Panama - San Blas Islands



Departing Isla Grande, Colombia

Monday, December 5, 2011 we depart Isle Grande, Colombia (10*10.515N 75*43.897W) for Panama. The weather folks had gotten it mostly right; N/NE winds 10-15k, chance of rain. Well the wind was NE, but the velocity was 15-20kG27k, and that chance of rain was a sure bet. But hey we were underway and things were looking good.


Departing at a much more civilized hour of 0930 so as to arrive at Isla de Pinos, Panama midday on the 6th, we head out into the Caribbean once again with reefed sails and the motor running. Although during the course of the next 25 hours we will sail without the engine we will, as we do eighty percent of the time, motor sail. Maintaining a heading of 240*T we sail along at 6k watching the grey clouds during the day and the lightening during the night, although the night is nothing like the trip to Santa Marta; we sleep well. The big events for this trip are the logs. Turns out to be a lot of them floating along the stream, we bump them in the night, sometimes they make the boat quiver, most of the time they make Ed jump from his slumber asking his usual “what was that?”. He worries too much.

Boto at rest, Isle de Pinos

 Making the approach to the San Blas Islands the first stop for many boats including us is Isle de Pinos (9*N 77*45W). This is a very good location to make your first stop after crossing from Colombia, primarily because the entrance into the anchorage is very easy, so easy you could do it with your eyes closed. Or, as in our case in zero visibility during a torrential down pour. Kinda fun to be cruising along looking at an island one minute then the next it’s gone. “Do ya think it might have moved?” We came in the easy way around the southern portion of the island making our way to 08*59.975N 77*45.629W where we dropped anchor in 8 feet of water in the midst of a chilly rain. First thing for us is hot showers (yes we have hot showers on board, we just can’t take them for an hour at a time). The second thing is to pony up US$10 to the Kuna Yala, whose representative came out in his canoe to collect and give us a receipt. Now for a little history of the San Blas Islands.

it's time to decorate for Christmas




our neighbor, "La Luna"


 Originally from the Darie’n Mountains of Panama the Kuna Yala moved to the coast and later to the offshore islands of Panama during the time of the Spanish conquistadors. At the time it is estimated that the Kuna numbered between half and three-quarters of a million people, today the nation has approximately 50,000. Although the Kuna live a simple life of fishing and agriculture it was in 1925 when after many years of suffering violence at the hands of outsiders they revolted against the Panamanian government and with the aid of the United States managed to secure an autonomous rule for themselves, according to their laws the islands of the San Blas belong to all Kunas, especially the coconuts.

Kuna restaurant for lunch



surveying "Dog Island"

We have learned that every coconut in the San Blas islands be it on a tree, the ground or floating in the water has an owner. The coconut was actually used as a currency by the Kuna once upon a time, now they use good old American green backs. As we learned upon our arrival in Pinos, there is no official checking in process, simply a donation to the local village and the nation as a whole. We also needed to pay our respects to the chief or sahila before visiting the village. Although the paths are dirt and the huts are made from palm fronds and reeds or cane the modern world has made its mark as the village of Isle de Pinos does have a satellite dish. Many of the Kuna divide their time between the islands and the mainland, trying to stay in touch with their culture while adapting to the 21st Century. All things must evolve.

Village of Achutupu



The San Blas Islands are scattered some 120 miles along the coast of southeast Panama many sporting nothing more than a single thatch roofed lean-to offering protection to those tending to the coconuts. While other islands are literally bursting at the sides with buildings and people. We are off at a reasonable hour on Friday December 9th to head to the next little group of these islands. Some 20nm from Pinos is Achutupu (Dog Island) where we will anchor in 40 feet behind a few tinny islands and the larger Achutupu. On our trip from Pinos we will sail along the edge of the deep water, where the ledge drops off to 100 feet and then more with rain and 4-6 foot swell. Accompanying us on this trip are a number of Kuna canoes out in the weather and the swell fishing, by hand line. Some of these canoes sport a single sail while the majority are propelled by paddles and sweat. The canoes themselves are carved from a single tree and in spite of their diminutive size are very seaworthy.

Running along inside the reef protected from the seas swell one can travel most of the length of the San Blas islands, with water depths either side of twenty feet. It reminds us of the trip along the ICW in the U.S.. Much like the ICW there are areas of little water where a boat can and will run aground. As we prepare to depart Achutupu we debate the merits of running up the inside (a shorter distance) and going outside (more swell and a longer trip). The outside wins as the clarity/visibility of the water along the inside route has been reduced to a muddy nil do to the recent rains flushing much and mire down the rivers into the ocean. As we wait an additional day to depart we watch as other boats run aground, several times. We even go to the assistance with our dink to help push off all the while the Kuna gather to watch the unplanned entertainment pointing out that the water level is very shallow.



beach time at Tupile

 Monday Dec. 12 we’re off, heading outside we have a pleasant motor sail some 15nm to San Ignacio de Tupile where we will once again anchor in 40 feet behind several smaller islands which provide great protection from the swell. It is worth noting that we hopped from one island group to the next, and although we only mention the largest of the islands where we anchored there were many smaller in the immediate are that we could explore via the dinghy.
After ten days in the more remote eastern San Blas we are ready for a taste of civilization so we are off to Rio Diablo (Nargana) and Corazon de Jesus. A bit longer trip of 30nm we end up anchored in 20 feet at 09*26.7N 78*34.8W. Here at Nargana there are several small tiendas along with a couple of restaurants. The village also has a good sized school which offers FREE WiFi! In addition to fresh veggies we load up on chicken, well one chicken. That’s one whole chicken complete with beak; at least it has been plucked. We take our pollo back to Boto where we do the butchering into dinner sized morsels.

