Bild: Panama-City from the anchorage



Monday morning was not the quiet moment before the transit that we had hoped for. The blackwater-pump hung itself, so we had to disassemble it and clean the entire pump because it had some ‘toilet stuff’ stuck between the valves. Because the fault was on the pressure side, we had a lot of disgusting toilet-stuff running in the bilges. Yuck! It was me who had to unscrew everything, and I had to be very careful because my wound on the left underarm was not healed yet.

There were some other things that needed to be fixed, payment of the marina among others. The greywater tank had constipation and had to be opened with the result that the dishwater sprayed out of the hose and onto the floor and in the bilges.
We were just finished with cleaning-up when our line-handlers, Paul, Marion and Katharina showed up. Last we saw Paul and Marion was on Lanzarote more than a year ago, so it was good to see them again. After lunch it started raining. The Canal transit contains a lot of waiting so after we had left the marina we just let Bengt drift around on the Flats. We were going through the Canal with a German boat, 'Antje', which had already anchored there. Since the bottom consists of soft mud we did not anchor to prevent getting a lot of mud on and in the boat. After an hour of drifting in the rain, our Advisor came with the pilot boat and we started our transit. The advisor was a nice and charming man who loved Elisabeth's banana cake. We continued towards the first locks 'Gatun locks' where we had to wait a while again. The rain was pouring down. We passed under the newly opened bridge over the canal, complete with lights in the Panama flag’s colors. Impressive!

Then we had to hurry.
We went alongside 'Antje' and moored to each other, ‘nesting’. Then it went slowly into the lock. Since Bengt was the largest boat, we had to do most of the maneuvering into the lock. You have to try to hold the boats in the middle of the lock chamber. The advisor was very good and had full control. The throwing lines with their monkey-fists came flying over the boats (we had covered some of the solar panels just in case) and the long lines were attached to them. Then the casting guys went with us into the lock where there was already a ship ' Georgia M’ moored. It stopped raining. The doors were closed and now there was no return to the Atlantic for Bengt.

There is some turbulence when the water is released so the Line-handlers had to work hard to keep the lines tight and the boats in the middle of the chamber. Our Advisor constantly told them which ropes would be tightened or which would not. It is the advisor on the boat in the middle (e.g. ours) that has control. After that the ship was pulled by the locomotives to the next chamber, we were able to move forward, but only after the lines were taken back to the boat. The casting lines remained attached to the boat and the men on land had to go with them up the steep lock wall. We had to keep 'walking-speed'. In the second chamber the same procedure.
The last chamber is the most difficult because the turbulence is greatest here (fresh meets saltwater) and the ship starts using its propeller to get out of the chamber. Just then one of Antjes ropes snapped off in the middle and we started being tossed around in the turbulence. The advisor called the lockmaster and the propeller stopped. Antjes crew got a spare line ashore and then we could proceed.
After half an hour of motoring across Lake Gatun, past the new locks and eating dinner on the way, we moored for the night to a large buoy. The advisor was picked up and we prepared for the night. This was the first time we had so many people sleeping on Bengt so this needed some organizing. Paul and Marion borrowed our bed in the back, Katharina slept in the doghouse and Elisabeth and I took the sofa in the saloon. The night was hot with many mosquitos, but everybody was in a good mood in the morning although maybe not so alert.
Coffee and breakfast helped and at 07.15 a.m. we were ready for the advisor.

We had gotten 07:15 as time the advisor would come aboard the night before but he didn’t show up until 08:15. As before we proceeded immediately towards the canal. Now we had long stretches of straight motoring. The sun came out and it was hot outside. The crew went inside, some slept, and some read. Outside the advisor and I. He was a nice guy but young and not to talkative. We had lunch, coffee and looked for crocodiles. The canal is steep to, so you come close to the shores. Some showers past but otherwise we had nice weather. Paul steered awhile so I could stretch my legs and go to the toilet.

