! This was definitely NOT on our radar when we first talked about setting our anchor for a few years, but we are near family, friends, the boat, and the "normal" the kids were anxious to experience. And we are all experiencing something we haven't been able to as a military or traveling family--routine dinners with grandma! 

So there you have it. We have dirt. Ironically we have the same number of beds and baths as we had on the boat, but there is definitely more room here! The boat will still be in our lives, just an hour away in Norfolk. And as we are right between the AICW and the Dismal Swamp Canal and near the "Harbor of Hospitality" of Elizabeth City, NC we hope to still see and interact with the cruising community.

In our first month Frank has started work, he bought a great old truck, we have bought three beds, the kids have started to attend driver's ed, we've learned about our well pump, we've learned how to take care of a pool, we've somehow acquired enough seats to sit on and plates to eat off of, we have mowed grass, Katreina somehow talked us into getting a cat, and paint has begun to coat every surface of the home (and about a million other little things). 

Did we swallow the hook? I don't think so. I prefer to think that we have just dropped the anchor in a very secure anchorage for a bit...

~Jo

Farewell, South America!

I have taken my sweet time in getting to the point where I would write this post. Our South American adventure is officially over. In fact, it's been over for about a month! It ended with a day of travel that would have tested many travelers, but I feel like we handled it well. 

We flew from Iguazu to Buenos Aires, with Frank dealing with work and home buying calls in both terminals. Our flight out of Buenos Aires got delayed, causing a chain reaction that added a flight and several hours to our trip. We enjoyed lie-flat seats on the first flight, several hours in a nice lounge in Bogota (with more work and home calls!), and a very quick layover in San Jose before finally touching down in Washington, D.C. around midnight, a mere 36 hours after we left Iguazu. We checked back into the country, got an Uber, and settled in at our sister's house in Maryland.

Lie-flat seats and lounges kept this crew's spirits up!

It's done. A whole new adventure begins now and to be honest, I think I was more prepared for a year in South America than I am for this next journey, but with my awesome crew I know it will be memorable.

Last sunset of the trip, taken on our last flight.

~Jo, the former nomadic momma ;)

Amazing Iguazu

When we originally made our decision to travel in South America, one of the "must do's" was Iguazu (or Iguaçu or Iguassu in Portuguese) Falls, and we did it! In a word, it was AMAZING!

The falls from Brazil (top) and Argentina (middle and bottom...bottom is "Devil's Throat").

We hopped on our first airplane in months and flew from Buenos Aires to Puerto Iguazu. Flights on this route are actually pretty affordable on local carrier FlyBondi (like Spirit or RyanAir), even with checked bags and seat selections. We also opted to splurge on a rental car for our visit so that we could have maximum flexibility with our limited time. So our first adventure was crossing the border to Brazil! This actually wasn't much of an adventure (unless you count the many speed bumps in Argentina and big potholes in Brazil) as it's a well-traveled, easy border.

Iguazu National Park actually consists of two parks--one on the Argentinean side that is home to 80% of the falls (and boasts some up-close-and-personal trails both at the bottom and top of various falls) and one on the Brazilian side that is home to 20% of the falls (but some of the best views of the entire falls system). The gouge on the falls is that you can do it in one day (Argentina side), but if you have two days you can spend one on each side (the experience is different!), and if you have three days you can do some things outside of the parks and take your time while in the parks. We planned to spend four nights in the area so we had lots of time to take it all in!

Our night in Brazil was spent at Iguassu Eco Hostel where we relaxed in the pool, enjoyed amazing caipirinhas, and had a great dinner. The next day we visited the Brazil side of the falls which really does provide an amazing panoramic view of the Argentinean falls as you walk along the trail. There is also a catwalk that basically puts you mid-falls, with water rushing down towards you on one side and water rushing past you to the river on the other side. We could almost touch the raging water from some of the platforms! My photos will never do it justice, but will hopefully inspire you to put it on your list! We didn't do all of the nature trails in the park as we had some other things we wanted to get to, but we did see coati!

The panoramic views of the falls from the Brazil side are amazing!

Our next stop in Brazil was the Parque de Aves. It's a bird park with several aviaries that house birds that were rescued from illegal trade or injury. It's really well laid-out with informative signs and knowledgable staff. We saw so many birds, but the standouts for me were the alagoas currasow (only five left in the world, all in captivity), the harpy eagle, and the very photo-ready toucan. There is also a really good cafe at the park so we were able to have lunch while watching some birds, too! 

Just a sampling of the very educational park!

Our final stop in Brazil for the day was the Itaipu Binational Hydroelectric Plant, and it was awesome! This project isn't just remarkable for its size as it's the second largest hydroelectric facility in the world, but what really impressed me was the true binational nature of the project. It was built jointly by Brazil and Paraguay and continues to be operated as a joint venture, with all of the output being shared 50/50. The result is that Itaipu provides Paraguay with 75% of its nation's electricity needs while it provides much larger Brazil with 17% of its needs. Such an inspiring partnership! And while we were there the spillway was open which happens pretty infrequently so that was cool to see, and as part of the tour we dipped our toes into Paraguay! 

This was such a great tour, and the open spillway really put the power of the plant on display.

After our busy day in Brazil we headed to the Argentina side of the falls for three relaxing, final nights in South America. We had a very cozy room at a hotel outside of town that put us in a good spot to visit the falls. It was super easy to buy tickets to the falls and to the boat ride which was CRAZY! We got sooooo soaked, but it was just awesome to get to view the falls from the water and feel their power. Over two days of visiting this side of the park we did the boat ride, walked the upper and lower falls routes, and visited the Devil's Throat. And even though a few of the trails/experiences we hoped to due were closed due to the high water flow, we really felt that we got to experience the falls from so many angles and didn't miss a thing. We even walked (rather than take the train) back from the Devil's Throat for one last jungle experience and saw more butterflies than we have in some butterfly gardens! 

