All about Sol...Panama - Cartegena

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" Caribbean queen... now we sharing the same thing...and our hearts will beat as one...ooh ooh oohh"

Well you know how the rest goes and i know you do but anything to do with the caribbean i was singing it ..to myself but nonetheless it was in my heart as im rocking backward and forward and sidewards on our 50ft sailing boat ' Seaddler' The sea eagle. Im sitting on the bow( i hope thats the front )writing awkwardly hoping the seasickness doesnt rear its ugly head again and im just watching my little hairs poke through my newly tanned legs dangling a metre above this gorgeous deep blue sea. Orianne is lesiurely lying on deck making sure every inch of her body gets a nice tan.(bloody french even when they burn they tan not peel). Not a bad routine for a 5 day transit from puerto lindo, Panama to Cartegena, Colombia drivin by our crazy yet funny german skipper Guido. We are not able to swim or snorkle (or should i say mask as the snorkles were broken) for the last leg of the taxi which takes 2 days and to the north of Colombia. The breeze is keeping us cool and the playful dolphins by the side of the boat keeps us amused (as to calm any cabin fever) by what id have to say is one of the most gorgeous seas we have seen for a while.

The first 2 days had us coasting along and through the San Blas Islands which are owned autonomously by the kuna tribes people. I tell ya what i wouldnt want anyone else to come here and stuff it up either!! There are more than 400 islands they say one for each day of the year and most of these islands are used for farming coconuts in which they sell export over 50 000 a year to the colombians. Love the pipas for a wee 25c these kids with a swift whack of the machete and voila yummy fresh juice.
The 'seaddler' owned and run by german previous hippy/biker couple keep themselves afloat by taxiing backpackers from Panama to Colombia as we know there are no roads running through the Darien. We swam around these picture postcard islands which have been totally unharmed pure bliss...at times the kuna tribes people would paddle their big dugout canoes up to the boat to sell handicrafts or massive crabs and lobsters and fish. A big plate of fresh crab lobster and fish to feed four people cost in total $10 plus $ for them to smoke the fish with coconut rice. Great for all the seafood luvers. We bought a case of beer for the trip but found out quite early with the motion of the ocean wasnt in my favour. 7 out of 10 of us throwing down seasickness tablets to cope. We all just eneded up lying doped out on deck watching the stars. Oriane found her sealegs early and didnt get sick the whole time. 10 people on board meant we were also part of the crew, split into pairs there was kitchen duty and night watch. Nothing like rocking back and forward trying not to chop off a finger or get scolded by boiling water.
Everything seems a little more intense on a boat lucky to have a nice group of people as 5 days in each others pockets can get a little hairy, even Orianne and i manged to break up and remarry again he he.
hasta luego amigos

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