Happy New Year!

Well this morning we are recovering from our New Year celebrations in Curacao, we are all suffering today - more from lack of sleep than an excess of drink I might add!

It was always deemed to be a quiet night on the anchorage so with Simon from 'Troutbridge' anchored behind us we took ourselves into Willemstad in their hire car. This proved to be an adventure in its self - trying to find our way in the dark along bumpy back roads trying to find the main road - no street lights and a car that veered to the left with dodgy brakes.

I think that the whole population of Curacao had descended on Willemstad - and most of them including 3 and 4 year old children were downloaded with fireworks. Its preety scary seeing a 4 year old launch a rocket from his hand whilst carrying a backpack full of rocket launcher size ones on his back. We saw the New Year in on the floating bridge with a few thousand other people, this thing floats on pontoons and its enough to make you seasick when around a couple of thousand people start to jump and shout altogether. Even on the night of the millenium I haven't seen as many fireworks as I did last night, the people here are crazy for fireworks and let them off at all times of the days. The firecrakers are a nightmare as you can be walking down the street and suddenly someone launches some out of a shop or office door - health and safety don't count for anything here!

Our drive home was even more eventful than our drive in! people were obviously worse for wear at around 2 am but the fireworks were still coming thick and fast. We likened our drive home to a trip around down town Kandahar, we would be driving along these narrow roads when suddenly someone would throw a rocket in front of the car - baa boom they went off like mortars! Poor old Ted who was in the front of the car nearly had a heart attack - so with Nigel in the back of the car busting for the loo and us unable to stop it made for an eventful journey home. We did eventually find somewhere safe for Nigel to jump out of the car and 'relieve' himself - only for him to have the beejesus scared out of him as an earthquake bomb went off the other side of the hedge - sorry folks I nearly peeded my pants with laughter!

The barage of fireworks went off until 7am this morning when they all crawled home to bed exhausted. It is now 8pm on the 1st of January and guess what? its started all over again! We will all be glad to get to sea for some peace - if you fancy a great party and a wild time - Curacao is the place to come and celebrate New Year.

A Happy New year to you all!