For those in need of fuel Nargana had both gasoline and diesel (most of the time). Visit Paco next to Nillie’s Café, he is the third dock on the left. Diesel is in 15 gallon drums and is transferred via siphon to your jerry cans, so bring a funnel with a filter. While there was little water in the fuel there was a good amount of sediment.

Although Panama and the San Blas are new to us there have been many here before us. As with many of the islands we have visited we are able to benefit their experiences by staying in touch on the radio. In the San Blas there is a daily SSB net on 8.107.0. On this net you can catch up with old friends and find the best place to grab a lobster dinner. 

beach time at Green Island


 

a slice of Paradise


 An entire 5nm from our anchorage in Nargana we drop the hook inside the shelter of Green Island, here after a couple of weeks restricted to the boat Chula will finally get some beach time. After the relative hustle and bustle of Nargana this little group of islands (9*28.7N 78*38.1W) offers a return to solitude, oh and a lobster dinner.

Dinner!



which one's mine?



What does one do in paradise? Clean the boat, give the dog a haircut, collect rainwater, laundry, baking, and ice the cervasa, the usual.

Well it’s getting on towards the end of 2011, our Christmas shopping is done and we’ll be spending the holiday in the Hollandes Cays before heading to the Lemon Cays to ring in the New Year. For now we are content to enjoy the sea breeze and read a few books. Until next time (Hey we’re almost current with this thing!).

Cruisng the Colombian Coast

January 1, 2012 a new year, hopefully the last was a good one for all and whatever lies ahead of us is worth the trip. As for Boto, we're currently sitting in the West Lemon Cays of the San Blas Islands of Panama (remember this, we'll be getting back to it shortly), however our blog updates are still two months behind, so without delay let us return to November, 2011 and Colombia.

When last you heard from us we had arrived in Santa Marta, Colombia. If you are heading to Colombia via boat, or any other means for that matter put Santa Marta on your itinerary. If by vessel you'll need a few facts to help make your entry into the country easier. First, all vessels, no exceptions require a local agent to process Customs and Immigration forms for you. There are many agents available; however we went with Dino Alfonso Melo Campo of the Caribbean Sea of Colombia Maritime Agency. You can simply call for Dino, he was great. We contacted him before our arrival and supplied him with the necessary information for clearing so that upon our arrival we simply handed over our passports (Ahhhhh!) and away he went, returning that evening with our passports, complete with immigration stamp as well as our customs clearance paperwork for the boat and later our importation paperwork (well, Vicky had to take a trip to the Port Captain with Dino for that). The cost in November, 2011 for clearing in at Santa Marta was US$50 for Customs and Immigration and US$5 for the Vessel Importation paperwork.

Here is the contact information for the Caribbean Sea of Colombia Maritime Agency:

dinomeloc62@hotmail.com
Cell: 57-300-716-4689

Further, we decided to spend our time in Santa Marta at the Marina Santa Marta, an IGY "destination". The marina is not yet completed, however the facilities are still top notch, when completed it should be first rate. Unfortunately, Francia Olmos, the General Manager, has since moved on to Cabo, Mexico to take over another facility. We're certain that whoever her replacement is will do a fine job as well. The contact information for the marina is below, do yourself a favor, take a little vacation from anchoring and spend a few weeks or a month at the marina to enjoy the area.

Marina Santa Marta


http://www.marinasantamarta.com.co/

Well, enough gratuitous endorsements, especially given that we are not being compensated, really all of the above are first rate. You may recall from our last posting, AIR CONDITIONING. It isn't really hot in Colombia during November, just kinda muggy and rainy. So, as per our promise to Chula, we plugged into the shore power and turned on the A/C. Chula promptly positioned herself in front of the vent in our bedroom (V-berth for the nautical types) and spent a few hours lounging with her tongue hanging out. We think she really enjoyed it. Of course, the humans did as well. Oh yeah, the showers on shore are great too. Nothing like standing under a hot water rainfall shower for an hour after several months of salt water baths and cold, sweet water rinses (ok, we didn't suffer too much while out and about, but a free flowing supply of hot water is wonderful).





Negotiating lunch in Tagonga

 


Fishing boat in Tagonga



 Off we go exploring with the crews of La Luna and Celtic Dream. First stop the village of Taganga, where all the old hippies congregate. We advise going with a group and during the day light hours, we believe weird things transpire there after nightfall. The bus ride itself was great, public transportation in general is great. Once we worked out the appropriate bus routes no biggie. Flag down the bus, hand over COP$1500 per person and away you go in a supersized minivan (FYI, US$1 = COP$1900).



Rubble Trouble!

 There had been a lot of rain in this area for the last week.  All along the west coast roads were washed out and cars...plus other miscellaneous items had floated downstream to the Caribbean Sea.  This road gives you an idea of the clean up ahead of the Colombians.

