We're Not In Kansas Anymore

We could actually smell Luperon before we arrived.  Actually smell it.  The fresh scent of dirt, of earth, of rain, of vegetation...  It was awesome.  Making landfall is always a little exciting, but seeing layers of mountains, cliffs and hills break through the haze on the horizon when all you've seen for the past three months is beaches and palm trees just barely above sea level is...more exiting.

We made great time here.  Too good, actually.  We were counting on a sixteen to twenty-four hour passage.  We left at 4:30 pm from Big Sand Cay and hoped to arrive in Luperon between 9:00am and noon.  We arrived at 5:30...am.  We had forgotten how fast our little beauty sails off the wind!  She was loving the consistent 15-18 knots of breeze (higher than forecasted) and we rarely saw boat speed under 6 knots.  Whoops!  Instead of arriving in this famously difficult harbor in the dark, we opted to tack back (off course) for an hour to buy ourselves some time (and daylight).  We're glad we did.

As we neared the harbor entrance I just inhaled deeply and took in the rocky shoreline.  Waves were breaking powerfully and rhythmically along the jagged coast.  Spurts of water shot up powerfully like spouts of a whales blowhole.  And there were trees.  Lots and lots of leafy, green, tall trees.

"Oh my gosh!" I exclaimed, "I had no idea how much I have missed trees!"

Seeing them again was like seeing old friends.  It's funny how sometimes you don't realize you missed something until you've reunited.  Scott, having lived in California and Utah, has always been a lover of land contour, and his excitement upon seeing hills and mountains was like a sigh.  We both had no idea how refreshed we'd be upon being reaquainted with these simple, natural things.  We are somewhere entirely different - new scenery, new language, new music, new food.  We've been completely re-energized by all this stimuli.  Scott said it best when he said,

"Rasmus, we're not in Kansas anymore".

Nope, we sure aren't.  But, I wonder, were we ever?

Love,
Brittany & Scott