August 5 to 11, 2013, Kuna Yala, Panama
Miriam (14-years old) and her mom, Gayle, visited us on On Delay. When Miriam got back to school she wrote the regulation “What I did on my summer vacation” story but with a couple of twists: (i) it was posted as a blog on the school intranet and (ii) written in French.
Here, we share the original French version and a somewhat different English version.
August 31, 2013, Panama City, Panama
In each new place, with an extended stay, we learn things about local culture.
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August 24 to 25, 2013 from the Atlantic to the Pacific through the Panama canal
Our 50-mile canal transit took two days. We started on Friday afternoon and completed the transit on Saturday morning.
Getting ready
We hired an agent, Erick Galvez, to arrange our canal transit for us. It costs a bit more to use an agent but it was well worthwhile for us first-timers. Erick did the scheduling and paperwork on our behalf with the canal authorities.
Our official Panama canal identification card.
Last year, we “bopped” along from Bahamas to Puerto Rico, through the Windward and Leeward Islands, finally arriving in Grenada. We carried on to go to Trinidad, Aruba, Colombia and Panama, then Belize, Mexico, Cayman Islands (partial crew), Jamaica and Turks and Caicos. Continue reading
August 11 to 13, 2013, Portobelo, Panama
Portobelo did charm us in the end. However, when we first arrived in Portobelo Bay at around 7 am, it looked depressing. It was showery weather; all the boats looked bedraggled and many rather tatty. They were certainly anchored close together. We anchored in a tight spot, close to town. Tony and I went ashore to determine a good location for Gayle M and Miriam to await their taxi pickup. On a wet Sunday morning, town looked even more depressing than the bay itself.
Typical waterfront properties: Note the bars and lack of paint and rooves.
July 29 to August 6, 2013, Kuna Yala, Panama
Cameron and his son Ruaridh had a fantastic week with the On Delay gang sailing up the east coast San Blas Islands, otherwise know as Kuna Yala.
Map showing Kuna Yala in relation to Panama.
June 10, 2013, Rio Grande, Jamaica
In the 1940s, Errol Flynn (swashbuckling Australian movie star) was sailing in the Caribbean when he was forced by a storm into Port Antonio, Jamaica. He fell in the love with the area, bought property, and built a home. Soon other celebrities were visiting and Jamaica had its first tourist boom.
Wednesday, June 12, 2013, Portland Parish, Jamaica
No, not the title of a long lost play, “Firefly” is the name of Sir Noël Coward’s home in Jamaica. Noël Coward started visiting Jamaica in the late 1940s and in 1956 built Firefly (his second home in Jamaica) atop a hill overlooking the beautiful Blue Harbour.
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July 6, 2013, Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands
Many days ago, I sat worried in our cabin, wondering how on earth we would entertain our family for their annual vacation (which included nieces aged 13 and 9). What food would they eat, what food would be available, would they be bored, would we have enough time?
Or how to repair a Raymarine knot-meter with a potato………..
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