Last day in Panama
Rogue
Alan and Noi not sure which is which
Sat 28 Feb 2009 12:16
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Final day in Panama.
Tigre left on Wednesday and Qwyver left on Thursday
afternoon and here we are still waiting on the spare part for my prop
shaft.
Started the day having everything organised for a
pick up at 10:30 to get the papers for my spare part from UPS and then due to
take the papers to the airport to pick up the part.
10:30 I receive a call to say the papers won’t be ready until 11:00 and the airport customs office closes at 12:00 so I will just have to get my part on Monday. It turns out the actual delay in the papers is due
to my taxi driver / agent having taken on an extra client for a quick shopping
trip at 07:00 and now being too late to pick me up.
We launch the dinghy and head in to the dock
anyway.
At 11:20 he picks us up and drives break neck to
UPS. We arrive 1 minute before closing which immediately aggravates
everyone at UPS who wants to go home on time on a Saturday afternoon. They not
surprisingly say there is nothing they can do. Walking back to the car the taxi
driver goes and asks one of the UPS delivery drivers if there is anything he
could do to help us because we can certainly help him if he does. A few hurried
phone calls and it is sorted, pick it up in an hour. $40.
Dropped Noi off at the supermarket, picked up
spares for my generator and gas regulator and then UPS for the part. Amazingly
it is there waiting for us.
Straight to the liquor store to top up with booze
seeing as French Poly cost 5 times as much. Celebration cold one for the taxi
driver and yours truly and off we go to pick up Noi. Noi’s few last minute items
turns out to be two shopping trolleys. Off to Price Smart for all the meat then
on to the veg market, another two cold ones and back to the dinghy
dock.
At the dinghy dock by 17:00, pay the taxi driver /
agent an exorbitant fee then load the dinghy with what must be at least 500kg of
last minute shopping. We have of course already provisioned over the last few
days and this is just the last minute stuff. I should never have told Noi the
prices in French Poly.
The dinghy takes about half an hour to reach Rogue
at full throttle, about 6” of freeboard. Load everything onto Rogue and try and
pack most of it away then back in the dinghy and back to the dock to try and
find an internet source for the latest weather forecasts. Land up having a quick
bite at one of the local restaurants then half hitch an internet connection from
a local night spot and get weather and send emails.
Back in the dinghy then back to Rogue for 22:40.
Lift outboard, lift the dinghy and pack away fuel etc. Fit spare part to
generator. Start the generator to charge the batteries, pack all the stuff back
in engine room, have a cold one and get ready for lifting the anchor in
the morning.
Generator off at 00:30 then a quick shower and bed
to wake up at 06:30.
The oil field is easy!!
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