Category Archives: Places

A Bulleted History of Colombia

Why on earth would anyone go to Colombia? It’s violent, dangerous, filled with armed militias and Narco gangs. A very dangerous place for an American Tourist.

It turns out that this is an image that Colombia has moved past. There are many interesting lessons to learn, and parallels that can be drawn with the current situation in America.

Our oversimplified history of Colombia is based on several tours we took with English speaking guides, and a little wikepedia.

In the 1800’s Simon Bolivar freed Colombia form the Spaniards. The new nation Gran Colombia was much larger than it is now.

Due to disagreements between the various indigenous peoples, the country was broken up to create Venezuela and Ecuador.
In the early 20^th century the United States sent Gunboats and helped create the country of Panama in exchange For a 99 year lease and the right to finish building the Panama Canal.
Colombia operated with 2 parties’ liberals and conservatives. (Sounds like America)
The liberals had internal friction between radicals and a more centrist group. (Sounds like America)
The two main parties enjoyed long periods in power. (Sounds like America)
There was increasing polarization between the two dominant parties. (Sounds like America)
Jorge Gaitan was the leader of the radical left and widely expected to win the election, but was assassinated in April 1948.
Gaitan’s death sparked a 3 day riot that destroyed the capital of Bogota, and was the beginning of La Violencia. (Jan 6?)
La Violencia lasted from 1946 to 1964 with 200,000 dead and an estimated 1,000,000 people displaced.

Monument to victims of La Violencia. Lights represent victims. Screens have photos of families…powerful stuff

Starting in the Early 60’s FARC (Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia) came into being as a force for agrarianism and peasant rights.
Other militias came into being at that time including ELN, M19 and right wing paramilitaries funded by large land owners. (BLM?)(ANTIFA?)
With the United States as the biggest customer by far, the drug trade turned out to be enormously profitable. And some of these entities became more focused on the drug trade.
The Narcos including the Medellin and Cali Cartels became the distributors and processors of cocaine through US affiliates like the Black Widow in Miami.
Meanwhile refugees from the countryside began to settle in Medellin on the hillsides as squatters. Their first house were built from scraps salvaged from building sites and scavenging in the dump. But as squatters they had low housing costs and paid no tax. Over time they began small businesses in their neighborhoods, and as they became more prosperous they began to rebuild their shacks with red terra cotta bricks adding a floor for each new generation and creating part of the iconic Medellin skyline.

Isolated from the business center of Medellin by the steep geography and lack of city planning, gangs of underemployed young men began to mark out their turf in these new areas of the city.
In 1993, Medellin was the most dangerous city in the world with a homicide rate of 400/100000 and these new neighborhoods in the hills like Comuna 13 were the most dangerous neighborhoods in that city.
Completed in 1995 the Metro system knits together the neighborhoods of Medellin with tickets that cost 1600 COP (about 0.50 USD) and include transfers to anywhere in the system. Before the system a campaign to educate the public in “Metro Culture” instilled pride for and good behavior on the new Metro. Almost 30 years after its inauguration our ride was on a modern smooth system that puts BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) to shame.

In 2003 a new major Sergio Farjado was elected as Mayor. He began a series of policies that he called “social urbanization” that put the best schools, parks and Libraries in the poorest neighbor hoods. This is often hailed as the moment that Medellin began to turn around. (would this work in America where the poorest neighborhoods often have the worst schools?)
Starting in 2004 a series of Cable cars were added to the transit system allowing easy access to and from the hillside communities like Comuna 13.
The guerrilla factions are of course in the comuna 13 and in in 2002 the government moves to remove them with operation Orion.
Operation Orion has military helicopters hovering over the comuna 13 shooting people in support of ground troops. In all there were 80 civilians injured, 17 casualties committed by the Public Force , 71 people killed by the paramilitaries , 12 people tortured, 92 forced disappearances and 370 arbitrary detentions, according to the Corporación Jurídica Libertad.

Many of the dead are in a mass grave on the hillside.
So I am not a rapper but Hip Hop music has a part to play here. Hip Hop music evolved in New York using the music of Africa and rapping to create a music form that protests the injustice and oppression facing African and Hispanic Americans in the 60’s.
Hip Hop came to Colombia not as music but in visual form via a movie called “Beat Street” other Colombian teens visiting America brought back music, break dancing and graffiti.

Brothers La Etnnia ages 8 to 12 began to practice break dancing and would become one of leading Colombian Hip Hop groups.

Hip Hop helped to get people back into the streets instead of hiding in their homes and breakdancing became a way for rival gangs to work it out without killing each other.
More on Colombian Hip Hop movement Here
One final overlay was the effect of Pablo Escobar and the various cartels, who took over the distribution and processing of Cocaine. In an attempt to control the cartels the Colombian government signed an extradition treaty with the United States for drug offenses committed in either country.
The constitutionality of this was questioned and the cartels went to war with the government to try and overturn this treaty. Between 1989 and 1993 Pablo Escobar was responsible for the deaths of 657 policeman along with judges, politicians. He began to commit acts of terrorism with many car bombings.

Today it’s all quiet in the country side, but Colombia remains as the largest exporter of Cocaine in the world.. More about that here.

One of the enjoyable aspects of the tours in Bogota and Medellin was trying to figure out the complex history of this country. I am certain I have missed a lot, but being merely a traveler I feel I have an obligation to try and understand but no responsibility to create a definitive history….

Colombia is highly recommended, don’t miss the highland cities. Their climate is wonderful and the cities have an almost European feel.

Bogotá and Medellín

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After months in the Ferroalquimar shipyard, at last, we broke away from Cartagena to explore some other cities and the beautiful countryside of Colombia. This trip far exceeded our expectations.

**A view of the city atop** ***Monserrate***

Bogotá, Colombia’s Capital City, is a short flight from Cartagena. At 8,661′ elevation, the climate is cool and refreshing. We stayed in La Candelaria, the cobblestoned center of the city, at Hotel de la Opera, within easy walking distance to many sights and colorful neighborhoods. The hotel is located next to the state department, so there were armed guards everywhere. We watched with interest from our balcony, a protest in support of Ukraine, against the issuance of visas to Russians.

We packed a lot of sight seeing into our 4 days in Bogotá. Enough so, that we learned once again that we needed more time!

Cerro de Monserrate

The Sanctuary of Monserrate sits high above the city. It’s a sacred place and religious pilgrimage for many. Up on this hilltop, there are also some excellent restaurants, beautiful walks, gardens, and even bird watching. You can walk up the Pedestrian path, approximately 2 miles uphill. Given it was Michael’s birthday, we opted to take the Funicular for a scenic ride, but we did get some steps in walking the Stations of the Cross.

The Salt Cathedral of Zipaquirá

We hired a driver to take us to the spectacular Salt Cathedral located in the town of Zipaquira. We were the last to board the packed van, so we were stuck in the back seats. The ride there was one hour long and rough. This van had no shocks and Michael’s back in particular felt every bump in the road. It took him a few minutes to straighten up once we crawled out of there! Luckily, the driver was merciful and promised us the front seat for the return trip. It was worth it to see this cathedral carved underground some 600 feet within a former salt mine. Mass is held here every Sunday. Imagine the queue for Easter or Christmas service! Michael had two stations of the cross for his Birthday…. A virtuous life..

