My Day 10:24.6N 075:32.6W
Pacific Bliss
Colin Price
Wed 1 Sep 2010 02:18
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Today, the day we tried to leave Cartegena, went
something like this.
05.00 Sitting in cockpit watching s/v
Talicam drift closer in no wind. They are asleep after 4 days at sea so
decide not to wake them.
06.00 Kids awake - "can we go on the
internet!". "NO"
07.00 Leave boat, and am flagged down by a
girl on a nearby boat. Only, on closer inspection do I see she is a 'lady
of the night' with spangly high heels and and red leather jacket. I was too
close at this point to pull away, so had to give here a lift into the marina
where a few eyebrows were raised. Imagine the gossip amongst the yard
boys! "hasn't he got a wife and two kids?" I was cross with
the captain of the baot for not even having the good grace to make an effort to
say thanks to whoever gave his tart a lift..
07.30 Set off for Citybank (read,
Sh*tybank) on the back of a motorbike (best form of transport). Not
allowed to withdraw money - some random error code in Spanish. Phone
in foyer lets me speak to someone in Spanish who cannot put me through to
London. Imagine that!?
08.30 Push loaded supermarket trolley to
checkout and did not have enough cash to pay for it. Cash machine beside
check out chooses this moment to run out of cash. Aaaargh
09.00 Back to boat to find Talacam has
given us a nudge as they up anchor. No real damage done, just
annoying.
09.30 Back to supermarket with another
credit card that works. Get call from UK bank needing a fax to verify a
simple instruction. organise to have that sent from internet cafe. Carry
10tons of shopping back to boat (actually, pay someone else $1 to do
it).
10.00 Kids hold very successful scone and
flapjack sale at Club Nautico.
12.00 Skype with Mum and Dad, in which
they agree to cruise in company with us in the San Blas islands on a lovely 50'
wooden ketch. Should be fun. All conceived and organised by Liz as
usual. Pop over to the bot on the way back to PB to tell the skipper the
good news. 12.30 Try to leave to get Bonaire's inflatable back
to them 15nm away in Islas Rosarios today. Am feeling a certain amount of
pressure to get it done because we might not see them again for some months. and
Tim wants it back Pull up anchor, put engines in gear and get no
thrust. Being here two weeks has let the barnacles grow on the props to
such an extent that they are locked closed and have no thrust at
all.13.00 Lunch on board - brief
respite
14.00 Pick up diver from the dock to clean
propellors. Yeuchy job in this water, but locals seem to have an intollerance to
it.
15.00 Job done, but too late to
leave. Catch motorbike to 'filter alley; to buy fuel filter. A great dusty
highroad with great bustle of mechanics shops. Also get nw o-rings from
the fan-belt lady. She has a tall shop with literally thousands of
fan belts hanging from the ceiliing. She finds the one you want with a
long stick and flicks it off the hook and catches it on the way down. What
a shop. Beats Halfords any day.
16.00 Have a great lime juice on the
street. Just the best. For 25 cents you can have a cup of icey
lime juice and syrup with another squeeze of fresh lime on top. Totally
thirst quenching, and if you hold out your cup it gets filled up again.
Limes are everywhere here, and at 50cents for 50limes you get quite used to
them. Yum
16.00 Kids have icecream from the
ding-a-ling man. costs more than at home.
17.00 I go to join the 'old men' for
beers-at-five on the dock. Its the first time I've done it, and wish I'd
started pitching up to shoot the shit with these guys days ago. All very
kind and welcoming.
19.00 Super on baord. Very delicious
chicken and salad.
20.00 Kids go mad, get shouted at, go to
bed.
22.00 Bed
Is it any wonder we sleep well at
night!?
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