Two days in heaven
Fleck
Sun 2 Dec 2007 00:19
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I feel a little sorry for Jack Nicholson. In 'As
Good As It Gets', his character has to make the most of life's bitter hand. For
two days I have been dealt aces and kings: an abundance, to say the
least.
After a week of overcast and humid weather I have
moved from the coast to the outer reefs of the Western San Blas. Only a few
miles from the mainland, where dense cloud still hangs. Out here the sun shines,
and it is quite amazing. Yesterday we were in Green Island, today in Coco
Bandana Cays. Very few other yachts, as it is still the rainy season, but more
than we have seen since leaving Cartagena. None last night, and two in a large
anchorage tonight. The Cays are a group of three small islands, each about 200
metres accross. They lie behind a spactacular reef which extends for
several miles on either side. The Islands are uninhabited, are topped with
coconut palms, and fringed with more coconut trees and mangroves, behind the
finest whitest coral sand that it is possible to imagine. 15 metres out the sand
gives way to spectacular coral, with super snorkelling. I am anchored in a
chanel between two of these Islands, about 50 metres from each shore, in 10
metres of sand, the anchor is well dug in: you can see it perfectly from the
surface. Last night a Kuna man came by in his dugout and sold me some small
lobsters: more like big prawns, no claws, for two dollors. They were
wonderful, but tonight having lost another tuna on the fishing rod yesterday,
it's pasta. I still have some fresh fruit, and my yoghourt plant is still going,
just.
I was very upset to discover on the GPS system that
it is now December 1st: I never could learn the days of each month, and
feel that I have been cheated out of November 31st. It is now only 11 days
before I fly back to the UK, and civilisation. We have seen no roads or motor
vehicles since leaving Cartagena. Did I tell you that there is
actually no road between Panama and Colombia? Everything goes by boat. Of
course I am looking forward to seeing the family, but this has been a quite
wonderful three months, as good as it gets!
Richard
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