Here’s a pretty amazing light show in the Salt Cathedral

The Botero Museum

A short walk from our hotel was the Botero Museum. Fernando Botero Angulo is a Colombian figurative artist and sculptor, born in Medellín. His signature style, also known as “Boterismo”, depicts people and figures in large, exaggerated volume, which can represent political criticism or humor, depending on the piece. (Wikipedia) The museum, which belongs to the Banco de la República de Colombia, was founded in 2000 when Botero donated more than 100 of his own works, along with 85 from his personal collection of other artists’ work – a haul that includes pieces by Picasso, Monet, Matisse and Klimt. At Botero’s instruction, Admission is free to all. It’s located in a beautiful colonial building with an interior courtyard for lunch or rest.

Museo del Oro

Not to be missed, the Gold Museum contains more than 55,000 pieces of gold and other materials from all of Colombia’s major pre-Hispanic cultures. It was a feast for the eyes. We couldn’t pass up the gift shop and brought home a book to study more about this incredible collection and history of the people. Here’s a small sample:

Next Stop: Medellín

**Beautiful Countryside with City Below** (formerly Pablo’s Prison view)

Another short flight from Bogotá to Medellín, the 2nd largest city In Colombia. Admittedly, prior to our visit, our knowledge of Colombia was limited to and somewhat tainted by the popular Netflix series, “Narcos”, about the infamous Pablo Escobar, narcoterrorist and leader of the Medellín Cartel. Of course, what we learned is that this city is so much more than what was once called the most violent city in the world. In fact, Medellín is known colloquially as “la Ciudad de la Eterna Primavera,” or “the City of Eternal Spring.” This alludes to the weather, where most days are sunny and mild. Flowers grow abundantly, and are a major export for the country. The people are warm and proud of their city. They welcome conversations about the history of violence, which includes a civil war, the drug cartel, gangs and a corrupt government. People were happy to talk of the transformation that began not long ago under then Mayor Sergio Fajardo, who believed that “aesthetics is a tool for social transformation”. Needless to say, we were inspired during this visit. While politics was a central thread of discussion and interest here, we especially enjoyed the beauty, the food, the weather, the ice cream and so much more!

We stayed in the neighborhood El Poblado, at Hotel Park 10. The hotel was lovely and included a wonderful breakfast buffet with an incredible spread of the freshest fruit including dragon fruit (a new one for us), omeletts to order, and unlimited dark rich coffee. We enjoyed daily walks around our neighborhood, with a park across the street and a large variety of restaurants and shopping to choose from. We grew quite fond of an afternoon treat at Amor-Acuyá Gelato. And we took a few tours.

Comuna 13 Graffiti Tour

We met our english-speaking guide, Arturo, at the Poblado Metro Station. Medellín’s metro is the only rail-based city transit system in Colombia with the first line opening in 1995. The Metro is a source of pride to all. It helped transform the community, giving people easy access to work, education, etc. It also brought people to their communities, which increased tourism and broke down the barriers of fear and isolation, especially for the Comuna 13 neighborhood.

Throughout the 80s and 90s, Comuna 13 was considered one of the most dangerous neighborhoods in the world. It was run by violent drug trafficking organizations, who used the poor, sprawling hillside barrio as a transit route in and out of the city, and served as a stronghold for guerrillas, gangs, and paramilitaries. In the mid-90’s all this began to change, under the guidance of the Mayor Sergio Fegardo, who encouraged people to take back their communities. He invested in community projects (including parks) to bring people outside. In 2011, the government installed the escaleras electricas, a series of outdoor escalators that extend for 1,260 feet (384 m), connecting parts of the once chaotic and isolated hillside neighborhood to the city below. Now, tourists–like us–visit this vibrant community, which helps to sustain their economic progress.

Our tour began with a metro ride, then a bus, then a tram, then onto the outdoor escalators. We then hiked up the hillside barrio taking in the sites and hearing many stories of what has endured in this community.

Guatapé and Coffee Farm Tour

Our next tour took us out of the city for a drive around the countryside. Our tour guide, Daniel, picked us up at our hotel for a private car tour. Daniel was an engaging storyteller and provided insights into the history and culture of Colombia. Guatapé is a resort town east of Medellín. It’s known for its houses decorated with colorful Zocalos, painted panels on the houses that portrays the original occupants trade or history. It sits by the man-made Peñol-Guatapé Reservoir. Piedra del Peñol, a giant granite rock southwest of town, has hundreds of steps to the top, where there are sweeping views. We enjoyed the leisurely drive to Guatapé, stopping at a family-run coffee farm on our way.

Pablo

We had to do it. We took the Pablo Escobar tour. Thankfully, our tour did not celebrate Pablo as a hero, but rather showed the sights of his life story and detailed some history. Interesting facts: to serve his prison time, Pablo had his luxurious Prison site (La Catedral) built high in the Mountains, overlooking his City, Medellín. He did escape with the help of the guards. The prison site is now a serene setting for a senior housing site run my Jesuit Monks; The site of his home in Medellín was transformed into a Memorial park, honoring victims of the violence Pablo and his Cartel inflicted on the community.

The Casa de la Memoria Museum

On our last day in Medellín, we visited the House of Memory Museum. Created in 2006 —this museum serves as “an exercise of memory to the understanding and overcoming of the armed conflict and the various forms of violence in Medellín, Antioquia and the country”. It’s a place to remember, to reflect, to forgive, to heal. It was very moving to visit this space. The museum includes displays with artifacts of things lost or torn apart by violence. And a room which uses video clips of photographs of the many victims, many who disappeared, never to be found again, but all remembered here.

It was a fantastic trip and we look forward to exploring more!

Fair winds-

Lisa and Michael

Farewell Panama, Hello Colombia!

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Well, we did it. We are now in Cartagena! But first, it’s time for a fond recap of our farewell to Panama.

After leaving the boat at Red Frog Marina for a year, we returned to a boat covered in green stuff. Several washes later, Footloose started to look normal again. Even the mast required a thorough cleaning (Michael Loves going up the mast…not).

The boat came together with very few difficulties, except for the generator seemed to be fighting us. First the starter needed to be taken apart and the solenoid freed up and greased. Once started, the raw water pump began to leak saltwater. So, a replacement was ordered and installed, and all seemed well.

Pet onboard?

Turns out we have a pet, Spidey. I first saw him on the deck with his bright yellow shell and thought he was a kind of crab, but no…he’s a spider (Spiny-backed Orbweaver)

Touring Bocas del Toro

Finally, after a month of cleaning and boat work, we were underway! We left the marina October 1 and spent some time in the Bocas del Toro archipelago, visiting some favorite haunts including Starfish beach and the Chocolate farm.

Great Tour and Chocolate tasting, Bastimentos

Zapatillo Islands

Our last stop on the way out of Bocas was to the beautiful Zapatillo islands. We enjoyed some snorkeling and the beauty of the islands, but the highlight was watching the release of some hawksbill turtles!

