Suzi from SJdS

Greetings from San Juan del Sur! We had some amazing intense thunder and lightning storms on our way here in the middle of the night, which took sailing at night during the rainy season in Central America to a new level. We kept in contact with Serg on Kolea and Rick on Evenstar, and Rick asked me to remind him why he is doing this. It was not really scary or very windy, but it was definitely eerie. When the lightning bolts struck close by, I felt very lucky to be alive; the night sky became day, and the light in my eyes remained after the darkness reappeared, as if there was a giant camera out there taking pictures with a flash. Last week, Tarazed, Murray and Collette's boat in Bahia del Sol, got hit by lightning, right next to the yacht club where we all drank beers. Crazy!

Sidewinder had a wonderful sail along the coast of Nicaragua right into Bahia San Juan del Sur on Wednesday, and we arrived early enough to enjoy the late afternoon sunshine and a swim next to Mandy. It is great to see our friends again and catch up on many stories. This morning we visited with Richard & Virginia, and then drove Worm to the dinghy dock with the intention of checking in with the Port Captain and then going on into town. Rick, David, and I were sent back to our boats for that process, and when we returned, a fierce storm blew through, Rick's anchor began to drag, and the rain and wind forced us all to be on high alert. Once again, how fortunate we were; Evenstar could be long gone, on the reef close by or far out at sea. What a life this is!

The storm appears to be almost over, and we will venture back out this afternoon. This place is lovely, and I look forward to the next exploration. We will find an internet connection, and I will soon send more pix. Love you, Suz