One of the reasons for visiting a marina, every so often, is to give the boat and the crew (HOT SHOWERS) a thorough cleaning. So, after our day trip into the countryside we set to it. Topsides, deck, cockpit (damn the water bill, US$0.15/gal) and below decks where the battle with mildew is as complicated as that with Communism from another era. We scrubbed for two days, but things sure did shine.



No...Ed is NOT being arrested!

 During this period we, along with "La Luna", "Celtic Dream" and "Happy Bird" were paid a visit by the Policia de Nacional. More precisely a group of eight to ten police officers (Military) who were finishing up their two month tour of duty in the Magdalena Providencia and taking an afternoon (in uniform, complete with side arms) to do touristy things like take pictures of the boats and boaters. We learned that these officers were from Bogotá and that they spend two months stationed in each of the providences of Colombia. Anyway, they were departing in two days and were taking in the sights. They had never been on a sailboat before and were very much taken with the boats as well as with the fact that we had all decided to cross oceans to visit their country. Suffice it to say that I believe the soldiers were more taken with the ladies in their bikinis than with the sailboats. Well, at least slightly more. We had a good few hours talking with them, then they were gone, but we now had friends in the right places.



Cruiser's Potluck and Soccer on TV

 As we mentioned earlier Francia, the GM of the marina, was great and not just because she put on a Friday Pot-Luck dinner with the marina supplying the beer, gratis. We arrived on a Monday and that Friday we joined a few dozen others under the awning of the marina bar to watch Colombia vs. Venezuela in World Cup Competition and to share some food, drink and conversation. What a wonderful introduction to the hospitality of Colombia.

The air conditioning for Chula was a key aspect of our plan to tour the interior of Colombia and it was our good fortune to have Roderick and Yvonne of "Happy Bird" at the marina next to us. We took off with "Celtic Dream" and "La Luna" for an overnight camping trip to the Tayrona National Park leaving Chula behind in the care of "Happy Bird". At this time it is necessary to mention, if we have failed to do so previously that "Happy Bird" is a Dutch vessel. Within 24 hours time Chula spoke Dutch putting our bi-lingual skills to shame; back to the park.

There is a bus terminal, of sorts, in downtown Santa Marta. It is somewhere near the open air market (great fruits and veggies) and apparently it moves around a bit. We boarded a larger bus this time (think school bus) for our hour long drive to the park entrance.  There was a gentleman sitting behind us with a rooster in his lap and two more in a burlap sack (never thought I would write "burlap sack"). Upon inquiry he confirmed that the birds were in fact combatants and he was off to the fights. Other than feathers on the wings and around the head and throat the birds were plucked clean. We took a bye on the cock fight.

Hiking in the national park

COP$5,000 per person takes us to the park entrance and a great lunch at a roadside eatery (COP$500 to use the facilities). Another short bus ride, followed by an hour long walk through the mud, swamp and horse pooh and we arrive at the camp site.



Rental Tents



We rent a tent for the night which also apparently comes with a hammock complete with bug netting, hmmmm, we had air conditioning at the boat, wonder what Chula is doing.



Ed 'testing' the hammocks



Ah...refreshing water and cervezas!



Things turned out very well. We were able to hike along the coast, take a swim and have a few good meals; all the while enjoying the park with what seemed like a few thousand Colombians, definitely worth the trip.



Northwest coastline...beautiful!



Cathedral in Santa Marta

Soup vendor

One of the attractions of Santa Marta is the promenade along the beach. Take a walk at sunset and listen to the music, watch the people on the beach, grab a bite to eat from the carts along the way and as this is the Christmas season take in all of the decorations. One of our new favorite meals from the street vendors is Arepes, specifically with caso and chicken. This is corn meal bread stuffed with cheese and curried chicken, Wow. Arepes come in many varieties from plain to fancy, we like the caso and chicken.



Waking up to decorations from La Luna and Happy Bird!



November was/is a month of milestones for Boto. We made it to Colombia, who would have thought. Colombia represents a turning point for us, we will no longer be heading south, we will now turn west and then north working our way back to the US.



Vicky "meeting Sarah"





Birthday Breakfast

 Then, of course, there is/was Vicky's 50th birthday. With the welcomed assistance of La Luna and Happy Bird, Boto was transformed into a birthday celebration with flags, balloons and of course Sarah. There is a tradition in Holland, when a man turns 50 he is said to be visited by Abraham, when a woman turns fifty she is visited by Sarah. In this case Sarah took the form of Vicky's stuffed wet suit with a balloon head and a cut out of a very handsome old lady sitting in a chair on the dock in front of Boto.

Ah...posters all over the marina!

We also learned that the fiftieth birthday is a big deal in Colombia (of course, it could have been the promise of another party for the dock hands). 

Time to make the dough





The birthday dinner was pizza. Yes, pizza is a worldwide dish. In this case we were able to spend the afternoon watching the dough be prepared. There is a 6x4 foot stainless steel table, behind which stands a middle aged man with forearms that would shame Popeye. He is rolling out dough, the full length and breadth of the table then he folds in over and over and over before proceeding to roll it out again. At some precise point, that only he is aware of, stops folding the dough, instead he reaches into a freezer and pulls out what we come to realize is a block of butter. This is no run of the mill block of butter, it is a good 36"x6"x6" block of butter. He proceeds to take handfuls off the block and spread them on the dough, when finished with the entire block of butter he returns to folding and rolling.