Veraguas de Escudo

Another 40 miles brought a stop at Veraguas Escudo. We anchored for a few days and enjoyed the sparkling Caribbean water and dramatic views of the island.

Take a quick spin in the dingy at Isla Escudo de Veraguas

Rio Chagres

We next traveled overnight to stay a night in the Rio Chagres. As we entered the river and began to follow this verdant path with our ocean going boat, Lisa mentioned that she felt as though she was on the African Queen. The water is bright green with algae and yet this river supplies all the drinking water for Panama City. Spidey, still with us, helped by killing the biting insects that seemed fascinated with our bright white boat. Birds and monkeys called to us, perhaps dismayed at our presence. In the morning we took a dingy ride to explore a small tributary near our anchorage. After taking some pictures of birds including the mealy parrot (what a name) we started to raise the anchor. We usually traverse shallow areas with our fish finder on, allowing a detailed view of the bottom, and our trip up the river revealed the completely featureless bottom you would expect of a muddy green river. Nevertheless, on trying to raise the anchor, we found ourselves unable to raise the last hundred feet of anchor chain. Our anchor was trapped by some large submerged object. Despite the fact that our position on the river was very nearby Shelter Bay Marina (our next stop),there was no cellular service. We could have been on the moon. (not time to panic:))

So after an hour of attempting to hoist the chain, we used our satellite phone to call the marina and Juanjo promised to develop a plan to send a diver up the river. Anchored in 45 feet of pea soup, we had no way to get to the anchor ourselves.

While we were waiting, I thought about how the boat had drifted under the influence of the tides and currents in the river. I remembered that we had moved in a roughly clockwise pattern around our anchor and so we endeavored to make one more attempt at recovering our 75 pound stainless steel anchor.

We let out some chain to increase our freedom of movement and I began to circle counter clockwise, pausing to pull back every 90 degrees or so. After about four counter clockwise turns we were suddenly free. What a relief. Our call with Juanjo revealed that the cost of the diver would be $3500.

Boat Fun, Shelter Bay/Panama City

At Shelter Bay, we waited for our friends Celia and Art to arrive for a trip to the San Blas Islands (Guna Yala).

While we waited we had a few projects… one was to re-certify our life raft and the other was to try and get our SSB radio working. The later involved taking the various components to a Radio specialist near the port offices in Panama City. What an interesting man. He spoke very little English, but we managed to get through the necessary discussion with the aid of google translate. As we sat at his work bench, he pulled out a drawer to find something and I noticed that the top of the drawer was completely worn down. Full of holes from drilling and burn marks from the soldering gun. I asked him how long he had been there…. 50 years. Further probing revealed that he had arrived from Peru to Colon as a young man, as the radioman on a big ship. The main engines on the ship failed and when no repairs were in sight he found work in Colon and just stayed on. I asked his age– 79. You would have guessed him in his 50’s. He told his story of settling in Colon and building a life with grandchildren and a home overlooking the Caribbean. He knew radios. Electronica Cristobal – Joaquin Vizcaino 6675-7433.

Certifying a Viking 6 man life raft

Before leaving Shelter Bay, we were discussing games with Art and Celia and it turned out that Art is a big fan of cribbage. We don’t have a cribbage board and Lisa and I have never played. Off I went to the boat yard, where I scrounged a piece of scrap teak from the work area. In no time, we had a hand-crafted cribbage board. Art turned out to be a patient teacher and no money was lost in learning the rudiments of the game.

Onward to San Blas

Our first stop on the way to San Blas was at Portobello and the rainy overcast gave a somber feel to the 16th century Spanish fortification there. After a rainy night we proceeded through several squalls to arrive at our first anchorage at Chicheme catching a Big Eye Tuna along the way.

We spent three weeks in the San Blas with Art and Celia. The San Blas Islands are a group of islands inhabited by the Guna Yala tribe. While being part of the Country of Panama, this group of islands is self-governed by the Congresso de Guna Yala. The meetings are held frequently and all tribal members are free to speak. The meetings tend to run a little long, so someone is always assigned the task of randomly shrieking out loud just to keep everyone on their toes. (Try that at your next meeting!)

Molas of the Guna Yala

The Guna Yala are a matriarchal society and also famous for their molas which are images formed by stitching layers of cloth in different colors. Transgender people are an accepted part of the society.

Ulus of the San Blas

The various islands are roughly five to ten miles apart, and the Gunas travel between them in sailing ulus. The ulus are carved out of a single tree. The mast is set in a thwart in the forward 20 percent of the boat. The mast is rigged when preparing to sail, and lowered at other times.

It’s a pretty interesting place and culture and you can read more about it here. BBC Travel Guna Yala

The Guna Yala live from the sea with lobster and fish very easily caught. We caught a big eye tuna and a king mackerel. Art made Poke from the Big eye one night, which was delicious.

Changing Views of the San Blas

These islands rise only a few feet above sea level making it very easy to observe the effects of sea level rise in these islands. Our charts from the Bauhouse guide were made in 2015 by a man who used high tech equipment to take literally millions of soundings of the area. His charts clearly show some long islands that are now broken into three pieces by the rising waters flooding the lowest portions of the island.

Snorkeling at West Hollandes

Our favorite anchorage was at West Hollandes which had great snorkeling to see beautiful coral gardens.

Another interesting stop was at Dog Island, where the captain of a sinking freighter deliberately ran his small ship aground in order to save its cargo. The wreck is easily available for snorkelers…

Cruising with Friends

Having friends aboard was great fun. We always learn something from these guys, including how to go 2 up on a SUP, and how to use noodles while cooling off with a beer after a hot day….

Meanwhile the generator was not done with its shenanigans and began to leak oil. A lot of oil, about 1/3 qt per hour! Despite a careful inspection, we could not find the leak and assumed the end seal had failed. With four people on board, we cannot live on solar alone and need an hour or two of generator time each evening. So, every other day we mopped most of a quart of engine oil out of the pan and in no time that used up all of our oil absorbent pads. Luckily, it turns out you can wring them out and use them again! During the three weeks we leaked 2 gallons of motor oil. No Bueno.

We left our friends in the small town of Carti, arriving in a total downpour. The muddy fresh water is less dense than the salty ocean and created a muddy layer easily seen in our wake.

Fittingly, our last days in Panama were rainy ones (thankfully without lightening too close). We spent the time learning cribbage and watching the weather for our long-anticipated passage to Cartagena, Colombia. Finally, with a forecast for 70 percent reaching conditions in winds to 15 knots we departed in overcast conditions and lumpy 4 foot, 5 second seas. Despite using the recommended waypoints for our journey, the reaching conditions never materialized and we motored against 4 knots of wind in sloppy conditions, arriving in Cartagena 30 hours later. True to form in our cruising experience, the weather is never right….

Land Ho

Arriving at Club de Pesca Marina, with the boat set up for a normal docking situation, we were confronted with our first mooring between pilings opportunity. The complexity was too much for my tired brain, and we opted to anchor out. Time to rest. HA

We arrived during a weekend celebration. The normally crowded channel was even more packed with a parade of charter boats all blasting music and bright lights until late into the night (dawn)…. Quite a contrast from the secluded San Blas Islands I’d say. Welcome to Colombia!

