 |
| Herb, not worried about the 8 degree temp in Wisconsin |
We welcomed Kirstin's father on to the boat last month for a three week vacation, splitting time between Panama's San Blas Islands and Bocas del Toro. Herb, pictured above testing the air pressure in our paddle board, seems to have adapted to the cruising life quite quickly.
 |
| The intrepid crew of L'ORIENT |
 |
| It doesn't get better than this. |
 |
| Look Dad - We organized this parade for you!! Bocas del Toro |
While we had fully intended to provide Herb with a relaxing time, we fear his indoctrination to the cruising life was a bit more boisterous.
 |
| Herb displayed a unique taste in souvenirs. We 're sure TSA didn't find it humorous. |
Our Thanksgiving with Herb kind of epitomized life during Panama's rainy season. We anchored off Maquina Island and, after an amazing day of touring this typical Guna Indian island, we busted out the turkey burgers (best we could do). We also thoughtfully provided Panamanian beer, wine, and baked beans.
 |
| Turkey Interruptus: Isla Maquina - Scene of the Thanksgiving Day Escape |
Anyway, night fell and a storm brought with it a wind shift of 180 degrees.....not good if you're in a tight anchorage (which we were). The dock and ferry boat kept getting closer, we were nearly aground, and another semi-derelict boat was also looming. In an anchorage ringed with boat-killing reefs with lightning in the sky, picking up our anchor and leaving in nearly total darkness was a decidedly unattractive option, and yet the only way to pull our nuts out of the fire (clever holiday metaphor, no ?).
 |
| What reef ? Herb buckling in for a night time sail |
Herb sat in the corner with that concerned look on his face that seemed to say "I made it through the Vietnam War to drown on some half-assed Panamanian Island?" With no small amount of precision and teamwork, Kirstin and I drove the boat through the reefs, out into open water, and raced lightning to our new destination, about 6 miles away. Thank God for GPS tracks on chart plotters! We anchored, and to Herb's amazement, dinner then proceeded. We now can no longer say that we've never been sailing under the influence, as this crisis caught us mid-bottle of an inferior Chilean Sauvignon Blanc.
 |
| Now that's service. Herb enjoying a beer delivered in an Addam's Familyesque way (Thing) |
Living in a world of incredible beauty, we have fallen into the trap of getting used to it. There's always an island in front of us, or tracts of empty sea.......even the lightning and storms have a beauty. It was fun to show Herb our world and watch him take it all in.
 |
| Restaurant ! One of just a few in the San Blas Islands |
 |
| Herb enjoying his own islands |
The Guna Indians, who inhabit the islands were amazing to see as well. While tourists are continuing their slow encroachment into Guna Yala, we met children and adults that were amazed by the two gringo sailers and "El Patron", an onboard-only nickname Herb shares with a noted Colombian drug-lord. Fancy that?
 |
| Herb and a Guna woman in a traditional village......her expression displays her love of gringos |
 |
| A smile to melt hearts... |
 |
| The Mola master marketer Venancio and Herb's big purchase |
But time continues to fly by. Herb flew back to America's freezer (Wisconsin) and now we are preparing L'ORIENT for the Pacific (again). Recall that as we were on the launching pad last March, Kirstin's mom passed away and so we remained in Panama which definitely ended up being the right decision for us. But now we've got a Panama Canal transit date and have applied for a French long stay visa in case we end up liking French Polynesia, allegedly the most beautiful place in the world. We'll see.
And best of all, El Patron is coming back to help take L'ORIENT through "the ditch" as they call it. Exciting times down here. Enjoy the pictures.
 |
| Romance on the high seas........ |