A splendid birthday dinner with friends



It is as we watched this preparation of the pizza dough that we decided on dinner for the evening. Of course the pizza dough was wonderful; the folks at the restaurant great.



Simon Bolivar



Ten days in Santa Marta and counting what to do next. With the big 50 behind her Vicky is ready for some site seeing.



Walking the gardens

It is worth the trip to Quinta de San Pedro Alejandrino Avenida del Libertador a National Monument since 1891. This farm/ranch is now a museum where one can see life as it took place over two hundred years ago, it is also where Simon Bolivar spent his final days.

Iguana in the gardens...huge!

By November 22 we had spent two full weeks in Santa Marta enjoying ourselves and even though it means leaving the air conditioning behind us....even Chula is ready to move again. Santa Marta is a beautiful city, it is actually the oldest in Colombia, and reputed to be the oldest in all of South America. Founded in 1525 by the Spanish it is quite possible that we visited some of the original buildings while there. If the opportunity presents itself pay the city a visit. Wander the narrow streets, sit in the many plazas throughout the city watch life go by, oh and have some ice cream. There is much history here and we barely scratched the surface from the ancient Tayrona culture to the Spanish conquerors the old city is very much alive and well. All of this with the gorgeous Sierra Nevada mountains in the background…stunning!

Next stop, the historical city of Cartagena but first a brief sailing stop along the way. Since Cartagena is some 110nm from Santa Marta we decide to break the trip into two legs. Departing Santa Marta at the unholy hour of 0430 on November 22 we set a course for Punta Morro Hermoso a 60nm trip. Somewhere ahead of us are the crew of "La Luna" who departed the night before, remember them as they will be mentioned again and again and …..

The brown water of the Magdalena River

Off we go into the wild blue, you get the idea. Once again we are motor sailing this time along the Caribbean coast of Colombia. Between Santa Marta and our stopover of Punta Hermoso is the Rio Magdalena that runs through the port town of Baranquilla. The river can be a tough stretch, especially as it has been raining heavily in the interior for the last two weeks. The river drains the water along with trees and small villages from the mountains to the ocean. We have something to look forward to. Another consideration for us is the description of the port town of Baranquilla, and we quote from a published source; "NEVER, NEVER go into the entrance of the Rio Magdalena to the port of Baranguilla. People get robbed, shot at, etc. DO NOT go there!!" Yes, we're feeling all warm and fuzzy about this leg of the trip, what with the rumors of entire villages being washed away by the Rio Magdalena and being sent swiftly 5 or 10 miles off the coast creating literal log jams for vessels and of course the previous warning we're looking forward to the trip. Obviously it was a non event as we are now sitting in Panama in the New Year writing about this, or are we?

Just kidding. If transiting this stretch of the Colombian coast via water, the Rio Magdalena is a real concern so pay attention, however do not pay attention to the rumors. We passed through without issue, except for when the depth sounder went from 1,000 feet to 25 feet in less than the blink of an eye, talk about sphincter clench. We later learned that this was due to the mixing and mingling of the fresh water from the river with the salt water of the Sea combined with the temperature changes of both. Wow, physics, who knew. Well, other than the odd tree trunk or two we made our way past the river without incident staying five miles off the coast. Others have passed safely closer in, while others have favored a wider path, your choice. We went through in day light and the water changed from Caribbean blue to Willy Wonka Chocolate in less than a heartbeat. Others have gone through in darkness and barely noted the current change. Good luck.



Punta Hermoso

 If you decide to stop over in Punta Hermoso take note that the charts; local, electronic, sketches, etc… do not clearly define the reef/peninsula which protects the bay. Be certain that you have cleared the growing point of the reef/island before making your turn into the bay; otherwise you may end up, well on the rocks. It seems that the flotsam and jetsam from the river makes its way here and attaches to the reef/beach/land extending the point further and further. We finally anchored in 12 feet of calm water and spent a very restful night, before the next leg. One final comment on Punta Hermosa, the mosquitoes are vicious little bastards that do not retreat after sunset, if anything they swarm. Be certain to have the screens in.

Once again we are off before the rooster's crow, 0500 and we are underway for Cartagena. The route is a relatively simply one along the coast our only task is to watch out for the fishing boats and the occasional freighter which apparently cannot see us. We take our time and motor sail along the coast staying two miles out. While the auto pilot tends to the course, we tend to our skeeter bites; some four dozen of them, those little bastards have fangs.

Cartegena Viejo from the water

As we approach Cartagena we can make out the walls of the old city, what a sight it must have been all those years ago for the sailing ships coming to load the riches of the new world. The only task before us in entering the harbor is to find the channel which will safely take us through the underwater wall defending the harbor. History note: one of the reasons that Cartagena was never seized during the heyday of the Spanish Main was that an undersea wall was constructed to prevent enemy ships from entering the harbor. The passage through the wall apparently was changed every now and then to keep it a secret. Today the channel is marked by a red and green buoy making it an easy passage. The nerve racking catch is that as you pass over the wall the depth decreases to 11 feet, make sure you are in the channel; boats in modern times have ended up on the ancient wall.