Finally, we past under both bridges connecting North and South America and stopped to wait for our turn to lock down. According to the advisor we had been to slow and missed our ‘schedule’. We had been motoring at more than 5,5 knots (the speed given by us to the Ad-measurer) but speed over ground had been less since we had the current against us. We also had to wait several times for an hour or so to let ships with dangerous goods pass us in a wide section of the canal. After waiting for ‘our’ ship, ‘Ocean Mercury’, we nested with Antje and went slowly in the chamber. Locking down yachts are in front of the ship, so we went in first. Here you have to be careful to have all lines, especially the back-lines, tied and tight before the ship enters the chamber since it creates a large current. The advisor was very specific about this. After passing the first chamber it started raining. The thunderstorm was right over us. Visibility zero. The last lock ‘Mira flora’ has a visitor’s center where lots of people were standing on the balconies watching the ships go in and out of the locks. Now it poured down, but we could see the Pacific Ocean ahead of us, an unforgettable moment despite the rain. This was the second time that I sailed into the Pacific via the Panama Canal (the first time was 34 years ago). Locking down is easier than locking up, no turbulence, so all went well.

Once out of the locks we untied from 'Antje' and proceeded to the Balboa Yacht Club were the advisor was picked up and Stanley came and collected his lines and fenders. We recommend him, wonderful man. After another hour of motoring in total darkness we anchored in Las Brisas in front of Panama City.
Daniel, Katharina’s husband, came to pick up our line-handlers but first we had a toast, with bubbly, to the Pacific. We slept while Bengt was safely anchored in a new ocean.

Wednesday afternoon Paul and Marion came by and picked up Elisabeth to go to town. My arm was troubling me so I stayed on Bengt. To get into town from Las Brisas you take the bus. The problem is that the driver does not handle cash of any kind so you need a bus card which you charge with a few dollars. This card can only be purchased from a machine in the bus station at Albrook. This machine is only in Spanish so you need someone to help you. Paul and Marion had done this before so they took Elisabeth with them (bus ride is 25 cents) so she could get the card (2 dollars). Another complication is that the dinghy dock dries at low water so you can’t tie up or leave for about one hour before and after high water.

Thursday was cleaning day. The deck and cockpit had become very dirty during the transit so they were scrubbed clean in the rain. We also dried out towels, cushions, pillows, sheets, etc. when the sun was out and cleaned up the whole boat inside. In the evening we were invited for a sundowner on ‘Nana’.

Friday gave us a huge thunderstorm passing straight over us. We could see the lightning striking down in the city. After it cleared up we took the dinghy ashore and had a walk around the three islands, Isla Naos/Culebra, Isla Perico and Isla Flamenco which are connected to each other by ‘The Causeway’. There are some shops, mainly small chandleries and restaurants, and two marinas who are so expensive that nobody want to tie up there. Even a buoy at Balboa Yacht Club is ridiculously expensive at 100 dollars for the first night.


Lots af lighting every day.





Saturday we took the bus to Albrook Mall, a huge shopping centre next to the bus and metro station Albrook. Although most shops sell clothes, shoes and mobile phone stuff we did find a huge supermarket ‘Super 99’ and a good hardware store ‘Do it’ where they sell watermaker filters and other goodies a sailor might need. We even found a fog-horn on air which we promptly put in our basket. Even if we had transited the canal and nobody had asked for it we bought it anyway. You never know what the authorities in Chile or Argentina are up to. To get to the mall you have to pass the bus station and the metro station. It being Saturday there were lots and lots of people around going to the mall, to the busses and to the metro. The noise was appalling and combined with the ever present loud music you soon longed for a quit anchorage with only the water clucking on the hull. Even so in all the shops we visited we only med kind and helpful people even if their English was worse than our Spanish. In the hardware store the manager even looked things up on internet since we could not make it clear to him what we were looking for. The supermarket was total chaos with Christmas food and decorations lying on tables were you normally drive your shopping trolley. But here too all were nice and friendly and helped when we stood sort of lost in the vegetable department.

