After we crossed the finish line, we motored the rest of the way to New York up the Hudson River. It was dusk as we approached the New York skyline on Thursday, June 9th. We all eagerly awaited seeing the Statute of Liberty. Finally, as we rounded the corner, it appeared in the distance. By the time we got to the marina, which was on the Jersey side, it was dark and we were all mesmerized by the glowing New York backdrop. I used to live in New York for a very brief period, so this sight wasn't new to me, but it is an unforgettable sight anytime you see it...especially coming the first time via boat!
Arrival photos!!
We finally got the okay to motor into the Liberty Landing Marina. As we rounded the corner of the docks, preparing to throw our lines, Matt, skipper off Telemed, shouted out, "I think you are missing part of your boat!" We had no idea what he was referring to, but came to find out that we were missing the nose of our bow. We have no idea when this happened as there was no obvious crack or hit that we felt on the boat while we were sailing. Our only guess is that it happened during Storm Colin and we didn't notice with everything else that we were dealing with. The nose, mind you, is a sacrificial part of the bow, meant to come off if we hit something and not cause the collision to create a hole in the front of the boat. So even though the nose is not needed to keep the boat afloat, we would still need to get it repaired to continue sailing in case we hit something again. Therefore, any schedule they had planned for us in NY was now up in the air to fit this repair into the mix.
Anyhow, back to arrival. This was a first for us...coming in third place! Only two boats were docked in the marina before us and we would get to welcome everyone else in! The blackshirts gave us a big cheer and select supporters along with Pony, who is always there, welcomed us in as we docked. We were given our customary land beers and then walked over to immigration, which was just to the gate where two immigration officers were standing. This was quite surprising with how strict the US is with immigration in general and also being so close to New York. Long story short, they didn't check much and even Tino got through with no issues or having to wait a long time. Maybe I shouldn't be blogging about it as now the world (because, I know the entire world is so interested in reading my blog) will know the secret to getting into the US illegally!
We stayed on the boat for a bit, congratulating each other and downing a few more beers. It wasn't long before we headed to our hotels, which we booked last minute when we found out we'd be getting in so early. Karri, Ana, and I checked in to our room and each had an amazing shower, as they always are. Then we all passed out.
The next morning, we were up relatively early and had breakfast at the hotel before making our way back to the boats by 0930 to discuss the plan for the week. Tasks were given out for the deep clean and people signed up tentatively to do the corporate sail events, but without knowing how or when the boat would be repaired. Some started work that day and others started the next day. Karri and I set to work on the sails right away to get them over with. Patsy was also helping us out with the sails on this stopover, but had not come prepared to be working out in the sun all day. So she eventually borrowed a pair of Tino's swim shorts and bought a T-shirt from the marina to wear. It was definitely a sight to see! Georgio would have for sure given her "top model" marks!
Karri's cousin, Laura, who lives in D.C. came down to visit her for the weekend and met us at the marina to hang out. We took a break and had lunch at the marina with her and then it was back to work on the sails. Most of the other boats were due to arrive that day, so we headed over to the Liberty House, which was the marina restaurant and bar, to have some drinks while we waited. One drink turned into another and it ended up being a late night as the new arrivals kept coming into the bar.
Saturday, we were back to the marina to finish up the work on the sails. Luckily, we have been quite conservative and didn't do much damage to the sails, so didn't have too much intense work to do, just maintenance and a few small tears here and there. As all the other boats were in and we were doing the repairs right next to the marina, I had a feeling Hollywood would walk by at some point and as such planted the next Smirnoff ice for him neatly in one of our sail repair bags so that when he walked by I would ask him to grab me something out of the bag and wallah...iced!!! Everything went exactly as planned and as he went to grab the "scissors" he found a lovely can of Smirnoff Ice instead, compliments of Costa Rica!
