Isla Linton
AJAYA'S CRUISE
Phil & Nikki Hoskins
Wed 22 Feb 2012 17:46
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In position 09:33.50N, 079:39.86W
Having re-stocked we cleared Portobello for the San Blas
Islands some fifty miles to the east with the intention of motoring eleven miles
to Isla Linton as early as possible before the day breeze kicked in and made the
going difficult. From there we could wait for another weather window to claw a
few more miles to windward or, if very lucky, the whole way to Porvenir the
check-in port for the islands.
  Approaching Isla Linton area from
seaward
The small beach with deserted house on the
island
Getting east along this stretch of the Panama coast is seldom
easy at this time of the year (unless in a battleship). The winter trades
combined with high two/three metre swells rolling in from Colombia mean that
cruisers often take a beating somewhere along this coast.
Linton Island, like the mainland backdrop, is dense
jungle and uninhabited. Well almost, there are some hideous
looking monkeys which come down to the dock each day to welcome visitors or
rather see what the visitors have brought them to eat. Our guide book
suggests that they are initially friendly but can turn nasty when you try and
leave, possibly biting you. We decided not to afford them that opportunity and
stayed in the dinghy but those that landed didn't seem to suffer that fate, so
maybe the monkeys have learnt not to bite the hand that feeds them!
   Now, where did I leave that
coconut......
ah, here it is, just where I left
it...............
Now what - I'm trying to eat here!
  Look Gertrude, look at what's on the tourist boat just
arriving
!!
There's a sight for a poor monkey's eyes
....and it doesn't do much
for the face either !
   Late afternoon scene along the mainland
shore Looking
towards Porto
Lindo village..... .......
local rubbish tip/beach? (no the dog isn't dead)
As it has been Carnival weekend along the coast most of the
locals, which are of Caribbean decent in this part of Panama have been enjoying
the public holidays, getting wasted and playing gangster rap music at a
hideous volume. Fortunately we are anchored just round from the village so
the noise doesn't quite make it to the boat. Sentimental Thought
........ Whatever happened to the gentle laid-back
strains of Bob Marley and his Wailers and the Reggae scene that epitomises the
Caribbean culture to faraway folk. It certainly doesn't seem to exist
anywhere we've been in our travels. As for steel pans? you can forget those
unless arriving by cruise ship.
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