Hello readers! The adventures of your favorite blogger continues from Panama. In our last episode, we had arrived in the village of Portobelo, on the northern coast, where we toured the ruins of the fort on the north side of the bay. (There are lots of very old Spanish forts in these parts.)
When we first got to Portobelo, we were one of only about five boats, most of them derelicts. But as the day progressed, more and more arrived. One boat m was Nerissa, crewed by Victor & Irena, friends of Ramon from Russia, of all places. (More on Nerissa below.)
Later that day, we hopped in the dinghy, went to the far inland side of the bay, found a river, and rode upriver as far as we could. We went for several miles, watching as the river narrowed, and the mangrove swamps gradually gave way to various other vegetation. Tropical birds abounded, many with their loud cries. Our trip ended when we came to a spot where fallen trees blocked our path.
Friday evening, we were treated to a glorious Portobelo sunset.
Earlier that day, a guy came around in a dugout canoe selling freshly-caught lobsters. We feasted like kings that night (after I Googled up how to cook a lobster).
Saturday morning, I was awakened much too early by the loud, haunting calls of howler monkeys in the nearby jungle. Anyway, later we met up with Victor and Irena and their FIVE children, ranging in age from 15 down to 4, aboard their magnificent boat Nerissa. We all got in our respective dinghies, headed ashore, and explored Ft. Santiago, yet ANOTHER ancient Spanish fort.
One thing all of these forts have in common is: lots and lots of canons.
Oh and, the view of the harbor from the hilltop above the fort was quite grand.
It was time to weigh anchor and make the 7-mile run to our next destination: Linton Bay. At the northern-most point of Panama, it featured a marina, a huge anchorage, and a nearby hot-spot called Isla Grande. Along the way, the skies were clear and the wind was fresh. But ... the wind was blowing the wrong direction: straight into our face. Crank up the diesel, once again. I hope to actually use the sails on this SAILBOAT at least once this trip!!
The anchorage and marina here at Linton was quite large, with over a hundred boats - including the usual assortment of abandoned derelicts. Water taxis and powerboats zoomed by all day long, kicking up an endless, bouncy wake. Here is a pic of Calmer Waters anchored therein.
We had some business with C&I (Customs & Immigration) to attend to, and the office was in another marina one bay west from here. To get there, the best way was to take your dinghy thru a narrow channel that had been cut right thru the mangrove swamp. It was like nothing I could ever imagine - enormous mangrove on both sides, with branches that covered the channel and made it feel like going thru a tunnel. And the twisting, gnarly mangrove roots spread out into the jungle as far as you could see. Kinda spooky.
At one wide spot, we stopped, tied to a tree, and JUMPED IN. The water was about 3 to 4 feet deep, with sandy bottom, and was crystal clear. And unlike a tropical beach, there was zero surf! What a relaxing place to take a dip.
We dined at an upper-deck restaurant in Linton. The pic at the head of this blog post is Ramon and me up there right at sunset.
Sunday. This constant rain is depressing. On one excursion, poor Coco, who goes with us everywhere, was soaked and shivering. Plus, the solar panels cannot get enough sun to give us the power we need. And we cannot open ceiling hatches to get some fresh air.
Later we checked out Isla Grande, a nearby hot hangout for the locals. It had a decent beach, and all sorts of powerboat-related fun attractions. Here is the infamous, inflatable, towable banana boat, one wild and wet ride, just like I saw in Bocas Toro on my last trip to Panama.
Ramon and I chowed down at (what could be described as) a hole-in-the-wall there at Isla Grande. It was called La Punta, which means "the point", as it was located on the southwestern-most point of the island. There, we watched the beachgoers and a continuous parade of crazy power-boaters, right in front of us.
Monday. Today we continue our eastward trek. The day starts out with the mother of all thunderstorms. We had to weigh anchor in a huge downpour. However, once out in the open Caribbean, the rain slacked and a decent breeze came from the southwest - a broad reach for us. So we FINALLY raised up a sail - the jib. But the wind was too slight for full propulsion, so the engine had to stay on.
The weather made our departure too late to shoot for San Blas, so we had to drop anchor at a mid-point called Hippie Beach. Believe me - there was nothing special there to crow about. And all the recent heavy rains made a nearby river dump all its muddy, debris-filled detritus into the ocean in that little cove. The water looked like chocolate.
Stay close to your computer - more sailing adventures in Panama soon to follow!
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