November 10, 2001
Well here we are STILL in Cartagena.  Not that we mind much but it would be nice to join our friends in the San Blas.  We are still waiting for parts for my birthday water maker, which are on a boat named Sea Host.  It will be here some time soon — but who knows when that is!  We are hoping by next Tuesday.

Today we went shopping for fuel containers in the heart of the “shopping” district.  There were half cut up cows and dead fish everywhere.  Even eyeballs were for sale!  Where there wasn’t dead animals there were huge numbers of shoes or glasses or fans - a whole block of fans, or plantains or or or…  They had it all!  Even Birds!

And so begins the story of our day.  Nicholas has wanted a pet for as long as we have been on the boat.  Lately he decided he wanted a bird - that is, after we refused the cat, dog, iguana and gecko!  So, when Jim and I saw the lovebirds we decided to get one.  We were all set up.  One lovebird, one cage, and seed - all for 20,000 pesos (US$10!)  Then this guy comes up and says we need two, as they are lovebirds!!  So, we bought another for 4,000 pesos (2 bucks).  Well our friends had their boy with them and after a few puppy dog eyes they were set up with a pair too.  We all rode back in the cab and then down the dock to our respective boats to set up the cages with paper, water and seed.  Well, you probably know what happens next!  First one bird flies away from Nick and then Ted’s flies away from him.  Supposedly, their wings were clipped!  Both boats are left with male birds.  So as we wipe the tears off the sad faces and make promises to buy another set of females on Monday, Kasha (Ted’s mom) decides to tie their cage onto the back of their boat.  Yep, into the drink he went!  After screams, tears, and even mouth-to-beak resuscitation by yours truly, he was still dead!  Time to tell the kids - more tears and elaborate plans for burial.  Finally it is decided to bury him at sea.  Kasha lowered him gently into the sea and … he floated!  Jim made the comment that she should grab him and squeeze all the air out of his lungs and then he would sink.  That went over like a lead balloon!  Luckily the kids decided to leave him be and gave him a Naval salute as he floated off to be eaten by who knows what!  And that was our day.  By the way, Nick still has his male and he is doing fine as he sits on Nick’s dinner bowl full of stir-fry.

November 11, 2001
Today I was invited to Patricia’s home, a rather famous ceramics artist.  She paints some rather interesting fish on tiles.  Usually surreal representations of common fish such as, barracuda, mahi-mahi and permit.  I spent half the day with her in her studio and the other traveling into the mountains to pick up fresh fruit from her families fruit plantation.  Wonderfully interesting including her viewpoint on the classes and families in Cartagena.  Tomorrow I will be helping her paint tiles for tabletops.  I can’t wait.

November 12, 3001
Great day spent painting to my hearts content.  Any design I wanted within a tropical realm.  I finish three tops worth of tile for a contract she has with a local hotel while she painted a five tile spread for me in exchange for a few pair of earrings.  Jim came and videoed the whole thing.  Lots of fun.  She also invited us to her island to share next weekend but we can’t possibly make it.  As soon as those parts are here, we have to scoot.  Nyantja has been waiting for almost ten days for us — those girls will be going stir crazy!

November 13, 2001
Still here!!  Weather bad and the elusive parts are not here yet!!  We bought a large parrot today for Nick.  The little male parrot is still with us (after all that, it wasn’t a love bird type after all!) but this one is a gem — soooo tame and gentle.  I believe it is a napped Amazon.  We lucked out with him, as he is as gentle as a golden retriever!  His name is Loreto - heavy on the EEEEEEEEEEEtoe.  He speaks Spanish and says hola each morning until we rise and give him breakfast — just like the kids!

Not much else, just waiting for weather.  Oh yes — and Loreeeeeeto was a whopping US$40 and that included his cage.

November 18, 2001
Here we are - ON PASSAGE!  Finally, our parts arrived and we wasted little time preparing for the crossing.  I have been in a “funk” for the past few days, being stir crazy with not knowing when we would leave.  I knew once the boat Sea Host arrived that we would leave within the same day.  I spent my days wondering when that day would come as preparation for a crossing takes a lot of energy, especially considering we will be out of civilization for almost 2 months of we continue as planned and have two sets of visitors.  The San Blas are quite a distance from Colon, Panama and fresh provisioning is scant.  In addition, I know that Nyantja has been out to sea for almost 2 weeks and once we arrive, they will be going on a long trip to Belize, so I have added provisions for them.

It is wonderful to be moving on the water once again.  The harbor was filled with brackish, disgusting water, which obviously did not invite swimming and gave me the hebe jebes about giving that bird mouth to mouth!  In addition, when tied to the dock you are not benefiting from the breezes at sea, so three to four showers per day were not uncommon and in this muggy time of the year with stifling heat, mildew is a battle.  It forms small gray patches on everything not touched so constant cleaning is a necessity.  After close to four weeks of battle I hired a local girl to clean the boat from ceiling to floor at two dollars per hour, the local rate for unskilled labor!  She was extremely happy as work is very hard to come by and I spent the day enjoying myself - wandering the back streets with two friends from the boat Millennial Destiny, who speak fluent Spanish and could maneuver us to the “interesting” back streets of Cartagena.  I doubt many upper class people have ever seen what we were privileged to.  The locals in these parts were very friendly and helpful.  Discounts were abundant.  The economic law of supply and demand was evident as the classes are divided by territory in the city, the population in the lower class can buy goods in their neighborhoods for close to half the amount of the upper class areas.  We received many stares but I never felt uncomfortable or in danger.

2:00 am
We are now on our way to the San Blas Islands and I’m very tired but hoping the cloud cover will not move in so I can observe the meteor shower at five.  We will see.  Right now, we have 15 knot winds and 5 foot swells.  It was much worse when I went to bed.  This is quite pleasant.  I hope it doesn’t build.