Many more adventures to come, including Christmas in Cartagena and a haul-out/Footloose spa treatment at the yard.

P.S. Spidey is now an illegal alien in Colombia, if he survives the boatyard…

What’s the Why?

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When we set off on this cruising adventure in 2016, we were full of anticipation of how it would all unfold. Everything was brand new. New boat, new places, new people, new way of life. Well, now that we are a bit more seasoned—the novelty of some things, like haul outs, hurricane prep, talking cell phone plans and ordering parts in foreign countries, have lost some of their once innocent luster. Some days (well most), it’s too hot. Some days, it’s too frustrating, like when cleaning green moss off of — everything. Some days our why question sounds more like “tell me again just WHY we are doing this? Most of our friends and family wish us well and listen to our stories with some wonderment. And others honestly look at us with a not so subtle air of bewilderment ( “so this is fun to you?”). We laugh and explain away why it all works out and why we like it so much. (Are we convincing them or us?) Sometimes it seems that words fail to truly express our Why for cruising. We tell some exciting story, perhaps with a little storm peppered into the tale. Or of the time we had to wait 3 months for an inverter delivery in Costa Rica before moving on, what a hoot that was we say, laughing now. In response, there’s the look. Like the one your sweet grandmother might nod with, while you explain the intricate symbolism behind your tattoo. How nice. Truth is we all have a why for the things we choose to do. While some may prefer a Princess cruise to our adventure, there’s a why for that too. For us, our why has evolved, and with it a deeper appreciation for all we get to do and see on our strong boat—even if it is too darn hot! And with that spirit, Season 5 is underway!

Countdown

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10, 9, 8 …. The countdown has begun, boxes of parts have been arriving, overseas shipping is planned Airline tickets… check. Airport hotel check, taxi to Bocas De Toro got it, water taxi to Red Frog Marina. We are going back to Footloose after a year of COVID. We are vaccinated, masked and ready to go. Michael had a booster the other day…injection site soreness mild headache next day..

It’s been a good year. Learning our new house and a little bit about the area. Mom and Dad stayed with us for 4 months while mom recovered from hip surgery. They are back on the ranch now. I now have a nice work shop in one of our garages. Lisa has been working out at Defined Fitness and doing yoga at Sacred Rebel. I built a fence to keep deer out of our fruit trees.

Another big move for Lisa is obtaining her New Mexico Real Estate license. She is associated with R1 Realty in Farmington. So of course if you know someone looking to relocate out of the brutal California real estate market, Farmington is a great place to live and Lisa can make it happen. In this area 500k buys a lot of house.

We took time to hear some music with Music in the Mountains and to visit the Mesa Verde National monument. We even went sailing with the kayak on Farmington Lake.

This year we plan to leave the Bocas del Toro Area mid-October, spend 2 weeks at Linton bay in Panama getting our life raft serviced along with some other boat projects. Then we are off to finally explore the islands of San Blas. After that we make our way to Cartagena, Columbia to spend the next few months. We plan to enjoy the Christmas season from an Air BNB near the old town. Footloose will be getting a bit of a face lift while we are there. Then we cross the Caribbean going through the Windward Passage, and to Turks and Caicos. We will make our way to our new home port at Brunswick, Georgia via the Bahamas and Florida arriving by June 1 and the beginning of Hurricane season.

Island Time: Bocas Del Toro

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After the excitement of the Panama Canal transit, we needed a break. What better place to chill out than Bocas del Toro? That was our thinking in mid-December. Little did we know of what was to come. With the onset of the Covid-19 Pandemic, we got much more of a break than we ever imagined. Before the virus hit, we had some good times here in Bocas, even had guests visit in February. Then, just as we were preparing to pick up anchor and travel on to the San Blas Islands and Cartagena, Colombia, BAM – the Coronavirus was here and spreading. We quickly decided it was safer to stay put than to risk the unknowns of other ports. As I write this, it has been 50 days since we docked at Red Frog Marina to quarantine and shelter in place. We are quite literally stranded on an island (always wanted to say that). We are not alone talking with the coconuts (Wilson?) though. We are here alongside many other cruisers waiting this out. We are all shaken in vastly different ways. The local community is rallying to help out the indigenous families throughout the islands here. The local Soroptimist group and others are working together to raise funds, collect donations, and deliver food and supplies as needed. Michael and I are healthy, safe, and admittedly our concerns are minimal compared to so many. We do worry about family back in the states and are waiting for air travel to open back up in Panama to plan that. Meanwhile, here we sit with time on our hands and time to think. I’m reminded of how life as you know it can turn on a dime. I’m also reminded to savor the good times. In that spirit, I’m sharing this blog about our adventures in Bocas, a very good place to chill and re-calibrate indeed.

But first we had to get there…

Our trip from Shelter Bay Marina to Bocas del Toro may best be described as “Current Beware”. Uncharacteristically, we departed without topping off our fuel. On the morning of our departure, the fuel barge was gone from the marina and wouldn’t be back until the afternoon. Problem was, we wanted to leave in the morning to allow us the best time table to arrive Bocas in the daylight. The weather was benign and we calculated that we had two and a half times the amount of fuel required for this passage (150nm). Our thinking was flawed, having not seriously considered the current. Whoops. What should have been a snoozer of a trip was agitated with anxiety as our boat speed dropped below 4 knots (expected 7+). Michael began measuring fuel levels by dipstick (not completely trusting the gauges), and “estimating” how much longer we could muster, before running out of fuel. I know, I know, we are a sailboat. But, there was zilch wind and 2 knots of current. We considered options, few as they were in this stretch. Anchorages are limited and we decided we didn’t want to spend the fuel it would take to find them. We nervously stayed our course. 35 hours or so later… and countless prayers, we arrived with just enough fuel to spare. Drama averted, we arrived at twilight on a warm Sunday afternoon, and tied up safely at Red Frog Marina with a fuel dock winking at us 50 feet from our bow.

Red Frog Beach Island Marina

Home Sweet Home

Red Frog Marina is located on Isla Bastimentos or “Basti” for short. And while swimming dock side is not recommended (did you see those jelly fish?) – there are many other reasons to love it here at Red Frog.

It’s Pretty for One

This marina features a spectacular backyard (island) with tropical landscapes, hiking trails, wild beaches, mysterious creatures, and several good restaurants.

And Friendly

Red Frog (and Bocas in general) has a velcro reputation. Many people arrive and stay for a season or two or three… Some return seasonally, a few become permanent liveaboards and others transform into dirt people, moving to mountain homes above the mangroves. We’ve met all kinds here. There is a daily VHF net to connect with fellow cruisers and the broader Bocas community. We’ve also met many who, like us, are traveling on. (I think). We met a delightful family from Germany aboard Bear Baloo. They were a part of this year’s ARC, and bound for the Marquesas/South Pacific. I just love the boat name, inspired by the beloved sleepy bear character in Kipling’s (and Disney’s) Jungle Book. Such an apt name for a cruising boat I think, in no hurry, patient, and with the theme song “Bare Necessities“.