The Virgin Mary statue

 For those that have been or those that are properly advised the entry into the Cartagena anchorage is no big deal. For us, well we got a little befuddled. Here is what we suggest. Once you have cleared the wall continue on your heading (avoiding the tankers, cargo ships and cruise ships) until you have sighted the statue of the Virgin Mary off your port side. Don't panic, you have to go a few miles into the harbor before you'll see the statue. Once you have spied the statue, hang a left towards the statue. You will have to pass to either side of the statue giving it a wide berth, we suggest going to port as to starboard lay the cargo docks and the much larger cargo ships.

By this point you will see the anchorage, Club Nautico, etc…. We went with anchoring in forty feet of Willy Wanka Chocolate brown water off of Club Nautico rather than going into the marina. The marina is still under construction with very little in the way of services. All vessels at their docks are Med-moored and very tightly fit in; we have watched as masts collided due to the swell caused by the omni-present water taxis. During one of the regular squalls things got even more interesting, we suggest anchoring.

Having arrived in Cartagena on November 23rd what else should we have expected but to be invited by fellow cruisers to a Thanksgiving dinner the following day. Arraignments had been made with a local restaurant to put on a spread, although we were very appreciative of the invite we had to decline as we had promised to make Thanksgiving dinner for the crew of "La Luna", being Dutch this was to be a new experience for them, the American festival of gluttony.

Although we did find turkeys in one of the stores we could not go with turkey for the feast due to; 1) the birds were still frozen solid and we found them the morning of Thanksgiving and 2) the smallest seemed to be 20lbs, we have at best a five pound oven. So the next best thing, large chicken breasts. Here then is the 2011 Thanksgiving menu for BOTO:

Baked Chicken Breasts with Veal Sausage stuffing
Steamed Green Beans
Mashed Potatoes
Sweet Potatoes
Homemade Pumpkin Pie (with whipped cream of course)
Appetizers consisted of Gouda (Dutch) cheese with local sausage and Goose Liver Pate' accompanied by fresh baked bread.

It took us five hours to put away the meal and the wine. Upon their arrival and introduction to the menu, Etienne of "La Luna" asked who else was coming for dinner!



Entrance to the Old City

 Cartagena is a city for walking; we strolled down the streets of the modern portion of the city through the stone walls which surround the old town into the narrow teaming streets of the old city. Shops and businesses line every square inch of sidewalk then all of a sudden you wander into a plaza; open aired with people milling about selling their wares, playing games and music or simply enjoying the day. Although many still remember Colombia's reputation of twenty or thirty years ago there is no need to worry, at least no more than one would anywhere. The streets of Cartagena are very safe as are those of Santa Marta, the people are friendly and helpful, and you need but to ask.



Cathedral in the Old City

 As we wandered through the old city we came to realize a difference between Cartagena and Santa Marta.

One of the knockers of Cartagena

While both are ancient towns, Cartagena is now a tourist destination complete with tee-shirt hawkers, would-be tour guides, jewelry salesmen and every trinket you can imagine available on the streets. In Santa Marta you are more likely to engage someone in a conversation about their home town; it is a smaller (by numbers) city and more akin to a beach community with people coming from all over Colombia to enjoy the beach and the breeze. In Cartagena you will find tourists from Colombia and the rest of the world as well, there to take in the citadel and buy a tee-shirt. This is not to say that we did not enjoy Cartagena and the city, it's just that we loved Santa Marta.



Guitar player in the Old City





Old City Street



Des Indias statue

Fresh fruit salad made to order

We spent a lot of time on our feet in Cartagena visiting both the old and the new, while also restocking provisions and beer and rum. As to the later there is a little section in the old town referred to as "Contraband Alley" very much a "duty free zone". Here you will find great prices on most anything you need or desire.



Contraband Alley



The groceries are wonderful and easy to get to, so do not fret if you are arriving with your last can of spam, here you will find great foods at good prices. If you are continuing on to Central America and beyond, as are we, you may wish to update your inoculations as well.

As we did not have a Yellow Fever shot and our tetanus was well past due we went in search of a clinic to supply the shots.  We can save anyone that needs vaccines a lot of trouble as we covered all of the hospitals, clinics and pharmacies in our search, finally finding the Centro Medico o de Salud Sr de Fatima on Calla Larga. Simple directions if you are in need of vaccines or medical attention. From Club Nautico head toward the old city. Crossing over the bridge and passing through the outer walls you will go three streets. Once you have come to the third street you will see on your right a yellow building taking up most of the block with a sign reading "DADS". Turn right on this street and go to the end of the yellow building to the last door in the building. There is no sign, just knock and go on in. Vaccinations are done in the morning so get there early and get a number. Although it took us three days to find, it only took an hour for the both of us to be vaccinated. The folks there are great.

Well, we've been (had been) in Colombia for a month and have truly enjoyed ourselves, however it is that time again, time to sail on. After final provisions are stored and our goodbyes said we depart Cartagena for Isle Grande a whole 20 nm away, hey we want to ease our way back into this travelling thing especially given that the next leg will be an overnight trip to Panama. Isle Grande is a nice comfortable anchorage and a staging area for jumping off to Panama and the San Blas Islands. We meet up with "La Luna" once again just in time to celebrate Denise's birthday, although she is not yet ready to meet Sarah. After a fun evening and good food we are all settled in, resting for the trip tomorrow (the next day) December 5th.