That afternoon, we all set out for our port waxing appointments to defuzz from the month's journey. Afterwards, we met up with Laura and walked over to downtown Jersey City for dinner. We walked into the first nice looking restaurant we saw, which happened to be, Raval, a Spanish tapas place. As we were halfway through our meal, Amancio and Jan walk in. At first I didn't notice them but saw Karri talking to Jan. I thought she had invited them to meet us and she thought the same of me. But it was just a random coincidence they came to the same restaurant as us, so we invited them to join us. We had a few drinks and then called it an early night as we each had big days ahead the next day. Amancio was accompanying Jan and his friend up to a music festival in the old Woodstock area and we had Sunday brunch plans!
I finally had my first long, lazy morning on Sunday. Once I got up, I went for coffee and then got my nails done. By then it was time to meet up and head into the city for a brunch I planned with a few people. If there is one thing I love about New York, it is having Sunday Brunch! One of my NY colleagues had recommended Essex, so I made reservations for our crew at 3 PM, the only available time I could get for twelve people the day before. So, Tino, Posh, Ana, Rich and I met in the lobby of our hotel and then took the PATH train over to the city. It was the first time any of us had used the train there, so 1) didn't know which station to use or 2) which stops we were supposed to be going to. So, of course, we went to the wrong area to pick up the train, which then took us back up to Hoboken, where we had to get off and then get on the correct PATH train into the city.
Unfortunately, there was some delay in the train and we ended up waiting forever for it to come. But, we finally made it across the pond. However, once we got out, we were running quite late and made the amateur mistake of catching a cab in horrible NY traffic when we should have just found the nearest subway to get us there. Anyhow, we did eventually make it, albeit late, but made it nonetheless. Pony and Hollywood, who were running late, somehow beat us and were the first ones to arrive. But, we were still waiting on others to join and as this is NY, you can't be seated until a majority of your party is present so we waited at the bar for the rest to arrive.
The rest of the crew finally arrived and they seated us upstairs, where Lola was our waitress for the afternoon. Essex offered a bottomless mimosas, Bloody Mar, and screw driver special along with brunch and a three hour time limit before they kick you out for the next party to come in. Lola took our orders and was quick on refilling our drinks.
Drinks settling in before food has arrived
We all looove the self-ie stick! (Sung as if singing "the candy shop")
When we were finishing up our meals, Holly and Jen from Garmin, came to join us. Then some of the skippers got word and came to join us as well including Dan, Ash, Wendo, and Max.
Forces unite!
When it was time to pay, I took charge of the bill, collecting everyone's payment. I worked with Lola to get it sorted out and in turn she gave me a special drink to take back with me. However, once I was back at the table, we were taking pictures using the amazing selfie stick that Emily gave me in Seattle (yes, I confess to acting like a tourist in a city I once lived...because, why not!), and Ana went to slide into a pic with Holly and I and accidentally knocked over my special drink. I searched for Lola but she was nowhere to be seen. So we headed back down to the bar downstairs where the other skippers were and ordered more drinks there. However, within seconds of walking downstairs, Lola was right behind me with a new drink in hand....did I mention what a freaking awesome waitress she was!
If you couldn't tell by now, Hollywood is obsessed with his hair and is always checking out the competition...😘 (and remember that horrible tattoo we found online in Seattle? Recreated here on Hollywood's face!)
After that, we collected ourselves and headed to some Safari rooftop bar that either the Garmin girls or Hollywood picked out. From what I remember, we danced a lot and I tried to take over as DJ, which the DJ was not having one bit. Nicki eventually met up with us there after his outing with his parents who nicely surprised him by flying in to see him from Germany. We ended up at a third place, of which I don't remember and then Nicki, Ana, and I shared a ride home back to Jersey.
