Thar she blows!!

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Well needless to say it´s been an adventures few weeks. San Jose was a lot different than I remember it from 8 years ago. A lot more cosmopolitan. Did some good shopping and some good wandering. But after a few days, started to get the beach urge again. Made my way to Puerto Viejo on the Caribbean side. It is amazing just how different the Caribbean is from the Pacific, visually and culturally. Stayed at this cool but very crowded hostel called rocking J´s. It´s only tents and hammaks and they packed the people in. I think it has space for about 300 people. Basically didn´t sleep because of the noise. Tried to do some surfing but it was either non existant or on Salsa Brava which is a wave here that is big and over a reef. Not really my level (yet!) So rented a bike and rode the 15km through some beautiful beaches and great jungle scenery. But after no surfing and rain for three days, decided it was time to make my way to Columbia.

Went back to San Jose and booked my bus to Panama City. Tica bus is great but man are they cold. The bus ride was actually quite pleasant and got to watch Home Alone 1, 2 and 3 all in Spanish. What a treat! Got to the hostel at 5am, they were not so pleased to let me in at that hour. Unlike San Jose, I didn´t think Panama City had changed that much. Still big, loud and chaotic. Not my favorite place. So I was stoked when I found out that a boat was leaving for Columbia the next day. So I hoped on a bus to Portobelo, back on the Caribbean side, and met up with the Capitan and my fellow sailors to head out the next day.

Turns out the Capitan is a French Canadian guy and the boat is registered in Victoria, BC. Just like home. There were 6 of us on board a 39 foot sailboat. Two Irish girls (who I actually met on the bus, we organized the trip together in Panama City), an Israeli and American couple, an Aussie guy who had tried to ride his motorcycle through the Darien Gap but couldn´t quite make it, a Canadian from Kamloops who was the Capitans assistant and me.

THe first day we sailed from Portobleo to the San Blass Islands which took about 5 hours. It was really rough and we were all starting to wonder if we had made the right decision. A few people were sick and it was not the most pleasant boat ride. Got to the islands and spent the night on one of them with the locals. THey cooked us the most amazing rice and chopped down fresh coconuts to mix with our rum. Paradise! Spent the next day snorkeling the islands, playing with the local kids and hanging out at the beach. The next day a cruise ship rolled in so all the Kuna people from the surrounding islands set up a big market on one of the islands to sell their crafts to the tourists. It was a bit disturbing to see this tiny island packed with tourists when only the day before it was empty. I don´t think the ships come in very often (other than the many small sailboats like the one I was on). We left that night for Columbia.

The first night we all took seasickness pills because of that first day and they seemed to do the trick for everyone. Except me. Turns out those pills and me do not mix. Not that I was sick. More like I was stoned out of my mind. It was as if I had taken tranquilizers mixed with laughing gas. I was delirious and couldn´t move my body. A drooling idiot basically. We all took turn steering the boat at the helm in two hour shifts and my first shift was at midnight. I had a really hard time holding my head up and laughing hysterically. But after my shift I slept like a log.

The second day at sea was uneventful. We all spent most of it sleeping on the deck. Going below was vomit inducing and moving around too much was really hard. My next shift at the helm was in the afternoon. A much easier shift. I´ve never been on the open ocean where you don´t see land for days at a time. I can see how people might go a bit nutty. Last shift was at 2.30 am. THe wind was really blowing and it was great being on the ocean at night. Tons of stars and phosporescents in the water. Amazing. Got into Cartegena early that morning. So in total, two days and two nights of sailing. Didn´t eat a thing the whole time.

So far Cartegena is wonderful. There is a film festival going on right now so lot´s of people, food and outdoor films. Met up with some friends I´d made in Nicaragua last night but I was so tired after the trip that I crashed really early. So today I explore the city and perhaps catch a few films.

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