Since we took the bus early in the morning, before low water at noon, we had some hours to kill before we could use the dinghy again so we walked around the mall and had lunch. The bus back got stuck in the Saturday traffic-jam and progress was very slow. We didn’t mind that since the rain poured down from the skies. So much that the streets had more than 10 cm of water in them. When the bus moved a few meters and drove through the water the children behind us screamed with exitment. Water came through the doors onto the floor but this seemed to be normal. Nobody took notice apart from us tourists. On the way to Isla Perico (the name of the bus stop) you pass a lot of rather pompous government buildings decorated with flags and other things in the colours of the Panamanian flag (red, white and dark blue). Some buildings have their lawns covered with small flags. The country has had some serious corruption problems and financial scandals. As in most countries in the Americas (Canada exclusive) most wealth is concentrated with a few very rich people. When this becomes too obvious, like now in Chile, Ecuador and Bolivia people start protesting. The ruling classes react, as always, with violence. We have been having some discussions about sailing to Chile or not because of the violence the police and army have been using against the unarmed and mainly peaceful protesters. A while it was like back in the days of Pinochet, people ‘disappeared’ or ‘committed suicide’ in prison so we decided not to sail there but to Canada instead but it seems to have calmed down so we stick to the original plan. But this can, off course, change.

Here in Panama one feels that this with flag waving is a means to keep the people quiet and happy. A case of ‘Panem et circensus’, maintain the Status Quo and keep the power where it is.

We got off the bus and waited at the bus stop until it stopped raining before we went to bail out the dinghy so we could take us back to Bengt. November is the worst rain month according to all people we talked to. It seems to fit.

Sunday was cleaning day again. We had caught a lot of water in our water-catcher so we scrubbed the cockpit again, cleaned inside, hoovered and did the laundry. I wrote this blog both in Swedish and in English. Since we mainly seem to socialise with German sailors we should write this blog in German as well.





Next week we will travel back to Colon by buss to help our friends from ‘Artemis’ with their canal transit. After that we will clear out, sail to Las Perlas a few days and wait for a decent wind to start our voyage to Rapa Nui (Easter Island).

Until next week!

Sunday 17 November 2019, Las Brisas, Panama-City

We try to update the blog in English but the last weeks have been 'busy'. Even if we do not have to go to work, go with the dog or take the car to the supermarket we still had things to do before we could transit the Canal.

Monday 4 November we got measured by the Ad-measurer who came at around twelve o'clock even if the appointment was for nine in the morning. He was a nice guy who went through the necessary information and filling in forms at a high speed. Most is done on a tablet but we still had to fill in some forms by hand. The only thing we seemed to have missed was a fog-horn driven by compressed air. The two handheld fog-horns we have on board were no good. We had to buy one.

Bengt was measured and turned out to be 49,05 ft. Had he been over 50 ft the price for the transit had been much more. We also got our SIN (Ship Identification Number) so if you buy Bengt in the future all is ready for a canal transit.
Apart from paying a considerable sum of money you also need three line-handlers (Elisabeth being the fourth) who have to sleep over one night and who you have to feed. The advisor has to have access to a toilet and get food and drink (from unopened bottles). One had to have lines (4x 22 mm/125 ft) and big fenders which have to be rented (120 dollars). Since we did not use an agent we had to pay a bond of 891 dollars which one gets back a few weeks after the transit if the canal company doesn't feel like you have to pay some more.
The transit is done in two days with a stop on Lake Gatun for the night.

