Bocas del Toro, Panama

August 2007
Bocas del Toro, Panama

8/1
We started August with a boat project.   We noticed on our way here, when we heel hard to starboard, the motor makes a noise.  So, upon checking, we have a broken motor mount.  So, we ordered four new motor mounts and purchased them when we were in the States, and Gary on S/V Bold Venture, a Tayana 37 volunteered to assist us with the project.
So, today is the day and the project went very well.  No surprises, which is good on a boat project.  One project usually leads to three or four.   But, by 4 p.m., the job was finished and we had two sore, and tired sailors.   Thanks Gary!

8/2
Today, we woke up early and walked around Carenero Island.  It was a nice walk.   A portion of the island was where the locals lived in their shanty houses, then further around, some restaurants, some hotels, then rain forest with mud trails through the jungle, then nice homes that are being developed.   It took us four hours to walk around the island, but we went in one big circle one time.   The orchids were just beautiful.
"Honey, are we really here?"

We had a motor arrive at the ferry this morning, right on schedule, just as we were told.   What is wrong with this picture?   This is Central America......things don't happen like that here.    But, we are thankful.   We took Mike's dinghy to the ferry and took the motor out of the box and loaded it in the dinghy to carry it back to the marina.  Because of the electric start, we will need a battery.  So we went to the store in town who had a battery we wanted, but could not get the acid for it until Monday.  Mañana...

We are in the swing of marina life now.  During the day, it is projects on the boat and at night, everyone gathers at the restaurant at 5 p.m. until about 7 p.m. then we return to the boat to play farkle or watch a movie.   We are trying to stay up later these days. (At least to 9 p.m.)
8/6
We went to town and picked up our new battery.
Greg and Sonny checked the motor and filled it with oil and.....she started on the first push of the button.....did I tell you we got an electric start?  Nice...and it is so quiet.

                              Our New Motor        

8/8
One of the first things we need to do is make a cover for our new motor to protect it.  To protect it...from the harsh sun, scratches at the dinghy docks, and to hide the make and horsepower advertisement on the shiny new cover from would-be thieves.
It took several hours to make a cover.  First, I had to make a pattern, then, sew the pieces together, then, rip the pieces apart, attempting again and again.  Finally, we have a dinghy motor cover.
8/10
Sonny and Greg spent the morning aligning the drive shaft up on the transmission.   Then, we all went to town for lunch and walk around.
8/11
While Kay began varnishing the cap rail, Sonny was working on the dinghy.  The lifting points are different from our old one.
This afternoon, Kay and some ladies from the marina went with the local garden club to Hospital Point at Nancy Cay to Clyde and Phyllis Stephens home to tour their property and listen to Phyllis explain how to cook the local fruits and vegetables.  It was very interesting.  They also had a allspice tree and Clyde gave me some leaves from it.  He said to boil the leaves to help allergies and sinus congestion.

Clyde is the author of several books, Banana People, and History of Hospital Point.  Phyllis gave us several good ideas and recipes for the fruit grown locally.

Malaisian Apples
Ideas:  Cut in small pieces, cook in water, sugar, and lemon juice.
Cake Recipe:
2 cups sugar
1 ½ cup oil
3 eggs
3 cups flour
1 t salt
1 t baking soda
2 t vanilla
1 cup raisins
1 cup chopped nuts
3 cups chopped apples
Beat eggs well with sugar and oil.  Add vanilla, raisins, nuts, and apples.  Grease 9/13 pan.  Bake 350 for 45 minutes.
Topping:  1 stick butter, ¼ cup canned milk, ½ lb. box dark brown sugar.
Put in saucepan, boil 2 ½ minutes.  Pour hot topping over cake, after cake has cooled for 10 minutes.

Rombuton

Rombutons are fruit from the lichee family.  You break them open and eat the meat on the inside.





Breadfruit
1) Make Fritters from the soft breadfruit.  Just add egg, onion, pepper, flour and fry.
2) Slice and fry like potato chips.
3) Green ones: you can use for potato salad.
4)  Baked breadfruit – core, bake with butter and sugar.
Dip – made from salsa and mayo

All Spice Tree

Clyde said to boil these leaves from the tree for medicinal purposes.

You can drink the tea or just the aroma will help with allergies or congestion.

We had      fun….

8/13
Today was the cruiser's pot luck dinner at the palapa.   It was very good today.  Then, Greg and Judy came over for a game of Mexican Train dominoes.
8/14
This morning, we left the dock early with Greg and Judy on Lone Star Love and Damon from Bruadair for a test drive on their boat.  Greg had worked on the engine and transmission and wanted to check it all out.  It was a beautiful day.   We went about 10 miles away to Snapper Point to snorkel and fish, but, the snappers did not show up today.  The coral was pretty, but no fish.

8/15
Big Trip to Changuinola.  
In Panama, every 30 days, actually 28, you have to make a trip to the immigration office to renew your visa so you can stay in Panama.  

So, today is our day.   We arranged for the water taxi to pick us up at the marina dock at 7 a.m. for the 1 1/2 hour ride to Changuinola in the water taxi.   Sandy on S/V Namaste has described the ride as one compared to a ride at Six Flags.  You travel across the bay to a canal created by the banana boats in years past, then on to the village of Changuinola.