I had a lot of friends and family that were able to visit when I was in Seattle, but New York is a bit further and more expensive, so not many were able to come out this far. However, my Aunt and Uncle did manage a trip out and I was scheduled to meet up with them on Monday afternoon. I met them over by the boats at 1 PM. I gave them a very lengthy tour of the boat below and above and my crew mates who were on board working on the winches commented that I was an excellent tour guide! After the tour, we headed for lunch in the little downtown area of Jersey and got some pizzas at Portas. We had a lovely lunch catching up and discussing the race and then they headed back over to the city and I headed back for a much needed nap.
That night, I met up with Tino, Posh, and Jan and we went out for some Mexican cuisine at the Downtown Tacqueria. One of the main things I crave on the boat is Mexican food, so I am always on the hunt when in port for a good spot. This place did the trick and I got my customary fish tacos with chips, guac, and salsa. We had an early evening as we had another big day ahead of us.
Tuesday was moving day, crew lunch, prize giving, and Pony's birthday. The 14th was the last day of the arrival window into New York, as such, that is when we booked our accommodations from. So I had a random AirBnB booked outside the marina in Jersey starting that day and Karri was scheduled to move over to Manhattan where she would be staying with Mark. We packed our stuff up and then checked out.
I got the go ahead to check in early at the apartment, so headed over there before the crew lunch to check in. The "lovely" apartment happened to be in the middle of the Jersey ghetto. However, on the bright side, the inside was quite nice. Based on the bars on the windows and people hanging out in the neighborhood, I thought it would be best to not come home alone at night to this place. After settling in and double bolting the doors on my way out, I met up with the rest of the team at the Brownstone Diner Pancake House for our crew lunch. This place is known for their pancake wraps, so that is what I ordered along with an espresso martini to start the day right...bad decision. That was the worst espresso martini I have ever drank in the short 9 months or so that I have been drinking them and the food was subpar. On the bright side, even when I ordered just a regular cappuccino at the end of the meal, it was also horrible, so clearly this place just sucked at making all drinks!
After the late lunch, we all walked over to the marina where the prize giving was being held in a room above the Liberty House. We arrived early so had a few drinks outside while we waited. We eventually all headed up and were given our two free drink tickets, although this time, it was a full bar instead of being limited to beer and Stormhoek wine. So G&T's it was for most of us.
From L to R...1) H: "What?"; 2) Em: "Look what I got!" H: "I didn't see that!"; 3) Em: "nah nah nah!"; 4) H: "Snatch! Mmmm"
Since we did not have a prize giving in Panama with the short stopover, the event would be covering both races of leg 7. As such, they started with the first race and then had another break before finally getting to us. But our time finally came...they announced third place and the crowd went wild...well it probably wasn't this dramatic, but was still awesome going up there to receive our first podium award of the entire race! Then they announced second and first, which was Telemed and again we cheered. Pony and Linda are both on Telemed so I was very happy for them!
Having some fun after the prize giving was over
Shortly after the awards were announced, most of the party made their way down to the ferry which was right outside the venue. There was a long line with all of us lot and we were not able to make the first ferry trip which was supposed to be the last one of the night. However, with the mass of people waiting to jump on, the ferry people told us they would make an extra trip for us and again the crowd went wild! At this time, is when I thought it would be a good idea to consume the 5 hour energy drink I had bought the morning after we arrived, waiting for the right moment to use it, which finally presented itself.
We took the ferry over and then jumped in a cab to the Coyote Ugly bar which is where the festivities for Pony's birthday were being held. The place was packed with Clipper folks, in fact, I think I heard it was dead in there before we arrived and then it was barely standing room only by the time most of the fleet made their way over. Pony is well known throughout Clipper and everyone loves him, so it was no small surprise that most of the fleet showed up to celebrate his birthday.
As this was the Coyote Ugly bar, there was of course, lots of dancing on the bar. I was up there the first moment I was prompted, but you don't need to do much to get me dancing on top of a bar.
