August 3, 2009     On to Aligandi

After spending four days at Atchutupu, we are ready to move on to our next island stop of Aligandi.  Lenny and Sue on s/v Windancer had transmission problems, so since misery loves company, we stayed and helped them when we could.  With the ice machine going, at the end of the day, Lenny and Sue were definitely ready for a stiff one with lots of ice.  Happy to oblige!  It took Lenny two days to completely, take the transmission apart. Luckily, he had the spare part onboard needed to fix the problem.  Yesterday, s/v Valentina with Sonny and Kay onboard and s/v Slip Away with Rich and Jan anchored close by.  They are headed to Cartagena eventually.  It's always good to see Sonny and Kay and to first meet Rich and Jan.  We invited everyone over to our boat for happy hour to catch up on the latest news.  Thank goodness we have a big enough cockpit to accommodate 10 people comfortably. Since crab has been in abundance lately, I made up my favorite crab bisque to share, and each boat brought an appetizer, no one left hungry!  

August 4th   It's Lenny's Birthday

Indeed a special day, since it is also President Barack Obama's birthday too. We up anchor and motorsail 16.2 miles to the well protected anchorage called Snug Harbor.  Again, this is a new route for us and as we approach Playon Chico, I walk up to the bow and look down just as we cruise over a coral head that looks like it's going to scrape our bottom.  Luckily, it was 10 feet down and not six! Still, it scared me good thinking that we could of hit it.  After anchoring, it's a deep anchorage, 30-40 feet, and after a quick lunch, we head over to our special island where the beachglass if prolific. The men do the trashburn, while the women collect glass.  Back on board, an official from Playon Chico paddles over to collect a $5 anchoring fee.  Sue and Lenny invite the gang over for dinner; a delicious meal of shepard's pie, greenbean casserole and coleslaw.  Followed by a German chocolate birthday cake.  A very fine evening.  Just a side note:  Lenny likes pickles in his beef stroganoff.  Don't knock it until you have tried it.  It's a German thing, he says.

August 5th  Back to Isla Tigre

After talking with Louis on s/v Simpatica this morning on the net, we need to hook up with them before they leave for Isla Grande so that we can retreive Aaron's medicine that Julie so graciously picked up for him while she was recently in Panama city.  We agree to rendevous at Nargana manana.  We weigh anchor at 1030am along with Windancer, while Better Days, decides to stay put.  We motorsail 17 miles during which a squall threatens to wreak havoc upon us.  Steve on s/v Better Days, radios us to let us know that they just got hit with 30 knots of wind out of the southeast.  We push the rpm's up and try to motor faster in hopes that we can anchor before the storm hits us.  The skies are dark and ominous looking and the wind kicks up to 15 knots.  Pressing onward, we manage to anchor behind the small island of Isla Tigre by 1pm.  The storm passes out to sea and we breathe a sigh of relief.

August 6th   Nargana Needs

Getting an early start, it's only an hours motor to Nargana, where after anchoring, Louis dinghies by and drops off Aaron's medicine and our new GPS puck.  Thank you, thank you Simpatica.  I plug in the GPS puck, click on the program Sea Clear, and voila, our position is noted right on the chart.  Thanks to Paul on s/v Lizzy Jean, we are puck ready!  I just wish we had this little gadget on our trip to Sapzurro and back!  Sea Clear is a free download off of the internet that includes all of Eric Bauhaus's charts, so that with a GPS you can receive your exact position. Much better than the Garmin charts we have on our GPS.   Better Days catches up with us and all us, buy diesel, gas, beer, bread and veggies.  We meet the Sahlia (chief) of Nargana, who decides to forego the anchoring fee since we are buying alot of supplies.  Nice guy.   At 330pm,  the IP Yacht Club, that is what we call our fleet these days, since we met at Isla Pinos, and motor out to Green Island, just 4 miles north, to get away from the no seeums that Nargana is noted for at nighttime.  We are now back to the central San Blas, and back at the anchorage we first experienced back in March, when we crossed over from Cartagena.  We have the whole gang over for a small celebration to our success.  Yes, it's pinas coladas for everyone! 

August 7th   We're Back

This morning we encounter a thunderstorm packing 40 knots of wind and little rain.  Gratefully, everyone stays put and we forego any social activity.  The cinema onboard BMA is showing movies throughout the day with fresh popped popcorn.  A little R and R.

August 16th   Live from Panama

Being part of the cruising community, I volunteer to be a net controller on Sundays for the Panama Connection net, which meets daily on the SSB frequency of 8107 at 830 am.  To begin the net, the protocol is to ask if there are any emergencies, medical or priority traffic and most of the time there aren't any, which is always a good thing.  Next, are check ins for vessels underway, who then give their GPS positions, their destination and ETA. Following, is the weather, given by a fellow cruiser who volunteers his time to gather the information and relay it to the rest of us. Next, are general check ins.  When checking in to the net, you introduce yourselves, your boat name and location.  If you have a QST, (which is the abbreviation for question), or any traffic, which means you would like to speak with another boat, keeping the conversation short, of course.  Longer discussions are conducted after the net is over or having the parties wanting traffic to change to another frequency. Therefore,  the net is a way for all the boaters in the area to communicate, ask questions, give and receive information  and to help each other in anyway possible.

