Days after Argentina canceled all international flights to protect the country from COVID-19, Manuel Ballestero 1 his journey home the only way possible. He stepped aboard his small 2 for an 85-day journey back.
The 47-year-old sailor could have stayed on the tiny Portuguese island of Porto Santo, to 3 the time of lockdowns in a scenic place largely free of the 4. But the 5 of living away from his family, especially his father who was soon to turn 90, was 6 . So he loaded his 29-foot boat with canned food and 7 in mid-March.
A particularly 8 aspect of this awful period was the inability of an untold number of people to rush home to help loved ones. Friends tried to 9 Mr. Ballestero from starting the risky journey and the 10 in Portugal warned him he might not be allowed to re-enter if he ran into trouble and had to 11. But he was determined.
Sailing across the Atlantic is challenging in the best of circumstances. The added 12 of doing it during a pandemic became 13 three weeks into the trip. On April 12, the authorities(当局) in Cape Verde 14 him to dock at the island nation to get a new supply of food and fuel. He was experienced in spending long time at sea, but being 15 on the open ocean is frightening to even the most experienced sailor.
Learning about his 16, people bored at home were impressed. He 17 created an Instagram account to 18 the final leg of the trip. "Entering my port where I learned how to sail gave me the taste of a(n)19 accomplished," Juan said.
20 Mr. Ballestero didn't get to celebrate his father's 90th birthday in May, he did make it home in time for Father's Day.