All locks have a webcam: https://www.pancanal.com/eng/multimedia/index.html

Total costs for the transit:
The actual transit 800 Measurement 54 Security fee 130 Bond 891 Total 1875 USD

Tuesday was the last of the holidays of four, colon-day. This day is only celebrated in Colon and has to do with the liberation from Columbia. We took a long walk in the jungle that surrounds the marina. There are many ruins around which are slowly being eaten by nature. These are mostly remains after Fort Sherman. It is very moist once in the jungle and glasses get foggy and sweat starts pouring out of your body. We tried to find and see some of the monkeys that we can hear every night but had no luck.
Wednesday was pay-day so we took the shuttle-bus to the City Bank in Colon to pay our transit fee. The city has not changed much since I was there in the eighties. More run down and dirty and lots more cars and people but still not a safe place for a gringo with money in his pocket. The bus drops you off in front of the bank were two armed guards take care of you. Payment is quick and easy. All the paperwork is given to you by the advisor so the only thing you have to do is sign and give the cashier your stack of dollarbills. After 20 minutes we were back on the street but without 1900 dollars. We took a cab to the shopping center, 4-Alto, from where the shuttle-bus departs for the marina. We had even time to do some shopping. We wrote a mail to our line-handlers on the other side and ordered lines and fenders from Stanley. We phoned the canal company after 18:00 and got our time; Monday 11 November. '

Stanley came by on Thursday morning and was paid for his ropes and fenders. Six large boll fenders and three ropes were laid on the boat when we were in town in the afternoon. Unfortunately, a line to short so Stanley will have to come and leave another one. The day before the passage you have to call the company again to get confirmation and a time when the ' advisor ' arrives on board. This is done on ' The Flats ', the anchorage outside the marina. Paul, Marion and Katharina (not the Frenchman thus) come on Monday at lunchtime and then we could start our canal adventure. We have shopped and shopped so now we can sail two times around the world without buying a single can.
In the evening we got to disassemble the toilet-pump and clean it up, a real shit-job.

Friday we wanted to wash the bed mattress but then the power went so we had to wait with that. We looked at the engine instead and checked the cooling water and the oil. The collecting tank was leaking again so I repaired some tiny holes with epoxy. Will see if that helps. The idea is that all (small bilge pump, grey and black water) wastewater flows into the tank before it disappears into the sea. At three o'clock the power came back and we washed the in two parts cut bed mattress, then we went and swam in the pool. A warm and sunny day today, quite unusual, so it felt nice to swim around a bit and chatting with the, unusually many, other sailors who had the same thought as us. We also got a new neighbor. An American boat ' Tidal Dancer ' with a nice couple on board, he from the USA and she from Tahiti. They even had a big dog with them which Obama watched with great eyes but ' Duke ', as the dog is named, is kind and afraid of cats. They will go through the canal on Friday and then sail to Tahiti to visit the family. Saturday we took the shuttle bus to the grocery store for the last time. It was mostly fresh produce and bread we purchased. I have unfortunately a nasty mosquito bite on my left arm that became inflamed and the entire arm got swollen within a day. After consulting with Antje, a nurse, it became antibiotics and Fucidin ointment. Very warm and humid but no swimming in the pool for me. Elisabeth swam around and splashed happily in the beautiful cool water. Lots of talking with other sailors about the channel.

Sunday the wound felt a little better, the swelling has gone down a bit, but it does not look good yet. More pills! We called the Channel Company and it seems that we are going through on Monday night. Cooking for the three line-handlers that come tomorrow at lunchtime. The last washing machines were run, and the water tank was filled. Cleaning inside the boat. Ready for the transit!

This time I used Google translate for parts of the text. Horrible! No more.

Until next week!

