SAN BLAS WITH FELICIA

Isla Waisalidup in West Holandes Cays, San Blas, on a super clear day to see the distant mainland

ile Sid was on the delivery I tried to get the boat ready for his return and especially for our visitors Felicia (we are her god parents) and her boyfriend Joel. The first part you know, the stressful day in and on Paradise not knowing whether I still had a husband or not. Still very grateful that I am not a widow yet. After that stress, next thing to happen, a tooth filling cracked, so had to go see my dentist and I just can’t see her without getting together afterwards and a girls out was planned. Debi met after my appointment in Colon and together we took the bus to Panama City. On our way we were picked up by Ida in Colon and the three of us had a fun evening and night at Ida’s. So two more days gone to get readyJ. 

While we still were in the San Blas Debi told me she had a doctor’s appointment on Friday the 14^th after we returned to Linton, I had to see Dr. Judith as well I made an appointment same day the 14^th.  Then Melania called and said that she had a proposition for me that if I drive her and hubby to the airport on the 14^th and pick them up on the 30^th  the car was mine until then. Our appointment was at 2 and 3 in afternoon and Debi and I were wondering already how we get home without missing the last bus to Linton. 

On Wednesday Debi called me saying: Ooops Friday the 14^th is on Thursday. OK two more days gone, went into town on Thursday and on Friday we dropped Melania and Jim off at the airport, went shopping and I got all my provisioning done except for the fresh produce, that was a huge relief.  We were leaving for San Blas I returned her car the following day and her nephew picked them up on the 30^th.

View from our slip in Linton Bay Marina. A beautiful morning.

Now I had just a few days left to get the boat in shape for Sid and Felicia’s return. Gently I tried to tell Felicia on the phone that we were not able to pick her up from San Blas but are still in Puerto Lindo and that Sid will arrive the same day. Then has to repair the engine which will take two days, therefore they would lose some San Blas time. The responds was “super” she told me that she was hoping to show her boyfriend where she was on vacation3 years ago. Sigh, and huge boulder tumbled off my shoulder. Sid arrived only 20 minutes after Felicia, just perfect but it was a late night drive home to Puerto Lindo. The two days Sid needed to get the alternator exchanged.

Welcome Champagner at 1 am

They couldn't believe they were here, neither could we

I kept the rental car and took the two to the new expansion of the canal, which by the way is officially opening on the 26^th of June. I haven’t seen the new canal yet filled with water and wow the before so  the huge looking ditch looked like nothing now filled with water. But still it’s impressive and all the buildings around are finished. Hope we get to be there for the opening ceremony. First we took the ferry across to the old canal and Joel was just amazed how big the ships were passing so close to him (Felicia as well but she’d seen it already). We did some souvenir shopping then went home. 

Took the ferry across then across the bridge of old canal to the visitor's center

Temporary road across the bridge, once canal is open for trafic they will close the road

Second day they went snorkeling while I returned the car. Friday I took them around with the dinghy as Sid was working on other odds and ends. We were barley in the bay when we saw a couple dolphins, Joel was beside himself and could not believe how lucky they were. After that we went to Mamey Island, Felicia was excited as it brought many memories back. We did some snorkeling and on our way home I took them through the mangroves to Panamarina. Joel said he had never seen anything so pretty. Both had a great time. You cannot keep these two out of the water. 

Joel attracted animals, while they sat on the dock one night a octopus crawled up the side of the dock

Baby spotted eagle ray came by to say hello to Felicia and Joel

and a File Fish

For dinner we went to Sarah’s for pizza, Deb and Reg joined us and all had a good time. Joel and Sid had fun shooting crab. After pizza a white tailless gecko was on the table and headed towards me, jumped on me and up to my head and nestled into my hair. I would touch him a couple of times so he would come out, but no he stayed so now we have a live in white gecko on Paradise (still now and then he jumps on me). He lives around the wheel in the cockpit. Wonder what chased him to lose his tail and making my hair his home. In any case he has a good home and doubled in size and tail is almost grown out again (we were not sure what we should call him Bino for being white or Hairy, we took the Hairy. We all got a good chuckle out of it as this poor little critter also got his first car ride back to the marina. Day 4 we left for the San Blas. Weather was perfect, well no wind so had to motor the hole way but perfect for the two none sailors not to get sick. They did get queasy ,so for the entire trip they slept. Even though the sea was down it was a lumpy ride. 

After arrival at the East Lemons, it didn’t take them long to jump into the water. The kids were in awe’s and ooh’s and thoroughly enjoyed walking one island buying wini’s and looking at the beautiful molas. The ladies on this island bake bread so we bought a few so they could try them. Joel the smoker brought what he said his last 3 cigarettes of that pack to shore and smoked them all at once and said he now is quitting. I smirked and thought wonder how long. He did pretty good and didn’t smoke one other cigarette that day, but he couldn’t get fast enough into the dinghy the following morning to puff one. 

