Girls on Board with Acorelle

When Betsy and I were planning the Moorings sailing trip to Belize, we thought it would be fun, seeing as our crew was to be all women, that it would be fun to have some girlie stuff on board. Among the goodies we packed along with us were delightful, all natural perfumes from the French company, Acorelle. [su_pullquote]Acorelle perfumes are crafted under the principal of olfactology, thanks to the essential oils which act on the cycle emotional sphere of the brain to restore balance and harmony, for more well-being.[/su_pullquote]

I don't wear perfume much as I really try to keep away from all the synthetics and chemicals that are usually loaded into them. And so many people are allergic to

perfumes so to be an enclosed area and be responsible for someone's sneezing and wheezing is not something I want to do.

On reading about Acorelle products, I was thrilled to find out that they are all created from natural active agents from readily-available organic sources, and based on aromatherapy principles. To maintain the Ecocert certification, the products must all be manufactured in a responsible, sustainable way, another plus in my mind.

As we travel so much, I was particularly interested in the Parfum Roll-on. So handy to slip into a purse for those long flights.

When the products arrived, first of all I was very impressed with the lovely packaging. Simple, colorful - and minimal, so they were easy to pack for the trip. And then, of course, I had to try them out! I love how the perfumes are based on aromatherapy and categorized into energizing (Dynamisant), balancing (Equilibrant) and soothing (Apaisant). The Perfume Discovery pack has 9 different 1.5ml tiny spray vials. I zeroed in on the Absolu Tiare, to remind of Tahiti! But over the following days, I tried out all the different scents, finding my favorites. The Tiare remains my favorite, and Betsy went for the Patchouli Roll-on, which reminded me too much of the 60s!

Beauty Evening On Board

It was a beautiful, tropical evening in Belize and we had plans to go ashore for dinner. The perfect time to try our Acorelle!

The samples were handed around, with all nine of us selecting, trying and then choosing a different scent! The main comments were about how natural they smelled and when the ladies learned more about the company and how only natural and organic ingredients are used, they were very complimentary.

I left the Discovery out for the duration of the trip and by the end, almost all the vials were gone! Secreted in various duffle bags!

Back home, I did a "blind test" with an unsuspecting friend who is very sensitive to scents and perfumes. I used a liberal amount of Fleur de Vanille (Vanilla Blossom) on a day trip. As I didn't get any kickback after a whole day in the car, I asked her if she had noticed that I was wearing perfume. She looked surprised but said she hadn't noticed! Obviously, the natural ingredients hadn't bothered her sensitive nose!

[su_box title="The three pillars of Acorelle" box_color="#f9c5c5" title_color="#990808"]The three pillars of Acorelle:

• Aromatherapy: The power of essential oils is used in every formulation so that none of the plants’ energy is lost. The result is effective products with concentrated active agents from plant sources.

• Body: Nature has given every woman one unique body for her whole life. Acorelle creates beauty products that are adapted to the different rhythms in a constant quest for balance and harmony.

• Woman: Acorelle responds to women's needs by tackling specific problems, linked to the cycles of life and the seasons: fragrances, hair removal, baby products, care for first fine lines.[/su_box]

[contact-form][contact-field label='Name' type='name' required='1'/][contact-field label='Email' type='email' required='1'/][contact-field label='Comment' type='textarea' required='1'/][/contact-form]

The Endless Estrogen Chronicles Part 6

We Hoped for a Breeze

The Endless Estrogen crew

Not that I'm complaining! But we haven't had a breeze the entire time out here! The weather reports have consistently said 10-15 knots of breeze but they never materialized! But the weather has cooperated in every other way - sunny, warm, clear, no rain! But also no wind, which is sad as we came to go sailing! Hence a sailboat!

Fortunately, even though we had a couple of gung-ho sailors aboard, no one was really put out by the lack of wind. We just took advantage of the still waters for great snorkeling and peaceful nights!

Off to Wippari Caye

Toes up!

This will be our last anchorage on the trip, just a couple of hours out from Placencia. But first we need to make our way back through the coral mine field, back through the Blue Ground Range and out to the main channel. After a picture-perfect anchor retrieval from our picture-perfect anchorage, we once again made sure our lookouts were stationed on the bow and off we went. Having traversed this tricky area once, it wasn't quite as hairy going back, but we didn't let down our guards!

