A working holiday

Yesterday was our Emancipation Day holiday, and ironically I spent the day working hard.
I'd wanted to visit the Simon Bolivar School Ship which had been advertised for public viewing, but then was cancelled on account of police protocols....oh well.

 

I love ships and I love sailing, and to say I was disappointed at not being able to attend, would be putting it mildly.
Nonetheless, I will still tell you a little about the ship.
The Simon Bolivar school ship is a naval training ship attached to the Venezuelan Army that travels to various countries promoting peace, friendship and social justice in a educative-military exchange.
As part of its regional training voyage, it docked in Barbados for a few days.
The  three-sail ship, known as The Ambassador without Borders was built in 1980 and has sailed over 13,000 nautical miles. It is a training ground for cadets of the Naval School of Venezuela, as well as cadets from Uruguay and Brazil.

 

 Image borrowed form the internet

These future naval leaders of their country are able to sail all over the globe while being trained not only in classroom academic studies, but also practical training in maritime procedures and offshore navigation techniques.
 You may read more on the ship here and here.
The history of the man Simon Bolivar here.

After that disappointment, I threw myself into some chores that needed to be completed whether it was a holiday or not.
I would have welcomed the opportunity to mingle with a few Spanish speaking nationals of Venezuela....it was such a long time that I had done so.
Back in 1988, as a member of the prestigious President's Club of my university,  we visited Venezuela as a graduation class. What a memorable trip.  It was wonderful to mingle with the locals and see how they lived and worked and played.  I really must post about that trip soon.