The night continued and as it was Pony's birthday, I decided to bring back the prime numbers. So I worked with the bartender to see what we could do to order 139 rum and gingers. This was a long process. At first, she thought I wanted ginger beers and then something else, but we finally got on the same page. After repeating 139 drinks several times and then giving her a background story, she went to her manager to see if they could actually serve up that many drinks. She came back with good news! The only issue was that they didn't have enough glasses to accommodate that many drinks and also serve other people drinks at the same time. As such, they ended up mixing the rum and gingers in pitchers which we then poured into cups. Jan was on the ready to help with the pouring and whenever I glanced the bartender's way, she was quickly over to give us a new pitcher of ice for the drinks we were making. I am not sure we actually got 139 drinks out of the pitchers, but there was enough to pass around the bar for everyone. They did however, still charge us for that amount, but luckily Posh and Tino were nice enough to split the bill with me as I forget I have no income anymore!
After handing out our drinks, I mentioned to Dan or Ash that they were next in line for the prime numbers and next thing I knew, there was another set of drinks being lined up, this time out of Red Solo cups and with gin and tonic as the contents. At some point there may have been some sharpie writing on various individuals, but I won't name names. It was a fun night celebrating Pony's birthday with lots of dancing and laughter and it ended with a rather interesting uber pool ride home back to my ghetto apartment...
The next morning after I slept as much as possible, I was eager for some greasy food and knew Shake Shack would do just the trick. So I met Posh back at the hotel, where Tino, Jan, and herself were still camped out. I am pretty sure everyone was still a bit intoxicated when we met up as we had some great conversations that morning. Posh relayed a hilarious story about Jan and his wonderings in the middle of the night and we recapped on some of the other funnier moments of the previous night. Jan was also going into the city to meet his friend, so the three of us, Tino was still passed out in bed having only arrived back sometime around 5 AM, took the PATH over to the city. Luckily, Jan had taken the correct train the other day, so he directed us to the right location and we easily made it over to the WTC stop. We parted there and then Posh and I were off to find the original Shake Shack; however, we were in desperate need of a coffee first! Wouldn't you know it, the moment you really need a friggin coffee, is when they are somehow no where to be found! Mind you, this is NY and there is a Starbucks on every corner, if not another random coffee place. So how we managed to not find one within the miles walk we covered is beyond me. We finally passed a Barnes & Noble, which I knew usually had a cafe inside, so we tested our luck and thank goodness, we finally found coffee! It was amazing. Now we were caffeinated and in our right minds to figure out the subway and get to Shake Shack for much needed greasy food!
We finally made it and there thankfully there wasn't the longest line in the world. I made sure Posh ordered all the works, getting the Shake Shack burger, which I always call wrong, but the one with the burger and cheese filled portobello mushroom, cheese fries, and shake...heart attack central. Once the food finally arrived, we grubbed like no other and then wanted to die. Oh how I love Shake Shack! We chilled for quite a bit there deciding what to do next. That night we were planning on going to Central Park to watch the NY Philharmonic play, so were thinking we would just stay in the city for the day until it started around 8 PM. After we ate, we made it as far as a hundred feet, where we found people sitting in the park listening to some random street band play music. So we popped a squat and joined in. A bit later we came to the decision that we couldn't actually hang out in the city all afternoon and decided to head back to Jersey so we could nap before the evening's events. Before heading back, we made a pit stop at Eataly because you can't really go to that area without wondering inside for a bit.
