Albuquerque Cays

We are currently in Providencia after a 5 hour motor sail to San Andres from Albuquerque Cays, day before yesterday, then an 11 hour passage to Providencia. We should be checking in and out here in the next couple of hours. We hope to be here for 2 or 3 more days and then we'll have a 3 night passage to Roatan. We liked San Andres and rented a golf cart to see the island.
Albuquerque Cays had very clear water, but we found snorkeling there a little boring. We've seen better fish in Western Panama or in the San Blas. Fishermen approached us, our last night there, and needed water. We gave them a jerry can full and they have us a lovely big snapper (5 meals worth) which they cleaned, scaled, and filleted. While doing that, he rinsed the fish overboard and accidentally dropped it. So, he had to dive in to retrieve it. So, we gave them a couple of cans of meat and some coveted chocolate bars too! Very friendly and nice guys. The islands seem to prefer English to Spanish and most of the people we met don't really consider themselves Colombian, more Caribbean. 
We haven't been off the boat here in Providencia as we arrived at 6 last night. We're not allowed to go to land until we've checked in. We'll be looking for fresh veggies, fruit and a laundry here. A nice meal out would be good too!

The above message was sent via the HAM radio. Now we have internet and I am able to share some photos of the Abuquerque Cays.

 This is me on the bow entering the Cays. There is a lot of reef.  We had way points but, just in case...it was a long ride in on the salty wet bow!!

Here we are finally anchored in front of the north island where there is a Colombian Coastguard training outpost.

"What do you mean you want me to go back out there again?"

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 A lovely sunset to go with our sundowners!

 Next day, in the dinghy, we get off to have a look around and a good look at Fortuitous at anchor.

 We went to the Coastguard station and took some pop and cookies for the kids. We'd been told they'd be very appreciative, but they didn't seem all that excited. There were all these paths on the island, all lined with conch shells.

 We took a walk around the island. It was very small with a lovely clean sand beach.

 These are all conch shells...it's almost obscene!

 They'd made a Colombian flag, below the real flag, from painted conch shells.

 I found a couple of beauties, with no one in residence...read deceased...so I took them back to Fortuitous.

 "Which one, which one...hmmmmm??"  Yes, Darcy, I have one for you!"

We have an underwater camer that keeps pooping out...we managed to take a couple of shots.  The water was clear, but the sealife wasn't what we'd hoped for.

 A sea cucumber...I prefer the vegetarian kind, but people do hunt and eat them.

 This would be yours truly trying to keep out of the camera's eye and keep afloat while breathing through a snorkel...all a bit daunting for me!!

I'm not sure what these are, but there are all these cup/vase-like plants/animals? in this area. There are lionfish too, although we didn't see any. People kill them as they see them as they are not supposed to be in the Caribbean and are multiplying like crazy and taking over.