Panama finally let us go

We are two weeks into our 3 week passage from Galapagos to the Marquesas.  It will be the longest we ever do.  Totally sick of the rolly motion.  Like being on a bad fairground ride for the past two weeks...  Comforting myself eating crap food – biscuits, chocolates and cake which are the only things I really feel like right now as my stomach lurches from side to side. Despite all the calories, the weight drops off you on these trips as you are in perpetual motion. 

The big question at the moment is will we get to the Marquesas in time for my birthday.  We were late leaving Panama which only leaves us 22 days to get there and the trip normally takes 21...  Some days we make great mileage and others – I don’t want to think about.  It will be the first dry birthday I can remember since my childhood.

Panama was a real mix of modern western city, chaotic squalid districts and Latin charm.  We spent almost 6 months there.  3 months on the Caribbean side which was very ‘Jamaican’, run down and pretty dangerous in places.  We had to get a 1 ½ hour bus ride to get to a decent supermarket and there was really nowhere to go out.  Plus is poured with rain for 6 weeks which meant we were boat bound or very damp whenever we had to go anywhere – which unfortunately was frequently.

Local bus service

One Sunday morning Mark woke up with no feeling in his right arm.  He waited for it to wake up but it never did.  By this time we thought he might have had a stroke and went to the local clinic.  They said ‘not to worry’ but his blood pressure was high and he should take some pills – duly provided for only 40 cents.  As the day wore on we felt a second opinion might be needed and found there was a ‘hospital’ about an hour and half away by taxi.  They said much the same as the clinic but recommended he see a nerve specialist in Panama City the following day – a 7-8 hour round trip on two buses and a taxi each way. 

40cent medical dispensary

The nerve specialist confirmed it was a trapped nerve and the feeling gradually returned to his arm 2 weeks later.  However, she was alarmed at his blood pressure and booked him in with a heart specialist the following day – joy another trip to Panama City.  We were getting up a dawn and not getting back to the boat until nearly midnight.  And all this in drenching tropical downpours.  The worst was one night where the dinghy engine wouldn’t start because rain had got into the fuel and I had to row about a mile back to the boat.  While Mark tried to hold up an umbrella with his one good arm.  The upside is that Mark is now taking his blood pressure seriously and it’s all under control with some pills and salt and coffee now a major treat for him – haven’t been able to persuade him on the alcohol front tho’- no surprise there.

Love the orange streaks

 

I also got my hair coloured on the Caribbean side.  The usual highlights but I asked in my best Spanish if she could cover the grey with some brown as well.  Clearly my Spanish is not that good.  I ended up looking like an Eastern European Moll with black hair and a couple of orange streaks at the front.  Everyone was calling me Olga and I was thinking of getting a flight to Miami to try to get it sorted out.  Ricardo in Panama City came to the rescue and I’m slowly returning to normal (whatever that was)

Kirsty with her stern line

Ian and the Pacific ocean at the last lock

Lindsay fending off the tourist boat



Sydney Harbour Bridge?  That was quick

 

 

Ian and Kirsty came out to help us with the canal transit which all went quite smoothly.  We had already done it twice with two other boats so knew what to expect and it didn’t seem so overwhelming going through with Zenna.  They spent a further week with us in Las Perlas a group of islands on the Pacific side.  Really beautiful with clear waters, dolphins, whales and incredible dancing rays that would leap out of the water like an orchestrated water fountain – totally insane to watch.

Varnishing or the next episode of Dexter?

Pristine Las Perlas

The next three months were spent between these islands and an anchorage called La Playita near Panama City getting lots of jobs done – including installing a new washing machine which slipped in through the hatch and into the cupboard nicely but then refused to work.  Turned out that the control panel had been knocked in during the shipping from the UK so we had to dismantle the cupboard and the machine to p

Panama City Skyline

ush the panel back into place...  Nothing is ever simple.

Got to know Panama City quite well and finally decided that it looks like a sophisticated city but once you scratch the surface, it is not that different from the Caribbean side. The city skyscape can match some of the best but everything is just a veneer – even Mark’s heart specialist when we went back for a second consultation was all bedside manner but couldn’t find any of his previous results.  We ended up using his computer to get onto Mark’s email to find the information...

4 trolley shop

And some more

Now where do I put it all

We also spent a lot of time trying to find crew for our passage to Polynesia.  The process started in August and at different points we had 3 people lined up ready to come who changed their minds.  Finally a young Canadian chap called Matt joined us who was very easy going and helped get loads of jobs done before departure. 

1st crew Matt

We were about to check out of the country and discovered his passport didn’t have the necessary 6 months for entry to Polynesia – 1^st delay,  new passport ordered for 1 week later, then we had a problem with our old friend the generator 2^nd delay, new part ordered from the UK duration unknown, then Mark got a staph infection with a temperature of 103 and a nasty swelling on his leg  3^rd delay– a week in an aircon room and antibiotics sorted that one out, then Matt decided he had to go back to Canada leaving us crewless once again 4^th delay- fortunately we found Florent a crazy French boy looking for a ride on the dock, then the batteries started playing up and we decided we needed new ones.  Finally we managed to leave and we were about an hour away from the dock when I remembered I’d left my bike tied up to the railings.  Back we went much to the amusement of the rest of the harbour.

Florent - Crazy Frenchman

Florent, our 23 year old crew, has decided he will buy his own boat which draws lots of comparisons with Zenna and the way we do things.  His number one changes will be allowing smoking and beer drinking.  He has had to give up both during this trip.  Apart from some initial tetchiness the main by product of his withdrawal has been a rapacious appetite.  He’s like a cuckoo.  We tried to fill him up but decided it was impossible to fill the void, so now it’s smaller regular meals with lots of sugar and salt which seems to be all he can taste.

Melon Stall
 

All has to be washed in bleach before we go



And Mangoes



 

Left Panama about 2 months later than planned and had 2 weeks in the Galapagos.  Surprised by how much we enjoyed them.  Even treated ourselves to a little holiday – a 4 day boat trip on the Eden!  It was great – someone else to worry about the boat, cooking, getting from a-b – we just turned up for walks ashore and swimming and snorkelling.  That’s more like it.

Final fueling up

 

Relaxing on board the Eden

 
So now we are Polynesia bound and not sure what‘s in store for us there.  Mark’s mum is joining us for a couple of weeks for Mark’s 50^th at the beginning of July but otherwise no real plans.  As we are a bit late getting into the Pacific we may have to trim the number of islands we do this year and come back next year after the winter in New Zealand.