Fast week - Dean
A second blog in 2 weeks? Must be a sign of the apocalypse. Well, if the world ends this week; sorry, my bad. After the long span between the last couple of posts, I felt I owed one this week as well. Plus, there was a lot going on, so there’s a lot to talk about.
Quick update on the property: We’re still in contract. We found a way around coming all the way back to Ohio to initiate a wire transfer or to pay with a debit card and racking up a 3% fee on 10s of thousands of dollars. If you’re ever in the situation where you need to transfer money between currencies or internationally, check out Wise. *announcer voice* - We are not affiliated or compensated by the above referenced company. Do not use Wise if you are allergic to Wise. May cause extra happiness.
Late last week, Kirin had her first voyage out of the marina under our care. It was….an adventure. First, I thought I knew how to steer a boat. I was wrong, or more accurately I was missing some information on how the throttle and the gear selection worked. If not for Jodi scrambling all over the boat and fending us off of other boats, moorings, docks, etc., we would have hit several things. We finally got it straight but facing the wrong way, so we backed out of our lane into the exit lane towards the open end of the bay. Things went ok after that. I came in a bit hot to the fuel depot dock, but no harm done. Fueled up and out into the bay to practice going around a channel marker. Things were going well *cue ominous music* Then the alarm went off. We pulled out the pdf of the manual and found that it could mean one of three things, none of them good. The radio that we thought we knew how to use wasn’t working correctly. So, Jodi WhatsApp called Alex (see the previous blog mentioning him) and he told us to come in immediately. I came into the fuel dock a bit hot, again, and he jumped on board. Turns out that the hose that pumps the cooling water into the engine had come off due to a broken hose clamp and the engine was overheating. (Bad thing number 2 if you’re wondering). He fixed it temporarily and helped me drive back to our berth. I only almost hit one thing under his expert guidance. The next day, Jodi and I did a more permanent fix, checked the oil, and ran the engine for a half hour. All good and apparently no permanent damage. Whew!
Kirin's maiden voyage
One hot afternoon we decided to paddle the kayak over to Boya de Vida, a floating bar in the bay just outside the marina. We loaded up with towels, sunscreen, sunglasses, and boyas de vida, just in case. We were welcomed with a free shot and sat down to drink our cocktails. Jodi suddenly pointed out to the water and there was our kayak floating away, already 50 yards out. I tossed aside my sunglasses and jumped in. It was floating away slower than I was swimming, but it was still a long way. And I learned I am not in very good swimming shape. I caught it, climbed on, and hand paddled it back. Someone’s knot, and she shall remain nameless in this tale, didn’t hold. The rope was still firmly attached to the floating bar. No harm done, but I did earn that rum and coke. Not a good week for maiden voyages, lol.
This past week I joined Christian and Jake (drunken Spanish practice friends) on a discovery hike on the main island of Isla Colon. Jodi chose to stay home since walking in guano water is not her idea of fun. Christian and his fiancé, Martina, are starting up a tour business and we have been very willingly guinea pigs for their adventures and tryouts. He handles things on land, and she does all things in the sea. Quite a nice combination! There is a little-known bat cave on the island that is easily accessible, but not frequented by locals or tours. We had a lot of fun clambering, wading, and walking a stream for about a kilometer to see the viability of using this a tour location. We certainly had our moments, and each of us fell at least once as we squeezed around rocks, up steep stream banks, and slipped on mud.
On Friday, Jodi and I joined the other half of the duo for a discovery scuba dive. This is a dive lead by a divemaster and is for uncertified divers. Jodi and I have done this once about year and a half ago, but Jake and his wife have never been scuba diving before. Martina was super. Very capable of handling all of our little quirks and problems along the way. I was having an issue with my ears not wanting to equalize, so I held up the dive a couple of times and felt very badly about it. Overall, it was a wonderful experience. We saw a porcupine puffer fish, a nurse shark sleeping under a shelf, lionfish, and countless beautiful colored coral. It really cemented the fact that Jodi and I want to be come certified divers.
We also attended a Chocolate Festival on Careñero island that had local traditional dancers, cacao martinis, and of course chocolate from indigenous and local farms. We had the chance to sample from 5 groups and vote for our favorite. After we joined Ana Paula and Jan for lunch and a dip at Careñero beach.
Jodi sampling chocolate
The next day they wanted to take us out to Bird Island and since we had never been, we agreed. Bird Island is around the far North end of the main island, Isla Colon. You have to have a calm day to cross the section of open ocean to get to it. The ocean was like glass on the protected side and still pretty good on the other, so it was a perfect day to go. I know I say this a lot, but Bird Island was stunning. Such a tiny area but it’s so beautiful with rock formations, quiet areas to swim, birds of all sorts, and gorgeous green scenery. Jan also treated us to a river tour. It felt like something from the Amazon or a Disney river cruise. The river is a canal left over from the banana industry back in the day. Mostly unused and overgrown, it was super interesting and connects to the Changuinola River and then to the ocean. We took it all the way down and back. I’ve included a google map link here, and you can even see some street views that someone has done. https://maps.app.goo.gl/wFVdFHWzRTS5R5aC7
Ana Paula, Jan, Jodi and Dean at Bird Island
Dead croc on the banana boat river
We all finished with a bite and swim at Estrella beach (starfish) and it’s aptly named. It’s a fun spot and is always busy with locals, and boats with music, good food, and complete with a speed boat inflatable banana ride. (didn’t try, lol)
We’re tired and taking it easy today, Ciao!