With a good forecast (hah) and the 5th being a Monday we are assured of a nice sail, actually even though we had some rain the 140nm trip turned out to be a good one. Next up our arrival in the land of Kuna Yala. Plus, one of these days pictures to back up all these words, we're getting closer, only a month away in blogger land.

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Bonaire to Colombia

Well the Olsen's are home (they departed Bonaire 10/22/11, we left for Curacao on 10/26, we/re getting close to being in sync almost as it is now 12/22/11) and we are once again alone, well as much as one can be alone with numerous other cruisers about. While we still hide from the westerly winds within the marina, I pause here to take a moment to praise the folks of the Harbor Village Marina in Bonaire; should you ever have the occasion and or the need they are great. Now back to us; while we are saddened by the departure of Gretchen, Harvey and Jake we are inspired by our neighbors at the marina to rejoice in the time honored tradition of happy hour, so off we go to "Happy Bird" where Roderick and Yvonne treat us to a wonderful evening aboard their Jeanneau 40DS. Yes, "Happy Bird" is a sister ship to "Boto". Their's is a 2003 while "Boto" is a bit older at 2001. Joining us is the crew of "Gypsy Blues", Rene and Cheryl (remember them we'll meet again) yet another Jeanneau, albeit an older pre-Benatteau model. "Gypsy Blues" is a beautiful boat. There are several others present but as so often happens names and boats mingle and merge and fade into the myst of the ocean. Suffice it to say we have a wonderful evening aboard "Happy Bird" where we are educated on many things Dutch. Roderick and Yvonne are wonderful hosts and as we bid them good night we are more than sated and ready for a good nights rest.
Well, it seems that it is always time to travel, so while Hurricane Rina pounds the NE we look for a good weather window to head west. What that usually translates into we have found is, no wind, no waves and very warm temps. So on Wednesday October 26 we depart Bonaire for Curacao, a wopping 38nm trip, with no wind we end up motoring the entire trip at 6 kts and the wind never gets above 8kts (from the wrong direction). We drop our hook in Spanish Water's, Curacao by 2pm and are ready to relax, of course we must clear customs and immigration in Curacao, now there's a story.
Spanish Water's is a very popular location to say the least. Apparently twenty years ago there were very few cruising boats here, however over the years the destination has gained popularity and the boats now flock here. So much so that the locals have had to establish anchoring zones (which we were in violation of our fist day, but we shortly re-anchored without issue). Now, to checking in. First, a visit to customs, which is actually easy, take the bus in to town and look for the large white customs building along the water way. Other than the computers being on strike the process was painless. Then there is immigration. The directions are simple, cross the bridge and follow the walkway until you spot the large yellow building, (make note the week we arrived they were painting the immigration building, it was no longer yellow). Anyway, I (Ed) go in search of the yellow fable, I spot one up the hill and per the map (hah!) it is under the bridge so let's get 'er done. Up the strange road, under the bridge and what do we find, several rabid dogs out for blood, welcome! A brick or two does nothing to deter them, so back down the road with various missiles at the ready. Ah, the immigration office is on the warf, so here we go. Finally, presenting our boat papers along with passports, the officer asks, "Where's the Missus'?"; why she is still on board as is appropriate as we have yet to clear into the country and only the captain is allowed ashore. Dumb! Sorry, you must bring the entire crew to our office for inspection, NEXT!
Back to the boat, cocktail. We'll go in the morning. We do so, both Vicky and I and the wonderful immigration folks do not even look at her, but they stamp us into the country, onto the Port Authority for our anchoring permit (if you want an exercise in bureaucracy, visit the Port Authority office in Curaco), we finally had our permit, of course if we wish to move to another location we have to come back and get another anchor permit and pay another $10 (in discussing this with the Port Authority, authority, we are reminded of Abott and Costello's "Who's on First"). WOW! Suffice it to say upon our departure we simply settled for the customs stamp and forgot about immigration and Port Authority; yep we're pirates, AAARRRGGGGHHH!
Curacao as an island is lovely, for boaters it is a little difficult to get around as the anchorages are very far from town, fortunately the public transport system is excellent, so we avail ourselves and see the sights. Also, we take our daily dinghy ride with Chula and in this fashion we meet Annemieke and Timo.
Let us return for a moment to the Venezulean island Ave de Sotovento, where we encountered the wreck of the "Blue Marlin", washed ashore during a wind reversal and sunk. While we were there the ocean and rocks were finishing what the scavengers had left behind. We managed to salvage what turned out to be a farewell gift given to the crew of "Blue Marlin" upon their departure from Holland. We learned that the "Blue Marlin" was not only owned by Annemieke and Timo but that Timo had also built her, making her loss doubly hard, our deepest sympathies go to them. Upon our arrival in Curacao we went in search of them armed with the knowledge that they lived on a "house" boat somewhere in the middle of Spanish Waters. Luck was with us and as we headed towards the shallow reef in our dinghy, Annemieke came out on the porch to direct us to safer waters. When we inquired as to the owners of "Blue Marlin" she confirmed that was they and we had a dinner invitation, ah hospitality.