Our Winis

The last cigarette

Rare to see the mainland's mountain

When Felicia asked if she could come with her boyfriend we found out he is a smoker and very picky with eating, doesn’t eat fish or any other seafood, meats can’t have any bones, mainly eats pasta. The smoking part we told her that he can’t smoke on the boat but has to get in the dinghy and smoke the cigarette in there. If he can handle that I told her he is very welcome to come with her but the second deal is he has to try a bite of everything I cook (she said he would bring his own pasta for his meals). He agreed. Man let me tell you for not eating seafood, fish, meat with bones etc. he did pretty darn well. He ate so fast it seemed he has never had a good meal in his life. He ate pork ribs bone in, roasted chicken bone in. He inhaled the crab dip, crab cakes were gone in split seconds. Meat for him has to be cremated, he ate it medium still bloody and loooooved it and said he never ever will order it cremated again. Pasta, he ate pasta one time when I made Spaghetti Carbonara. He loved the food and said he has never eaten healthier than on our boat. Well good. His mother was in WhatsApp contact and could not believe that he was eating all this stuff, she even wrote Felicia and asked if it was true that he ate all those yucky sea things LOL. 

Even Sushi

Cracked conch and Röschti

Conch

]

Lobster baked with Bechamel sauce

Chateau Briand and Crab Cakes

We had such a wonderful time with them. Every evening they were entertained watching spotted eagle rays swim up to the underwater light, nurse sharks, turtles, barracudas, even box jelly and at the West end of Holandes big Tarpon. We saw a bloom of thimble jellies, wow they are nasty, even left a few nasty welts on us. Luckily the East Lemons in no wind don’t have any no-see-ums but all the places we were going to take them, they do big time. So change of plans. We did not take them to the river in Nargana nor the southern islands as we heard on the SSB net that the bugs were terrible. Instead we stayed a couple extra days here and did some incredible snorkeling. As I said you can barely get these kids out of the water. We also hung the hammocks out and I think they only slept 3 nights in the V-Berth the rest they spent slept on deck in the hammocks and occasionally got chased inside due to rain. 

This was definitely Felicia´s Roost

While the boys went for a trash burn, the girls had fun

We also thought them each to drive the dinghy, boy did they have fun a
and were independent from us.

Sheriff Sid

Our next island group our favorite the Swimming Pool in the East Holandes. Still no wind and the humidity was so benign we could see the coast so clear you could count the trees on the jungle hills. No wind, no current the water was as clear as air and the underwater world just full of surprised. Joel in particular loved this environment. Unfortunately with no wind came no-see-ums. Sid and Joel had maybe max 3 bites each, I had maybe 40 but poor Felicia we counted 61 just on her legs and a total of 101 bites, she was itching. 

But it did not dampen her spirit, she has just as much fun as Joel did. One or the highlights was a potluck on BBQ island, which was quite international with boats from Sweden, Germany, Austria, Chile, France, Trinidad and USA with Swiss guest, us. It was fun and Joel had a little hangover the next day but I think his first cigarette helped to cure it. 

Nurse Shark

A few days of incredible snorkeling we left for the West End of the Holandes group the Waisalidup is by far the most beautiful island with sandy beach all around the island. Sid hasn’t seen the islands yet and we all enjoyed walking around in the white sand. He even mentioned that this is by far the prettiest island. This is where Gino saw the crocodile. 

The nasty old couple from then was back on the island. But since then they are making money with an occasional cruise ship coming in weekly. The old man introduced himself as Juan Carlos then this hissing little thing came towards us, I recognized her right away and had her husband Juan Carlos translate into Kuna how wonderful it was to see her again that we had met last year. She looked pretty puzzled at me, then let her frustration out on the dogs she tried to shoo away. I told her no worries I love dogs. Another puzzled look then she was super friendly flashed us with a smile and even her tits. Just what we wanted to see and were looooong ones too couldn’t see face anymore but she sure had tiny pretty feetJ. We had a pipa which is a green coconut filled with refreshing coconut water and did asked if the crocodile was still here. No they said it moved to the next island. 

This is were Gino's crocodile was 

A panga approached with 6 fishermen selling fish. Thought why not a fish dinner for the two. As the Kunas came along our boat they showed us a perfect size fish, but at the same time I noticed a huge turtle on its back (at least 4 to 5 feet). Oh I could not refrain myself for telling them to let the turtle go asap that it was illegal to capture turtles and that I will NOT buy anything from them. I grabbed my phone to take a photo, they took off like a rocket and hid their heads as low so could not recognize them. Aha, they do know it’s illegal, they never looked back and sped towards land. This was very disturbing to us all. I informed all other cruisers in the vicinity via VHF radio. Doubt they went to any other boats instead straight to their island to sell or kill the poor turtle.