It was all pleasantly uneventful and we picked up one of the two buoys at Wippari Caye, just before several other boats came cruising into the anchorage. Score! Betsy decided we should go into shore immediately and pay for the mooring, to secure our spot. Which proved to be unnecessary, as the buoys are not owned by the island owner!

Wippari is a private island that occasionally serves a beer and dinner. That was not to be the case this evening. Restaurant and bar were closed to the public. Too bad, but Dustin at Hideaway Caye had warned that this was a distinct possibility, so it was dinner on board, with the sense of inevitability that our cruise was coming to an end. I didn't want to think of that at all!

It was a very warm, still night and this was the one time we ran the air conditioning, although I remained outside in my preferred sleeping location! Everyone was up early on the last day, (but not early enough to see an amazing sunrise) busy packing up and sorting through snorkels and goggles and other stuff that had accumulated! Bunks stripped, cushions replaced, bags packed, everyone ready as we made our slow way up the narrow inside channel and called Mooring base to "come and get us." They are required to bring the boat into the slip, although Betsy, tongue in cheek, told Diego she would do it! He declined the offer!

Endless Estrogen on the mooring at Wippari Caye

Four of the crew would be stepping off the boat as soon as we arrived in the marina and into a taxi for a flight out. The rest of us had time, once we completed the checkout, to go across the street to Laru Beya for a quick lunch before the shuttle would pick us up to head into the jungle for the second part of the big adventure.

There were big hugs all around, and promises of reunions and "Let's do it again" pleas! (Stay tuned for that one!) And then they were gone.

9 Women on a Boat for a Week

We were 9 women ranging from 43 to 67, from disparate backgrounds. Some married or in relationships, a couple of grandmas, a couple never married and happy about it. And guess what? Everything was copacetic from the very beginning. In all that time, I never heard a harsh word, criticism, snide remark, nothing. Everyone chipped in to do what needed to be done. Private space and time was honored and the mood was comfortable and friendly throughout the entire trip! What a great bunch of ladies!

I don't want to get all feminist about this, but really! Would it have been the same if it was an all-male crew? Or even if it was a mixed crew? Just sayin'....

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5

The Endless Estrogen Chronicles Part 2

Ranguana Caye, the quintessential Caribbean island

All Aboard

Waking in the tropics is heavenly! Walking out onto the cool sand, paddling in the warm water in the still of the morning...you can't beat it! Add a cup of coffee and this, for me, is paradise.

But this was the big day; we board the boat and the rest of the crew arrives. The plan was to load up at the hotel, head to the boat and provision at the local stores. But Maria, our hotel driver had other plans! Fortunately, Paradise Resort has a golf cart to take us and all our baggage to the van so we avoided dragging our bags up the gravel path! Once in the van, Maria suggested we stop at the vegetable stand on our way to the boat, all on her time. This was one of the many kind and thoughtful instances we encountered on this trip. She took us right to the vege stand, where Betsy and Lu Ann, our designated cook, stocked up. The arrays of papaya and coconuts and yes, granadillas was a sight to behold! Packed into boxes, we headed for the marina to unload. We planned to take a taxi to the grocery store but once again, Maria said she would drop us there. So we piled back into the van and off we went. At the grocery store, she talked to the store owner, asking to have him deliver us and the groceries back to the boat.

Belize29

Although that didn't happen, for various reasons, mainly that there were too many of us and too many groceries to fit in the truck, we managed to cruise the grocery aisles, finding just about everything we needed. Remembering that we are in Belize and on Belizean time, we hung around the front of the store, sipping our Belikin beers, and waiting for the taxi the store owner grudgingly called for us. We heard later that the Asian store owners are not the most popular people in the community and their unwillingness to help was not unexpected. We did not let their attitude affect us!

Back to Moorings base, all our gear had been transported to the boat. No schlepping for us!

The boat, a Moorings 4800 catamaran, was amazing! And huge! Stepping on board was like stepping into a fair-sized condo, only better! With four big cabins, four heads and a small v-berth and head up forward, there was ample room for all of us. The aft undercover seating and table was where we all spent a lot of time, plus the forward seating and trampoline strung between the amas provided lots of seating and lounging areas. The steering station has all the necessary, latest nav devices, too.