Our dinner with Annemieke and Timo is a wonderful evening of good food, good wine and good music (some of which was supplied by Timo on guitar) and as so often happens we discover that our paths have crossed before in the form of mutual friends, Christopher and Geraldine of "Scorch of Essex" as well as Rob and Lauren of "Arita".
Well, once again it's time to travel, for us that means looking for a weather window to head to Colombia. We stage ourselves off the northwest coast of Curacao to give us a good heading to land at Aruba. Before we depart in the company of John and Darnell aboard "Celtic Dream", we take one more snorkel trip to the caves. There are numerous caves along the coast and we swim into one, barely having to dive below the surface before entering into the inverted fishbowl of the cave. As luck would have it we are pulling up anchor within an hour of this trip, otherwise we would have taken the time to harvest the lobster which were hiding in the depths of the cave; yes, of course they were all five pounders, and yes there were easily a dozen of them. Oh well.
A short six hour day has us arriving at our Aruba anchorage just before sunset, we'll not be checking in here (Aaaarrrrggghhhh Pirate!) as the procedure is tiresome and we are required to tie up at the commercial docks (concrete, not good for fiberglass) and we're only catching a nights sleep before departing. We're sure that Aruba has wonderful things to offer, however from our point of view along the western coast of the island there isn't much. The refinery, airport, cruiseship and commercial docks coupled with the islands landfill site, too sleep we go.
Oops, we depart Aruba on a Friday! The weather forecast for our 140nm trip from Aruba to Colombia is NE/SE winds at 15k with 5 foot seas. The winds will continue to decrease in strength through the weekend as will the seas, as we get closer to the Colombian coast wave height will decrease to 2 to 3 feet. All we can say to this forecast is, LIES, all LIES.
Departing Aruba at 0630 on Friday November 4, 2011, we make our way into the Caribbean Sea and set our course for Colombia. We are lulled into a false sense of security as the winds are gentle and the swell of the ocean is off our starboard quarter we are making 6k of boat speed under sail. Although the sky's are grey we are comfortable, we even hook a Mahi at 0800 although we will not land it as the fish spits the hook after a brief battle. Other than a brief rain shower at sunset we have a nice sail/motorsail into Ensenada Huaitcheru. For those following us on the seas this is a good stopover to break up the 260nm trip to Santa Marta, Colombia or the even further 400nm trip from Aruba to Cartagena, Colombia. We arrive in Colombia at 0700 on 11/5/11, dropping our anchor 10 feet of water off of a fishing village, time for some sleep. Other than a reunion with Alex of "Pacifica" we intend to get some rest as we depart for Santa Marta in the morning. But first a little barter with the locales, we give fishing line, well it wasn't really barter, more like a payoff, here's some fishing line make sure no one bothers us.
Sunday, November 6, 0800 we're off for Santa Marta, the forecast remains optimistic (liars). We sail/motorsail for most of the day, until at 1430 we hook Moby Dick's cousin. After an hours fight and much boat maneuvering we land a 40ish pound Wahoo (we're still eating the last of this fish a month later, thanks to our Engle freezer (shameless product plug)). The nice thing about cleaning a fish while under way is that the "cleaning" brings the dolphins to visit.
We continue under sail until sunset, when the first squall, I mean SQUALL comes through with rain, thunder, lightening and winds gusting to 57k. Oh, visibility is reduced to zero. Lot's of fun this sailing. We're still in the company of "Celtic Dream" who at the onset of the squall is ahead of us, they radio to inform us that they are turning around in order to drop their sails, this means they are heading back towards us and we can't see them. This is fun. Things calm down a bit and we spot "Celtic Dream", this is at 1830 hours. Lest we get too comfy another storm cell whacks us at 1930 hours, then again at 2015 hours once more at 2155 hours (we keep a logbook with all the interesting tidbits in it), oh then again at 2300 hours. Fortunately, all the lightening makes it easy to see the other boats around us as well as the large seas coming from every direction, gosh this is fun. Let's just say that the squalls continue until sunrise, as we make our way into Santa Marta, Colombia and the wonderful comforts of the marina there, by 0700 Monday November 7 we are secured to the dock and ready to crawl into bed. It's hot showers, cold beer and YES airconditioning! We've made it to Colombia with hardly a scratch, more to come. Hey, we're almost up to date!
Disclaimer, as we are posting these updates from the wonderfully remote San Blas Islands in Panama, those of you who long for pictures will have to settle for our words until we reach the next internet connection, until then use your imagination, that's what we do.