Bocas Del Toro

From the sound of it, you might think that we never left the marina. Not true. Before the lockdown, we did get off the dock to explore and I have pictures to prove it! Before we get to the pictures…. Where are we? Perhaps I should have started with this (thanks Wikipedia): The Bocas del Toro Archipelago is a group of islands in the Caribbean Sea in the northwest of Panama. The archipelago separates Almirante Bay and Chiriquí Lagoon from the open Caribbean Sea. The archipelago is part of the Bocas del Toro District which is part of Bocas del Toro Province. The major city is Bocas del Toro, also called Bocas Town (or simply Bocas), on Isla Colón. The islands are accessible by water taxis and private boats.

Bocas Town

I don’t have many pictures of Bocas, but the ones I do have tell a story. Bocas is a funky, hippyish town with many surf and gift shops. It is a popular tourist hub flocked by backpackers and other travelers each year. Before the lockdown, we visited Bocas weekly, primarily to provision. Our shopping days often would start with a good cup of coffee and sometimes breakfast at Amaranto. Then – time permitting – ended with lunch at Om Cafe. Love the Buddha Bowls! Red Frog provides a free water taxi service Monday-Friday, 10-1. So, your objective is to get all shopping & errands complete before the return trip taxi departs at 1:00. (Yes, there are other water taxies available after 1 for a small fee; but, where’s the fun in that?) We Red Frogger cruisers typically relish the challenge of wrapping up the shopping trip within the 3-hour slot. Mind you this is not a one-stop-shop kind of shopping. Oh no, we shop around, with multiple stops: Isla Colon grocery for frozen fruit, Tutty N Fish for pork chops & fresh tuna, Super Gourmet for heirloom tomatoes, and coffee-flavored Häagen–Dazs, the vegetable stand for pineapples and romaine, the Ferretería for propane, Bocas Island Express for boat part shipments…you get the idea. We lug our stuff across town, store to store, with our provision sturdy bags, in the sweaty humid heat or rain and often both — with time to spare! Oh, how I miss those days. We are not permitted to leave Red Frog/Basti during this lockdown. 49 days and counting. I do long for our next provision run to Bocas!

Now for some pictures. I wouldn’t normally describe Michael & I as daring per se, yet for New Year’s Eve, Michael threw all caution to the wind and organized a water taxi to take eight brave (foolhardy) cruisers from Red Frog Marina to town for the quintessential Bocas fireworks competition. It did not disappoint. If you missed the video, check this out.

Another Side to Bocas

The more time you spend somewhere, the more likely you are to discover that there’s more to it than first meets the eye. Take Bocas for example– Main Street may not be a thing of beauty, but did you know there is a Botanic Garden here called Finca Los Monos? We enjoyed a guided tour around this 25 acre tropical garden. Listen to the Oropendola!

Adventures with Guests

*The Floating Bar, near Bocas Anchorage*

After the holidays, we settled into a bit of a rut doing boat projects and watching the rain. Wait a minute, I thought this was the dry season? Oh, this is the dry season in Panama! Mind you, it’s still quite hot and humid. The dark, dank days began to weigh on us. The boat project list lost its allure. We were – bored? We needed to shake things up. We invited some dear friends from California to join us and lo and behold they said yes! Turns out Bocas is not the easiest place to get to by air, so we were grateful for their effort. We all enjoyed an adventure by van to beautiful Boquete.

Boquete is a small town on the Caldera River, in western Panama. The surrounding Chiriquí Highlands are home to coffee plantations and the Barú Volcano National Park, to the west. To get there from Bocas, we took a water taxi to Almirante and then boarded a van for an eight-hour bumpy ride, winding our way on a rough, narrow road to our sweet destination. Why Boquete? First, it’s nestled high in the mountains–some 1,200 metres (3,900 ft) above sea level, making its climate much cooler. So much so, that I wore pants and shoes and socks, and even a jacket while there. I can’t tell you how good that mountain air felt to me. Next, I adore birds, might even consider myself a novice-birder. I can watch them for hours, but have a long way to go with identification! With that in mind, I booked us a cottage at Tinamou, a deluxe jungle and birding lodge. From our balcony, we could watch birds or simply stare off into the tranquil forest. Hans and Terry, the wonderful hosts, have lived here on Finca Habbus de Kwie, a 22 Acre private forest reserve for many years. They still grow coffee on the land, though are no longer in the coffee business. They offer cultural, hiking and birding tours in addition to hosting the cottages. Each morning a basket with fresh bread, pastries and rich Boquete coffee was waiting outside our door. Terry led us on a birding tour along the Quetzal trail, where we saw or heard forty-two different species, including the Resplendent Quetzel. I am not ashamed to say that I screamed when I saw it in flight. The Three-Wattled Bell Birds are fascinating! Boquete’s town is sweet too with many excellent restaurants and divine coffee. We toured Finca Dos Jefes, a coffee farm that bases its farming schedule around the lunar calendar. Thus, their coffee brand, Cafés de la Luna (Coffee of the Moon), which all begins as a cherry on a tree. A fantastic guide walked us around the farm discussing the intricacies of coffee farming and production, as well as the complicated politics tied to the coffee bean. The tour ended with a tasting, which included the coveted “Geisha” brew. Wow, we hiked, we birded, we feasted, we caffeinated we cooled off and loved our five days (too short ) in Boquete.

Exploring on Footloose

Back from Boquete, we quickly provisioned and cast off the dock to go explore some anchorages. Felicia and Paul were such good sports. We enjoyed cooking and swimming and even a morning paddle boarding with dolphins off of Starfish Beach. As Serendipity would have it, we cruised over to a nearby anchorage off of Punta Characol and met some friends on Shearwater, who had their son visiting. We all got together for some captain hour sunsets and even a seafood feast at the resort. Felicia, Paul, and Michael went snorkeling one morning, while I enjoyed some quiet time cleaning up on the boat. It was fun to share a taste of cruising life with our friends. Although, I’m sure they could have done without the bug bites! Grateful to have shared this time with them.

What’s Next?

Felicia and Paul departed on March 4th at what turned out to be just in time. It wouldn’t be long before Panama would impose strict restrictions and close down airports. After they left, we continued to cruise around, making our way to lovely Dolphin Bay and Rana Azul. Unfortunately, our cruise came to an abrupt end. As the ports were reportedly closing soon, we canceled all plans and retreated to Red Frog where we are still waiting. We are sad to see what so many are going through. This time will pass, but what comes next? Before we left for cruising (nearly 4 years ago), my Mother-in-law gave me a gift, a necklace with a ring charm inscribed with “All Shall Be Well.” I wear it always and it reminds me to remain calm during the storms. I’m working on it.

Be Safe, Stay Well Everyone!

Lisa (& Michael)

Panama Canal Transit

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Happy New Year! 2020? Before we get too engrossed in new resolutions, boat projects, and other adventures, we must pause to reflect on (and share) a milestone we passed in 2019, transiting the Panama Canal. Enjoy the video and thanks for following our journey! More photos & recommendations below.