We finally made it back and laid down in the hotel, where I stole Tino's bed. Posh and I attempted to sleep while Tino watched a movie on his laptop. The time came for us to start getting a move on to get back into the city, but none of us really wanted to move. I came up with the bright idea to have a picnic in the park, so wanted to stop and get Artichoke pizza and food from one of my favorite Chinese Szechuan places to eat on our way. So the three of us headed into the city via the PATH and our first pit stop was Artichoke pizza. My first mistake was not calling in the order beforehand, which I meant to do, but since we took so long to actually leave, I didn't know when we would make it into the city to pick it up. Therefore, we had to wait thirty minutes for them to make the massive pizza. Then our next stop was up closer to where I used to work to pick up the Chinese food. So I hulled the pizza through the subway uptown to the Chinese restaurant with Tino and Posh following along. After we picked up the pizza, Tino had enough walking through the city and we jumped in a cab to take us up to Central Park, where we were meeting Pony and Wendi. Unfortunately, by the time we made it up there, Pony and Wendi had already scoped out the scene, which was overcrowded and not worth putting up a fight for. So we never ended up meeting them as they went back downtown in search of a bar and we decided just to head back to Jersey and eat the food we got since we were all pooped anyway. We ate at the apartment and then Posh and Tino headed back to the hotel.
Thursday morning we met back up at the hotel with Tino, Posh, Pony, and Wendi. Tino was going to take us to some Venezuelan cuisine in the city. We took PATH over and then ubered it there as Tino had decided he was done with walking and taking the metro around the city. We ate at Caracus Arepas and boy was it delicious! I love me some arepas...so good!
Afterwards, we parted ways, the other four on a mission to watch a movie somewhere. I on the other hand wanted to see the Clipper ad on the Times Square NASDAQ building. I knew Ana would be over there, so let her know I was in he area. I ended up meeting her and her mom at some bar, where they were watching the futbol match. We left to catch the ad that was running precisely at 5 PM for five minutes.
Clipper ad in the background
Took some photos and then headed back to the bar where the Germans, Holly, and Grace were. Jan ended up popping up as well as he was meeting Nicki for dinner. We hung out there for a bit and then everyone parted their separate ways. Ana and I ended up going to the Sky Cloud bar which was on top of the Knickerbocker building for a few coffee infused drinks. Marina met us there and then we headed over to the Union Square Bro J's, where one of my old coworkers, Dustin, was hanging out. The girls ordered some food and eventually Isaac met up with us, another guy I worked with in NY. It was just like old times with these two, always bickering with one another...gotta love em! I wasn't feeling this new Bro J's location so suggested we go back uptown to the Lex location where we usually hung out after various after work happy hours.
As we entered the bar to show the bouncers our ID's, I see it is the same guy who used to man the doors and he recognized me as well and gave me a big fat hug! Mind you, it has almost been two years now that I worked in NY and I was only there for nine months. I am not sure if the guy manning the doors remembering me is a good thing or bad? I swear I did do work when I was in NY! It was a lively night there on a Thursday, lots of dancing to be had on the insanely sticky floor. Word to the wise, do not wear flip flops here if you plan on dancing...they just stick to the floor when you try to move and you end up barefoot on the nasty ass floor. It was a fun night and we ended up staying out way later than I was hoping for. Ana and I went back to Jersey in the wee hours of the morning and she stayed at my place. We then grubbed on some leftover Chinese food before going to bed as the sun was rising...
Friday, Ana and I were set to be on a media sail with the NBC Weekend Today Show. Luckily, it was scheduled for the afternoon, so I was able to sleep all morning and Ana had time to head back and freshen up. After dragging myself out of bed, I managed to get to the marina on time for the sail. The late night of drinking was probably the worst decision ever. Although, I didn't feel too bad, I looked like complete shit, bloated from all the drinking and dehydration. Such a good look for the cameras! Since our boat had been taken away to get the nose fixed, we were going to be sailing on DLD, Dan's boat, for the day. He happened to have a morning sail as well, so we had to wait for them to get back in. As such, they had us do some interviews with Dylan from the show as we were waiting. Luckily, they stuck me with Ana, who is used to the media coverage and good at answering the questions they asked. Stick me in front of a camera and I just freeze, forgetting my own name. So Ana easily answered most of the questions and I nodded along happily. My good old friend, Linda, was also doing the sail with us, so this would be our first time sailing together, if you consider this a proper sail.
