4-1 Left Panama city bright and early in a 4x4 for a drive on a crazy winding road to the coast. We boarded a skiff that took us to the millitary outpost island of Porvenir in the San Blas Island chain where we arrived at the sailboat we would be taking to Colombia...the Delfin Solo. The San Blas Islands are home to the Kuna people who are quite independent and the islands are actually a semi autonomous region run by the Kuna Yala.
We boarded the Delfin Solo which is a 42 foot sailboat. We were welcomed by the Captains, Rengue (Turkish American) and Tashin a turkish guy. The other passengers on the boat were 4 brits (Holly, Giseppe, Natasha, and Lucy) and one German (Sophie), which ended up being a really good group! While we waited for the captains to deal with checking us out of Panama on the tiny little island, Elisha and I swam to it from the boat and explored around it a bit. It wasnt much bigger than 3 or 4 football fields.
After we were officially checked out of Panama, we started sailing to another island. Along the way, we passed by a couple of dolphins swimming around. We anchored at this next island and we all swam to it. We walked around the island and then met the captains at a small bar on the beach where they shared rum and cokes with us on the palm studded island. The more rum the captains had, the more their crazy sailing and Turkey stories began to flow. Elisha and my bunks were in the very front of the bow of the boat. Each bed was angled funny being that they were in the very narrow part of the bow. Rengue and Tashin shared a bed in the center of the boat. Sophia slept on a bed next to theirs and the brits were all in the stern, but it was a hot night, so most of us ended up sleeping on the deck of the boat, falling asleep as we watched the stores and listened to the waves lap up against the boat.
4-2
We had breakfast on the boat and then set sail (really sailing sans motor) to another Kuna island where we walked around a bit and then had a fresh fish lunch and also bought some supplies for our upcoming ocean crossing. We then boarded the boat again and set sail for another island. We dove off the boat and swam to this island to relax before coming back to the boat for another night under the stars.
4-3
We took the little dinghy out to a teeny tiny island that was a bit far out. This island was half the size of a football field, but covered with palm trees. After hanging out on this picturesque island, Elisha and I swam back to the boat. From there, we put the sails back up and sailed to a group of 6 islands. These islands were surrounded by surreal water. Idyllic. Picture perfect postcart island with gorgeous water and leaning palms and sugar white sands.
Right before we had left the previous island, a couple local fishermen in their dugout canoes paddled up to sell us some shellfish. The captains bought 3 huge crabs and 17 lobsters for a grand total of 45 US dollars! wow! So after exploring and walking around the entirety of this gorgeous island we feasted on this lobster and crab dinner that the one family of Kunas on the island cooked for us. It was DELICIOUS! And basically as many lobsters as you could eat. Incredible! Truly incredible! As much lobster as I could eat!
After the feast while everyone else sunbathed, Elisha and I swam out to 3 of the other tiny islands. On one of the islands, we knocked down a coconut and broke it up to eat the meat without using any man-made tools. We were quite proud of ourselves for this As the sun was beginning to set, Elisha and I set out for a short snorkel trip around the reef where we some saw reef fishes and a lonesome stingray.
This night we were supposed to leave for the open ocean, but there wasnt much wind, so we postponed until the next morning.
4-4
We left bright and early for the open ocean. I was lucky and had not seasickness, but almost everyone else did, even though the seas were calm. I think Elisha threw up over the boat 3 times. But so did Lucy. Sophie never left her bed!
Just open water and waves all day. I rather enjoyed it bc it was silent, save for the waves and wind in the sails. I did a lot of napping and moving around to avoid the sun. After the sun set, the wind really picked up and the boat was cruising. The bow of the ship was rising and falling dramatically, which of course where Elisha and my bunks were located. So it was a wild sleep! Doing anything inside the boats (i.e. peeing, getting food, etc) was very difficult.
4-5
Woke up to calmer seas and low wind, so it was slow, slow going. I wasnt fearing sea sickness today, so I did a lot of reading in addition to sleeping on the deck and listening to music. At one point, a huge pod of dolphins (definitely not a delfin solo!) followed us for a bit, playing around. I stood up by the bow of the boat so that I was directly above them and could see them darting back and forth as they checked out the ship. During this time, John Denver's song Calypso was running through my head.
4-6 We arrived in to Cartagena, Colombia after 48 hours. Their record was 27 hours as the shortest and 56 hours as the longest. Ours was a bit longer than normal. It was very early, 5am, so the lights on the colonial city from the water were gorgeous.
