05/27/2007
Just a quick update, we arrived today at in Panama City. Quite a culture shock from the past few weeks spent cruising. This place is like a major cosmopolitan city, lots of growth, lots of new cars, lots of restaurants etc, etc.
From Bahia Honda we spent a terrible night at an anchorage called Naranja cove (orange). The next morning we left in big seas and 11 - 15 knot winds, which weren´t bad but the confused swells weren´t comfortable. I was ready to turn back and find another anchorage but it didn´t look like the weather was going to change much for the next few days so we decided to press on. This was an overnight passage, we thought we could make it to Balboa (Panama City) but wind and current weren´t in our favor so we decided to keep going across the Gulf of Panama to the Islas Perlas. This was quite a passage as we were rounding Punta Mala during night hours, Punta Mula has heavy freighter traffic so we had to really be careful and keep a constant look out. This is one of the most congested freighter traffic areas in the Pacific. To add to the intensity we were also travelling with unreliable fuel, seems like the fuel we took on in Hualtulco wasn´t that clean and now our port side tank is quite dirty. This caused our engine to stop only 2 hours into the trip. Luckily Stan was able to replace the filters and switch tanks. Then around 7:30 that night he noticed our batteries weren´t charging, again he quickily found out that a fuse was burnt out. What could happen next we thought. But the rest of the passage was trouble free and we ended up at a wonderful, peaceful island called Isla Pedro Gonzalez. There we found a great anchorage on the east side, beautiful sandy beach with palm trees and flowering hibiscus´. This was by far our nicest anchorage yet. We spent 2 days there then travelled the 40 miles north to come here. Being in Panama we have to really think twice about our bearings we have no longer been travelling south but north (just look at a map and you´ll know what I mean).
I think I caught some sort of bug in Costa Rica, feeling good now but had a few bad days earlier on last week. Will explain it more next time.
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Comments [2]
05/22/2007, Bahia Honda, Panama
We left Golfitio early in the morning and headed out through red tide for a small anchorge 50 miles away. We got in at dusk and left the next morning with little wind. We were heading for Isla Parida 30 miles away.There was lots of red tide and we had to turn off our watermake. It started raining later on in the day and the wind also picked up. We first went to an anchorge where there was some swell so we decided to go to the other anchorge on the other side of the island. The second anchorge was very nice, small and nearly no swell. The only problem was the huge amounts of bugs, mosquitos were everywhere along with flying queen ants and many others. On our second day there we went in the dinghy to a small island around the corner that had a beuatiful white sand beach with nice water and a bit of snorkling. There were quite a few palm trees so there were quite a few nice ripe big coconuts, we took some back to the boat. There my dad used an ax to cut them open and we drank lots of cocout water. The coconuts had twice the usual amount of water for they had ripend. We also have lots of the inside still left plus 4 more in the back of the dinghy. The next morning we left for Bahia Honda. It took us all day going through even more red tide to finally reach our destination. Bahia Honda is big, very big, with lots of anchorges. The first thing after we anchored an old man in a small wooden canoe came up beside us and was very friendly. He said tomorow morning he would come and bring us some of his fresh food. Then about 4 minutes later an other boat came up with two children , 9 and 7. We gave them some things and they left, about 2 minutes later yet an other boat came up to us. There was one little girl onboard, she must have been only 3, she was wearing a little life jacket. The mom was the older mans daughter, he was called Domingo. Also the second people that came were also related to Domingo. Early the next mornng Domingo came with fruit,the first thing I smelled was limes, fresh off the vine, they smelled so good. He did not want money but other things like school supplies and food. The next day one of the people who first came called Edwin came again offering to take me and Christina fishing and to a beach in the bay. Two hours later we where going. He had a bigger boat but still made of wood and still very narrow, it was tippy. When we started fishing we used just bare line trolling at speed and a small fly hook, this worked realy well. We came up alongside another persons little paddle canoe, he was a fisherman. Edwin talked for a moment then the fisherman took out a gun. A bolt action rifle, only it was an air gun. Edwin shot it at the water. That was cool. I caught two Baracudas and 5 small flat fish. They eat these fish even though there has been red tide for two months, at night you can really smell it. We then went to his house which was around the corner from our anhorge. He has chickens and turkeys, pigs and dogs. But he also had two baby paroots that I held. They were very cute. We then left heading back for our boat. We plan to leave tomorow if all goes well.
