What a difference a day makes! 09:22N 79:57W
Seaflute
Sun 26 Mar 2017 23:59
anchor and head to Shelter bay in preparation for our transit through the
Panama canal. An overnight stop in Porto Lindo with three other Oysters made
for a rather uncomfortable night due to the large ocean swells. Nevertheless
we are made of sterner stuff and still had the usual sundowners, this time
on Yacht Talaba. Early the following morning we set off in convoy for
shelter bay. What a difference a day makes, from the beautiful, quiet and
tranquil waters of the San Blas to the murky, noisy and frantic waters off
the coast of Panama. There were container ships as far as the eye could see,
some having already made their transit from the pacific and those anchored
and waiting for their Pilots to arrive and take them through at their
designated time. We were all very relieved to arrive safely in the marina,
it is very daunting to have these massive lumps of metal bearing down on you
from all sides!
We had all heard horror stories about Shelter bay but were pleasantly
surprised, it has a small shop and a restaurant attached to a small hotel,
the boys were pleased that Sea Flute could get hauled out and cleaned here,
but mostly that they could get a cold beer. Shelter Bay marina is the
staging post for yachts waiting for their slot to go through the canal. Here
the boats are measured and all the legal formalities are completed before
you are given your ships canal number certificate. I'll let Dave tell you
all about that. The marina is surrounded by jungle on three sides, and I
mean real jungle. We went for a walk the following day and came across the
old American forts that used to protect the Canal, all covered in vines and
jungle foliage. There is such an abundance of wildlife here, we saw Howler
monkeys, Capybara, Anteaters, Capuchin monkeys and lots of bats, birds and
Parrots.
As usual when all the Oyster yachts are gathered in one place there is a
party! This time it was a Panamanian fiesta theme to be held at the San
Lorenzo Fort, a few miles from the marina. We all pushed the boat out,
pardon the expression, when it came to dressing up. Everyone looked
fantastic in their bright and colourful or funny outfits. Air conditioned
coaches, you need those here, took us to the stunning location, where the
old fort is high on a hill overlooking the sea. A local troupe entertained
us with their traditional song and dance while we ate and drank, too much
probably, but what a great time we had.
The following evening while we were all having a quiet supper at the
restaurant, all hell broke loose. A mayday call came through from a yacht
that had just come through the canal heading for shelter bay. They had been
dashed on the reef at the entrance to the marina, the trainee pilot on board
had taken them the wrong way! Luckily one of the Oysters had their tender in
the water and dashed around to help. Five people and the ships cat were
rescued. The Pilot promptly ran away as soon as he came ashore. They had no
belongings with them other than what they stood up in, and two of the crew
had been in the water. It was heartening to see how everyone pulled together
to help, hotel rooms were given up, and clothes were offered. We had two
empty bunks free so gave them to the two crew with some XL Sea Flute T
shirts that Ian had left behind. The following morning Dave went with six
others in three tenders to see if they could pull the yacht off of the reef,
unfortunately they weren't successful, nearly upending the tenders in the
process. Happily the yacht has now been salvaged with minimal damage, but
the owners will be in shelter bay for a while till she has been mended.
Having had my fill of nature and beauty I was keen for a culture (shopping)
visit to Panama city, initially I looked to booking an hotel in the old part
of the city that is being renovated, but decided that a hotel connected to a
very large shopping mall was the best way to go! To get to Panama from
shelter bay is an adventure in itself, a group of twelve of us left early in
the afternoon to catch the Panama canal train into the city. It only runs
twice a day, at 7am from Panama to Colon then vice versa in the evening to
take the workers back. We were advised that it could take hours to get to
Colon where we would catch the train because if the locks were open for the
large container ships to pass through, you could potentially be held up for
hours. There is also a ferry that crosses the canal but that also has to
wait for the ships to pass, it's a bit like crossing a watery M25 but in
slow motion! Luckily for us the Locks were closed and we sailed straight
over, so to speak, this meant though we had time to kill so our minibus
driver took us to a small restaurant in Colon where we had drinks while we
waited. He proceeded to tell us in no uncertain terms, never to go to Colon
alone as it is rife with crime. The Town is very run down and Its name is
certainly very descriptive! Soon it was time to catch the train which is in
the guide as being one of the most beautiful train journeys in the world. It
travels along the canal and lakes and through the jungle, it certainly lived
up to the hype. The train itself is just like the old fashioned ones you see
in the movies. Immaculately clean, clad in dark mahogany wood with large
comfy chairs and tables, brass lights and fittings all made it feel very
special.
Our minibus driver on the Colon side, had organised for us to be met at the
Panama side by his brother, who dropped us all at our respective hotels. We
arranged to meet in the old town the following evening for dinner. The four
of us, our good friends Jeannette and Rob from Tiannelle, Dave and I, spent
the first evening at a terrace restaurant overlooking the modern
skyscrapers, and lights twinkling in the bustling city, a different kind of
beauty. Jeannette and I spent all the following day, and the next in the
sprawling mall, shopping, while the boys escaped to the nearest Chandlery, a
different kind of bliss!
The taxi ride that evening to the Old city was very interesting. It was as
if someone had drawn a line across the road dividing the renovated buildings
and the decrepit ones. In the run down area there were many Police about to
stop those living there harassing the tourists. Anyway, we met up with all
the other guys and went to a lovely restaurant where we had lovely food,
that should really have been amazing food, if the price was anything to go
by! I would certainly come back to Panama though, given half the chance!
I thought that I would really miss nursing when I 'retired' last July, but
my fellow Oyster owners and their crew have certainly kept me busy. What
with the usual medical advice, wound dressings, Intramuscular injections of
antibiotics, not to mention recognising a serious illness that needed urgent
hospitalisation, I haven't been allowed to miss it!
Well that's all from me for the moment, I'll catch up with you on the
Pacific side of the canal!
>From the galley and bed wench,
Lindy x
