Unfortunately, in order to service the injectors & pump they had to be removed from the boat and sent to the south of Trinidad, leaving us without a working engine. We could have remained out in the anchorage and relied upon our sails alone in case we needed to move - indeed there are several famous cruisers who pour scorn on those cruisers who use engines. However, during our few days at anchor after our re-launch we experienced seas so rough that I had to take sea-sickness medication, an attack by a 60ft long semi-submerged tree which hooked itself onto our anchor chain, and two incidents when the chain got itself snagged by some obstruction on the sea bed. Add into this mix the fact that at some point each August the Chaguaramas anchorage experiences a massive ground swell, and we decided discretion was the better part of valour, and headed into a marina for the duration of the engine repairs.

For the first time since 24 December, we were back in a marina - enjoying the delights of hot showers, a swimming pool and a pizza restaurant all within a leisurely 2-minute stroll. Of course, it was not all lounging by the pool - with all the "free" electricity available, there was another long list of chores to be attacked. High on the list was trying once again to clean and fix our old Quicksilver dinghy, but sadly after a day of scrubbing we discovered a further leak that was just not fixable. We must have done sufficient good deeds since we left, for the sailing gods smiled on us - our fabulous neighbours on "Nereia" were just about to take delivery of a shiny new dinghy, and therefore gave us their old one. Their old Zodiac had it's share of problems (such as a completely rotten transom), but with Angus' skills it is now 99% watertight again and we have a tidy tender.

As an aside, in addition to helping other cruisers fix electrical problems, Angus' skills as a ladies hairdresser are also in demand. From the picture, I think Beatie may have had second thoughts once the trim was underway, but she ended up as another happy customer.

Whilst in the marina, we were also able to tackle some of our "admin" list. Trinidad is a great place for your dental check-ups - very professional service with none of the long waits or scary prices of the UK. Trinidad also has a good reputation for provisioning, especially for their good range of tinned beans - very significant for the "Do It" veggie diet. The biggest provisioning surprise was 500g of red lentils for £5.60 - think I'll look for those elsewhere.

This month was Angus' XX [censored] birthday, celebrated in traditional style by fruitcake and champagne in bed, followed by a trip to the cinema in Port of Spain. "Pirates of the Caribbean 2" was closely scrutinised to see if we could spot all the locations we had visited earlier this year.

Whilst in the marina we met up some cruisers who had recently returned from a trip into the Orinoco delta. They were armed with impressive photos of the brown river flowing past dense forest and tales of canoes full of smiling children. The delta is not a place to explore alone - there is no one to assist you if you break down or run aground in the uncharted river. Definitely a place to go with a couple of friendly cruising boats.

We hatched a plan along with "SeaLoon" and "La Gitana", and set off for the uncharted (well, virtually uncharted) waters of the Cano Manamo - one of the 40 major channels which make up the delta. Following the waypoints provided by the previous cruisers, we safely navigated our way into Pedernales, a strange little oil town at the entrance to the river. Note: when entering the Caño Manamo, ignore the lovely red and green channel markers as they would lead you straight aground on the shoals. A quick courtesy visit to the local gendarmes tested our extremely rusty Spanish, but ensured that they knew we were tourists rather than drug smugglers.

We had been well briefed on the need to be fully self-sufficient on the river, hence arrived fully stocked up with fresh provisions from Trinidad. We are also well stocked with trade goods such as lengths of fabric, fish hooks, soaps, t-shirts and school supplies. Until a recently, the local population of Warao Indians were more isolated and welcomed occasional visiting yachts as a source of trade and barter. We see the Warao now have bigger outboards on their dugout canoes than we have on our dinghy, and their desire to trade seems to have been replaced by an expectation from the children that yachts will provide "gifts". As we move further up river, hopefully we will encounter some Warao keen to trade - otherwise I will have to knock up some nice summer dresses from the lovely floral fabric I have bought.

The solitude and isolation on the river is refreshing after the dust and bustle of Chaguaramas. Each night we select a stretch of river and drop anchor a few metres off the jungle - the anchor sets beautifully in the thick mud. No marinas. No mooring fees. No lights on the shore. Just a clear view of the stars, a chorus of frogs & squawking parrots, the occasional blowing of a pink river dolphin - and before I get carried away, there is also the buzzzzz of the mosquitoes. And the horse flies. And the no-see-ums. If ever you come to the Orinoco, bring a mosquito net and the largest can of BOP fly spray that you can find - you need them to survive.

We are adopting a slower pace of life on the river. A couple of hours of motoring each day takes us up the river to our next anchorage. We aim to stop close to little side tributaries that make for good exploring in the dinghies. The absolute highlight is spotting a flock of Scarlet Ibis - these bright red heron like birds with long curving beaks really are spectacular against the verdant greens of the jungle. As we paddle along the narrow channels, much of the wildlife is hidden from view, but from the other-worldly cries of the howler monkeys, the rat-a-tat-tat of the woodpeckers and the croaks of the frogs, you know you are not alone out there!