Day 27: Panama to Ecuador – 01/02/10

We have decided to stay here for the day so there is absolutely no reason for me to get out of my bed at a reasonable hour.  I have my two cups of tea and porridge in bed, then, as Mike has managed to get both the internet and our internal network going, I sit and do my e-mails and use Skype, the latter with the web cam switched off as I don’t want to frighten anyone by my nudity (well as I said, I am still in bed).

Skype does not behave well this morning and is very frustrating.  My call to Heather in Houston lasts less than 10 minutes and I have to call her about 8 times because it keeps cutting out.  With Laura it is even worse and we give up after a few minutes.  I just about manage the 20 seconds or so it takes to leave a message on Johanne’s answerphone.  I stop, frustrated and annoyed.

I clean our bathroom after which I am so hot and sweaty that I hose myself down as well then we decide to go ashore to explore.  We dinghy over to Brown Eyed Girl on the way to see what they are doing and manage to persuade some of the crew to go ashore in a little while too.

When we get to shore, we have to jump out into the water and attempt to drag the dinghy (which I have to say is cumbersome and bloody heavy) up the beach.  There is a tide here and the water level changes by more than 20 feet.  We have to drag the dinghy 30 or so feet up the beach and secure it with the anchor buried in the sand.    Mike reckons we have about two hours before she will be floating.

Photo:  Securing the dinghy with the anchor 

We walk along the lovely deserted beach, lined with beautiful houses.  Contadora Island is where the rich Panamanians have beach houses and the little airport has planes coming in and out all the time.  Apparently this is where the crew stayed during the CBS programme ‘Survivor’ although the filming actually took place on the deserted island opposite.  There is also a huge hotel somewhere on the island where political conventions etc are held because the island is relatively easy to secure.  We walk past the Restaurante Romantica and check that they will be serving lunch, then go on up the road.

Photo:  On the beach outside the Restaurante Romantica 

We are the only people walking.  Golf carts and the odd truck pass us by.  It is stiflingly hot with no wind.  We pass some trees with what looks like huts built into them, before I realise that they are actually not trees with huts at all but the most enormous clumps of bamboo I have ever seen.

Photo:  Strange bamboo

Photo:  Overlooking a beautiful secluded beach

Photo:  What a beautiful setting for a house

We get to the other side of the island then the road turns and we would be forced to walk 90 degrees across to the east side.  It’s just too hot so we turn back and head for the restaurant, passing the crews from Brown Eyed Girl and Ocean Jasper on the way.

We just have starters and a drink for lunch, and they are very good.  The restaurant has a lovely setting and a good breeze floats in helped by the overhead fan.

Photo:  Mike and I at the Restaurante Romantica

Mike and Jim take it in turns to go and look to check that our dinghy is still in place, and we leave the restaurant just as it starts to float.  When we reach it, it is full of sand and the surf has thrown sea water into it.  I climb in and Mike and Jim start to pull it out to sea.  Mike gets in then a big waves throws Jim in too, practically on top of me.  Mike instructs Jim and I to start paddling while he attempts to get the rudder back in the water – it’s always awkward, especially when you are in a hurry, but he finally makes it and we head back to Jeannius.

Photo:  One of my new bikinis (photo just for Heather!)

We have a little sleep (what else) then I cook the tuna and chicken that defrosted yesterday, before we settle down and watch the film "’Captain Ron’ (which so many people urged us to see – what are they trying to say about Mike??) and an hour of Jasper Carrot.  I do so love my new hard disk!!!