Exploring the East Coast of Central America.: In the Wake of the Pirates of the Caribbean from Panama to Cuba. - Paperback

by Halvor Nome (Editor), Martin Vennesland (Author), Anne E. Brevig (Author)

At the peak of their careers, Anne Brevig and Martin Vennesland made the decision of their lives: they chose freedom and a highly uncertain future on the high seas instead of secure jobs and the safety and comfort of life ashore.In order to finance their dream, they sold their house and most of their belongings and moved onboard their 40-foot sailboat, "Nor Siglar". She became their one and only home for 15 years. Neither imagined that they were going to spend 9 years on the 7 seas and sail more than 56,000 nautical miles around the world Anne and Martin's bluewater adventure was not about breaking any records. Its main focus was meeting people from different backgrounds and cultures - encounters that take on entirely different dimensions when sailing off the beaten track far away from the traditional tourist routes. Their 9-years on the 7 Seas circumnavigation onboard "Nor Siglar", which is truly a once-in-a-lifetime adventure packed with drama and excitement, has been documented in books and magazine articles and is now available in the "Seven Seas Adventures Series". In this second book of the Series, the adventurous couple sail in the wake of pirates and buccaneers, explore San Blas, the realm of the Kunas, where "Nor Siglar" becomes a virtual hearse transporting a dead man to his burial. They ply the isolated waters of Isla Providencia, remote Vivarillo Cays and treacherous Cayo Media Luna, where they come within inches of disaster. While in the hurricane hole, Rio Dulce, they deal with a cholera scare and thieves in the night, primitive dentistry and missing mail, crime and pollution, armed guards and money in shoes, but also enjoy land travels with locals on packed "chicken buses" to spectacular Guatemala Highlands with its stunning nature, bustling markets, violence and rapes at gunpoint. Back to the joys of cruising, Anne and Martin brave wet dinghy rides, cockroaches and hook worms, spectacular diving in the reef-strewn waters of Belize and snorkelling with local free divers to trade and feast on lobster and friendship. Next it's on to the Yucatan Peninsula to finish off this part of the voyage in Castro's Cuba, where new and fascinating experiences await. On our way from Panama to Cuba we sail the historic Spanish Main, once patrolled by the famous pirates and buccaneers, Sir Francis Drake and Henry Morgan in search of the precious Inca gold. We visit the unique islands of San Blas, realm of the Kuna Indians, where we purchase exquisitely hand crafted Molas in exchange for seeing a dead man in a hammock, whom we end up taking to his funeral, using Nor Siglar as a virtual hearse. We move on to Colombia's isolated Isla Providencia, remote Vivarillo Cays and treacherous Cayo Media Luna, where we come within inches of disaster. We marvel at the hidden Eldorado of the Bay of Honduras with its beautiful islands of Guanaja, Roatan and Utila before seeking refuge from the hurricane season on Rio Dulce in the midst of the jungle, while exploring the fascinating Highlands of Guatemala, the realm of the Maya Indians. We admire spectacular lakes and bustling markets with impossible names like Chichicastenango, stay at family hotels and enjoy gourmet meals at bargain basement prices, hear of rapes at gunpoint, robberies, street patrols and money in shoes, crime, pollution and such. We marvel at archaeological wonders in the early morning jungle sunrise and learn about medicine doctors and nature's remedies before heading back to the joy of cruising, wet dinghy rides and a boat full of cockroaches. Then we are off to the dangerous and shallow reef-strewn waters of Belize, one of the most fantastic diving areas in the world and home to the famous Lighthouse Reef and Jacques Cousteau's Blue Hole, where we snorkel with local free divers, trade and feast on lobster and friendship.

Author Biography

Anne grew up in Halden, Norway as a country girl on a farm. She always dreamt of seeing the world and began her adventures with life as an au pair, studying languages in Switzerland, Germany and the USA. In New York, she embarked on a career in international shipping and later became comptroller of a large Norwegian shipping company's Vancouver offices. When Anne met Martin at the age of 38, she was completely new to sailboats. Having grown up inland, she didn't learn to swim until she was 16, was afraid of the water and became seasick easily. Anne never thought in her wildest imagination that one day she would exchange her comfortable life ashore with the often extreme challenges of life at sea - a decision she has never regretted! Martin was born with salt water in his blood. He grew up by the tang of the sea in the small village of Sagesund on the south coast of Norway and has sailed all his life. The dream of travelling to exotic and distant shores on his own keel took shape at an early age. As a young man he emigrated to Canada to become a professional forester. When taking early retirement to venture offshore, Martin was head of one of Canada's largest forestry consultingfirms. An avid outdoors person, he is happiest in the mountains, at his woodlot tending his cedars and Douglas firs or sailing on the high seas. The books in the Seven Seas Adventures Series are not just any old travelogues for adventurers. Rather, it is a collection of highlights from encounters with "ordinary" people from different cultures and backgrounds who live a life much different from what most of us are used to. Anne and Martin certainly learned that what we take for granted is an elusive dream for others. The books "answer" a multitude of questions posed by travellers in general as well as prospective offshore sailors. Read how they had survived serious dangers, break-ins and a dramatic grounding, escaped close encounters with pirates, witnessed life-saving bravery and enjoyed heart-warming personal meetings on all five continents.