Betwixt

 Always wanted to experience big city living.  Life in South Africa was living in the burbs, followed by life on a plot (5 acre agricultural holding) in Johannesburg.  Here we are 8 months in the city of Salvador (where?!) on a 35ft boat on Pier A of Terminau Nautico in the Bay of All Saints.   On Pier A are sailing boats, Brazilian and foreign, staying for a few days, or a few weeks if repairs are needed.  This harbour is where all the action is.  The Brazil navy can be heard all day, whistling and PA addressing their boys in white.  The passenger ferry boats crossing daily to various islands in the Bay of All Saints.  The schooners which do touring cruises to the islands and down the coast, sharing their music as they come and go.  On Pier B are the motor boats, for fishing trips, or booze cruises, or both.  Just around the corner are the big hulking cruise ships, pouring out tourists, and lighting up the night. Salvador is a city...

 Our family set off early in the Baia de Todos os Santos heading north to catch the tidal current going into the River Paragaucu.  The river snakes inland through a mixture of tropical vegetation, ochre coloured rocks and mangrove shores.  This is a different Brazil;  no tourism, a few small fishing boats, including  saveiros , the traditional Bahian wooden sailing boat.  The saveiros were sailing, we were motoring. At midday we reached Sao Francisco do Iguape.  The crew made light work of anchoring and pumping up our kayak to go ashore and visit the Convento de Santo Antonio, a beautiful old monastery, now in ruins originally constructed in the Baroque style with a Rococo frontispiece.  About 350 years old.  With two techie sons, it was natural that my drone which was packed away in cobwebs, would be taken out, and sent up to explore the convent grounds.   Then we headed another 5 miles upriver which had depths of as little as 2m....

 The cancer diagnosis is cruel fate.  In a foreign land with a foreign language.  It was a turmoil of decisions, plans made and changed;  daily.  Our sons arrived from Australia and the UK to be supportive.   We moved into an apartment;  this meant more creature comforts but less "home".  Home is our tiny cabin that rocks gently in the sea, surrounded by 360 deg view of blue water and sky, with brilliant sunrises and charming sunsets.  Brazil allows up to 6 month visitor visa.  In order to undergo the treatment plan of chemotherapy, surgery, and more chemotherapy;  we need to extend our visa.  This involves dealing with Brazilian and South African bureaucracy. One step at a time.  Four chemo sessions every two weeks, each chemo is a knock down.  John was determined to take the family sailing as Matthew and Bruce had both left South Africa before the boat was completed.  It all fell into place soon after Chri...

 Not knowing, is the difficult bit.  The unresponsive Gastro doc, the isolation, the foreign land, adds to it.  This was not an ordinary inflammation of the oesophagus.  I needed to get back to Salvador to get help.  My sister-in-law inadvertently sent the Brazilian navy to check on us.  They found us anchored in the river just outside of Itacare.  If I knew we would be getting visitors I would have gotten out of my pyjamas and fixed my hair!  The navy visit, as well as a few other boats who had heard the "emergency" call out on the VHF radio, set our resolve to head back to Salvador. It is 200nm Itacare to Salvador.  We would do it over two days, stopping to rest for the night at Garapua.  The first leg was relatively easy but John was very weak;  I had my first day seasickness.  The second day was harder, with rain showers and beating into wind.  John was now running on empty.  I had contacted a Brazil yachting grou...

It started with a hiccup.  In Namibia.    In St Helena it became a physical chest pain when swallowing, occasionally.  In Salvador it developed into a real problem, enough to be sent to emergency clinic.  Some meds prescribed and told to get an endoscopy if no improvement.  We were about to head slowly to Rio de Janeiro so big city,  good place to get medical treatment if needed.  The difficulty in swallowing became a cannot swallow, from a constricted esophagus.  Apparently it is quite rare.  First Gastroenterologist, first endoscopy (please fast for 12 hours before the endoscopy, um,  what part of cannot swallow...? ).  Need a dilation at another Gastroenterologist, but hospital immediately to get rehydrated.  We were so unprepared for what happened next.  Hooked up with a drip and told to wait for a tomography.  Naively we planned to check into a hotel for the night if we got out of the hospital late as it is ...

 Sailing slowly south of Salvador;  short day hops visiting islands and going up rivers, we went aground, twice in one day.   Shortly after pulling anchor in a narrow creek between the mangrove covered islands one morning, we hit a sandbank and went aground.  The tide fell quickly and we resigned ourselves to the six hours of keeling over.  Deja vu.  We were on our way up the river to see a waterfall.  Cachoeira de Tremembe.  Since Salvador there has been very little change in the low landscape of the coast, so what can this waterfall be?  Early afternoon we were afloat again and set off upriver.  At sunset we got to the small tributary of Tremembe River.  The waterfall was just 800m up the river.  We will take the kayak there in the morning.  Motoring to set the anchor, the engine exhaust pipe broke.  A job for the next day. During the night, John jumped up and looked out - I think we have a problem.  ...