We boarded the Delfin Solo which is a 42 foot sailboat. We were welcomed by the Captains, Rengue (Turkish American) and Tashin a turkish guy. The other passengers on the boat were 4 brits (Holly, Giseppe, Natasha, and Lucy) and one German (Sophie), which ended up being a really good group! While we waited for the captains to deal with checking us out of Panama on the tiny little island, Elisha and I swam to it from the boat and explored around it a bit. It wasnt much bigger than 3 or 4 football fields.
After we were officially checked out of Panama, we started sailing to another island. Along the way, we passed by a couple of dolphins swimming around. We anchored at this next island and we all swam to it. We walked around the island and then met the captains at a small bar on the beach where they shared rum and cokes with us on the palm studded island. The more rum the captains had, the more their crazy sailing and Turkey stories began to flow. Elisha and my bunks were in the very front of the bow of the boat. Each bed was angled funny being that they were in the very narrow part of the bow. Rengue and Tashin shared a bed in the center of the boat. Sophia slept on a bed next to theirs and the brits were all in the stern, but it was a hot night, so most of us ended up sleeping on the deck of the boat, falling asleep as we watched the stores and listened to the waves lap up against the boat.
4-2
We had breakfast on the boat and then set sail (really sailing sans motor) to another Kuna island where we walked around a bit and then had a fresh fish lunch and also bought some supplies for our upcoming ocean crossing. We then boarded the boat again and set sail for another island. We dove off the boat and swam to this island to relax before coming back to the boat for another night under the stars.
4-3
We took the little dinghy out to a teeny tiny island that was a bit far out. This island was half the size of a football field, but covered with palm trees. After hanging out on this picturesque island, Elisha and I swam back to the boat. From there, we put the sails back up and sailed to a group of 6 islands. These islands were surrounded by surreal water. Idyllic. Picture perfect postcart island with gorgeous water and leaning palms and sugar white sands.
Right before we had left the previous island, a couple local fishermen in their dugout canoes paddled up to sell us some shellfish. The captains bought 3 huge crabs and 17 lobsters for a grand total of 45 US dollars! wow! So after exploring and walking around the entirety of this gorgeous island we feasted on this lobster and crab dinner that the one family of Kunas on the island cooked for us. It was DELICIOUS! And basically as many lobsters as you could eat. Incredible! Truly incredible! As much lobster as I could eat!
After the feast while everyone else sunbathed, Elisha and I swam out to 3 of the other tiny islands. On one of the islands, we knocked down a coconut and broke it up to eat the meat without using any man-made tools. We were quite proud of ourselves for this As the sun was beginning to set, Elisha and I set out for a short snorkel trip around the reef where we some saw reef fishes and a lonesome stingray.
This night we were supposed to leave for the open ocean, but there wasnt much wind, so we postponed until the next morning.
4-4
We left bright and early for the open ocean. I was lucky and had not seasickness, but almost everyone else did, even though the seas were calm. I think Elisha threw up over the boat 3 times. But so did Lucy. Sophie never left her bed!
Just open water and waves all day. I rather enjoyed it bc it was silent, save for the waves and wind in the sails. I did a lot of napping and moving around to avoid the sun. After the sun set, the wind really picked up and the boat was cruising. The bow of the ship was rising and falling dramatically, which of course where Elisha and my bunks were located. So it was a wild sleep! Doing anything inside the boats (i.e. peeing, getting food, etc) was very difficult.
4-5
Woke up to calmer seas and low wind, so it was slow, slow going. I wasnt fearing sea sickness today, so I did a lot of reading in addition to sleeping on the deck and listening to music. At one point, a huge pod of dolphins (definitely not a delfin solo!) followed us for a bit, playing around. I stood up by the bow of the boat so that I was directly above them and could see them darting back and forth as they checked out the ship. During this time, John Denver's song Calypso was running through my head.
4-6 We arrived in to Cartagena, Colombia after 48 hours. Their record was 27 hours as the shortest and 56 hours as the longest. Ours was a bit longer than normal. It was very early, 5am, so the lights on the colonial city from the water were gorgeous.
1 comment:
I dont think that open sailing agrees with me. I felt sick the whole way and even felt the rocking and rolling for then next 2 days on land! The beautiful islands made it worth it though!
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