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Published: March 5th 2009
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First Sight
Puerto Cabello CS:
25th February 2009: We went through the channel of the Caribbean between mainland Venezuela and the islands of Netherland Antilles with Curacao well off to our port side. We have come around the tip of the headland and are likely to be at Puerto Cabello later this afternoon, travelling at around 17 knots. I tune in to many radio programs on FM from Curacao, broadcasting in Dutch. We arrived in the bay around 5pm. It is quite hazy over the land; we are in a large open Bay with tall mountains down to the sea in most places along both north and south coastlines as far as we can see. (We are about 60 k from the capital Caracas and this town is the country’s major port). We anchored well off so it was hard to make anything out, even with the binoculars. There may be a small bay behind the beach where ships go to dock. There are about 10 other vessels in the bay with us. Just on dusk we started to move (why do we always have to wait till dark?) and sailed gently in through the opening we had identified. We went past the old fort
on the left headland; hardly more than the foundations remain. It was an odd sensation to approach a place known to be closely locked in by mountains yet not be able to see them in the dark. There is little by way of infrastructure on the higher ground. The town, lit up along the foreshore, looks bigger than I had expected. We berthed in quite a tight spot with lots of other vessels on the docks around us.
The next morning we were told the agent had brought the crew shore clearances but not ours. We waited till around noon anxious to find out if we would be able to go ashore. Unloading commenced. The day was hot with bright sun and light cloud. We could see the mountains up very close now but the town view was shielded by the dock facilities. We were presented with completed shore passes and walked about I kilometer to the gate and into the town. What we saw of it suggested it is small and quite run down. The mixture of odors, some pleasant and others distinctly otherwise, were contributed to by the rubbish bags and other refuse left for collection following
the festival celebrations. There were rows of frames around the streets and foreshore, skeletons of booths and stalls that were now nearly fully dismantled. Many buildings need repair and many are dirty. The small marina contained a number of expensive looking yachts but the beach near-by was littered with flotsam and bordered with a row of very mean looking hovels. The few shops we found in the centre of the little town area started to close for siesta as we made our way through the small retail area; one narrow street. On request a very pleasant young woman walked us two blocks down to the internet café which we would never have otherwise found. The computers were slow but the environment pleasant, cool with air conditioning and relaxed and friendly and full of boisterous school students clearly taking advantage of their lunch break. The woman who gave us directions came back with another couple who had also asked her for directions to an internet café and beyond that extraordinary coincidence (we five could well have been the only foreigners in the whole town) they turned out to be passengers on another Rickmers vessel (Rickmer Rickmers) moored opposite ours. We walked
back to the ship in the now much cooler late afternoon without finding anywhere tempting to stop for a drink or do any shopping. Taxis were visible from time to time but not in great number and none showed any interest in us. Several times as we walked we were given unsolicited but welcome directions in a gruff but friendly manner by the locals. The dire warnings we received on the ship about this being a dangerous place where ‘they shoot tourists’ were certainly not born out by our experiences.
Our plans to venture out again the following afternoon were suspended when shore leave was cancelled by noon as we were to leave that night. Viewing the unloading procedures from the observation deck was instructive. The dock is also a major road and there is no demarcation between the loading area and the vehicle carriageway. Venezuelan truck drivers, of whom we saw many, seem to understand only ‘forward’ and ‘fast’. Interspersed with a steady stream of speeding semi trailers (going in both directions) small motor bikes and large forklifts the stevedores went about their work with a high level of frenzied activity and regular consultation with their comrades whose role
it seemed to be to stand in the way and advise when not required to.
28th February 2009: We enjoyed pleasant conversation in the mess with 3 local men who worked with the ship’s agent. As it happened the pilot must have slept in because we did not depart till breakfast time which, for a change, gave us a good chance to view our departure in daylight. The sea is calm, the sun is bright and warm, we may even be tempted by deck chairs and drinks later, Galveston here we come.
PP:
Puerto Cabello 25th - 28th February: Ahoy ye scurvy knaves! What a foul pirates nest it is, too!! Well…..maybe not quite so bad? Actually we enjoyed the walk ashore very much - especially after nearly a month on the ship since leaving Yokahama (we obviously didn’t leave the ship at Panama). Friendly locals more than made up for the lack of urban maintenance and general care - except for those trick drivers. When we returned to the ship, we were covered in grime from the atmosphere.
3rd March 2009: Since leaving Venezuela we have had excellent weather, just a little side swell and chop yesterday, minimized
by the direction the ship was steered. Now we are in the Gulf of Mexico, and smooth cruising. We will have another emergency drill practice this afternoon, to be ready for our inspection by the US Coast Guard tomorrow, before we will be allowed to berth at Galveston. Apparently it is not unusual for the Coast Guard to bring dogs on board to search for drugs, especially for ships from Venezuela, and to sometimes pull on an emergency drill to see how the ships personnel respond!? We are also waiting to see how the increased restrictions applied to arriving ships will affect our visit to these fair shores.
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