Bild: Panama-City från ankarplatsen

Måndagsmorgon blev inte den lugna stunden innan avfarten som vi hade hoppas på. Svartvat-tenpumpen hängde sig så vi fick ta isär den och göra rent hela pumpen eftersom det hade fast-nat ’gegga’ mellan ventilerna. Eftersom det var fel på trycksidan rann det en massa äckligt toa-lettgegga in i kölsvinet. Blääää! Det var jag som fick skruva loss allt och vara väldigt försiktig eftersom mitt sår på vänstra underarmen inte var läkt ännu. Det var en del andra saker som skulle fixas, betalningen av marinan bland annat. Gråvattentanken hade fått förstoppning och fick öppnas med resultatet att diskvattnet sprutade ut ur slangen och rann in i kölsvinet.
Vi var just färdiga med städningen när våra line-handlers, Paul, Marion och Katharina dök upp. Sist vi såg Paul och Marion var på Lanzarote för mer än ett år sedan så det var ett roligt återse-ende.
Efter lunch började det regna. Kanalgenomfarten innehåller mycket väntande så efter att vi hade lämnat marinan lätt vi Bengt driva omkring på ’the Flats’. Vi skulle igenom kanalen med en tysk båt, ’Antje’, som redan hade ankrat där. Eftersom botten består av mjuk lera avstod vi från ankring för att förhindra att få en massa lera på och i båten. Efter en timmes drivandes i regnet kom vår Advisor med lotsbåten och vi satte igång. Advisorn var en trevlig och charmig man som älskade Elisabeths banankaka. Vi fortsatte mot första slussen ’Gatun locks’ där vi fick vänta ett tag igen. Regnet öste ner. Vi passerade under den nyöppnade bro över kanalen, komplett med ljussättning i Panama flaggas färger. Imponerande!

Sedan blev det bråttom. Vi gick långsides ’Antje’ och förtöjde vid varandra. Sedan gick det sakta in i slussen. Eftersom Bengt var störst fick vi göra det mesta av manövreringen in i slussen. Det gäller att hålla båtarna i mitten av slusskammaren. Advisorn var mycket bra och hade full kontroll. Kastlinorna kom flygande över båtarna och de långa linorna knöts fast på dessa. Sedan gick kastgubbarna med oss in i slussen där det redan låg ett skepp ’Georgia M’ förtöjd. Det slu-tade regna. Dörrarna stängdes och nu fanns ingen återvändo tillbaka till Atlanten för Bengt.
Det är en del turbulens när vattnet släpps in så linehandlers hade att göra med att hålla linorna tighta och båtarna i mitten av kammaren. Vår Advisor sa till hela tiden vilka linor som skulle tightas eller vilka som inte skulle det. Det är Advisorn på båten i mitten som har kontrollen. Efter att skeppet blev dragen av lokomotiven till nästa kammaren kunde vi gå framåt, men först efter att linorna tagits tillbaka till båten. Kastlinorna satt kvar och gubbarna i land fick gå med dem uppför slusskanten. Vi fick hålla ’gå-hastighet’. I andra kammaren samma procedur. Den sista kammaren är den svåraste eftersom turbulensen är störst här (söt möter saltvatten) och skeppet börjar använde sin propeller för att komma ut ur kammaren. Just då gick en av Antjes linor av och vi började kastas runt i virvlarna. Advisorn ropade upp slussmästaren och stannade skeppets propeller. Vi fick också tydliga instruktioner om hur vi skulle göra med motor och ro-der medans Antjes besättning fick upp en ny lina till land, sedan fortsatte utslussningen.
Efter en halvtimmes färd över Gatun-sjön där en sen middag serverades, förbi de nya slussarna, förtöjde vi vid en stor boj för natten. Advisorn hämtades och vi fick en tid när hans kollega skulle komma nästa morgon. Paul och Marion lånade vår säng, Katharina sov i doghouset och vi la oss tillrätta i soffan. Det blev en varm natt med en del regn och mygg men alla var glada (men inte så pigga) på morgonen. Solen sken och frukost åts i sittbrunnen. Den nya Advisorn skulle komma kvart över sju men dök inte upp förrän en timme senare. Sedan satt det av direkt mot kanalen. Nu blev det riktig kanalfärd med långa raka sträckor. Solen sken och det blev varm. Advisorn var ung och satt mycket med mobilen. Ett par gånger fick vi stanna och vänta någon timme på grund av båtar med farligt gods som vi inte fick passera. Besättningen tog det lugnt och en del gick och la sig. Det tar många timmar tills man kommer fram till nästa sluss. Vi åt lunch, fikade och spanade efter krokodiler. Kanalen är djup hela vägen in till land så man kunde komma nära kanterna. En och annan regnskur passerade men annars var det fint väder.

