Pacific Panama

NO GREEN FLASH

We paid $80 for three nights at Balboa Yacht Club, about the same per night as Shelter Bay Marina. There were showers, a laundry and a restaurant ashore. The first job was to find a dentist. Jeremy recalled that he had been to one in Balboa village seven years ago, but the office staff did not seem to have heard of it. We walked to the village and found the dentists’. An appointment was made for the following day. We bought courtesy flags at Islamadora, which is an agency for Admiralty charts and books.

The next job was to find some meds for me. We needed to buy bus passes as most of Panama City transport is now cashless. First, we ate very good local food from a popular street vendor. Arriving at Albrook Terminal on a bus that still took cash (25c) we bought bus passes for $2 and charged them with $2. Jeremy continues. Then we entered the vast Albrook Mall, which runs parallel to the Albrook transport hub. It seems to be a two storey structure running one mile from end to end. There were three farmacia, one at each end and one close to the middle. The best chance appeared to be at the north end at a huge shop called Arrocha. We walked. They did not have the correct meds. We walked to the Super 99 at the south end: they did not have the medicine. They suggested we try Arrocha. We bought some supplies as Super 99 is a big supermarket (no Weetabix). We walked to the north end to catch the bus back to Amador which is near Balboa Yacht Club. In went the washing, we had a beer each and eventually, after the drier had finished, collapsed back at Sal Darago.

We caught the bus to Albrook at 0820 the next day, walked about half a mile to the subway station and took the metro to San Tomas, next to a big hospital. We tried a farmacia, but no joy. After a short walk we entered a Western Union money exchange, where we reluctantly changed 200 Eastern Caribbean Dollars, worth 73 USD, for only 50USD. Pat Denham had kindly given them to us in the UK and we had tried all the Caribbean islands we had visited to change them without any success. (I think I would have taken 10 USD!) Back at the hospital and we caught a bus to Riba Smith, a Waitrose lookalike. Way hey, hurray – WEETABIX. We also purchased a few other items. Their farmacia did not have the meds. Another walk, another bus and we were back at Albrook, but it was too late to return to Sal Darago for lunch. We walked briskly back to Arrocha, and bought the tablets which we had turned down yesterday. We ate at KFC and caught the bus to Balboa, where I had my tooth glued back for 85 USD. Across from the dentist was a large local supermarket, where we were to buy our supplies. Unfortunately, it turned out to be a large café. We wearily took the bus back to Albrook and shopped in Super 99. Again it was late when we stepped aboard SD, but Kathy needed a shower and more clothes had to be washed so she took the launch ashore, while I packed away the shopping, swam and showered on board.

On Thursday, at 1100, Sal Darago was on the fuel berth for diesel and water. We had had the most frustrating morning. T-mobile had taken £50c from our account because of automated calls being charged as Voicemail at £1.50 for three seconds. This had happened 34 times. We finally managed to get T-mobile to turn off our voicemail. (Thank goodness for Skype).

A rather exposed Otoque anchorage

We motor sailed to the Island of Otoque. The best anchorage was taken by a yacht called YoYo from the Cook Islands. We cooked a mince stew, despite the roll of the swell.

Up at 0500, we left at 0600 motorsailing until 2330 when we anchored at Ensenada Benao, a surfers’ paradise. Much to my delight, the anchor dragged and it was nearly midnight before we settled. Aside from the dolphins, flying fish and occasional turtle, we had seen rays leaping from the water and somersaulting back in. Quite spectacular. It appears surfers do not like to sleep as the bay reverberated to the sound of partying until we left at 0600 for another day on the engine. The ambient temperature is close to 30C so the saloon is hot. With no wind, it can be a little sweaty. However, our anchorage on Saturday night at Ensenada Naranjo, was a beautiful, clean bay with a couple of houses. We swam, showered and had sundowners as the sun sank and the sky became a magic pattern of reds, gold and yellow. I remembered why we like sailing.

Anchored off Isla de Canales De Tierra