CAPI TACO'S FIELDNOTES: Caribbean Sea

How sailing taught me the art of joyful stoicism

Tomas Salem — Sat, 26 Jul 2025 23:50:55 GMT

June recap: yet another month where every day has provided new “opportunities for growth” and hands down one of the most rewarding legs of this journey. Here are some of the insights and highlights from our journey through Mexico and Belize. I hope you enjoy the pictures and text—it cost me some serious sweat, and a tiny bit of blood and tears.

A month a…

What if we traveled like pilgrims, not tourists?

Tomas Salem — Sat, 26 Jul 2025 16:26:53 GMT

Ixchel, goddess of the moon, on the southern shores of Isla Mujeres

Earlier this year, I arrived on Isla Mujeres after three intense months at sea—sailing from Barcelona to Cancún in pursuit of meaning and purpose, and as an extension of my research on happiness in the outdoors. The journey left me physically and emotionally exhausted. But being on land …

How to practice gratitude to yourself for pushing past the comfort zone

Tomas Salem — Sat, 26 Jul 2025 15:21:45 GMT

The men at Isla Beata didn’t want us to leave, but we were in a rush to reach Mexico by early March. With patchy winds, we were limited in terms of deciding when to set sail. From the Dominican Republic, there are about 900 nautical miles to Isla Mujeres, or six days of sailing. If we waited until the morning, we would lose a day of going by sail, as th…

How good old hospitality restored my faith in humanity

Tomas Salem — Fri, 25 Jul 2025 22:52:36 GMT

Dominican Republic was a paradise. Palm trees, coconuts, and pineapples. Crystal clear, turquoise waters, and a few short but fun adventures on land. The highlight was a day-long stop in the small fishing village on Isla Beata, near the Haitian border, where we befriended the entire village of men—border police and fishermen who stayed on the island for…

How Martinique taught me to channel my inner hippie and push through the challenges of oceanic sailing

Tomas Salem — Fri, 25 Jul 2025 22:36:46 GMT

From the north of Saint Lucia to the south of Martinique its where I had hoped I could get the spare parts I needed to fix the broken railing on Falkor, as well as some other minor repairs and needed upgrades after the Atlantic crossing. I found a mechanic who assured me that we would get the railing fixed, but after dismantling the broken pieces, I rea…

What Saint Lucia taught me about privilege

Tomas Salem — Fri, 25 Jul 2025 20:00:31 GMT

The infinity-pool at the Viceroy Sugar Beach resort in Jalousie Plantation Bay

What was supposed to be five days on Barbados turned into ten. There was always one more thing that we wanted to do before moving on, and I could have stayed even longer, but with 1600 nautical miles left before arriving in Mexico, Toño and I decided to keep moving.

We were su…

Is there such as thing as too much adventure?

Tomas Salem — Fri, 25 Jul 2025 19:25:29 GMT

The last few weeks, Falkor, its captain (aka me), and crew have sailed from Barbados to Cancún, or more precisely, to Isla Mujeres, a small island community a few miles east of the towering hotel complexes of Mexico’s Riviera Maya. Sailing across the Caribbean has been anything but the dream vacation I imagined it to be. At times has felt too much: too …

What's the difference between religion and spirituality?

Tomas Salem — Fri, 25 Jul 2025 19:17:38 GMT

Surprise birthday celebration in honor of the Bishop of the Spiritual Baptist Church

After 16 days at sea, reaching Barbados was dreamy. The island welcomed us like family. Bajans are warm, laid-back, and proud of their island. From the customs staff who showered us with recommendations, drove us around the island, and set us up with their friends, to ou…