När kanalen grävdes var den biten som heter ’Gaillard Cut’ svårast att göra. Det mesta fick grävas för hand och många män dog på grund av sjukdom. Nuförtiden är kanalen en enorm inkomstkälla för Panama och en stor turistattraktion. Det finns museer och andra sevärdheter men inget sägs om de tusentals män som dog eller om de andra som grävde kanalen i oftast mycket dåliga förhållanden och med dålig lön men som gjorde det möjligt för tusentals skepp att ta sig mellan två oceaner varje år. De som hedras och får monument är konstruktören eller andra ’viktiga’ personer, inte de tusentals arbetarna som grävde ut kanalen. All heder åt dem.

Till slut passerade vi broarna och stannade Bengt för att vänta in slussningen. Enligt Advisorn hade vi varit för långsamma och missat vårt ’schema’. Vi hade gått fram i mer än 5,5 knop hela tiden men farten över grund var ju mindre på grund av motström. Väntetiderna är inte bra heller för ’schemat’. Vi fick i alla fall slussa med nästa skepp ’Ocean Mercury’, ett enormt fartyg som förtöjdes bara några meter bakom oss. På nerslussningen ligger man framför skeppen. Vi förtöjdes ihop med Antje igen, ’nesting’ som det kallas, och fortsatte sakta in i slussen. Advisorn såg till att vi hamnade rätt. Vid nedslussning gäller det att ha förtöjt innan skeppet kommer in i kammaren eftersom det blir väldigt strömt då. Efter första kammaren började det ösregna och åskan gick rakt över oss. Sikten var noll. Även här är den sista kammaren svårast på grund av strömmen. Det gäller att ha starka linor. Vid den allra sista slussen, Miraflora locks, finns besökscentrumet med flera våningar där massor med folk stod och tittade på slussningarna.
Nu kunde vi se Stilla Havet framför oss och även om det ösregnade var det ett minnesvärd moment (andra gången för mig). Själva nerslussningen är lugn. Väl ute och ur vägen för ’Ocean Mercury’ tog vi oss loss från ’Antje’ och fortsatte en liten bit mot Balboa Yacht Club där vår Advisor blev upphämtad. Stanley kom med taxibåt och hämtade sina linor och fendrar. Efter ytterliga en timmes motorgång, det var vid åttatiden på kvällen, ankrade vi vid Las Brisas framför Panama-City. Katharinas man, Daniel, kom ombord för att hämta våra linehandlers men först blev det skål och tack för hjälpen med bubbel och tilltugg. Medans vi sov gott i vår egen säng låg Bengt tryggt för ankar i Stilla Havet.

Onsdagseftermiddag blev Elisabeth hämtat av Paul och Marion och följde med dem till stan. Man åker buss, 2,50 kronor per resa, men det behövs ett kort som bara går att köpa i stan. Föraren hanterar inga kontanter. Kortet kostar 2 dollar men kortautomaten är bara på spanska så det krävs någon som kan språket för att trycka på rätt knapp. Paul hade gjort det förr så Elisabeth fick sitt busskort laddat med 5 dollar. Jag stannade ombord eftersom kanalresan varit tröttsam, dessutom hade jag ont i armen då såret ännu inte var läkt. Här i Las Brisas finns en jollebrygga som man inte kan använda vid lågvatten då det inte finns något vatten där. Man ska hålla koll på tidvattnet här i Stilla Havet.

Torsdag städade vi däcket och torkade en massa handdukar, kuddar och dylikt. Däcket hade blivit otroligt smutsigt på kanalfärden på grund av alla smutsiga skor på den våta ytan. Vi var trötta och tog det lugnt. På kvällen tog vi jollen över till ’Nana’ för en sundowner.

Fredag fick vi ett enormt åskväder över oss där vi kunde se blixtarna slå ner i stan. Efter det gick vi iland och tog en promenad i området som består av två öar ihopkopplad genom en damm ’The Causeway’. Det finns en del affärer och mängder med restauranger och kaféer. Två småbåtshamnar finns det men de är så dyra att ingen vill ligga där. Öarna heter Isla Perico och Isla Flamenco.

