It all started some years ago

Our Gulfstar 45 Hirsch at anchor in Luperon bay, DR

The initial idea was to find a sailboat in Asia, near the place we live (Macau, China) and, from here, following the route of the Portuguese adventurers, visit all the countries and places where there, five hundred years ago, they stopped and left a mark. We'd like to promote the connections between the Portuguese Speaking countries, their connections to Macau and so on. However, very early in the project we had to ditch this idea because there was no official interest in the project. Many contacts were made with the Government of Macau, with the Governments of Portugal and the other Portuguese-speaking countries, however this resulted only in vague promises of institutional support that never materialized. Sincerely we had expected more from Macau, especially from the Macau Tourism Office that uses the Portuguese legacy of Macau as one of the main promotional products of Macau. Soon we learned that they are just empty words! However, and despite many of the so called friend trying to dissuade us from the idea, we gradually on our own, step by step, putting this draft project standing. Many of the original ideas had to be tucked aside for lack of budget, including the idea of starting and finishing in Macau. It was impossible for us to secure 50,000 Euros to bring the boat to Macau, so we decided that the best would be to start where we bought it. With the low family budget we found a 45-foot sailboat in the Dominican Republic and, and that’s from we will start this adventure in January 2014. The “initial” purpose of the adventure continues, more or less, the same, apart from the detail that we aren't carrying the “colors of the Macau flag” promoting the Portuguese language culture. However, after some friendly advice, we will use this trip to celebrate the 500th anniversary of the sea route from Europe to Asia. That is the journey that we will be reporting here, its ups and downs, day-to-day adventures and misadventures... The odyssey of a family who decided to leave the comfort of home. and a stable professional life, to live with fewer luxuries but with more freedom. To give our daughter the opportunity to grow with the parents and learn moral values detached from material possessions.