A surprise anchorage
25 November 2011 | Isla Linton
Cloudy, min 73F, max 84F, water temp 80.5F
Cafe X
As we approached the coast in mid-morning we heard friends on the VHF chatting, so we called and got the news in Portobello. Based on their description of conditions in the anchorage we decided to push on here.
The guide book says come in to Isla Linton and anchor behind the island. A few years ago we would have had it to ourselves, but the book warned that there would probably be a few others here now. The author obviously hasn't been here for a few years. We were met by a fleet of over 75 boats at anchor, many obviously here long term. So the anchorage behind the island was jammed. But we found space and got safely anchored in time for lunch.
In the afternoon we took the dinghy and checked out the anchorage and the town. The town is a pitiful sight, the poorest we have seen. Garbage is strewn everywhere, even on the corrugated steel roof-tops. The one "tienda" we found sold nothing but soda, water and some candy.
Back in the dinghy we explored some more and ran over to Isla Linton. It is uninhabited except for a clan of howler monkeys who come down to greet visitors. Apparently they are friendly and will let you feed them but can become angry when you show signs of leaving. So we just watched them from the dinghy while they watched us from the palm trees along the shore.
The highlight was an evening visit to Cafe X (I think the X is actually the Greek letter Chi). We went in for dinner and "Free Internet" (a cruisers dream) and had a delicious dinner of shrimp with salad, rice and fries (yes, and the fries were home-made and delicious) with 5 beers for a total of $21. Beer is incredibly cheap in Panama. It was a beautiful warm evening, sitting listening to the huge roars of the tiny howler monkeys and watching the quiet harbor.
Today we'll do a bit more exploring then check out a nearby marina for possibly leaving the boat for a month at Christmas.