So it seems that our time in Portugal is shortly coming to an end, I'm currently sitting in the main salon waiting for the word to go anchor and am told once some parts arrive we'll be setting sail and our next adventure atsea will begin.   I've had such an awesome month (can't believe I'm using
the word awesome- I guess a sure sign of the yanks rubbing off!) I am sad to leave, but also ready to re-acquaint myself with sailor life. There are however a few things that I'm not looking forward to. Whilst making my routine cuppa tea this morning I was greeted by the following costal warning posted on the bulkhead:

COASTAL WARNING

SPAIN S, SE COAST AND CANARIAS ISLANDS RISK OF LOCUST PLAGUE, ARRIVING TO CANARIAS ISLANDS, SOUTH AND SOUTHEAST SPAINISH COASTS, FROM MAURITANIA, MOROCCO AND ALGERIA, MARINERS ARE REQUESTED TO INFORM TO NEAREST COASTAL STATION, IN CASE OF SIGHTING SWARM OF LOCUST.

I'm told that locust's move in swarms of millions, cover everything and then eat everything, and cause big problems by destroying whole fields of crops! Agghhhhhhh!!! Over breakfast I conjured visions of being on bow watch and spotting a swarm of these things then being engulfed in a cloud of grasshoppers (I've never seen a locust before but that is how I imagine them) who will then slowly eat through the boat and my face! Its kinda funny, but then not really as it actually might happen for real. The only way I can think of preparing myself is by attaching a mosquito net to a sombrero but as Haley pointed out even then they'd eat through the net. Oh boy! Oooh news just in via Heather the cook... apparently locust's are vegetarians so I will be safe, but still totally covered by them. Heather also explained that seagulls kill them and saved many from locust's destroying their crops. Unfortunately this isn't really going to help us as we'll be at sea, and although seagulls are called seagulls they only hang around in ports.  The other thing that might be on the cards that I never expected is the possibility of sandstorms at sea.  Apparently the wind carries sand and you can be out at sea and feel like you're in a sandstorm in the middle of the desert. This would be interesting and I guess if it happens for long enough the Amistad could turn into a mobile beach, which would be pretty cool and a good place to top up my tan. But in all seriousness I am really looking forward to facing the challenges that await and learning about Africa and sailing her into Sierra Leone, but hopefully this will not be in a cloud of Locust's, but don't worry I'll be sure to keep you posted.

 

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