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Bonaire

Ah, we have finally started making headway westward. We are so happy that we didn’t bypass the Venezuelan islands. They were beautiful and no hassles what-so-ever!


We are equally excited about reaching Bonaire where time after time we have heard people describing the incredible diving and snorkeling. This is why we told our friends to meet us there because their son, Jake, wants do scuba dive…for the first time. He is 15…turned 16 while in Bonaire…and a bit hesitant. The minute we arrived we knew it wouldn’t be a problem.

After dodging another regatta race (why do we seem to enter islands in the midst of regattas?) we hailed our friends on Celtic Dream that were already in Bonaire. After instructions to not take the mooring balls (required as the entire island is a park) close to shore in case the wind backs, we are nestled in for the next few weeks. The mooring field is right on the edge of the drop off from shallow water to very deep putting our boat on the edge of the beautiful color shift that accompanies the change in depth. So, the first thing we do is pull out the snorkel gear and plunge in. Spectacular! Jake (and Gretchen and Harvey) are going to LOVE this place! We arrived a week ahead of their arrival so it is time to prepare for company, check out the cool things to do and snorkel, snorkel, snorkel!

We took a mooring ball just in front of Dive Friends Bonaire in case Jake decides to get certified. While convenient, we decided to take the bikes out and go up the coast to check out the other dive operators and of course Captain Don’s was a must see as he is the pioneer of diving in Bonaire. In his 80s you can still meet the captain when he comes to the resort on Monday evenings. The resort is beautiful and we decide this would be a nice place for Gretchen to hang out while the rest of us went scuba diving. They also offered us a ‘yachie’ discount which was $43.00 for all the gear and a half day of rental. Not bad! While there Ed captured one of my favorite pictures of an Iguana. They hang out and beg for table scraps at the restaurant!

The next day we hopped on our bikes and went to the grocery store with the dog carrier in tow. The food is lovely here with amazing pastries, pates and cheeses. We love the Dutch food!

While the bikes were out we went out to investigate the 3 hotels the Olson’s sent us. They plan on taking a hotel room for the last few days of their vacation to have some family time. We decided that Divi Resort was the quaintest of the three; old but lots of charm.

Well, it is time for our guests to arrive! We sat watch in the cockpit because they are taking a taxi from the airport that will drop them at Dive Friends Bonaire where they will get the dinghy shuttle to the boat! They arrived and the first order of business was to go snorkeling. You simply jump of the back of your boat and the scenery is spectacular. That, of course, was followed by happy hour and then dinner.

Jake should be happy because we put the blow up mattress on the settee berth (table made into a bed). He is now 6’3” tall (yes, a basketball player) and every inch in a berth helps!

The next day we hopped in the dinghy to go over to Klein Bonaire for some snorkeling. The first stop was amazing. There were turtles, tons of fish and right along the drop off edge was unbelievable coral! We stopped on the north end of Klein Bonaire for another nice snorkel. Next stop, Captain Don’s where we will sign up for diving the next day. We decided to have some rum punch and a late lunch while we were there. Yummy.



Jake taking the plunge!

 Monday…today we go scuba diving. Ed dove in Grenada but Vicky hasn’t gone since the Bahamas…she can’t wait. While Jake took his lesson, Harvey, Ed and Vicky went up the coast and back down for the first 45 minutes. We came back and did another 45 minutes to the south. Jake was just getting back from his lesson with a HUGE grin on his face. He loved it and the instructor said he was a natural. He now wants to get certified when they return to Minnesota. Not a bad introduction to diving in one of the premiere diving spots!



Kite Boarding on Luc Bay



Tuesday we decided to go to Luc Bay where Harvey and Jake will take kite boarding lessons. Gretchen and Vicky sat on shore under a thatch umbrella, sipping our beverages, watching the boys try to kite board in very little wind! The world champion kite boarder (nope, can’t remember his name) live and practices in Bonaire so we were treated to one heck of a show.



Swinging on Boto



Wednesday the gang went into town to do the typical tourist exploring and shopping. It was a lazy day with, of course, more snorkeling. The hammock was even brought out from the lazarette. The Olson’s packed everything into the dinghy and off to the Divi Resort for the rest of their stay.

Thursday, Happy Birthday Jake! Jake turns 16 and we have rented scooters for the day to tour the island. We are off early as we want to see it all! The first stop is snorkeling at 1,000 Steps. Every location is unique and this spot was as beautiful as the rest!

Next we head north toward Go Meer Lake (a large pond actually) and then lunch in Rincon at the Rose Inn…awesome!



The Olson Gang on their Hogs!

After a reviving lunch we went to the museum at the entrance to the park and then along the north coast which is volcanic and rough. There were wild donkeys everywhere along this stretch.



Hundreds of pink flamingos!



Birthday Smoothie!



The next stop was the lookout overlooking the island to the south, east and west. Then, on to Luc Bay for the world’s best smoothies. Just to the west of Luc Bay is a protected area where flamingos congregate…hundreds of them. Stunning! The Olson’s continued on south to the salt flats as we had to have our scooter back that day.



Friday was going to be our sailing day. We were going to eat some

 Wahoo, compliments of Alex on our return. That is…until the

 weather turned…west, southwest. This is not a good wind direction for this anchorage at all. It was only a bit bumpy when we started seeing the ‘local’ boats start dropping their mooring balls and heading into the marina. It doesn’t take us long to decide that they probably know best so in no time we called off the sailing trip and were secure in the marina.



It only takes a second....



It wasn’t until we went to the Divi Resort that evening that we realized how happy we were to be in the marina. There were 6 boats, on mooring balls, that were rocking and rolling…forwards, backwards, side-to-side! The waves were coming in over the main road along the beach and the officials had shut down traffic. When we got to the Divi Resort the Olson’s showed us photos of another boat, by the resort, that had broken free from the mooring ball and was on shore. By the next day it was broken in half. Yep, sometimes marinas are nice to have around!

The next day the Olson’s are back to Minnesota and we will start looking for weather to head to Curacao. Come back soon so I can beat you again at Farkel!