San Blas at last
Fleck
Tue 20 Nov 2007 14:33
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Position 08:44.21N 77:32.68W
Date: 20th November
Sorry about last week's hurried mail, and spelling
mistakes etc. I was late for supper ashore, and to cap this quite usual
occurrence the new outboard stopped and refused to restart just as I left the
boat: a half mile row to the dock, and I arrived very sweaty. This is a BAD
thing to do, especially at 6pm, just getting dark. Despite anti spray I was
covered by mosquitoe bites, and spent a miserable hour in the eatery
picking at myself and causing self harm!! The theory is that mosquitoes don't so
much see you as smell you: feet especially. (I hope Olivia washes her trainers
these days!).
I did have success with the fishing rod last week,
and we had fresh tuna for a couple of nights, which is always pleasant; although
the bloodbath in the cockpit is a bit wretched, and has to be cleaned up
carefully, otherwise the smell lingers.
The overnight sail to the Panamanian border was
really without major incident, sailing was only possible for a few hours, but
this was a bonus, as the grib files were still showing adverse or no wind at
all. These files are not so much help in coastal waters. For food I had Pina
Colada Korma Curried bananas with cashew nuts. Must have been hungry because it
tasted delicious, but then it was my reciepe!. Have also discovered Jello:
American stuff, mix with cold milk. My favourite flavour is pistachio. Also
blueberry muffin mix: add water, put in oven! Cordon Bleu or
what!?
Yesterday we travelled to Obaldia to clear into
Panama: a frustrating and hot experience, although most poeple were very
friendly. It is the pointless nature of the work itself, coupled with the slow
work rate that frustrates. Anyway we are now armed with forms aplenty, and in
triplicate, and have started to collect our Kuna receipts: every time you anchor
in Kuna Land the Local Village Chief sends someone in a canoe to collect the
fee: seems to be 10$, though the guide books said 5$: inflation
everywhere!!
We only paid 5$ for the doubtful privelige of
anchoring in Obaldia, but then it's really an administrative outpost from the
Panamanian Government. Rolly anchorage, no dinghy dock, ugly houses, but a shop
that sold most things from petrol to food and clothes. Nothing fresh however.
Local fresh food doesn't seem to be distributed via shops at all. In Immigration
there were two computers, but no mains electricity: all the offices
had banks of 12 volt truck batteries and inverters to run the
equipment: but 'our' inverter was broken! The Zarpe man relied on his
trusty tyewriter, and carbon paper: wise guy, wait for the new technology to
prove itself, I say. If the NHS can do without linked computers, so can
Obaldia.
We got away from Obaldia in the early afternoon,
and sailed to Puerto Perme: a real 'Tropical Anchorage in Paradise'
at last. Palm fringed bay, completely protected, very lovely. Make you
jealous if you look at google earth! Last night broke an oar, which immediatly
sank. Must try to construct something serviceable this morning from my store of
'found items'. Also heavy rain overnight, so I got up and collected a
bucket of rainwater, saving my watermaker, and it's energy supply! Slept
well afterwards, as rainwater is the coolest thing by far around here, much much
cooler than the sea.
Swam down to the keel yesterday afternoon, despite
increrasing trouble with my right inner ear which is blocked. There is very
little damage from the encounter with the coral a few days ago: the outer gel
coat has been rubbed down in several areas, but I can feel no exposed underlying
glass fibre ( which absorbs water over time), so no real problem. Loads of
barnacles however!! Having paid my 10 dollars, I'm going to the local Village
(Anachuguna) today as a visit is included in the ticket price: I suspect that
the catch will be 'Vendors'.
Vicky has sprained her arm playing hockey, so it is
good to have another ailing member of the family to trade illness behaviour
stories!! I also got Olivia's first email from Oz, sounds great, and I hope
things will go well for her.
Hope all is well with anyone else who reads these
things, they have become my own diary now: I used to keep a seperate written
log, but found that I never got round to tidying it up. So if it's not in here
it didn't happen!!
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