ROBINSON CRUSOE ISLAND

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Today we arrived at Robinson Crusoe Island after a rocky night.  Luckily everything stayed where it belonged, including the 2 of us.  We both slept pretty well.

The island’s real name is now Robinson Crusoe.  It used to be called Aguas Buenas. Alejandro Selkirk was marooned there in 1704 after complaining about the seaworthiness of the pirate ship he was on.  He stayed on the island for 4 years 4 months before he was able to flag down a passing ship.  Daniel Defoe was inspired to write his classic novel by Selkirk’s story.

We were not sure if we were going to be able to go ashore, since the water was so choppy and the winds were at gale force.  Turns out we could.  It was interesting getting on and off the tenders.  Oh, didn’t I mention that there is no real port here so we had to anchor offshore and tender in.  We even collided with the ship on the trip back.  I must say, though, that the sailors here are more than great.  Here we are in high seas, with old people with tons of different disabilities, and they somehow get us all off and back on the ship safely.  Today it took 5 sailors for each tender pier to help get us off safely.  Well done.

As I said, it is a beautiful island.  Clean fresh air, blue water and lobster boats.  Lovely.

There is a national park here with lots of trails up into the mountains.  Because of it’s location, about 500 miles west of the Chilean mainland, there are 101 endemic species here.  (means found nowhere else, a small Galapagos)  We did not go hiking in the park, but instead walked the town.

There is one paved street downtown.  It runs about 2 blocks and turns to dirt, or rocks, at each end of the 2 blocks.

 

During our walk we met Chicho.  He built this house made out of bottles.  Thousand and thousands of them.  Some are from pop, some from scotch.  Bottles from everything.  He said he hasn’t had a drink in 20 years.  He also said all the bottles are from this island, so everyone else drinks a lot.

Chicho was nice enough to take everyone who asked through his house.  It is 2 stories high.  He uses all kinds of glass.  His front door mat is a
TV screen.  His windows upstairs in his bedroom are made from oven and microwave glass doors.

 

He said the bottles are wonderful insulation.  Even in the winter he has to open his windows because it gets so hot.

He also told us that since his bottles are complete and most are not capped, when the wind blows the right way, the bottles whistle.  We were sorry not to be able to hear it today.  The wind was blowing hard enough, but not in the right direction.

When Chicho found out I was from the US, he got very excited.  I had quite a hard time trying to figure out why.  Even when we found a couple who spoke Spanish, they couldn’t figure out what he was saying.  We eventually figured out that he loves Neil Diamond.  (Nee Deeemoo)  So, I went back to the ship and burned him a couple of CD’s.  I hope he doesn’t have these, since he said he already has 3 CD’s.

 

He was very happy to get his CD’s

We also saw, on the island, a cemetery, a fort, a very small light house and 3 sea lions playing and eating in the ocean.  We saw where the German ship the Dresden was sunk during WW!.  Yes, WW!.  What were they doing off of Chile?  Also,

if you can read this, the Mormon’s stopped off here for 5 days on their way from NY to California, then on to Hawaii.  The longest religious odyssey known.

Another fun, tiring day.  Tomorrow at sea.