From Heels to Hulls Life Between Two Worlds

It has really been a minute since I last wrote, the last time I was boarding a United flight to South Africa.

My last-minute decision to fly to South Africa was, of course, for  Intle Boutique Hotel ,my other great love. Some major senior management changes had taken place, and it goes without saying that I needed to be present to oversee this transition, get my hands back into the business, while being on the same timeline as my team.  

What followed was five very intense weeks of work, involving business suites and heels, something I have not done in a few years. While my brain was happy to be back in the game my feet, not so much. Thankfully I did not have to spend too much energy on basic ground level operations, as things were running smoothly.  This allowed me to focus on other aspects of the business, I made some wonderful new industry connections, learnt new skills, and through it all, I see a wonderful new, fresh and very bright future for Intle Boutique Hotel

From Heels to Hulls

While my life in South Africa continued, in high heels, a bra, and professional attire, so did Eric’s life on Intle Breeze continue shirtless and barefoot. The day before I flew out of Honduras, he managed to find a crew couple to sail with him to Cuba as sailing solo is not an ideal situation…...FUN FACT……...It took 2 crew to fulfil my singular role on Intle Breeze ??? what you think about that?

While I was really enjoying some “work life” of course I was following my floating home closely on digital platforms all the while feeling marginally paranoid about what state my galley would be in upon my return. Between time differences and my working schedule, Eric and I barely had a chance to properly catch up on each other’s lives.

Despite what felt to me like a long journey for them to arrive in Cuba, they did arrive safe and sound. I am told the crew did well, the vibes with both Eric and buddy boat Dilly Dally were good and of course very importantly my husband was well fed.

What a Day in Istanbul

My return flight took me through Istanbul Turkey where I had a 20-hour layover.  I was collected at the airport by a friend of Arzum from our buddy boat Dilly Dally and had an incredible day. She had put together a very intense itinerary but so worth it, especially being guided around by locals to all the best areas and experiencing the fantastic Turkish food was worth gold. Apparently, I saw in one day what takes most people a week.  It was totally worth the exhaustion, and I definitely want to return with Eric.

Some of the incredible place I saw was   The Blue Mosque,  The Basilica Cistern,  Topkapi palace the history is deep. Here I will leave you with a photo bomb. If you have ever considering a trip to Istanbul, definitely do not think twice just go, it is a beautiful city.

By the time I boarded my final flight, I had walked so many kilometres through Istanbul that I simply passed out, sleeping nearly the entire way to Havana, Cub

Back on Deck & Back Online

When I finally landed,  I did of course realize I had some new challenges, firstly I would have absolutely no cell phone signal so no google maps and most of all no google translate so I would have to rely on every single Spanish word I know in order to find my way to Hemingway Marina, keeping in mind the extremely strained political situation and the lack of fuel in the country, leaving the transport sector in a dire situation, among other things,  due to the sanctions. My Spanish still is not that great; however, I was fortunate enough to find some extremely friendly and helpful Cubans who assisted me in finding a taxi with enough fuel to get me safely to my destination.

Arriving back on my boat after being away feels more and more like coming home as the years tick on, I almost can’t imagine living anywhere else. Delighted to see my husband and to realize that all was in relative order, so at least not too much chaos for me to deal with ……… well besides the bug infested pasta that was purchased somewhere along the way 😡!! I guess that’s what you get for living in the tropics and visiting strange places.

Of course, Miço was delighted to have me back.

My New Normal

After working my buns off on land, knowing full well that I have officially come out of retirement and stepped into the new role of being  a  “digital nomad.” This was not exactly in the original plan, but just like sailing, life changes & plans change just like the wind, often for the better.

I now frequently find myself wide awake at 03:00 or 04:00am my time just so that I can catch up with everything during South African office hours, the advantage of this is I can do this all barefoot and braless with crazy curls……..Well unless they want a video call 🤣

Havana City Time

Knowing that we would soon set sail again to explore the south coast of Cuba, we decided it was time for a little adventure to Havana City. A couple of nights sounded like a great idea. Off we went with Jens and Arzum,

I chose not to book accommodation in advance. Things have changed a lot and I was not feeling all too trusty about online platforms in Cuba, we decided to just wing it, we arrived with open minds knowing that we would find the right place.

We spent a lot of time just wandering through both the more polished areas and the rougher parts of the city.  Generally speaking, Havana felt safe. We did not experience or hear of any serious crime. That said, it’s clear that life is becoming increasingly difficult for locals. Fuel shortages are having a significant ripple effect, leading to higher unemployment and growing financial strain. While this can and often does lead to higher crime, here there is very simply, very little to steal.

Cuba used to be buzzing with both sailors and tourists at this time of year, as it’s a really beautiful cruising ground, but the current political climate, has kept many sailors away and other tourist have the challenge of lack of flight availability, it’s a real shame as visitors provide a much needed income to local communities, from the veggie vendor, to fisherman trading their catch. The absence of both sailors and tourist is being deeply felt.

Despite this we had a wonderful time in Havana. We still managed to discover great little restaurants and spots for beers and cocktails. On our friends YouTube channel, some viewers commented on the idea that we were eating their food. The reality is a bit more nuanced. While supplies are limited, the shelves aren’t empty and, truthfully, they never really have been heavily stocked.  Even when Eric and I visited 15 years ago, availability was always somewhat restricted. Restaurants seem to manage and continue operating. The fact is the locals can’t afford what is on the shelves, so us and the few other tourist that are around, spending our money here plays a role to keeping these places open and staff employed.

For those of us sailing we live aboard fully equipped homes, we often have more than we need. It’s common place for sailors to give back, sharing essentials like coffee, sugar and even sweets for children, simply because many locals cannot afford them. In fact, most sailors arriving here bring extra supplies specifically to give away.

Fuel shortage remains one of the biggest challenges. They force businesses to close temporarily or operate on reduced hours, especially when they can’t run generators. Life in Cuba is far from easy right now. Yet the resilience of the Cuban people is undeniable. This is not the first hardship they’ve faced, and there’s a quiet strength in the way they endure. They will come through this. For now, it’s simply a moment in time.

For the moment while we feel safe here, we will continue our journey, setting sail toward the south coast of Cuba. Along the way, we’re looking forward to connecting with local fishermen, supporting them with both goods and cash. In return we get to enjoy incredibly fresh fish. While they receive a much needed income, a simple, meaningful exchange that benefits everyone.

We will be back soon to share more stories and updates from the rest of our adventure.