Christmas in the Pacific
MALARKEY
Jo & Trevor Bush
Sun 1 Jan 2012 23:48
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No sooner had we transited the canal, Christmas was
upon us and we were faced with the normal cruiser problems.......where to get
the turkey and the ever elusive Brussel Sprouts.
Panama City is a pretty good spot for provisioning
but sprouts,....... well that was a real test. All the other goodies like the
turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce etc were found relatively easy, but Christmas
dinner would not be the same without sprouts. We knew it was going to be a
tall order when we discovered that the locals have never even seen one, let
alone tasted one and there wasn't even a Spanish name for them.......well 'los
sprouto's' didn't seem to work anyway. But after an exhaustive search, a
box of frozen sprouts were found hidden in the deep freeze section of one of the
posher supermarkets, and halleluiah.........a proper Christmas Dinner was
on.
Of course, the sprouts were only one of the hurdles
one has to jump to achieve a successful Xmas. What shall I get the missus for
Christmas? Chocolates and Perfume are always a good bet to keep those frosty
glares at bay on Xmas morning, but she had already bought a shed load of those
from duty free when returning back from the UK a few weeks earlier. Something
original was what the doctor ordered. However, the normal discrete probing
questions around Christmas-time didn't produce much of an insight into the
choice gift but I had noticed over the past week or so an increased interest in
fishing. It was a long shot.....a real dodgy chancer of a move, but yes, I would
buy her a fishing rod for Xmas. Not your normal girly present I grant you but I
was getting desperate. To buy nothing, was much worse than buying the wrong
thing, so I went for it. I went to the local fishing and chandlery store and
there it was......the perfect pressie, a rod, reel, line, hooks and pretty
coloured lures all nicely presented in a plastic box......A ready to go all
singing, all dancing, okey kokey, fishing rod kit. I snapped it up and was
feeling pretty pleased with myself as I left the shop. But as I
walked to the taxi, the doubts started creeping in......'A fishing
rod,.... you knob-head, she will scoff at it, throw it back at me and
think I have gone completely barmy'. And by the time I was back at the boat I
was convinced it was a grave error.......But too late it was done and we were
leaving for the Perlas the following day.
Christmas eve arrived almost as soon as we did and
we hooked up with pals Brian & Sue (S/Y Darramy) and Matt & Jean
(S/Y Superted) with their daughter Helen taboot. We chose a peaceful
anchorage in the lee of Isla Espiritu Santo. What a perfect spot for Xmas,
it was even named aptly...'the spirit of Santa'. In fact, we think
it is one of Santa's actual grotto's. Reindeer droppings
were found on the beech and there was a reported sighting of an
elf.
Anyway, the normal Xmas eve affair was in order. It
has almost become a ritual over the past few years. We all jump in the dinghies,
after an appropriate amount of Christmas spirit has been consumed and
sing carols to the other poor unsuspecting cruisers in the anchorage. It
has proven to be a hoot in the past and this year was no different. Despite
the flu, Santa (alias Brian), joyfully lead his little elves, fairies &
helpers and his trainee Santa on a government job scheme (me), through numerous
renditions of 'we wish you a merry Xmas' until we were turned away but not
without a 'cup of good cheer', if you know what I mean. One of the boats was a
sports fisher with a couple of Americans on board down for the Xmas hol's
on a fishing trip and Jo (little elf) was invited aboard to sit in the fighting
chair with Santa.
 She loved it and seemed to be particularly
interested in the fishing tackle. Perhaps my fishing rod pressie wasn't
such a daft idea after all.
Well, we all arrived back at our boats suitably
inebriated and rose the following morning suitably hung over...... It was time
to exchange presents. I tried to delay the moment 'til after breakfast, but Jo
was having none of that and demanded her pressie tout suite. The moment of truth
had arrived and I nervously handed over the odd shaped parcel lovingly wrapped
with Xmas paper. And her response is best told by the next photo.
 She leapt outside still only dressed in her
dressing gown and started fishing with a huge grin on her
face.........RESULT.
In a jiffy Jo turned from 'Deck Fluff' to
'Ace Fisher-Girl'. She plucks them from the deep with regular
ease.
  We shall eat well during our Pacific
cruise.
And talking of eating well, what a fine affair was
had on board Superted. The Christmas lunch was splendid. We all chipped in with
help. We cooked the turkeys & gravy, Darramy the roast taters &
leeks and Jean & Helen did the rest. It was a banquet that would grace
any table over Christmas, all the more remarkable as we were eating it off a
desert island in the Pacific ocean.
HAPPY NEW
YEAR
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