Second Blog Chapter.

July 10. You're not going to believe this but as we write we are in the middle of a tropical rain downpour. Torrential rain has been falling for two and half hours now, but we are 'indoors', sitting in the sheltered balcony of our posada. Outside it is dark and dreary, even though it is only 11.15 a.m.. Despite the bucketing rain, temp is good, around 25 degrees Celsius.

Yesterday was a great day. We went on another ferry trip, this time to a lush tropical island called Isla Coche whose sheer beauty was breathtaking. Coconut trees fringed the impeccably clean almost white beach. Metre-long iguanas wandered around absorbing the heat and sunshine so necessary for their survival while tame papaguayas (large coloured parrots who can be taught to speak a limited vocabularly) will perch on a seat/bench near you in the hope of morsel of food. They were unlucky to meet this Irish couple !!!!

We had great craic throughout the day. As you know, we only have pocito Espanol but this does not prevent multi-lingual and multi-national communication, helped no doubt by the copious ammouts of Cuba Libra consumed by nearly everyone on board. Alcohol is truly the real means of raport. In addition to Venezuelans, there were Columbians, Uruguayans, Argntinians and Brazilians on board. Younger women,single and married, danced around on deck to piped music while rolls, fresh sliced pineapples and melons were dispensed. It's a hard life ! Unlike Europe, women here do not go topless on the beach or pool. Instead they wear tiny string-back tangas. And again , unlike parts of Europe, there is no naturism or nudity on the beaches or near the pools. The island itself, Coche, is an ideal honeymoon location, and one we would not be adverse to returing to at some stage in the future....should we win the Lottery.

We are both gradually getting browner (in skin colour) but are taking prudent precautions to prevent burning by lashing on plenty of high factor cream. On the way back, Tony's new Brazilian friends 'encourged' him to enter into a South American dancing competition where all the men wore OTT fun wigs. To my, and Ireland's great astonishment, he finished 3rd!.

Several times on the way over and back we had to pinch ourselves to believe these life experiences were happening to us.......and this only at the beginning of our RTW trip. We are both, indeed, a very long way from our original family backgrounds in Pope' Quay (Cork) and Roxboro (Limerick). The hope is that the relatively solid grounding each of us received in early life will stand us in good stead in some of the more exotic and unusual situations we may find ourselves in. We are both very aware of our own humble beginnings and difficult paths through life, experiences we hope will keep us anchored as we taste some of the sensuous fruits of 'la dolce vita'.

Our resident telecommunications expert, (Trish), is hoping to add some pics to illustrate this text !

In the past few days, we read Fr. Chris Conroy's (Irish Carmelite priest) very warm and tender account of his missionary experiences near Sicuani up in the Andean Mountains of Peru, and near which we hope travel in about three months time. In the book, 'A Beggar in Paradise', he frequently mentions our Spanish teacher, Des Kelliher, who himself is a former Irish Carmeite priest who also ministerd in the mountains but who later left the priesthood, married a Peruvian lawyer and now lives in Maynooth but teaches in Clane, Co Kildare.....a good man. We found a copy here in Venezuela of Ross O'Carroll-Kellly's opus,'The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nightdress' . OhmyGod,Oh-MY-God,roysh, I can NOT believe the south county Dublin upper-class layabout has an attentive audience here. Suppose, anything's possible ! Better finish, this chapter is now going to post.