Since Felicia got bit several times more we decided to pull anchor and head back to East Lemons where we started their journey. Last day was spent with a beer on Banadup Island, a Kuna weekend camping island. Lots of swimming in the water and packing. For some reason after all the pasta, food and present deliveries they had less room in their luggage.

A veggie boat came by and Felicia was surprised that I paid $1 for 3 Pineapple, $1 for one water melon, $1 for mangoes and $1 for 8 limes 

Paradise is anchored in background

Early the next morning Blas the water taxi picked us up and the kids enjoyed the 25 minute run to Carti. There we met Tito’s Taxi and the kids had an exciting ride through jungle, over mountains into Panama City.

We stayed at a private house/BNB in the cangrejo area. “Entre Dos Agua” had beautiful room, a huge kitchen, patio, terrace, hammocks, private parking to offer. My favorite was the huge refrigerator I loaded it with meats to freeze.

Their room was cute with a TV section. I got the new room which looked like I was in a doctor’s office, but it was nice and clean. Although I would never take this room again especially not for $45 as the one window looks into the kitchen and the bathroom window into the laundry room and the windows above the door to the patio so it was like daylight all night long.
  

Doctor's chair and kitchen window

We had a wonderful last dinner in town and said our goodbyes before we went to bed as they had to leave at 3 am in the morning. Joel (tanned) and Felicia (still as white as a ghost) left Panama happy with an adventure they will not so soon forget. They were already talking about returning next year. We truly hope so.

Whenever Sid and Joel watched fish, Felicia and I had lots of quality and bonding time, I miss her. What a treat it was to have her here.

I spent an extra day in Panama to do some provisioning and came back to the boat with boxes and boxes full of bounty. We relaxed a few days, cleaned up the V-Berth and moved all the stuff back in that usually is stored there, in other words I had a full bed again and didn’t have to sleep with all our things LOL.

One cloudy morning Maria on Joanna announced on the radio that she just got hit with 45 knots of wind. We looked towards the area she was. Indeed a huge black band of clouds was headed for us. We started to roll up the sunshade and get ready in case it would hit here when 5 minutes later a boat in the Holandes announced getting hit with 45 knots of wind. We scrambled on deck and tide everything down that could be blown off the boat. The cloud was moving in fast. We just got done with battening everything down when the first gusts hit. We heard of Chocosanas before, but this is too early in the season for them. Usually they come out of the SE, this one was out of the E. For 1 1/2 hrs. we got pounded with heavy rain and winds anywhere from 30 to 45 knots. Anchor was holding good. One French boat decided to leave the anchorage and was just in the main channel when the storm hit. Man did they bounce up and down, they were tossed around like a little toy, and at times we saw their keel. In the hour and half they managed to move about a football field and we know the down below was upside down. 

Earlier that morning the guy that ran the daily net said there was a Gale in Cartagena, funny I did not see that on the weather fax. I told Sid I bet you it's a system like a tropical wave that was heading west. I texted our friends in Puerto Lindo to get ready for an eventual blow and also Captain Jack in Portobelo. He texted back later thanking me, he moved his boat just on time before the blow. 3 Trees were down in just the Portobelo area plus a water spout made it ashore in Colon. 

Sandy took this picture she was stuck in traffic

Lots of damage everywhere from San Blas to Colon a stretch of 100 miles.

After a few days of relaxing we decided it was best to head to Nargana first to do some laundry as it was piling up. We ran into Wayne and Sheila on Way She Goes they followed us up the river and enjoyed doing laundry with us. This time we did not see a crocodile. 

It was pretty buggy in Nargana with no wind we spent only one night and headed for Green Island. It was my Birthday and I really did not want to celebrate it getting eaten up. I texted Maria on Joanna that we were coming, I was going to invite her for dinner, but instead she texted back that she had caught a huge snapper and organizing a BBQ on Waisalidup (many islands are named the same but are in different island groups, this one was our Xmas Island in 2000, last New Year’s island and now my BD island) and that 2 other boats were joining her. How perfect an in prompt to BD party. There was 9 of us and we had a fabulous time and dinner was wonderful. 

Maria of SV Joanna. Thank you for the Party!

The following day with Way She Goes, we walked around Green island which I used to do every morning in 2000. There is a crocodile in these waters said to be 3 meters but we never saw it. Maria named it Kevin after her ex-boyfriend. The water hole was still there and the island was well maintained by several kunas just leaving as we arrived on the island. The sand spit on the E side was still there but was not SE. Perfect for a 5 pm cocktail cool off.