Speaking of communication,  the hailing channel in the San Blas islands on the VHF is channel 72.  This is our main form of communication between friends, sort of like the old "party lines and just like those party lines, everyone listens in to any conversation, being human means being curious.  Cell phones are also available here.  The best company is Digicell, which just started business here in March, and have several towers now scattered throughout the area, so that coverage is good in the central San Blas.  Digicell phones can be purchased in Porvenir, and the prepaid minute cards are available on most islands.  The older and established, Cable and Wireless, a company that offers internet connection, only if you have the appropriate phone, but coverage area is limited.  Most of the time, cruisers are complaining about "cable and useless".   Calling the USA is not a problem, when you have a good signal, and the cost is very reasonable.

The other form of communication for us is by email.  Before we left Florida, I studied and received my HAM license so that we could use the winlink software, a free service for those who are  HAM's.  Otherwise,  for $250 a year, you can use sailmail, which also allows you to conduct business, which winlink does not.  So far, I am satisfied with winlink and have been able to send and receive emails on a daily basis.  Well, there are some days, that the propagation is not good for using the radio.  Weather is also available thru winlink/sailmail, weather reports on areas all around the world and weather faxes.  It is not like an internet connection, though, it is thru radio frequencies, and the process is slow, but it is a very useful tool to have.  Some cruisers have satellite phones, which provides instant access from anywhere in the world, but at a cost.

August 17th  Checking Back Into Panama

We are headed to Porvenir to check back into the country since we had to check out after being here for three months and leave the country, hence our trip to Sapzurro, Colombia and back.  As we enter the channel into the anchorage, we see a sailboat up on the reefs, and it is a sad sight to see.  It is hard aground and the waves are crashing against the hull.  Two days ago, the owners were making their way at night into the anchorage and managed to hit the reef.  A call went out over the radio for help to pull them off and several boats tried, even a Colombian trading boat with a big engine, but unfortunately, the boat was too far upon the reef.  Now, it is just a salvage issue.  And we see local Kunas making their way onto the boat and taking items off and carrying them back to their own boat.  We don't know where the owners went, but it is a sad way to end cruising.

After setting anchor and seeing Ricardo, the immigration officer, who stamped our passports so that we are once again legal, we pay the fee of $20 and haul anchor back to the island of Chichime.  Porvenir does not have the best anchorage, so we always get our business done as fast as possible and leave.

August 20th   Here we Come Big City

Our passports expire September 13th, and after making a few telephone calls, we now need to make the trip to Panama City and visit the American Embassy.  We set anchor in the West Lemmons and Lenny and Sue on s/v Windancer volunteer to look after our boat while we are gone.  It's just for one night, as we plan on leaving early in the morning and return the next evening.  We set up for having a launcha (big canoe) pick us up thru Alberto, a local Kuna, who runs a launcha service to and from Carti, (about eight miles away), where a functioning airport is located and where jeeps pick up passengers for the ride over the mountains to Panama City.  At 5am, we ready  ourselves, run the generator, and wait for our canoe taxi which is scheduled to pick us up at our boat at 6am.  No canoe by 630am, so I call Alberto, who then calls someone on the island, which within 15 minutes, we are picked up and thru drizzling rain we make the 45 minute canoe ride to Carti.  We wait for our jeep driver who arrives at 8am, with passengers from Panama City, who disembark and by 830am, we are on our way. We are the only passengers on this trip, which costs $25 per person each way.  The road is a dirt road with some gravel in spots, and construction is underway for a bridge across the river, but we are able to cross the river in the jeep, it's shallow and calm. We meander thru the mountains, up and down, twisting turns, and after an hour and fifteen minutes, we reach  the little town of Chepo, where the road is now paved, and we stop for a stretch.  The jeep will not start when we are ready to continue, and so now we are having to push the jeep, and with me behind the wheel to pop the clutch, and other men helping to push, within 45 minutes of this exercise, since the terrain is flat,  we are able to get underway.  We finally reach our hotel at 1100am, check in, drop off our backpack, and I set off first for the bank to withdraw some cash then to the closest grocery store which is about a 15 minute walk.  Aaron stays in the room to rest while I shop.  I find Machetazul, a five story department store, do a quick scouting search of what they carry, buy a few items and head back to the hotel.  With our list of things to do, we hail a taxi and set out for Mega Depot, a Sam's like warehouse store.  It is the same scenario as in the states, that within 20 minutes, the cart is full, and you haven't even made it past the liquor!  We spend an hour shopping buying necessary items, nothing that needs refrigeration, of course and check out.  Everything is placed in boxes and taped shut and luckily all of it fits into the cab for the ride back to the hotel.  This is how our day progresses, back and forth, and at 7 pm, we call it a day.  Our hotel room is now stacked full of boxes!  Tony, a good friend on s/v Andiamo, is staying here as well, so we dine together.  We crash early since it has been a very long day.