As you travel down the canal, you begin to see livios.  To us gringos, we call them lily pads.  As you travel further and further down the canal, you see more and more livios.   Until, there is no pathway through the canal....only livios.




We arrived at immigration at 8 a.m. and presented them all of our paperwork to be granted an extension.  Panama has now created a new mariner's visa, where you give them 2 passport photos each, boat documentation, proof that you are in the area, such as a marina invoice, a crew list, and, four hours later, you are given a card with your photo on it, granting you 30 more days, plus an opportunity to return three times for monthly check-ins.   It is a new process and, has and will change almost daily.   Depending on the mood of the employees.   The total cost this month was $67.   Every day is truly an adventure.

Along the road is a banana farm.  They have a conveyor belt that carries the stalks of  green bananas back to the main gathering center to put in boxes and ship t\o the US just in time to ripen.

Greg and Judy, Hugh, and Sonny getting our return tickets for the water taxi back.

8/17
Today looks stormy outside.   Dark clouds are forming on the northeast horizon.  The wind kicked up and several boats in the anchorage nearby drug anchor.   One small boat ended up in the mangroves, another drug down on neighboring boats.  Local cruisers and the marina manager assisted one boat that was unattended.   There were six dinghies and a launcha surrounding the boat to get it back to a safe anchorage.  It was an exciting evening.
8/20
We are in a pretty good, safe spot.  To our south, an earthquake hit Peru 1,800 miles to our south, and Hurricane Dean is pounding the Caribbean only 700 miles to our north.    We are safe and sound in Panama.  And, thankful!

We went into town for a shopping trip.   Need more cokes, wire for cable for dinghy, and microphone for computer for Skype.  Well, we got one out of three.  The Cokes are "supposed" to be in on Thursday, and could not find a new microphone.  A semi-successful shopping trip.



8/21
Today is Gary's birthday on S/V Bold Venture, a sister Tayana to us.  Sonny assisted Gary in bringing his Tayana from St. Lucia to Miami a few years ago.

Happy Birthday Gary!......Susan on M/V Limerick and I baked chocolate cakes to celebrate his birthday.

8/24
It's a Farkle and popcorn night on Valentina, and the guys are trying every way possible to beat the girls.....but, they were once again.....unsuccessful.

Greg thought if he wore his hat sideways, or backwards, or somewhere in between, the dice would grant his wish, only a farkle.

Sonny thought if he talked to the dice nicely, they would grant his wish.

Judy just rolls the dice,
 and they are in her favor.
Maybe next time, guys.....MAYBE.




We eat the foods that are local to the area.  Sonny is tasting a wild plum.


This is called a mangostein.  It is black on the outside and red on the inside.  It is a couple of inches wide  You break it open and eat the white meat in pods on the inside.
It is very sweet.
When these arrive in town, they are sold out very quickly.  It is a local's favorite.  They are 5 cents each.

8/26
Speaking of birthdays.....Today is Roberto on Deux Pieds, our long-time buddy boat friends from Argentina.
 
We went with Roberto and Any tonight into Bocas town to celebrate his 61st birthday with a very nice dinner.   During our dinner, there were two young people from Chile that got up and blew through these long bamboo poles and made music.  It was very different, but very good.  Then, the gentleman took a 5" crystal ball and with music, orchestrated the ball all over, up and down, and rolling all around his body very rhymthically.
Roberto and Any had just arrived back from Argentina bringing bags loaded of boat parts.  When passing through Miami, upon inspection of their new exhaust manifold in the box, the Customs agents must have thought it was a bomb or something dangerous, because they drilled three holes through the steel.  Now, Roberto is trying to figure out how to fill the three holes so he can install his part.

8/27
We untied the dock lines this morning and headed over to Isla Bastimentos to meet our buddies:  Angel Heart, Namaste, Bruadair and Lone Star Love.  





Red Frog beach was beautiful.  Nice sand, good waves, great snorkeling, and even...."Red Frogs".

The anchorage is very peaceful and quiet.   We came over on the full moon to see if we could observe the ritual of tortoises laying their eggs on shore during the low tide of the full moon, but were told we were a month too late.  So, we do not have to stay up all night tonight, and we enjoyed the good night's sleep on anchor.




8/28
We took the passage and hiked across the island to the Caribbean side to Red Frog Beach.   We have heard a lot about "Red Frog Beach" and anxious to see the "Red Frogs" that are supposed to only live on Isla Bastimentos.   Upon our arrival, we were all greeted by local children each having one red frog in their cup.   They would let us take a picture for 25 cents.  But, since we did not bring any money with us to the beach, we were determined to find our own red frog.   Mission Unaccomplished.   There were none.  We searched the beach, the vines, the walkways, and everywhere, but no red frogs.







8/29
OK......today we took quarters to give to the children to get a picture of the red frogs, but, today, there were no children around.   So, after searching all day, we told Scott at the tienda on the beach that we have yet to see a "Red Frog" at "Red Frog Beach" and he invited us to follow him to see his stash.  So we did.   We followed him down a trail, near some cabanas to a tree.   He said they are usually around this tree, so we started searching.....and....finally, we found him.   Our very own...."Red Frog" so the photo shoot began......
They are about the size of your thumbnail, and in olden times, rumor has it that the locals would roast the poisonous frog and rub the tip of their spear in it to get the poison on their spear.