Designating who was to occupy which cabin involved who wakes early, who are the party animals, who snores, etc. These details all noted on a questionnaire Betsy had sent out early in the planning process. My roomie was Pam, my friend from Washington, but it ended up I slept out on deck, my favorite place! But I was always ready to pop back inside if it rained!

And Then There Were Nine

Dinner at Laru Beya

Our remaining four crew, Pam, Claire, Laura and Katie showed up in the early evening. After getting everything stowed, we made our way across the road to the only restaurant within walking distance. The Laru Beya is a beautiful resort with a good restaurant where we celebrated our first night together.

The next morning, bright and early and after a quick Betsy briefing, Diego our go-to person at the Moorings base, took us out of the slip and we were off on the Big Adventure, making our way down the very shallow channel and out to the deep water. Although the boat is big, Betsy is a pro and because the setup and navigation systems are very similar to the Moorings 4400 she recently sailed on, she soon got a handle on it. We did a bit of maneuvering out in the open water to get the feel of the boat and then it was off to our first anchorage - Ranguana Caye.

Ranguana is a tiny two-acre caye but it is the quintessential Caribbean island. Beach bar, sandy beach, palm trees and turquoise sea. Pulling into the anchorage, we had hoped to find a vacant mooring buoy but they were all taken so this became our first anchoring experience! Third time was a charm. Our avid swimmers were overboard almost instantly, snorkeling over the anchor and Betsy got the thumbs up - anchor in sand and holding well. Shortly after that, we got a message that the French boat with the closest mooring was vacating it and letting us have it because "we were damaging the coral!" We later found that the reason he gave it up was that he didn't want to pay the nightly fee! What a wanker!

The paddle boards and kayak were deployed and the crew dispersed. I went snorkeling with my new prescription goggles and camera which I discovered is going to take some getting used to! But nothing was going to stop the bliss I felt as I cruised the reef, enjoying every second of it. Being so fair skinned and white from living in the gray Washington climate, I was very careful to use lots of sunscreen and wear coverups as the sun in Belize is ferocious. By the end of the trip, I was very proud of myself for developing a light tan and no burns!

That evening, we went ashore for dinner at Billy's on the Beach. What a pleasure to sit out on the benches, toes in the sand, enjoying a tropical rum drink and eating fresh snapper and grouper, caught fresh that day.

It just felt like life couldn't get any better!

Stay tuned...

Part 1
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
Part 6

The Endless Estrogen Chronicles

Back of the bus on Tropic Air

I am pretty sure that the owner of the Moorings 4800 catamaran did not have this in mind when he named his boat Endless Options. With nine women on board between the ages of 43 and (gulp) 67, it was quickly renamed Endless Estrogen.

🏝 Note to readers: I will be posting the Chronicles in sections, so sign up to receive updates through the link on the right.

Part 1

Back in November, Betsy and I put our heads together and decided to do this trip to Belize, a place I nearly moved to 16 years ago and have been hankering to go back to. As soon as the word went out, all bunks were filled and it became clear right away that it would be a an all-girls trip.

Organizing and planning and confirming our assignment for Sailing Magazine continued right up to our departure. Anxious to get out of the nasty Pacific Northwest winter, I flew south to Southern California a week prior to our flight out of LAX to Belize City. A few days with Ryan and then the few days before departure with Betsy in Santa Barbara, where we put the finishing touches (sort of) to our trip.

Sneaking a nip in the girls room

First stop was to pick up Jane, one of our crew who drove with us to the airport. We dropped the car at La Quinta where we would stay on our return, hopped on the hotel shuttle and made it to the Delta gate with time to spare. Feeling like naughty schoolgirls, we slipped into the ladies room before security for a quick nip on the gin Betsy had hidden in a flask! We certainly got some funny looks as we sipped and slugged away!

After a long red-eye on Delta, we arrived in Belize City at 7:30 am. without so much as a cup of coffee on the flight. I have never been on a 4:45 hour flight without any sort of service! And after not getting even two hours of sleep I was ready for some caffeine. Which we did find, but not the kind of coffee us spoiled American girls wanted. Try lukewarm water with a spoonful of local instant coffee in a styrofoam cup, heated in a microwave! It came from a tiny little food stand within the Tropic Air departure lounge. Marginal!