August 22nd   The American Embassy Experience

Up and around early, with a full day ahead, we arrive at the Embassy (embajada), and have our passport photos taken in the parking lot just outside the gate.  A white van is parked with a canopy attached off of the back and a couple of chairs with a white sheet hanging  behind the chairs. For $10 each, we receive four passport photos within 15 minutes.  What a great service.  We walk up to the gate, greet the guard, ask directions, and slowly make our way up the hill, (much to Aaron's dismay: he hates hills).  We arrive at Building #583, where upon entering you are searched by security and bags are scanned.  Oh, and they take your cell phone and keep it safe upon your departure.  After being scrutinized, we enter another building where you are asked, in English, what you need, and then given a number to wait and be called upon.   CNN (en Espanol) is on the TV, and more people file in and take a seat in the large room with about 20 windows overlooking the waiting area.  After 45 minutes, our number is called and directed to Window #14, where a young man gives us a form to fill out, then told to take a seat again and wait for our name to be called at the window in the corner.  We diligently fill out the required form, but addresses give us a pause, since we can't remember what anyone's address is stateside.  In 10 minutes, our names are called, and a young lady with a smile takes our credit card and a receipt is signed for $150.00.  She tells us that we will be emailed when our passports are ready for pickup in about 10 business days.  She returns our current ones to us and we check out of the building, remembering to retrieve our phone. Taking note of the time, 930am, I am impressed that it only took us an hour and a half to deal with the government!  We hail another taxi, and make a few more stops before heading back to the hotel.  Our return jeep ride is scheduled to pick us up at 1pm, so we make the best of our time.  Our last stop we make is to Riba Smith's, an Americanized grocery store, and buy refrigerated items and lots of meat.   At 130pm,  it begins to rain heavily as we tote all of our boxes down to the main lobby, all 14 boxes and 2 insulated bags.

  Promptly, at 2pm, (it is still raining), Carlos, our jeep driver, arrives, backs as close as possible to the main entrance and we fill up the back of the jeep with our stuff.  He makes another stop at a hotel and picks up Jose, who grew up in the San Blas, and now lives in the city, but is returning to bring his mother her medication. He's a nice boy.  At 2pm, we are again underway, and since we haven't eaten anything since breakfast, we ask Carlos, to stop at the KFC and we will buy lunch for everyone.  The rain has stopped, and Carlos parks the jeep, hops out and says he has to buy a phone, and will return shortly.  Meanwhile, we order the chicken dinner for 8 people, (we are really hungry and KFC fast food is a real treat!) Carlos is missing for over an hour, and finally returns.  (sorry, we didn't wait to eat our lunch).  He tries to start his jeep, but it will not turn over.  He left the headlights on and the jeep locked.   So, we have to push the jeep and this time it is much harder, lots of traffic in the strip mall and no one offers to help push.  Finally, another taxi driver sees our predicament, and the traffic jam we are causing, and rescues us by giving Carlos a jumpstart.

  We are on the road again at 330pm.  We are running late and wonder how we are going to manage to get all of our stuff to Blow Me Away in the dark.  But, there is one thing we have learned thru traveling; and that is, that you just have to go with the flow and not to stress out. It doesn't do a bit of good and puts one in a grumpy mood, so why go there?   We arrive at the river crossing at 5pm, where since the airport, which is another 30 minutes away is closed by this time, Carlos has called a friend who meets us with his big canoe at the river. We pay Carlos, $50 plus $40 more for the cargo.  We load all of our boxes into the canoe and set off down river.  The sun is beginning to set and the river is flowing at a good pace as we make our way around the floating trees and debris.  In a half hour, we are transported to the little island just north of Carti, and told we need to transfer our stuff into yet another canoe for the trip to the West Lemmons where we are anchored.  We hand $10 to the canoe driver and tip the helpers.  We thank Jose for his help and bid him farewell, and at 7pm, in the dark, we make the 45 minute trip home.  Lenny and Sue have Blow Me Away's cockpit lit up for us and once alongside, we haul our stuff onboard, pay this canoe driver and his friend, ($15 per person each way) and breathe a heavy sigh of relief that we made it back safely.  Sue delivers a pot of soup for us so we don't have to worry about dinner, how very thoughtful,  and we put all the refrigeration stuff away before we go to lay down and within minutes are fast asleep. 

 We were away a total of 38 hours, but it seems a lot longer, like three days, and our pocketbook is a lot lighter!  I think we paid a total of $250 in transportation costs, that's for all the taxis and tips. And as for the total bill, I don't want to think about it.