Bahia de Caraquez, Ecuador
Our pilot-adviser finally arrived as the sun was going down, although we have been scheduled to be ready to depart “the flats” as they call the waiting area for the yachts crossing the Panama Canal, by 16:00 hrs, and immediately we proceeded towards Gatun Locks. There was just one other sailboat crossing that day, and as for once we were the bigger ship, after rafting together (up to three boats can be tied together), we became the tow boat for going through the locks, with our military-style adviser Emile taking control of both sailboats' safety. Once through, with the adviser gone, attached to the mooring on Gatun Lake where we were to spend the night, our job for the day wasn't finished yet, as we had to take care of and feed our four hired line handlers, as we had to do for the next day as well, supplying everybody with endless drinks and food (my job!). By 06:30 hrs our new adviser for the day arrived and each sailboat under its own power crossed the lake, where once again tied together, under cloudy skies, heavy rain and lightening we passed through Miraflores Locks and by 15:00 hrs finally welcomed the Pacific Ocean, leaving the storm behind us. We spent three days in Panama City, provisioning and visiting and also took an advantage of an excellent health care in Panama to visit the dermatologist as well as the dentist. With clean teeth and J-P's two suspicious looking moles removed, we raised the sails first for Perlas Islands, than for Ecuador. We had a very little wind for the first four days of our trip, enjoying visits by dolphins in the calm sea, observing turtles floating by, birds (hey, we even had a hitchhiker with us for the whole night, one with bright red legs, first pruning itself thoroughly and than sleeping on our balcony, taking off again with the first rays of sun), flying fish, night sky full of bright stars reflecting in mirror-like Pacific, its surface only disturbed by long gentle swells. Unexpected patch of bad weather heading our way, and after some reflection, made us turn Nikan towards the Colombian coast, which gave us a chance to see a rarely visited port by any sailboat, and also the bustling Tumaco City, full of people, cars, motorcycles, fumes...and to buy some fresh fruit and vegetables. After five days we lifted the anchor again and two days later we reached our original destination of Puerto Amistad in Bahia de Caraquez. Right now, anchored in the river, surrounded by mountains, with some refreshing breeze, lower humidity than we ever had for this past year in tropics, we wait to be cleared by the customs, so we can go and explore this town and beyond.
Our pilot-adviser finally arrived as the sun was going down, although we have been scheduled to be ready to depart “the flats” as they call the waiting area for the yachts crossing the Panama Canal, by 16:00 hrs, and immediately we proceeded towards Gatun Locks. There was just one other sailboat crossing that day, and as for once we were the bigger ship, after rafting together (up to three boats can be tied together), we became the tow boat for going through the locks, with our military-style adviser Emile taking control of both sailboats' safety. Once through, with the adviser gone, attached to the mooring on Gatun Lake where we were to spend the night, our job for the day wasn't finished yet, as we had to take care of and feed our four hired line handlers, as we had to do for the next day as well, supplying everybody with endless drinks and food (my job!). By 06:30 hrs our new adviser for the day arrived and each sailboat under its own power crossed the lake, where once again tied together, under cloudy skies, heavy rain and lightening we passed through Miraflores Locks and by 15:00 hrs finally welcomed the Pacific Ocean, leaving the storm behind us. We spent three days in Panama City, provisioning and visiting and also took an advantage of an excellent health care in Panama to visit the dermatologist as well as the dentist. With clean teeth and J-P's two suspicious looking moles removed, we raised the sails first for Perlas Islands, than for Ecuador. We had a very little wind for the first four days of our trip, enjoying visits by dolphins in the calm sea, observing turtles floating by, birds (hey, we even had a hitchhiker with us for the whole night, one with bright red legs, first pruning itself thoroughly and than sleeping on our balcony, taking off again with the first rays of sun), flying fish, night sky full of bright stars reflecting in mirror-like Pacific, its surface only disturbed by long gentle swells. Unexpected patch of bad weather heading our way, and after some reflection, made us turn Nikan towards the Colombian coast, which gave us a chance to see a rarely visited port by any sailboat, and also the bustling Tumaco City, full of people, cars, motorcycles, fumes...and to buy some fresh fruit and vegetables. After five days we lifted the anchor again and two days later we reached our original destination of Puerto Amistad in Bahia de Caraquez. Right now, anchored in the river, surrounded by mountains, with some refreshing breeze, lower humidity than we ever had for this past year in tropics, we wait to be cleared by the customs, so we can go and explore this town and beyond.
