(taken at Bateria San Fernando)

It was great to catch up on our sleep. Ron and Dave heard howler monkeys the first morning before Carol, the coffee lady, woke up. Ron and I rowed ashore to check e-mails at the local internet office (no WIFI here). We ate lunch at a cafe next to the church and for $3 had pork chops, rice, beans and plaintains. We launched the inflatable after lunch and went across the bay to explore the 18th century Fort Bateria San Fernando. Ron and I didn't visit this fort when we were here last July. The lower fort had 9 cannons lined up along a wall, ruins of the galley, soldier's quarters and a stronghold. There was a pathway up a steep hill we had to climb to see the upper fort. What a view! They stored the gunpowder up here; plus there was a well, latrine (Dave tried it out), more cannons and even an oven they used to bake bread. Ron and Dave took another path down the hill but I walked down the first path. I hit the loose dirt and fell, wrenching my left shoulder (the good one), spilling my beer, and bouncing my camera. Ouch! We explored the other side of the bay and a mangrove lagoon. Ron found a ruin on the point that would make a great bar.

I don't have a 2010 calendar with holidays, and didn't realize we had arrived during Easter week. The town of Portobelo is buzzing with tourists and fiestas. Dave Hewitt's 70th birthday is April 4, Easter Sunday, so we're taking the day off and celebrating. The internet office is closed Good Friday and Easter Sunday, so I will have to post this as my final blog before we leave for the San Blas Islands on Monday, April 5th. We won't have internet until the Dominican Republic after our passage across the Caribbean Sea. We'll be in touch as soon as we can! Looking forward to sailing...