We’re loving being back in the tropical warmth of Panama. At this time of year the wind comes from the north, a product of the trade winds which blow strongly in the southern Caribbean and spill through the low points in the Central American isthmus. These “gap winds” on the Pacific side blow day and night and can be quite strong and gusty at times. They keep us cool but cause the boats in the marina to rock and roll quite a bit breaking dock lines and busting fenders.
We stayed in Vista Mar marina for a couple of weeks to get settled back in, provision the boat and wait for our friends Nancy and Warwick to join us for a week of cruising in the Las Perlas Islands. The marina was very sociable and we got together with the crew from four other boats to celebrate Neil’s birthday. We shared a minibus into Coronado, enjoyed a meal in a restaurante Italiano then went to a bar to listen to the Jim Votaw band (local legends!) We danced the night away and had a groovy time.
One day we hired a car with Jeariene and Walt on S/V Knot Right and drove up to the Anton Valley. The little town of El Valle lies in the crater of a volcano nestled among jagged mountains and is famous for it’s fruit and veggie market. There are numerous trails to explore most ending with a waterfall for a cooling swim. We hiked up to see some petroglyphs drawn on the rock wall by Pre-Columbian nomadic hunters about 8000 years ago. The guide explained the meaning of all the squiggles but it looked like a plate of instant noodles to me.
After a languorous lunch in the very upmarket Casa de Lourdes restaurant we took a dip in the hot springs. They were not particularly hot but the highlight of the visit was the mud. The entrance fee included a facial mud bath; we smeared our faces from pots of volcanic mud; white for normal skin and black for sensitive skin, and for a small additional fee I bought an extra tub of mud for the full body experience. Being covered in dried, cracking, flaking white mud from head to toe was a bizarre experience but, boy, did my skin feel soft afterwards. I even had some mud left to take home!
Once Nancy and Warwick arrived we left Vista Mar and had a fantastic sail across to the Las Perlas Islands. The wind was strong and gusty so we reefed the mainsail and gib and raised the staysail. We sped along averaging over six knots and dropped anchor in the southern bay of Isla Pedro Gonzalez in time for sundowners. The next day we swam in the brackish water lagoon behind the beach and enjoyed watching a group the pelicans diving for fish; they are such comical and ungainly birds.
We spent a couple of days anchored on the south side of Isla Viveros where we were tucked out of the wind, it was wonderfully tranquil anchorage. Nancy, Warwick and I had a walk across the island along an abandoned airstrip to check out the small village on the northern shore. While we were gone Neil went fishing and caught three cod so we munched down fish tacos for lunch. The next day we took the bikes ashore and explored the rest of the island. Having narrowly missed riding over a snake we made it to the northeast tip of the island where we found a resort with a beautiful swimming pool. Unfortunately we had not taken our togs, it looked so good!
At Isla Chapera we met up with our friends Tara and Mike on S/V Xenia. We made a bonfire on the beach and sat around under the stars with plenty of wine and rum and good stories, it was a lovely evening. We finished our tour with Nancy and Warwick at Isla Contadora. It is the most developed of the Las Perlas Islands with several hotels and restaurants and a small supermarket. They treated us to a slap-up meal at La Mirador, a newly opened restaurant which had been recommended to us. The service was good and the food was delicious, definitely a step up from casado (rice and beans served with fried fish or chicken) which is standard Panamanian fare.
As well as swanning around the islands we have been getting some boat jobs done. Before we left Vista Mar Neil struggled with repairing the hot water heater but unfortunately even liberal doses of JBweld would not stop the leaks so we have to find another solution. Cleaning the hull was another chore we were not looking forward to. After three months of neglect we expected to find a mini-reef but luckily it was just a bit fuzzy with algae and only an occasional barnacle. The worst part was the freezing water; the temperature at this time of year is ridiculously cold (20oC) and after narrowly avoiding hypothermia I had to put on my wetsuit, much to my disgust in the tropics!
It ain’t all gin and tonic you know!
Suzy