Recommended:

Book: The Path Between the Seas

Canal Agent: Rogelio De Hoyos, Panama Cruiser Connection

Recipe: Sancocho

Place: Miraflores Visitor Center

The Bay of Panama

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After our summer in the US we were happy to get back to the boat in Panama. We allowed a month for prepping the boat to get underway. We did cleaning, and some repairs. Our fresh water pumps seemed to have given up on their vital work. I rejuvenated the flush mechanisms on both heads. We had new grates made for the showers. Dell technicians even came to the boat to install a new mother board in this computer. As they say, cruising is fixing boats in foreign places.

Stormy

Paradisea goes Home

Dell Computer Repair

Our time at Vista Mar was not all work and no play. We went to a fundraiser to help an ex pat raise some money for medical bills, and we were invited to a dinner at Sam’s house. Sam is a retired real estate entrepreneur and an amazing Harmonica player.

Sam’s Place

Benefit for an Ex Pat

We had errands to run and rented a car for a week. Driving in Panama city during rush hour with Monsoon rains was a bit of an adventure. Turns out Panamanians don’t actually stop at stop signs and they honk if you do. A lot of cars on the road with rear end damage.

While we had the car, we took the opportunity to explore, taking a drive to nearby El Valle de Anton. There we visited the church and a museum. Had lunch at a restaurant where Lisa ordered the Sancocho. This is a classic Panamanian soup made with Chicken and Yucca, served with a scoop of rice. Delicious.

On the way we stopped to take a picture and while we stopped, we were greeted by a man who spoke English and had just walked down from the farm. He was carrying an old wooden box filled with an assortment of fresh vegetables that he was talking to his mother. A snap shot from a simpler life.

Farm near El Valle

Finally the day came to cast off the lines from Vista Mar. Footloose seemed happy to be out of there. I know we were. First stop was an anchorage at Otoque where we stayed for two nights enjoying a rest from the boat work at Vista Mar.

Outta there

Anchored at Otoque Island

Then we went to Isla Taborcillo. Taborcillo is also called John Wayne Island. This island was given to John Wayne for his work as an envoy to Panama when the Canal was turned over to the Panamanians. John Wayne was a Republican, but disagreed with his party, believing that the Panama Canal should be turned over to the Panamanians. A time when people were true to their beliefs rather than toeing the party line. Since John Wayne’s death in 1979 the island has been sold and is now owned by a German entrepreneur who tried to make a Hollywood destination resort out of the place. It has been vacant for ten years and much of the memorabilia is fading back into the jungle. A small museum with artifacts from John Wayne has a hole in the roof allowing the remaining artifacts to slowly disappear in a haze of dampness and mildew. A chapel named St John’s has a marker for John Wayne, but he is actually buried in Newport Beach.

At the Bar

Our friends Celia and Art were coming to meet us and Rogelio, our Canal Agent agreed to bring them from the airport to the Playita anchorage. So our next stop was Playita. We had a nice sail from Taborcillo, and spent the last hour and half weaving through the anchored freighters and across the canal traffic lane to our new resting place. A fascinating place to anchor with all the ships of the world passing through. Lying under the Flamenco station with lots of wakes in the anchorage, it was still quite pleasant.

Going to Playita Anchorage

Purse Seiner waiting to bring tuna from the Pacific to Puerto Rico for Canning

During our stay at Playita, we did provisioning and visited the Museum of Biodiversity on the Amador Causeway near our anchorage. An interesting graphic at the museum shows herds of animals crossing the isthmus when it was formed intermixing the species found on the previously isolated North and South Americas.

The canal authority came aboard to verify our dimensions. Canal transit fees are based on the size of the vessel. Some of the largest pay 1.2 million dollars for one transit, and do it every 2 weeks. We paid about $500. Richard Halliburton was the lightest “ship” ever to transit the canal and paid $0.36 to swim through in 1928.

Sunset at Playita

Pilot Boat Brings Canal Measurement

Precision Driver

BioMuseo

Celia and Art operate Searcher Sportfishing in San Diego. Art has been Captain of Searcher for 35 years ( they do whale trips to Baja and pelagic bird watching too). They arrived on November 12 and the fun began in earnest.

The next day, jet lag or not, we were off to the Perlas Islands where the Spanish killed the natives and brought in slaves from Africa to harvest the great pearl beds. Many of the slaves descendants still live in the islands today.

Our first stop, Isla Contadora (the Counting Island), was where the Spanish counted the pearls before shipping them to Spain. The island has large homes including one where the exiled Shah of Iran lived.

We stayed in a delightful anchorage enjoying the stand-up paddle boards and great snorkeling.

Celia and Art on the way to the Perlas

Dorado

Cedar plug was the winner

Rainy season brings rainbows

Contadora Anchorage

Mobula Ray

More Mobies

The Perlas Islands gave us beautiful jungle covered islands with white sand beaches. Excellent fishing. Lots of snorkeling and Sup Boarding. Celia and Art added greatly to our experience by giving us their knowledge of birds and fishing. We had conversations about boat management, politics, religion, all with great food.

One of the highlights for me was our visit to Isla Telmo. The current was pretty swift so we did not stay over night, but the snorkeling was great, and the beach has the wreck of the Submarine explorer. Built in 1865 it is one of only 5 submarines known to exist before 1870. The bottom of the submarine had hatches that would open allowing workers to harvest pearls. A visit to the island should include a long walk on the beach. Beautiful

Submarine Explorer

Submarine at St Telmo

Snorkeling

Great Food

What to do when that bunch of bananas you bought from the guy in the Panga that seemed would stay green forever suddenly decide to ripen all at once.

Of Course There Were Sunsets

And Water Toys

Another highlight of our trip was a dingy trip up the Rio Moskito…. That is how we think it is spelled. No mosquitoes while we were there.

We only fish for food. But there were a lot of fish, and if you wanted to, you could stuff the freezer.

After 12 days in the Islands, we planned to visit Isla Taboga and then return to the Playita anchorage to get our extra rented mooring balls and the four 120 foot dock lines necessary for a Canal Transit.

On the way to Taboga, we were visited by a pod of Pseudo Killer whales. These 20 foot long animals played with the bow wave and wake created by Footloose. We were all excited, but Art was most happy with the sighting. In 35 years of natural history tours, he has only seen this species 3 times. They are more common south of Mexico, Art’s stomping grounds.

Our trip to Taboga was ill fated as the anchorage was full of empty mooring balls and the conditions were pretty windy and choppy we continued on to the Playita anchorage. A couple days later, however, we took a ferry from Playita and got to see Taboga Island anyway. The sleepy little town features Iglesia San Pedro, the second oldest church in the western hemisphere.

We were told that Taboga had quite a scene as visitors come from the City of Panama for the weekend, but a local told us that what actually happens is that people pack a lunch and go to the beach at Taboga enjoying the water and views of Panama City, but most go home at night. We were there on a Monday and the streets had a few dogs and cats and the occasional small vehicle just able to squeeze through the narrow streets.

At Taboga we saw Sea Shepherd a boat belonging to a controversial whale protection organization. They are known to interfere with Japanese whaling ships, but on this day they were educating the local school kids about the negative influence of plastics, particularly straws on sea turtles.