Two other crew appeared while we were fueling up at the Duty Free liquor store. Tina and Lu Ann had arrived on an earlier flight and were booked on a later puddle jumper for Placencia, the Moorings base. The half-hour flight down, with three of us in the back of the bus, er plane, took us low over the mangrove-lined coastline, which peeked out from the low clouds. But the water was dazzling - brilliant, clear turquoise and shades of blue. I noticed a lot of development along the shoreline of the peninsula and sad to see the mangroves being torn up for houses and marinas.

The dirt runway in Placencia has water both ends - quite an incentive to hit it just right. No problem!

But first getting to our hotel, the Paradise Hotel and Resort was via a beat up old taxi that dropped us at the end of a gravel pathway. Have you ever tried rolling a wheelie bag along gravel? It doesn't work well and by the time we made the couple of hundred yard haul, we were soaking, sweating like crazy. The room was basic and three of us shared it. The redeeming factor at that time was the free welcome rum punch which we consumed in the open air bar, with it's overhead fans and lovely view of the water. By this time it was lunch time and I had the local stew chicken with rice and beans which was surprisingly good.

Belizean girls

I'm a lousy napper, but the others all had snoozes on the lounges by the water. I ended up floating with some of the local little girls who are so friendly and not filled with the "don't talk to strangers" admonitions the Americans have drummed into their children's heads. They wanted me to take pictures of them and then I allowed one of them to take pictures of them with me! Very cute.

Betsy and I went for our fact-filled chart briefing at the Moorings base later in the afternoon - a lot of info and of course masses of questions and astonishment and several raised eyebrows from the men in the briefing (also going out on charters) when they found out Betsy is the captain and me first mate!

Dinner at De Tatch (The Thatch, we discovered ) right on the beach in Placencia that came well-recommended and definitely worth it. That was the beginning of the Caribbean drink exploration that continued throughout the charter! Fortunately, we had stocked up at the Duty Free store at the airport, so there wasn't a dry day on the boat!

By this time, I was really dragging but the others wanted to stop at Tipsy Tuna as there was a fireman's benefit going on and as we had made an agreement that we would go with a buddy system whenever we went anywhere, I was outnumbered. So we stayed for a while - the music was actually pretty good, rock and roll and not really appreciated by the younger ones in the group!

By the time we left, the sidewalk through town was almost deserted and we walked back to the boat, passing by some dodgy bars and dark areas along the shore. But we navigated our way home to the Paradise Resort and fell into bed, looking forward to a new day in Belize. 

Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
Part 6

Amazing Belize

Belize

What an amazing trip! Belize is everything I remembered - and more!

The people, the colors, the smells and sounds all combine to create a true rainbow nation.

This is not going to be a travelogue (which would end up being an entire book). I am going to just highlight what really stood out for me. What the differences are and what has remained the same as when I visited 16 years ago.

The first big difference was of course, seeing the country from the water rather than driving it.

Flying down to Placencia from Belize City to pick up our boat, although that day was a bit cloudy, showed me a bird's eye view of the coastline we had driven before. The numerous lagoons and the water - oh, the water! The colors! A million shades of turquoise and blue creating a tapestry below us. Tiny cayes dotted the tapestry and the mangrove-lined coastline popped in and out of the clouds. As we neared Placencia, our home base, I noticed the development along the shore which 16 years ago was almost completely uninhabited. Resorts and private homes; new marinas carved out of the mangroves. Progress, I suppose?

Our Tropic Air twin puddle-jumper came in low and slow into the dirt runway (a new international airport is being built a bit north of there) and we unloaded our gear for the short trip by cab to the Paradise Resort where we spent the first night. And I got my feet and bod into the silky Caribbean water, exactly as I remember it. Soft, warm, refreshing, salty.

A group of little girls were playing on the dock and when I joined them, I was reminded of my youth. These kids are not taught to fear people, but to embrace them. They wanted to talk and have their picture taken, strutting and posing without a parent in sight. Then, of course, one of them wanted to take a picture of me with the rest of them! Very cute! I jumped in and we floated around in the shallow water as they chatted and giggled before rushing off to get dressed for a birthday party. How refreshing! Not just the water, but the kids as well.