We spent only 2 nights here as we had a little over a week left before we had to head back to Linton. We had never been to the Coco’s island so that was our next spot until right after the anchor was up the whole electrical system collapsed. We quickly re-anchored and Sid assessed the situation. The battery selector switch blew up. Luckily we had a spare but decided to head out again and change it in the next anchorage. Since we never had been in Coco’s we decided to head straight for the Holandes in case we had a problem there we know how to sail out of it without engine. Sid changed the selector and in the mean time we bought a new one just in case.

The Holandes is by far our favorite anchorage, best view, clearest water and we can anchor in just 8 feet of water. Ever since the kids left the weather had finally changed to rainy season. While in Holandes Swimming Pool we had an intense lightning storm which one boat Mouza from Austria in East Lemons was hit. East Lemons seems to be a hot spot for that, last year several boats were hit there. So this year’s fatality is 2 boats so far, Mouza luckily only lost their VHF radio and refrigerator. 

We were a little worried about this cloud as the hole you see sucked up the cloud around it. But luckily it did not turn into the storm.

Sunset sky to the east

Sole for dinner

Different sunset

We departed the San Blas with a beautiful sail to Chichime and anchored to the E side of the island closer to the reef in 10 feet of water, a new spot for us and really nice. Wind came out of the South so we had a little bit of a chop but as the wind went down the water calmed. Around 8 pm I heard the same noise I had heard the previous night in the Swimming Pool a blow from a surfacing turtle or dolphin but since it was dark I could not see. I sat on deck and heard it over and over, then splash. Nah definitely not a turtle. I got up and started staring into the water. We had the lights under the solar panels on so it illuminated some of the water and I could not believe my eyes when a dolphin appeared and swam just a foot next to the boat, looked at me then sped off and another splash. After each splash he would come by where I was again. This dolphin was eating dinner right next to our boat. It was amazing. As soon as I made noises or talked it would come back. Wow we have never seen anything like this before. The dolphin was fairly small in size and all alone.

We left at 7 am and motored out of the San Blas towards Isla Grande. We had S winds of 10 knots and flat calm seas a very rare thing here. We motor sailed half way before the wind shifted and about 5 miles off Isla Grande the wind quit. Sid decided it was time to do some fishing hasn't done it in a long time and look at this:

Looks like he forgot how!

Forgot what?

I drink to that!

We anchored next to Runner in Puerto Lindo where they have been for the last few months but are getting ready for the San Blas. Seems like we miss each other all the time. 

The Domino Divas had another event planned this time they called it Denim and Diamonds. Again a huge fun party and the group grew to 17 ladies. We all had huge fun and lasted three nights.I have never seen sooooo much bling. It was a 3 day 3 night party, we all went home tired LOL.

Incredible dining room deco

Our bottle lanterns we decorated during the day. Great idea

Even the cake was Denim and Diamonds

Painted my toes Denim and Diamond

then I was busy painting everybody elses

 

Sid did some odds and ends on the boat and had fun with Reg. He said Reg cooked him dinner every night, what a guy. Tuesday after the party we had invited Ida, her sister Maria Isabel and Jim and Melania to join us to sail from Puerto Lindo to Portobelo an 8 mile trip. I can’t believe out of all the sailor friends they have for years, not one ever invited them for a sail. We had a perfect sail for the first half of the trip, then Sid decided to put the spinnaker up. I told him laughingly “you know what happens when we pull the spinnaker up” he nodded but we put it up anyway. The spinnaker flew exactly 5 minutes when the wind gave up. Oh well, the other half of the trip we motored. They all had a wonderful time, although Maria Isabela got a little nauseated, Melania was rocked to sleep and Jim occasionally nodded off as well. 

But the highlight was the dolphins.

The weather was perfect and as we had settled in at Anita’s mooring, lunch was ready. Some of us went for a swim and some just rested. Around 4 pm we took them ashore and said goodbye. We went to see Nilda so we could pay for our storage and she invited us for a cocktail. Just as she served our cubis the approaching cloud we had seen on our way across the bay started growling. Then caboooom a lightning bold hit across the bay even though the cloud was not even upon us yet, we took off with the drinks to return the glasses the following day and sped off in our dinghy to get back on time to close all the hatches. By now the wind had started blowing from shore and the sea turned into a rough ride. Nilda said they watched us getting bounced around. It was a challenging trip back but we made it just on time and closed all the hatched just as the rain hit. The nice thing about thunderstorms is it’s nice and cool afterward. We had a good night sleep and headed back to store some stuff in the storage and get our Switzerland clothes out. But that story will be in our next blog. 

No Sunset is alike:

Here's to Life!!!