Two days in heaven

Fleck
Sun 2 Dec 2007 00:19
I feel a little sorry for Jack Nicholson. In 'As Good As It Gets', his character has to make the most of life's bitter hand. For two days I have been dealt aces and kings: an abundance, to say the least.
 
After a week of overcast and humid weather I have moved from the coast to the outer reefs of the Western San Blas. Only a few miles from the mainland, where dense cloud still hangs. Out here the sun shines, and it is quite amazing. Yesterday we were in Green Island, today in Coco Bandana Cays. Very few other yachts, as it is still the rainy season, but more than we have seen since leaving Cartagena. None last night, and two in a large anchorage tonight. The Cays are a group of three small islands, each about 200 metres accross. They lie behind a spactacular reef which extends for several miles on either side. The Islands are uninhabited, are topped with coconut palms, and fringed with more coconut trees and mangroves, behind the finest whitest coral sand that it is possible to imagine. 15 metres out the sand gives way to spectacular coral, with super snorkelling. I am anchored in a chanel between two of these Islands, about 50 metres from each shore, in 10 metres of sand, the anchor is well dug in: you can see it perfectly from the surface. Last night a Kuna man came by in his dugout and sold me some small lobsters: more like big prawns, no claws, for two dollors. They were wonderful, but tonight having lost another tuna on the fishing rod yesterday, it's pasta. I still have some fresh fruit, and my yoghourt plant is still going, just.
 
I was very upset to discover on the GPS system that it is now December 1st: I never could learn the days of each month, and feel that I have been cheated out of November 31st. It is now only 11 days before I fly back to the UK, and civilisation. We have seen no roads or motor vehicles since leaving Cartagena. Did I tell you that there is actually no road between Panama and Colombia? Everything goes by boat. Of course I am looking forward to seeing the family, but this has been a quite wonderful three months, as good as it gets!
 
Richard