After Dan arrived, we went on the sail, where we explained to them what we did on the boat and how it was living on it, etc. The best part was that there were two different reporters there, NBC and another newspaper reporter, of which I don't recall. But the NBC camera guy kept yelling at the other reporter to get out of his shots and in return the photographer for the newspaper would say they needed some shots as well. This pretty much went on throughout the entire sail...amazing. At some point, Dan made me come back to drive the boat. As Dan has never sailed with me, he is not aware of my unhealthy fear of hitting other boats. I tried to explain this to him and he just said, that is a healthy fear and continued to make me drive in the middle of the Hudson with millions of boats and ferries passing us. So I drove out pass the Statute of Liberty and then turned us around and back up the Hudson. I have to say, it was quite nice driving a sailboat out on a beautiful NY sunny day past all these landmarks. I remember when I was living in NY and first heard about this race, I wanted to go out in a boat to take some sailing lessons thinking it would be pretty cool to sail on the Hudson. Now I was doing it with me behind the wheel! I've come a long way...
Link to NBC clip:
When we got back to the marina, we said our goodbyes and Dylan gave us each a big hug goodbye and wished us luck on the rest of our race. Claire from the race office then invited Ana, Jon and I back to the Liberty House for a quick thank you drink for doing the sail. We found a table with some other DLD crew and joined them and then a few other black shirts joined as well. Ana and I still had plans to go out that night, so I was in much need of a nap before doing anything and left to do such. As the uber driver dropped me off after dropping Ana and Jon off, he confirmed my suspicions of the neighborhood by telling me this was a horrible area to stay and that I should be staying where he dropped the other two off...well thanks for that!
I finally managed to rally myself after my nap. Ana came and picked me up and we headed back into the city to meet up with some PSP folks who were having a crew outing at 230 on fifth, which is a rooftop bar in the city. As we walked through the doors, I saw signs for PwC, I knew it was promotion day at PwC, but didn't think much of it since PwC is such a huge organization, it could have been any group meeting there. This was a bit of a posh spot and not really my thing. The type of place you have to buy a ridiculously expensive bottle of alcohol to even sit at a table. So I was ready to leave within minutes of arriving. Nicki was also meeting there, but when he arrived, he apparently wasn't allowed to enter without a female. Are you freaking kidding me! This is why I hate places like that. So Ana and I went down to retrieve him. By the time we got back down, where they forced us to use the back exit, there was a huge line of people trying to get in. Luckily, they let the three of us back in in front of everyone otherwise, I would have been ready to walk to the next place.
We had a couple drinks there and then I brought a small group of us back over to Bro J's on Lex to meet up with Isaac who was there again after the PwC promotion day party. We played some beer pong, where the German boys kicked our asses quite badly. As I was talking to Isaac, it turned out that the PwC SALT outing after promotion day was at 230 on fifth and not some other group. Also random, Grace had been at Central Park the previous day and saw the PwC SALT team playing some games for the annual SALT outing. So random that they happened to be at the same two locations as my old SALT team in such a big city...let alone happening to be at the same spot in that huge park as them!
After a few rounds and some dancing, we called it a night and found our way back to the PATH to take a fun ride back to Jersey. I think the other riders on the train were happy to be rid of us once we got off.
Saturday morning, I had to be up early for our boat safety debrief at 0930. I managed to drag myself out of bed yet again and this time even gather all my dirty laundry which I had yet to wash during the entire stopover so I could wash them at the marina. Oh how much easier it is to have a laundry in the apartment or a hotel to wash your clothes when in port!
We had our boat safety talk on board Mission as our boat was still away being fixed. And then had a brief meeting with each watch. A few of us, Patsy, Tino, Posh, Amancio, and Karri then headed into downtown Jersey for some lunch. We located the place that Amancio had in mind and as we were waiting on the corner, we ran into Hollywood and Holly and invited them to join us. Although, I got my Mexican fix earlier, I still crave Mexican food on a daily basis, so was so happy to see that they had huevos rancheros on the menu! After lunch and some wine, I was coaxed into going to another place for post meal G&T's.
