happy new year from red frog beach

Sea Cloud, a lovely cruise boat that pulled in yesterday.  They use serious-looking survival craft to ferry passengers around the harbor.

Originally a private yacht built for E.F. Hutton, Sea Cloud (then Hussar II) was transferred to the Coast Guard and then to the Navy during World War II. Following the war it was returned to private ownership and served as a yacht for numerous people, including as the presidential yacht of the Rafael Trujillo. The ship currently sails in Europe and the Caribbean as part of the Sea Cloud fleet of Hamburg, Germany.

Creature of the day:  Bridled Burrfish, Chilomycterus antennatus

Photos online do not capture the cuteness of this fish.  It hovers like a small helicopter, with its pectoral fins whirring.  I saw it in the mangroves near the boat, with local fishermen out there every day.  It's in the same family as blowfishes- so probably not very good eating.

that's Panama, under those orange rain blobs.

Musicians in town for Bocas Day

what to feed cats in the tropics:

Creature of the day:  Sepioteuthis sepiodea, Caribbean Reef Squid (latest sighting)

On Saturday, we saw eight of these swimming in a line, right in the middle of a high-traffic  snorkel spot.  They are fascinating to watch- they change color as they move over different surfaces.  And the name is irresistible.

We're getting some work done on the boat YES!  lots of scraping, a little painting, installing plywood floors, and whatever else we can think of.  Two local guys- Edilberto and Fidel- show up every morning to help, and so far, they've been wonderful.  For us, it just feels right to be living on a construction site.  Everything we own is right in the middle of the floor, weighted down with 300 pounds of cat litter to help the glue set.  It's the old normal.

The lovely town of David- a gritty downtown encircled by ever-widening belt of mega-stores.  Actually, it's fun- and a beautiful drive getting there.  We went for a couple of days to buy plywood and paint, and make a Costco run.  The entire community of gringos is dependent for its survival on two sisters, Lola and Toby.  They drive you around David, find the oddball stuff you want, bargain with the local stores, and truck everything back to Bocas on the ferry.  What is not to like?

Pizza-eating grins at Rana Azul, the Austrian restaurant everyone sails to on Sunday.

Anchored in Bastimentos, and surrounded by moon jellies at the moment.  There are some smaller guys as well, box jellies and perhaps Medusas.  The stinging quotient is up, so we're reluctant to swim off the boat.  Mostly we get nailed by microscopic stuff floating alongside the jellyfish.

Lovely beach in the low season.  We anchor nearby and take a path through the woods to the ocean side, where there are two resorts- a fancy one and one for backpackers.  The backpacker one's usually more fun- local kids come around to be entertained by the visitors.

We're just hanging in Bocas- we moved a few miles east for the weekend, and it's lovely here, without the water taxis.  There's a small resort nearby with a serious pizza oven- cruisers like to come down on the weekend.  Tomorrow we'll go back, as we have vital provisions coming on the ferry:  cat litter.

Chili cookoff on the beach:  a good way to get fed on a Sunday

This water spout materialized during a rainstorm yesterday evening- quite strong at times, with winds up to 35 knots.  One boat dragged its anchor into shore, there was general excitement and some broken dishes.

We arrived in Panama City this morning at 3:30- staying at the cruisers' casa near the canal zone.  It's a surprisingly lovely area, walking distance to groceries, restaurants, and hardware, useful if we could carry one more thing in our bags.  There's even a lap pool nearby.  So we should be entertained till tomorrow afternoon.  We were planning to go downtown, to the old section- it's beautiful, but it just seems so far in the heat.

We left Ann's on Monday, and stopped in Rockland at Rose's church.  She's living there with a few friends for the summer.  They have a wonderful JESUS SAVES sign among the artifacts onsite- may be available for rental.  Yesterday we drove to the Cape to see Marcel and Kris again, after stopping off in Portland at Lynn's house.

Yesterday was just beautiful- there was even a slight breeze- so we went out with Ann and David on Crispie.  It's moored in Scarborough Springs, about half an hour from their house.  (the boat in the distance here is Makai, last seen in Roatan-!)

Yesterday, we visited Zippy's farm outside town  She had garlic drying on wire frames in the barn.  Her husband's building a wooden boat- the hull is almost finished.  

Lovely day on Attean Lake with Barbara and Bob- we went to a favorite spot, half an hour by boat from Jackman.  Brought a picnic, went swimming.  Later, it clouded over- today's rainy.

Deer in the yard at Muzz's

Zoe and Abby

We spent a couple of days on the Cape with Lorenzo's brother Marcel and his four grandchildren.  Fun stuff-  Beach!  Pingpong!  Drawing!  Eating!  Lots to catch up on.  

Sam and Abby (I think)

Sandy Point:  we swim here every day.  Yesterday, the lifeguards tried to herd us into shallow water, but we were adamant.

Meg and Simca making jewelry at the dining room table.  We're spending this vacation in the dining room, reading the paper, logging computer time, and of course eating.  It's overcast outside today.  Pippa and Kate are in the kitchen planning a trip to the beach.  Muzz and Lorenzo are watching tennis.  I'm downloading Caribbean maps on the iPad.  Big fun!

We're in RI for a few weeks; meanwhile, back in Panama, Laurie Jones is cat-sitting our boat.  Yesterday she dropped her keys overboard, and had to get in to feed the cats.  So she called Sam, her skinniest friend, and pushed her through the porthole into the bathroom.  Who knew that was even possible?  

This is what you get when you lend your iPad to kids!  A local boy, Gabriel, did this drawing for me when we were out on Bastimentos last week.   He already had it worked out in his head, and drew as if he were copying it down from memory.  Very methodical.  When he needed a new color, he came looking for me.  

It's a superhero- well, obviously!