Altar Iglesia San Pedro — Iglesia San Pedro

A recurring theme of our journey is the amount of trash, particularly plastics that we see. On Footloose, we are trying to limit our plastic consumption but it seems almost impossible. Silicone ziplocks seem good but what happens when the seam breaks or…. bees wax covers for bowls work for the potluck but not everything. Reusable grocery bags have certainly helped but for obvious economic reasons many things are packaged in or made out of plastic. It seems almost insurmountable. 10 miles out of Chiapas Mexico I remember seeing plastic every hundred feet or so in the ocean 10 miles off shore. A coke bottle here, a flip flop there, everywhere you look, plastic waste. And the canal authority, for example, insists that you provide bottled water for the transit crew. Very difficult.

I think a lot of the problem comes when first world products, like sodas in plastic bottles, wind up in 3rd world places with bad waste disposal. Everything winds up in the river or is burned. The Perlas are quite remote with few inhabitants, so where is the garbage coming from? Perhaps the mouth of the Darien river 30 miles away where indigenous people live in small villages on its banks. Yet, a villager can be in Panama city in a few hours by Panga and ferry. We actually saw a new refrigerator in a box going home in the bow of a small panga. Waste management lags development.

Back at Playita we celebrated Thanksgiving with a trip to Casco Viejo, the old town in Panama City. We visited old churches, enjoyed lunch out and splurged on Panama Hats…. Sold and made famous in Panama, actually made in Ecuador.

Turbulence is water filling the lock through giant culverts in the bottom

We felt better about the transit after watching ships and yachts locking in and out at the Miraflores Visitor Center. In our next post, we take Footloose through the locks to the Caribbean. Coming Soon!

What We Did This Summer- 2019

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After a season of travel through the windiest regions of Central America, we returned home from a steamy Panama to the cool California, Ahhh. It was a summer of few photos, but we enjoyed seeing friends and family again.

We started out staying with my friend Dennis Olson and attending Gus Beam’s Wedding. Gus is the son of Marconi Cove Yacht Club member, Mark Peters… I have known Gus since the car seat days and he is now an attorney practicing in Sacramento. The bride and groom have known each other since middle school and witnessing their marriage was our pleasure.

After wearing out our welcome at the Olson’s, we moved over to our old neighbors Mike and Carrolyn’s place in Ballena Bay. Centrally located in the Bay Area, we were able to visit with old friends and have my long awaited vitrectomy. After a career spent advising patients to avoid this procedure, which among other things removes floaters (good), but also has a risk of causing retina detachments (bad). I found myself so troubled by the floaters, which started in our first year of cruising, that I sought treatment, breaking my own advice. Dr. Michael Jumper did an excellent job and my vision is much better. I still have a large floater in my left eye, but having one good eye is a huge improvement and I doubt I will proceed with the left eye.

Rockridge Cafe after Vitrectomy.. been eating there since the 80’s

I had a follow up a few days later and then we were off to Soda Springs.

In Soda Springs, our sailing friends Lou, Patrice and Bear have a house, and put us up for a few days to enjoy the Tahoe area magnificence.

Patrice, Lou, Bear

Patrice gets Muddy

Does a Bear swim in the cold?

Snowy June in Soda Springs

We enjoyed a quick visit with our cruising friends, Tod and Donna, in Grass Valley before our return to the Bay Area to catch a flight; we were off to St Louis.

My optometry license goes away permanently in April 2020, so I decided to move it to New Mexico, where work seems to be plentiful. There is a shortage of optometrists in the state, and being of relatively sound mind and body (some might argue) I don’t think I would mind working a few days a week. So off we went to St Louis for the American Academy of Optometry annual meeting for some continuing education. It felt good to engage my brain in my old profession.

We loved Saint Louis. Lisa found us an AirBNB that saved us hundreds of dollars over the conference rate. A short walk through the campus of the Washington School of Medicine and then a short light rail to the conference downtown.

Lily pond at the Medical School.

Off to School

Conference Center

We stayed a week in St Louis and enjoyed a trip to the famous arch. I never realized it was made of welded stainless steel plate. We took the trip to the top in little trolleys (not for claustrophobics) that tip as the car moves up the curved legs of the arch keeping the occupants vertical. At the top, a fantastic view of the capital and the ball park.

Stainless steel Arch glistens in the setting sun

Looking up the Arch..Welded Stainless plate, WOW

On the last day, we took a stroll through one of St. Louis’ great old neighborhoods near Forest Park. A man working in his front yard told us these homes sold between 800K and 1.2 Million or so. Lots of old, beautiful square feet for the dollar… not so sure about the maintenance.

Some Crazy New Architecture

Everything you need

Then off to New Mexico.

First stop was a visit to my parents in Roy. They are 89, and I am blessed to have both of them. My mom had pulled a muscle in her leg and was in a lot of pain. After a couple hospital visits, I thought finally we would convince them to move closer to my brother Christopher in Farmington (7 hours away). But, after a few days of better medication management, her pain subsided somewhat, and all bets were off. Now they are once again adamant about living the rest of their days on their ranch. I respect their wishes, though it is very worrisome for me. I feel cursed that they won’t listen to me, but everyone makes their own choices and I have to live with that.

After a lot of driving, we retreated to my brother’s house in Farmington. Great spending time with them and in some ways getting to know them better.

My nephew Mason turned 16.

Coby

Festive 16 year old

16 years old, hat under duress.

Over achiever

Driving us to dinner

Festive Coby

In the middle of it all Sandy’s mom died. I suited up and flew to Southern California for her funeral. Jeanette is now at Mount Sinai in Hollywood close to her husband Webster and Sandy whom she missed terribly. For the 12 years since her death all Jeanette could talk about was rejoining Sandy in the afterlife. She will be missed. My mother in law was a generous and giving person who welcomed me into her family. I am certain that there was some disappointment that Sandy had not married a Jew, but I always felt welcomed by her entire family. Rest in Peace

Two years ago we purchased property (with two houses) on the Animas river in Farmington. The tenants in the larger house vacated in August and then from the smaller Casita in September. We took the opportunity to camp out in the big house for two weeks and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. It was a pleasure to enjoy a cool drink by the river each evening as the sun was going down. This house distracts us from cruising some as we plan modifications to the property. Susan, one of the outgoing tenants, shared a couple of pictures of the property during last years more extreme winter. We remain determined to enjoy cruising as long as possible, as it would feel foolish to abandon this until we are truly done. Perhaps with a modified schedule that includes staying in Farmington with temporary work and family for the summers during hurricane season.

River House

Snowy Casita

Animas River

We were concerned to be leaving with both houses empty, but a week later the management company called to tell us that both units had been rented. 🙂

For our last week in the states we were back to Alameda where we enjoyed a week in Felicia’s Yoga Room. Fun cooking together with Felicia and Paul in their beautiful Bay Street home.

Even though it wasn’t October yet the Halloween season was starting to emerge near Bay Street, famous for its thousands of trick or treaters who attend the festivities on this heavily decorated area of Alameda. Here’s a link to this house from 2017 (I think)

Halloween in Alameda

The Bay Area is Political

Being in Alameda meant a great dinner with Allison and her husband Jerry and a trip to Berkeley Bowl to bring some goodies as our contribution. At the end of the meal, Lisa looked at her watch and exclaimed “It’s after midnight”….