Holy Brewery, a pool, and a hotel cat--we had a great stay on the Argentina side!

The videos from the boat ride were crazy. We went INTO the falls!

Day 1 on the Argentina side was boat ride, the lower falls trail, and the upper falls trail. 

Day 2 we visited the VERY busy Devil's Throat walkway.

I would 100% recommend visiting Iguazu Falls once in your life. Sometimes it is drier and more rock outcroppings show. Sometimes the water is flowing so much that many walkways are closed. While we were there for a "heavy" flow, I bet it's stunning no matter what. And with so many things to do around the area you can easily spend a few days and not get bored. 

Las Tres Fronteras, where Paraguay, Brazil, and Argentina all meet in the middle of the river.

~Jo, Nomadic Momma

Adventures in Buenos Aires

Several months ago we realized that timing could work out so that we would be in Buenos Aires, the Paris of South America, around our daughter's birthday. As she loves all things European and especially French, we made it happen! We also opted to have this time be "spring break" from homeschooling for the kids so that we could just enjoy the final few weeks of our travels (more on that later!). So after an overnight bus from Mendoza, we arrived in Buenos Aires to stay in a gorgeous three-bedroom apartment in the San Nicholas neighborhood and spend a week as tourists!

We ended with one of our best, most comfortable bus trips (and a birthday surprise on the bus!) and an amazing apartment!

Birthday celebrations during the week included visits to the stunning Galerias Pacifico shopping mall, the Obelisk, El Ateneo book store, the Caminito in Boca, and the Museo de Arte Latinoamericano. That's what the girl wanted, and that's what she got! It was super hot all week, but we made it all work.

Happy Birthday, kiddo!

Galerias Pacifico, the Obelisk, and El Ateneo bookstore.

The colorful Caminito (and the best choripán we had!).

The Frida Kahlo exhibit was my favorite at the museum.

The birthday surprise she didn't know about until the bus ride to BA was tickets to a Boca Juniors fútbol game! The local team plays in a stadium called "La Bombonera" that is famous for its loud, energetic home crowd! Fun fact--in Argentina there are ONLY home fans at the fútbol games so that there aren't fights and problems. It was CRAZY! The crowd sang and screamed for the entire 90 minutes of play even though the final score was 0-0. Our night also included a stop for choripan and beers before the game and other than the fact that our tickets weren't all together (but we managed to wedge into a spot together) it was an awesome experience! The kids have really gotten into fútbol/soccer and I think we all had a good time. 

¡Vamos Boca! So much energy!

One of our "big" events was to go to a traditional Argentinean asado. Only the adults did it (and I opted to go full meat-eater that day to get the true experience) and it was such an amazing experience. We joined two other couples and our host for a walking tour of the Palermo neighborhood where we learned about its history and street art. We also picked up some meat from the famous Don Julio carneceria and had a tasting of local wines. And all of that was before we did much with asado! We learned about the fire, the parilla (grill), the meats, and we learned how to make chimichurri sauce. And the food! Oh man, every single thing we ate and drank was so delicious. And our companions were so nice...it really made for a very fun day.

There are so many interesting stories behind the street art around Palermo.

Wine, fernet and cola, more wine, and mate!

The food was AMAZING! Provoleta, blood sausage bruschetta, matambrito de credo, chorizo and sweetbreads, chimichurri, steak, salad, and sweet potato with ice cream and candied nuts. Just WOW!

We learned so much and had a great time with our group!

And since we were in Buenos Aires we simply had to go to a tango! We opted to head to Tango Porteño as it was only a 10-minute walk from our apartment. The show included traditional folk dance along with the tango numbers, and the six-man bad was amazing! So glad we did it! But tangos start after 10pm so between the fútbol game and tango we had to get used to late nights.

Tango Porteño was fabulous!

The next night we had another surprise/unplanned event. As were were walking around town early in the week we saw a poster for an Imagine Dragons concert and decided to check out tickets. Well, they were available and we didn't have plans for the day of the show, so we went for it! It was a great show! It was all general admission on the polo grounds so we were just in the crowd out on the grass, but it was so good! Katreina and I were too short to see anything on the stage, but it really didn't matter. And I was a little surprised at how much of the band's music I actually knew!

This show was so good and so much fun!

The day after the concert we had another adventure--a day trip to Uruguay! Our original plan was to spend a week in Uruguay, traveling the tannat vineyards and beaches via car, but with an end date set for our travels we had to scale it down. Lucky for us, a ferry port was a 10-minute walk from our apartment and they ran day trips to Colonia del Sacramento, Uruguay! You check out of Argentina and into Uruguay before you even board the ferry, so that was convenient (it's a little more drawn out on the return). We arrived around 2pm on a very hot day, found a place for a lazy lunch, visited the lighthouse, walked the cobblestone streets, and enjoyed some tannat. It was a nice little trip to a new country!

We made it easily! Great spot for a lazy lunch and for Frank to try the local speciality sandwich, chivito.

We explored the little lighthouse and the local wine.

It's a cute little town to wander around, especially as the sun went down.

Our our last full day in BA Katreina and I visited Teatre Colón. It was stunning! It was fascinating to learn about the eclectic design of the building and its use over the years, and it really made us want to see an opera there. 

It was all so beautiful and the tour was very informative.

With the heat we definitely didn't explore as many parks as I would have liked to, but we did have a good time in the city (NOT our normal habitat!). I could definitely visit again. There are so many neighborhoods to explore, so much food to eat, and so much culture to experience in Buenos Aires!

Around Buenos Aires.

~Jo, Nomadic Momma