The boat, a 48 foot Moorings catamaran, incidentally built by Camper and Nicholsons in Cape Town, was amazing, providing a perfect platform for exploring the reef. Shallow draft, beamy, room for all 9 women aboard to live together for a week. And almost brand new, not even a year old! So we were very spoiled in that regard. I was the only one who had visited Belize previously, so for the others, it was a new world to discover. And for me to rediscover. Our daily plan (Betsy as skipper and me as first mate) was to sail a few hours, find an anchorage or pick up a mooring early in the afternoon and spend the rest of the day snorkeling, swimming, paddle boarding and kayaking.

Belize Fishing boat

The Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System is the second largest barrier reef in the world and was inscribed as a World Heritage site in 1996. Belize has strong environmental policies throughout the country, a good thing or the country would be ruined. As it is there is probably a lot of backhanding going on with the amount of development being allowed along the shoreline where it looks like the mangroves are being indiscriminately removed for marinas and resorts. But on the reef itself due to its UNESCO state, we didn't see much new being developed. We didn't get to to Tobacco Caye, which was the only caye I visited last time, but listening to comments from the locals, it has remained the same, still very Belizian.

We had two NOAA girls onboard, who were impressed with the conditions of the coral and it was obvious from Eyanicke, our guide who took us into Queens Cayes Reserve, how proud and careful they are of the reef. We were allowed to be in the water and swim with spotted eagle rays, nurse sharks and turtles! I especially enjoyed the old loggerhead turtle who owned the place! Apparently, he has been known to nibble toes so we were all a bit cautious around him but managed to remain digitally intact!

Talking digital in another sense, we were pretty much cut off from the world, except for VHF radio contact with the base (sometimes) and WiFi as some of the resorts. None of us had opted for an international cell plan so contact with the rest of the world was quite limited. Forced withdrawal! But the proliferation of mobile devices was a big change I noticed, but that phenomenon is not limited to Belize!

Belize has been getting a bad rap recently. Before we left on the trip, people were saying things about how scary the place is, how dangerous etc., etc, etc. I am pretty sure that in areas of the country, just as there are areas of all countries, that it isn't wise to visit. But for our group and on this trip, I never felt a sense of fear around anywhere we went or anything we did. We had agreed ahead of time to use a buddy system, always go with someone, be aware of the surroundings. These precautions are universal, especially for women. We never experienced any intimidation or anything negative.

In fact, the most impressive thing about Belize, for me anyway, was how friendly, kind, accommodating and considerate the local people are. Our drivers, guides, wait staff, hotel staff, in fact almost everyone we had any interaction with, made our visit memorable. And that has not changed from when I visited before. For instance, Betsy and I were lucky enough to get Troy from Belize Shuttles, the same shuttle driver from Maya Mountain Lodge (more on MML in another post) who had delivered us there from Placencia four days earlier. As we had a bit of time on our hands before our flight home, we mentioned we wished we could visit the rum distillery in Belize City, and lo and behold, he made that happen! It was a very quick visit, but he did not have to do that!

The whole experience reaffirmed my belief that people are naturally good and that I would still jump at the opportunity to live there. I wonder if 78 Front Street in Punta Gorda is still available?

This Time Tomorrow - Belize!

As I look around the living room at the piles of stuff we are taking, reality is setting in, knowing that this time tomorrow we will be in Belize!

But first:

• All junk removed from devices? ✅
• All devices fully charged? ✅
• Extra batteries? ✅
• Extra SD cards? ✅
• All cords and cables for devices? ✅

I look at all the stuff and realize that all I really need is my bathing suit, a pareu, sandals, sunscreen and a valid credit card and passport, plus the electronics which all fit in my backpack! But no! Multiple pareus, prescription snorkeling mask, new snorkel, multiple bottles of sun screen and bug spray, mini-tripods, Britta water pitcher, etc. etc. etc.

We will head out of here around 5pm, pick up Jane, and get to LAX in plenty of time to drop the car at the hotel we will stay at when we return (free parking!) and shuttle to the airport for our flight at 12:40 am! It's a direct 4:45 hour flight so I just hope I get some sleep as I am useless without getting my 8 hours! From Belize City, we get a puddle jumper to Placentia, a 30 minute flight.