Berkeley Bowl Cheese

We love our trips back to the US, but we hate living out of a suitcase. A trip to the states means accumulating thousands of dollars worth of replacement boat parts, carrying clothes for 5 months, shlepping a couple of computers, and camera gear which this year included a drone that needed repair. The beauty of traveling by boat is the ability to travel to new places with your home. On the boat we don’t lose stuff.

We Don’t Pack Light

Thank you to all who hosted us this summer!

Costa Rica to Panama, It’s a Wrap!

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Last Sunset Age 64

My last blog left off at Marina Papagayo, with Michael having installed our new inverter. Many miles have traversed since then. What a trip this season has been with 2000 nm, 6 countries, some trials, great adventures, many laughs, a few lessons, and above all breathtaking vistas. Best told with pictures, so here goes:

Gulfo de Nicoya, Costa Rica

Underway again!

Frustrations from boat repair delays fell away as we left Playa del Coco to the Gulfo de Nicoya in Costa Rica. As promised, the Papagayo winds did finally ease. First stop was Bahia Samera to rest then Ballena for Michael’s birthday. Making short trips daily, we anchored and enjoyed many new places, briefly sublime.

Isla Samera

Happy 65th Michael!

Costa Rica Clouds, underway to Bahia Ballena

Ballena Anchorage

Birthday Dinner

Approaching Isla Cedros

Fishing camp at Isla Cedros anchorage

Sunset Isla Cedros

Beautiful Skies

Marina Suenos, Sport Fishers Haven

Sunset at Suenos

Bahia Drake

Footloose at Bahia Drake

We usually travel in daylight, but seriously overdone by the sun (85-90 average temp with humidity to match), we decided to travel over night to Bahia Drake. It was a calm and cool night, arriving at dawn to a quiet anchorage. Bahia Drake is situated in the lush Oso Peninsula. We reunited with our buddy boats Paradisea and Sonamara and lingered a couple weeks there, enjoying walks around the small town, and taking a couple tours to Corcovado Park and Isla Cano, ominous for being the place where more lightening strikes occur annually than anywhere in the world. We hired a panga to take us there. We were able to tie our dinghy to the Oso lodge dock to walk about and explore. The staff at Oso were helpful in setting up the tours. All in all, Bahia Drake was a favorite stop in Costa Rica.

Bahia Drake, Old Banyon along the tropical trail

Very Tall Bamboo

Our friend Drake at Oso Lodge

Birds thinking to nest in the bbq

Macaw of Bahia Drake

Tropical Plants delight

name that bird, pretty

Time to cool off!

Sunset, Bahia Drake

Bahia Drake

Bahia Drake Sundown

Rainforest Tour in Corcovado Park

Bittern, Corcovado Park

Getting to this tour was perhaps the most thrilling part. The panga picked us up from our boats and then traveled around the point to the beach where our park tour would begin. They drove through the rocks and crashing waves and backed us in to shore. It was hair raising. On shore, we took a great hike through the forest with our guide, trying not to think about the perilous return trip. The panga crew and boat were both strong and brave and we were back aboard our boats before sundown with more stories to tell.

Ride to Corcovado Park

Beach at Corcovado Park

Lou and Patrice, watching the crazy beach landing.

Creatures on Corcovado Tour

Wild Orchids

Dragonfly

sleeping?

Bittern’s prey, caught by tour guide.

Rainforest floor

Ants on a mission

interesting Palm variety

Unique Spider, the web is incredibly strong. Glad we didn’t walk into it.

Snorkeling at Isla del Caño

We didn’t swim as much as I’d hoped for this year. The water was either too rough with strong current or too muddy or too something else to encourage diving in. At last, we had it almost just right snorkeling at Caño. Alas, I did get stung by jellies, but still worth it.

Clouds above Isla Cano

Snorkeling, Isla Cano

our guide, Isla Cano

Gulfo Dulce

We departed April 14 for Puerto Jiminez. A large delightful group of dolphins escorted us along the way. It was hot, humid, calm, no wind for sailing. We anchored at 1430. I was somewhat distracted on this trip, thinking about the Masters. I am a huge golf fan and that’s something I miss out here. We had wi-fi at anchor and I quickly logged in to check on the tournament. Tiger won his 5th green jacket, a momentous comeback in the sport. We spent a few days in Gulfo Dulce, with Bahia Rincon being a favorite, though it did have its anchoring challenges with very uneven bottom (depths quickly vary from 15 to 50 feet). After a few days at anchor, we checked in at Golfito Marina and appreciated the air condition after a few weeks of none. Golfito would be our final stop in Costa Rica.

Dolphins, underway to Gulfo Dulce

Footloose, Bahia Rincon

Lisa and Maureen exploring Bahia Rincon

Roseta Spoonbill spotted at Bahia Rincon

Suset, Bahia Rincon

Fishing couple

Amazing Clouds, Gulfo Dulce

Yacht Transport, Golfito

Underway, flat seas and clouds to ponder

Panama

Isla Parida Anchorage

We began the season thinking and planning for the end destination of Panama. It’s hard to explain the emotion behind accomplishing this goal. We set off from Golfito eager to see some of the anchorages in western Panama on the way to Vista Mar Marina. 300 nm, let’s do this!

Homestead anchorage, last stop in Costa Rica

Mark and Sima, Wind Dragon at Pavones

Fishing Underway

Dolphin escort, underway to Panama

Michael and his catch, a Big Eyed-Tuna

We are so glad we allowed time to stop at these anchorages on the way to Vista Mar. Secluded, Tranquil, and Gorgeous!

Isla Parida

Isla Parida, Panama

Not quite a desert island; fishermen live here

Birds on a log, watch out underway

Isla Seca

Isla Seca anchorage

Our Private Beach

Many Crabs!

pretty water, except for the jelly fish!

Moonlight, Isla Seca

Bahia Honda and Ensenada Naranjo

Bahia Honda is a large bay with many anchorages, which we could have explored for days. We stayed only one night and still had several visitors including the National Park Police and the well-known Domingo and his son Kennedy who both visited with their pangas bringing fruit and welcoming smiles. Ensenada Naranjo brought visitors of the insect kind!

Bahia Honda

Ensenada Naranjo

Invasion at Naranjo

Chilling

Punto Malo

We had our weather window to face the final navigation test of the season – Punto Malo, known for extreme currents and winds. Looking good, we departed Ensenada Benao at 0530 to round the Point. All calm, Vista Mar here we come.

Punto Malo

We made it! Grateful for all we’ve seen, the people we’ve met, the countries explored. Grateful for the Panama Posse, a rich resource and community for making this passage. Grateful for our fabulous boat Footloose, which continues to be a strong and beautiful home for us at sea. Grateful for our buddy boats and friends on Paradisea and Sonamara, who made the challenges easier and the celebrations sweeter. We are back in the United States for the summer. Looking forward to Season Four and more footloose adventures in Panama…

Fair Winds everyone-

Lisa and Michael