Halloween, Cruiser Style

After a day of snorkeling at Kleine Knip beach and visiting the hot, above-ground Hato Cave, the Burnetts focused their energy on their favorite holiday: Halloween.  In the past, they threw a huge party at their house every year, and dammit, we were going to do something this year, too!  Mel dug out her packed decorations from under Allie’s bed and announced their party on the local cruiser’s VHF net.  While out hunting for ingredients for the witches’ brew, we were able to locate a shop with a few Halloweeny items, but prices were four times that in the US.  So Mel bought fabric and made everyone’s costumes instead, just like in Little House on the Prairie.  Except that instead of a dugout we live in a really nice boat.  And instead of the prairie we are in a harbor in Curacao.  And instead of a ghost or a princess, Allie wanted to be the killer bunny from Monty Python’s The Quest for the Holy Grail.  (Mel’s similes are often a bit of a stretch.)

In the end we met 8 wonderful people from Holland, including 3 kids, and 2 from Britain. Of course with three kids aboard who had never experienced Halloween, we had to play the classic Halloween game where you stick your hand in the box and feel something gross.  The “snot”, or chocolate pudding, was a winner!  Tommy and Allie were overjoyed – it’s been a long time since they were able to hang out with other kids.  They were dying to hear conversations about something other than Venezuela’s economy or speculations of what could be wrong with our anchor, which still won’t set.

We are also discovering the benefits of keeping the VHF on during the day.  Via communication over the radio, we recently purchased a “treasure from the bilge” – an electric cooler from Jamie & Keith on Kookaburra, just in time for the party!  Ice, anyone?

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