3:00 am
Sitting out back, the huge rollers at eye level with their white-rimmed tops taunting me with their power. Then just as my adrenalin begins to move up a notch, it gracefully folds under the stern, twinkling with its phospholuminesence and creating nothing but a gentle rock of this beast we call a home.  As I gaze forward, I see another boat off to starboard.  At first a joy in this lonely night, but then noticing it’s size and position I realize he is steaming towards me.  Time to change course and avoid potential collision before it is real.  Above, the stars sparkle, then some fall gracefully to the black of the sea.  Lightning in the distance flashes bright to show my headsail perfectly filled pulling us along at a neat 8 knots down wind. Gazing over to my radar there are three boats now to watch, although only two are visible yet to my weary eyes.  A thundercloud follows me four miles behind taunting me with the power to strike our electronics with a thunderbolt as happened to Dolphin Spirit last week once they had arrived in the San Blas.  They lost all their electronics and had to sail to Colon to buy new equipment leaving Nyantja waiting for us and waiting and waiting!  Time for another visual.  Just now - Splash.  Water over the side.  UGGHHHH, cockpit drenched, a rogue wave spent its power.  Glad I was inside.  And so the night progresses.

4:30 am
Doesn’t look good for those meteors as the clouds are omnipresent now, but I have had no time to worry about that.  You know that third ship?  Well, we found it.  It was most likely a submarine and we saw it up close and personal.  This is sub-testing ground, but I wish they didn’t test our navigation skills this early in the morning!  Not something I care to do under sail again.  It had disappeared and then all of a sudden there it was less than a mile away, so low in the water it didn’t show on radar!  To top it off, it was steaming straight towards us!  I went 30 degrees away in order to miss colliding with him.  Got a nice look at him as he whizzed by and Chris lit him up with the million candle spotlight.  He was huge!

November 18, 2001--10am
I awoke an hour ago to an ominous site. Thunder clouds in the distance rolling upon themselves in shades of deep grays with purple undertones.  The radar showed one huge black blob eight miles across.  Down with the headsail, just in time for the 37 knot squall.  On with the engines - but what about that freighter off in the distance.  20 degrees port and we SHOULD miss him.  Nothing to do now but hope he stays on course.  Now the rains have begun, we are grateful that the lightning has not.  The whole thing might have been frightening had Jim not been at the helm and had it under control when I awoke in my dazed stupor.

6:48 pm
Just finished a delicious meal of fresh blue fin tuna.  Jim caught him this morning and I packed him on ice just before my 4-hour nap.  Seems like we have the right skills for tuna—or luck. We have been called the tuna boat as we can always be counted on for fresh tuna after any crossing. Lets hope our luck continues.  We have now caught every type in the book for the Caribbean but have to rely on friends for the Wahoo and mahi-mahi.  No worry there, however, as those fish are usually so big that there is plenty to go around!

Currently there is 6 knots of wind and small rolling swells.  Perfect motoring weather!  Hate to use that diesel but we are glad there are not huge swells, rain clouds and gusting winds!  I hope that my watch tonight will be a bit more uneventful than last eve, although last night never got boring!

4:15 am
Our luck was deceived.  We have spent all night running from thunderstorms or trying to pick the shortest path through them.  Teaming rain has washed the diesel we spilt off the foredeck making it much safer to work the main when needed.  A small amount of diesel on the fiberglass creates a ball bearing effect under your feet so the rain is a blessing.  Our “fixed” windows are another thing.  Towels are strategically placed in five areas of the interior to sop up the invading rain.  One unfortunate thing about a cruising boat is that you can be guaranteed to have a small leak somewhere at all times.  Due to the recent weather, we have more than usual these days, but nothing that can’t be “fixed” again with a little sign vinyl around the offending windows.  Finding the vinyl is another story.  It’s when the chain plates occasionally leak that life gets frustrating as they attach above Nicholas’ closet and he doesn’t see the humor in damp, mildew-smelling clothing.  Where is that sunny Caribbean weather those at home imagine prevails down here!!  The grass is not always greener on the proverbial other side of the fence, however I wouldn’t trade all our blessings for the world.

The children have settled into their second year of home school like a dream come true — meaning scant whining about how hard it is, and in it’s place, enjoyment.  Yes, they are enjoying the knowledge they are attaining!  Christopher was rewarded for his hard work on the required end of the year composition last year with a complement from his teacher never imagined.

“Of the compositions I have read on democracy over the years, yours was the most interesting viewpoint and well done.  Congratulations!”

I was shocked, as Chris had struggled with getting into the groove of school and the self-discipline necessary.  He finished the year with four A’s and four B’s.  Nick as usual pulled his straight A’s as he works so hard at being perfect we occasionally have to force him to stop and smell the roses.  This, too, is balancing out and he is beginning to take a day for himself every once in awhile.  When he gets involved in a subject it is hard for him to stop studying.

5:00 am
The storms have passed although the wave sets are erratic and continually BANG the bridge deck with their force.  The computer screen shakes and occasionally disconnects making writing quite interesting.  Then I have to have something to stove off the inevitable boredom that could come with a night crossing.  One must work in the dark so you do not ruin your night vision.  All instruments as well as the computer screen are set for night vision and reading a book would be tedious under a red light, so here I am rambling to who know who, hopefully not boring the pants off you.

November 19, 2001 - 12:27 pm
Finally in the San Blas — anchoring as we speak.  Two dolphins again as escorts and thatch huts (the real kind which have shifty walls) abound on a tiny island. Nyantja is here.  It took a bit to find them and are they surprised to see us!

Must run …. Kuna women here at the side of the boat in their dug out canoes.

They move in fast!!!  The anchor dust hasn’t even begun to settle!!