BLUE WATER RALLY - PORTOBELO
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9.33N 79.39W The pilot booked warned of a ‘lively
passage’ from the San Blas Islands to Portobelo – some 55 nautical
miles. There was a real pressure point to get there for the evening of
the 22nd January as the next day all the crews off all the yachts were to
gather for an in depth brief on transiting the Hard to pick out Isle de Drake but just in the foreground! The port today is one of the most unusual places I have ever
seen. Pretty beyond measure – a dichotomy of beautiful rundown down
architecture and abject poverty. Portobelo anchorage and ramparts First view of the town from the sea Note the ruined fortress Portobelo is best described so: higgledy-piggledy buildings,
emancipated stray dogs and dying cats, a few open fronted ‘shops’,
a couple of restaurants serving surprisingly good cuisine, hand painted old
American school buses and vultures flying menacingly overhead above the jungle
and settling in the town. Having said all of that, we never felt
threatened once in any way – our dinner of lobster, soup, rice and salad
came to just 5US Dollars – beers were 75 cents! The kids
don’t beg and everyone was friendly and greeted us in Spanish. Portobelo town and American school bus The predatory vultures…………. The fortifications And the cannons…….. The following day Tony and Richard from Blue Water Rally drove 82
people to our lunch venue – ferrying us in their rented minibuses - and
organised fresh fish and rice – it was truly emotional to see everyone
again – especially Shuala III who had had the knock down. Far from
being ready to give up Barbara who, covered in bruises, had swum back into her
cockpit, and had apparently arrived in Shelter Bay singing on the bow of her
‘ship’ with the dam buoy, spinnaker and horseshoes dangling from
the displaced spreaders, couldn’t wait to get going again!!! Such
is the strength of the bonding and friendships on this Rally, I think they felt
really supported. Lunch before the brief…… Then there began a lengthy instruction regarding our After our meeting we all returned to Portobelo and our boats –
there are a couple who live at the end of the docking jetty who have apparently
lived here for 18 years restoring the town but with respect we didn’t see
a whole lot of evidence of this! Forlorn architecture of old by the dockside……. Tomorrow we are off to |