Lördag fick vi besked från Neill och Heidi ang. deras kanalgenomfärd så vi kommer att åka till Colon igen för att vara line-handlers åt dem. Det blir någon gång i slutet på nästa vecka. Efter det är det snart december och dags för oss att börja seglatsen till Påskön.
Efter frukost, två timmar innan lågvatten, tog vi oss iland och åkte buss till Albrook Mall, ett shoppingcenter i flera våningar med mängder med affärer. Mest affärer med kläder, skor och mobilprylar/radioapparater men vi hittade också en bra järnaffär ’Do it’ som sålde bland annat filter till watermakern och ett signalhorn med lufttryck. I och för sig har vi gått igenom kanalen utan den men man vet aldrig vad myndigheterna i Chile eller Argentina hittar på så vi köpte en för säkerhets skull. En slangklämmemejsel hade de aldrig hört talas om. Chefen letade upp något på nätet men det var inte det vi sökte. Vår mejsel har används så mycket att den har slitits ut och slinter. Det är ett mycket användbart verktyg. De var i alla fall väldigt hjälpsamma och trevliga i affären.
För att komma från busshållplatsen till Albrook Mall måste man passera metrostationen och bussterminalen. Ljudnivån från tågen var enormt hög och det i kombinationen med hög musik, mängder med folk, ljudet av gasande bussar och dålig akustik gjorde att man fick lust att hålla för öronen. I centret finns också ’Super 99’, en enorm supermarknad där varorna stod huller och buller. Julmat och prylar stod på bord i de trånga gångarna. Lördag är kanske inte den bästa dagen att besöka det stora shoppingcentret och handla mat men även om det var mängder med folk och musik var alla trevliga. Det talas lite engelska men Elisabeth fick hjälp av en snäll kvinna vid grönsaksavdelningen. Vi gick runt en del bland affärerna eftersom det ändå inte gick att åka tillbaka till Bengt vid lågvatten, dessutom spöregnade det ute, och vi passade på att äta lunch på Burger King. Tyvärr var Wifi signalen inte så stark så samtalen till Sverige blev korta. Elisabeth gick in i en del affärer för att leta efter en regnponcho men hittade ingen.

Bussen tillbaka fastnade i lördagens trafikstockning medans regnet öste ner. Det blev så mycket regn att gatorna på vissa ställen fylldes med decimeter hög vatten och bussen skvätte det högt när den körde igenom pölarna. Barnen på bussen skrek av förtjusning. Bussen passerar en del stora pampiga myndighetsbyggnader som var heldekorerade med flaggor, vimplar och bande-roler i Panama flaggans färger (röd, vit och mörkblå). På vissa ställen hade det planterats hund-ratals småflaggor i gräsmattan. Nationaldagen var förra veckan men ’independence-Day’ från Spanien firas nästa vecka så flaggorna fick nog vara kvar. Landet har en del finansiella och korruptionsskandaler bakom sig och myndigheter utövar ibland sin makt på ett mindre trevligt sätt. Den regerande eliten verkar vilja skapa någon slags ’Panama-känsla’ bland den, för det mesta, inte så rika befolkningen. Syftet är självklart att skapa en status-quo och behålla makten.


Mängder med åska varje eftermiddag




Vi gick av bussen och väntade ett tag vid hållplatsen innan vi gick över vägen till jollebryggan eftersom det regnade och regnade. Jollen var fylld med vatten och fick ösas. Enligt alla lokalbor vi har pratat med är november den värsta regnmånaden och den är som tur är snart förbi.

Söndag blev fixar dag. Vi hade fångat vatten i skurarna så det blev en del tvätt. Dammsugning och städning. Watermakern kördes idag eftersom det låg en massa diesel i vattnet igår. Även om intaget sitter en meter under vatten vill vi inte riskera något.