One of course, turned to two and then we parted so I could finally get some of my shit done. Instead, I took a much needed nap and barely woke in time to go back out to celebrate Hollywood's birthday that evening.
Pablo, from leg one, was also in town visiting, and was already at Portas with Amancio when I arrived. I caught up with them as we waited for Hollywood to secure more tables for all his people. We eventually merged and Posh, Tino, Pony, Patsy, Jan, and Nicki showed up as well. We ate pizza and had a million G&T's. I think my body is starting to get immune to them because I never even got slightly tipsy that night, but maybe I was just so exhausted that it wasn't possible. A few more crew from VS showed up and I got to meet Vernon's daughters. I made sure to tell them his boat name on the boat and that they too should refer to him as Vern Digity Dog...I think my plan is succeeding! As I was so exhausted, I didn't make it out long and headed home earlier for some much needed sleep.
Sunday, the last day before our next race start, was the first day I had nothing going on and could sleep in until my heart's content! Well, I lie, I actually had made plans to have breakfast with Jan and Nicki in the morning, but once I managed to wake up, I decided it would be a much better decision to just continue sleeping...sorry Nicki (he is only a legger, so wouldn't be seeing him much longer after we left). At some point, I was in desperate need of coffee. I remember passing a coffee place in the car down the street from my ghetto apartment and decided during the daylight hours, I might be able to walk there on my own. So I ventured out, taking only what I needed with me in case I got mugged on the way. I found the place and when I walked inside it was like I was transported to a different world! It was a very trendy coffee shop, even the clientele didn't match the neighborhood outside. So random. I ordered a nice big cappuccino, a toasted bagel with cream cheese, and then got a green detox juice for later.
I finally had most of the day to get some of the million things that I needed to work on done. However, the only thing I managed to do, was get a phone call in to my dad to figure out their travel plans after the race.
Karri arrived shortly after as she was staying with me on the last night before the race since Mark was on his way home that day. The two of us walked over to the Liberty Science Center at 3, where the crew briefing for Leg 8 was being held. After the brief, we headed over to the supermarket to do some last minute shopping and where I finally scored some rainbow chip frosting for the birthday cake that will be made for me as we motor into London!
We went back to the house and packed up our stuff and I got another call into my Big to catch up. Then it was over to the marina, where our boat had finally arrived back from being fixed to help unload food and unpack our bags.
Preparing the boat
By this time we were starving and had grand plans of ordering Thai food in with a bottle of wine and just taking it easy. However, turns out no one wanted to deliver to the ghetto and there wasn't anywhere nearby that we could walk to. So we ended up having to go into town for food. As we were walking on the little pedestrian street to the Thai restaurant, we ran into Amancio and Pablo. So we ended up eating with them and perhaps having a bit longer meal than we were expecting, but well welcomed, nonetheless. On the way to catch our uber, we saw Huw, Mia, and Emily walking across the street from the ice cream shop. I actually love that we can go into these huge cities and randomly run into someone else from Clipper on the streets, even better when it is one of your own crew mates!
We finally made it back to the apartment and I had yet to finish writing any blogs. So I set to work and Karri went to bed. I finally finished and hit the publish button, hoping it would have gone through by the time I woke up, with the shitty internet service in that place.
Monday morning, day of race start, Karri was up bright and early getting some admin stuff done she needed to do and I woke annoyed seeing that my blog never went through. We got ready, cleaned up the apartment and then headed over to the marina early. We dropped our stuff off and then I was back up to the race office to try and get my blog posted, which I finally managed to do minutes before we were due to be on the boats for our departure photos.
Back at the boats, we said our goodbyes to the people who were still around. I wasn't sure if Nicki was going to try and sneak away with us, but he did eventually get off the boat and waved us goodbye as we slipped lines, off on our FINAL leg of the race back over to the UK!