We will go to the Paradise Resort first where we spend our first night, drop our stuff, then either go to the Moorings base or grocery shopping, depending on our boat familiarization and chart briefing. We board the boat on Sunday and will spend the night at the dock.

A couple of the girls will already be in Placentia, when we arrive and the rest show up the following day. We plan to head out relatively early Monday morning.

Apparently, we will be able to get wifi at some of the cayes, so will try to post here on the blog and also Instagram and Facebook. If you would like to follow along, please subscibe to receive the latest posts and follow me on Instagram and Facebook.

Belize Trip Begins

And I'm off! Another great adventure begins

It was all a rush getting last minute stuff done, fetching Ike and Adam from the ferry on Wednesday afternoon and making sure everything was in order before heading out the door yesterday morning.

Ike and Adam are such sweet guys, very calm and quiet which is exactly as I had imagined them, judging from the emails and calls we had prior to their arrival. Buddy, my scaredy cat cat even came down to meet them! So I know everything will be fine and I left there feeling much better about the whole thing!

Of course, the first part is always a schlepp - Ike took me to the Airporter shuttle and we made good time to the airport, arriving early so I had time to sit and relax over a glass of wine and some lunch and people watch! The flight to Burbank was absolutely jammed; not a spare seat anywhere and lots of yelling kids and mothers talking over them so it was pretty noisy. Fortunately it's a short flight!

There had been a slight hiccup in the plans with Ryan and we decided that rather than me stay at the house with all the roommates being present (as opposed to them being gone last time I was down) I would get an Airbnb just around the corner from him. Also, he was working late so Uber picked me up and deposited me at the new digs.

I was a little perturbed as we drove up. Lots of older cars parked around. A bag of trash on the doorstep and I wondered if I had the wrong address as I watched my ride leave. Knocking on the door (no porch light) I was greeted by a "who is there?" When I answered asking is this the Airbnb the women yells out to someone as she continues talking on her phone! But she opens the door and in very heavily accented English she says "come, come" gesturing with her hands! I followed her through a dark, rather sloven house to the back door where I was greeted by a large, dark-skinned man wearing a yarmulke so maybe he is Israeli?

Fortunately, the room is not in the house, but it does leave a lot to be desired! So I just remind myself that I am just sleeping here and won't be spending any time. The very extended family that appears to live in the main house is very noisy! Loud TV last night and noisy young kids and yelling women this morning.

A good breakfast at Aroma this morning with Ryan and Rascal. And will spend the day at the house catching up on stuff, posting more pix into EyeEm and maybe more will be chosen for Getty Images (which are not online yet!) That was very exciting to have three chosen! Heck, there might even be some money in it! What a concept.

Time is Ticking By

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Tick, Tick, Tick!

Time is ticking by! The last few days have been pretty busy, getting the house ready for Ike and Adam, my house sitters from Austin. They arrive next Wednesday, and I want everything to be ready so that they can enjoy themselves - and the house! And the kitties, of course!

It seems like there are so many little things that have to be done before I can leave - trash and recycling, stop the mail, clear out the closets, make sure there are extra sheets and towels available, mow the lawn, copies of important documents and on and on! It's a lot different to going away for a few days, or packing up to move completely. Sort of a mixture of the two. There are some things I will get once I get to Socal, like a new bathing suit and shorts (not hot items here in the PNW), sunscreen, another not so hot item here, as well as bug spray. There will be a much better selection down there. I've had my typhoid and Hep A shot and am getting malaria pills next week. I haven't seen that they have zika there, but hopefully, being offshore with a good breeze, we will be fine. And at the Maya Mountain Lodge, we will probably have mosquito nets and/or air conditioning. Also, I thought it would be a good idea to read up on Belize, as the books I have are dated way back in 1999! I'm sure the country hasn't changed THAT much, except for more hotels etc, but it's best to have up-to-date facts and figures. So I bought The Rough Guide to Belize and have it as an e-book on my iPad which will make it easy for everyone to use on the boat. My next job is to make a list of all the good places to go around here - sort of a handbook for Ike and Adam. And for the Airbnb people this summer. Then I will turn it into a 48-hours in Port Townsend article!

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