Location: Barbados
DEAR READER HELLO! It is I, once again, come to tell you the tales of todays ventures. And what a joyous one it is!. Today, the students arrived at the penultimate day of the examination! IYT Navigation Master exams. Over the past month or so, the students have been tirelessly working away at learning the trades and secrets of chartwork, such as course to steer, estimated positions, and 3-point fixes. And today, that knowledge was tested in a trial of wit and determination, with a side of maths. After a divine breakfast of smoothie bowls, with a much-anticipated side of fresh fruit.
All rejoice! It was time to get the exams underway (get it? The pun? Underway? Because we live on a boat?). The students were split into 2 groups as the charts are the size of a small planet and they require lots of space. Meanwhile, the non-examined students were either studying or grabbing a coffee, trying not to fret about what was to come. The exam continued until lunch, in which dear reader, we had a fantasmagorical lunch of chicken gyros with homemade tzatziki. You heard that right, dear reader. HOMEMADE TZATZIKI, it was so good. And then we continued with the exams post lunch. After navmaster had wrapped itself up, it was time for the open water students, who consisted of Alexa, Hannah K, Erin, and Nashota, to undertake their PADI Open Water Scuba Diver exams. A rite of passage that consists of 50 multiple-choice questions to ready any person who dares to take on the world of SCUBA. They all passed.
All rejoice!. We were then hurried into having showers so we would be able to make it on time to.. the first sign out night since Cape Town!!!!. We had a breezy and slightly damp ride (mainly for Vittoria)m to Speightstown, where we unloaded and wandered to our dinner reservation, and a lovely local little restaurant known as the Fishermans Pub, which has stood in place since the 70s. Their food was divine!. We then slowly meandered our way through the streets till we stumbled upon a bar with live music! They had some reggae mixed in with some classic tunes. We all sat down and listened to the music while we intermingled amongst ourselves, while some students decided to run down the beach and build a SICK sand castle/octopus. After the socialising had wound up, we decided to walk off to dinner and walk back to the boat, until we came across our yacht club that ALSO had live music. Although a slower vibe, the band was still incredible, and we sat down while some ordered deserts, Grant with a popcorn crme brle and Erin with her brownie. We listened and gorged ourselves on deserts and finally turned in for the night, chalking up another great day in the Vela world here in the Caribbean. And that, dear reader, sums up another day again. It has been very fun seeing you again. Until next time, dear reader. Xoxo