We spent the past week a few miles from Bocas town in the area known as Tierra Oscura.  Salt water bays with little mangrove islands.  A few gringos have houses there- one with a chocolate farm.  There was a fourth of July barbecue, without fireworks.  Very peaceful area, except for the sound of VHF radios calling out to each other.

Creature of the day:  Blue-grey Tanager

So Michelle and I went back to the Monkey Garden this morning for a bird walk.  It was- wonderful, I think.  Although I didn't see many birds- my norm for birdwatching- birds were seen, and the garden is so spectacular early in the morning that it didn't matter.  Our guide was a kid from the Smithsonian outpost here, steeped in tropical ecology and a very informed birder.  For what I missed, see Birds of Panama.  Especially the national bird.

There's an impressive botanical garden here, owned by a British couple with apparently unlimited energy.  They've managed to pave winding trails around the hills of a 20 acre site, and cover the whole place with exotic plants.  All the tropical Greatest Hits:  gingers, palms, heleconias, orchids.  Figs- insects love figs.  Nutmeg.  Papayas.  A small vanilla plantation.  We joined our friends Vern and Michelle, and trailed after a large Panamanian family all dressed in the latest resort fashion.  They were at least as interesting as the plants.


more pix!

First glimpse of Panama:  we arrived!  It's nice!  we like it!
It's warmer here, with no wind- the sailors go crazy.  So far, the water's nice- some coral action, and lots of sea grass.  The town of Bocas is wonderfully entertaining, esp. as we recall its 1995 version (before paving).  It's now a prime tourist destination, with all the attendant pizza joints, tour operators, and providers of filmy Indian garments.  Also kick-ass Chinese hardware stores- thrilling for Lorenzo.  We anchored near town to check in, but there are lots of small islands and coves around to visit.  


PS- The cats went through a quarantine inspection.  Yesterday, a day after we checked in, an official of the port arrived by lancha (piloted by his teenage son).  He asked to see the cats- who had already met the immigration crew- and check their papers.  Lucky they have papers, from the vet in Key West.  He asked a few questions, like how to translate 'domestic short-hair'.  They passed.  $26.

Cayos Albuquerque

This is a coral atoll with two significant islands- one a Columbian military base, the other occupied by fishermen who trade back in San Andres.  They sold us a delicious 6 lb. horseeye jack, enough for 3 meals (human and feline).

Sunday morning we went out to swim along the surf break.  This is usually where the good snorkeling is, where fish come in from the ocean to feed on the coral 

Here, instead of waves breaking on a shallow area of coral, there were caverns as deep as 30 or 40 feet hollowed out beneath us.  We had to find passages through the coral.

Up top, the surf was crashing- not too hard, though.  It wouldn't be fun to get pounded on this stuff.  The fish were surging about:  ocean triggerfish, blue tangs, black durgons, midnight parrotfish, grey snapper.  And nurse sharks, basking in any secluded spot.  They seem to think that if their noses are under a ledge, that counts as a hiding place.  

Our plan is to leave Providencia tomorrow morning and head for Bocas del Toro.  San Andres, 55 miles to the south, is a convenient stop.  From there, it's about 30 hours nonstop to Panama.

I've been going around taking pictures of this lovely place.  

Traffic jam in front of City Hall

more pix!

Horserace:  This is the exuberance at the end- of course I didn't get any pictures of the actual race.  Two horses ran a half mile or so along the beach.  Ten thousand dollar purse, lots of betting involved.  The locals then spent the afternoon listening to music and engaging in the main local activity:  flirting.  The tourists hung together to practice our main activities:  eating seafood and drinking, while trading stories about other places.


more pix!

I want to take pictures of Providencia's most stunning attractions, but it's such a low key place.  Here's Lorenzo at the bakery.  Croissants, pastries with guava jelly, palmier cookies.  Instant coffee.  Ice cream that is strictly a concept.  

We met Felipe ('cause no diving in heaven) and as there's no resisting him, we went diving.

The thing is, you will have a good time with Felipe.

On the first dive, we went to 70 feet. Unremarkable site- few fish, dead coral. He immediately found and speared a lion fish. A 5' shark came out of nowhere. Soon we were surrounded by mid-size sharks (Black Tip) waiting for a treat. He continued to spear lion fish and feed the sharks, taunting them toreador style.

The next dive took place entirely at 30 feet, and featured schools and schools of fish- mostly squirrelfish and grunts. So thousands of pink and yellow fish, just hanging out. It was like a flower garden. On closer inspection, we found flounder, rays, rockfish, tiger snapper, etc.

I hope someone sends us pictures.

Creature of the day:  Comb Jellies, or Ctinophores


These creatures are taking over the ocean- at least the warm ocean.  Sometimes there are thousands of them out there when we swim.  They are non-stinging; not real jellies.  Yesterday we saw them with a number of large Moon Jellies, which do sting if you touch them.  In Panama, jellies of all kinds accumulate in the bays around Bocas del Toro, making them unswimmable.  But we'll figure out where to swim when we get there.  All hail our new masters!

This impressive thing is the north sea trawler Stahlratte, which just left Providencia this morning.  It travels a course in the northwest Caribbean in winter- and in summer ferries travelers back and forth from Columbia to Panama.

Apiary!  We bought some honey.

Boat race:  2 sailboats and 5 support dinghies.

South West Bay:  Roland Roots Bar, and swings

Creature of the day:  Spotted Eagle Ray

This little one was feeding in shallow water just a few feet from the footbridge in town.  You can see the duck-like bill.  They feed on mollusks, cracking the shells in their jaws.  We saw his parents swimming out on the reef yesterday afternoon:  5 or 6 feet long, and definitely past the cute stage.  They can get up to 16 feet, and 500 pounds.

A trip around the island by golf cart.