AUTHOR: Stan
It is almost 1800 hrs just about supper time and we are gently swinging at anchor about half way down the coast of Panama. We are anchored in a large well protected bay called Bahia Honda, with a semi mountanous terrain surrounding the entire bay almost to the waterline. There is a island in the middle of the bay with a fishing village at its shore no roads leading to other parts of Panama just trails Mules and Fishing boats bringing whatever supplies are needed. No sooner had we dropped anchor than we were approched by several dugout canoes with friendly faces seeking trade for fruits and vegetables. We provided batterys, some basic provisions, some school supplies for a village further up a river that was even more remote and less supplied than here, all in all a pretty sobering look at how really lucky we all are up at home. The next day a couple of young boys aged 11 and 12 came by shy as can be, they had three small fish in their canoe obviously trying to see if we would trade for something, they being to shy to even mention. We gave them some toys and asked them their names, gave them some sesame snap bars as they were leaving and their smiles as they turned back to wave almost made this trip for me, so much happiness for so little that was given, once again I couldn't imagine how fortunate our family was by having all we have and for the country we are graced to live in. We are planning to get underway tomorrow hoping to be at the canal in a few days from now. Linda has not been well for a few days and finally today she seems to have turned the corner, just a stomach bug we think, it does make you quite edgy as there are no clinics or places to go should you need them, definatly an adventure for all.
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05/09/2007
Finally, I was able to upload some pictures from Mexico and El Salvador. Check them out in the photo gallery. The last two of the southern Mexico album are replicated from the El Salvador album, haven't been able to delete them.
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05/08/2007
Early Sunday morning (May 6) we arrived in what is considered the southern most port for cruisers in Costa Rica, Golfito. We left Quepos just before noon the day before and decided not to stop in the two other possible anchorages between Quepos and Golfito. We found the Quepos anchorage to be unbelievably uncomfortable with big rolling swells and the other two anchorages didn't look like they had any more protection than Quepos. It's amazing what is considered an 'anchorage' here, nothing like the peaceful, quite, still bays of B.C. waters. However, Golfito is very well protected, being a natural harbor within a larger gulf.
Golfito once was a large export port for tropical fruits, especially bananas (think 'Banana Republic') but since the United Fruit Co. moved out about 20 years ago this town has slumbered into tropical isolation. This definitely isn't a tourist destination type of town, a lot of run down dwellings but with a couple of marinas in the harbor and a free trade zone complex it has managed to survive.
We're anchored just off of a little marina owned and operated by an American couple. This is the first 'cruiser friendly' spot I've seen since Mexico. It's really neat, book exchange, café, lots of outdoor (but covered) seating, 3 showers and bathrooms (very clean), t.v./lounge room, wireless internet, laundry and help your self to drinks honor system. The indoor walls are also covered with boat and crew names of past visitors.
It's been raining heavily in the afternoons everyday since we've been in Quepos. Just think of the hardest rain we've ever experienced back home, that is what it is always like here when it rains. Sometimes it only last 15 min. sometimes a couple of hours. The upside to all this rain - Impossible is very clean on the outside, and it's cooler outside. The downside - the hatches and windows always have to be closed when we leave the boat (which makes it very hot inside) - (and hopefully we have remembered to do this!), and trying not to be caught out in the rain. Today for example we went to the duty free zone and just as we got in the taxi it started to pour, when we arrived at the marina we had to wait for at least an hour and a half for the rain to subside before bailing out the dinghy and making our way back (sounds like our adventure in Quepos).
Golfito is the first place we've been in since El Salvador that we have seen other cruisers. In fact as we were coming in Stan spotted our friends we met back in September in Ensenada, Ivan and Vesna on 'Locura', they've sailed from Vancouver and are on their way to Croatia. It's been great catching up on sailing adventures with them. We'll be here for the next week probably as this is a good place for the kids to really concentrate on their schoolwork and for me to do some organizing inside.
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