Catching up

Saturday

A day on Emilio's boat I took the lovely Nicole, a 31 year old Brazilian German.   Emilio offered her the oppportunity to spend the night on his boat.  She declined and stated that she was staying with me.  I ran into  a travel buddy of hers and Saturday night asked him to take care of her as she seemed more baggage than companionship.   He met a woman at the Aqua Lounge that some suspected was either a pro or a guy.  I am not sure what that meant, but I think that Nicole ended up saving him from a night he would have ended up regretting.

Tuesday

As I was leaving my house the head of judicial investigations called me wanting to borrow $250 for a couple of weeks so he could pay for his son's hemorrhoid surgery.  Apparently he was bleeding pretty badly in a hospital in David.

Met another Nicole, a very sweet, very pretty, well educated 25 year old from Virginia.  

Got reports that my neighbor took out his boat at 8:30 on Monday night to go out into the Caribbean and kill himself.  He is in his mid fifties, has cancer, wears diapers and is not a happy man.  Another neighbor had seen me coming by at that time and wondered if I had seen him.  It had been very dark.  If he was out there, he was running with his lights out.

Sitting on a dock in town waves crashed over the dock and up through the slats.  One computer power supply met a salt water demise.

Took some guys out to Los Secretos.  Doug did his usual, "I will pitch in for the gas."  He pissed off everybody at Los Secretos and gave no money.  I left him on Bastimentos.  Two more guys wanted a ride, they wanted to check into a hostel on Carenero.   After they checked in they didn't return for half an hour. I left them on Carenero.  When a guy is doing you a favor, you don't make him wait for you.

Wednesday

My neighbor returned home with some tale of swimming six miles in the open Caribbean in a life jacket and returning without his boat. Swimming in a life jacket is seriously hard work.  Pete flew around in his plane looking for the abandoned boat without success.   Nobody felt the need to go out in bad weather to search for an abandoned boat.

Back to Red Frog where I took I took Nicole and a couple of her friends from Red Frog to Old Bank were we visited a bunch of friends of mine and returned after many hours on the water to a very poorly cooked dinner prepared by the staff at a resort on Red Frog.  I docked the boat at 8:00.   I had two tanks of gas, a box of tools and a propane tank on the boat.  I escorted the girls through the jungle in the darkness.  Forming a human chain holding hands.   Apparently my night vision was a whole lot better than theirs.  When we arrived I realized I had left my backpack on the boat.  I didn't feel the need to cross the island twice more as there was not much of value in the backpack, a kindle fire and a bag of change that amounted to over $100.00.  By 9:00 a water taxi operator was waiting to take the crew to Aqua Lounge.  I greeted the operator and left for home.  I really didn't need to participate in the madness.   Yup, the Russian girl and Nicole entertained the place by pole dancing while an appreciative crowd gawked.

Thursday

Picked up my new prop.

Back to town to pick up another girl.  She spoke with me on the phone but failed to show for over an hour.  We left without her and went to the bat cave, visited some friends, went snorkeling and returned to a stir fry Thai dinner.

Friday

A twenty six year old German, her six year old daughter and a twenty something Argentinian girl will be escorted back to my house this evening after an afternoon on the water.

Fishing - Robbery

I enjoyed the day on the water with the girls yesterday and decided to take them out again.  At seven in the morning I boarded a sailboat on which they were staying, stuck my head through the entrance hatch to spot lovely Reva.  "Hey girl, get up, let's go to Dolphin Bay."  Straight out of bed and onto the boat.  That is low maintenance.  Two other girls joined us.   Not a dolphin to be seen.  That's a first.

I pulled up to a random house on the bay and called out.  A couple of watchmen came down and spotting the girls agreed that we could come ashore and they would gladly show us around.  There was not much to see.  Next stop?  Some wonderful snorkeling near Isla Christobal which terminated abruptly on account of impending bad weather.

A few hours on the dock, the weather cleared and we went fishing.  Two other girls asked if they could come.  We got some bait and headed to the south side of Solarte and fished without luck.  Well, my house is a sure thing.  Immediately they started hauling in fish.  I insisted that they throw them all back.  You don't eat your dock fish.

Off to Los Secretos to pay a tab.  Nick was behind the bar.  "So you're boating alone today!"  No bud, I've got five cuties down on the dock waiting for me.   "Are you going back to town?"  "Sure, I'll take you."   To no great surprise Nick was smitten by the Philipino.

We spend the next few hours chatting on the dock at Casa Verde.  The skinny train wreck from Spain told me there was a guy on my boat.  What?  That's thirty feet away from the eleven of us.  Sure enough, an Indian made his way off the boat and swam to the dock.  Another five gallon tank filled with gas was missing.  He didn't have it with him so he was obviously on his second trip.  Ballsy bastard.  The guard was lying in a hammock but two feet from the boat.

I went out front and down the street in the company of Joe, a great guy who knows a whole lot of shit.  Down the street to the worst part of town.  Two malientes said that the Indian had run behind a fish market.  Hmmm,  only one way in and no water on the sidewalk.   I walked back anyway.  Joe stood on the street and called out my name in a very non calm manner.  Two guys had been following me, one with a club and one with a hammer.  I turned around and yelled loudly, "Joe, what's up?"  The two fled.  Whoa.

We returned to Casa Verde where one of the waitress indicated that she spotted the culprit swimming out from under the dock. Another guy and I went after him.  Not a good plan.  He could have probably beaten one of us to death with the other.

Just touring around

I pulled into Casa Verde shortly after noon.  The girls were swinging in hammocks. "Is it ten already?"  "Give me a break it's been raining."

A long day on the water with many stops.  Finally I took them to Red Frog.  I figured once they got there they wouldn't want to leave and I was right.  The girls went swimming and laid out on the beach.  I passed a couple of hours in a hammock.

Boating the Police Around

My friend Michelle,  had her boat stolen from her resort in Loma Partida on Saturday.  She reported the theft but the police took no action.   She was advised that Jesus, the corregidor (Justice of the Peace) from Bastimentos was an effective law enforcement official.   Unfortunately there was no way for Jesus to get to Loma Partida, so I offered to take him out there.

I coffeed up and read my email.  Gary Moore posted that he would contribute $50 in gas.  I drove across the bay to Gary's boat.  I also picked up a petition on a request for improved police action to respond to a serious increase in the amount and violent nature of crime in Bocas to be delivered to Loma Partida.

Next stop?  The fire station to pick up some cops.  Jesus, the corregidor of Bastimentos was accompanied by a cop with an M16 and a Beretta 9 millimeter side arm an interogator.  I stopped off at a hardware store to pick up another gas tank as I had one stolen off my boat a couple of days earlier.  I also picked up ten feet of chain and a padlock.  These thieves are opportunistic, they don't travel with bolt cutters.

Off to the gas dock, waiting behind a string of water taxis, preparing for a busy weekend day.   One gets some interesting looks from the locals while traveling with a cop with an M16.  The water was calm, the skies were clear and the boat was laden.  Southwest to shark hole, southeast to Isla Popa.  Back to the cut, through the channel, east along the south shore of Loma Partida.

We finally arrived.  An Indian gave a statement that he had heard a guy at the Cantina the night the boat was stolen asking about Michelle, where she slept and if she had a security guard.   The Indian boarded the boat with us and directed me.   He told me to east.  Whoa! There is much coral out there.  He directed me with hand signals, following a map that exists only in his mind through narrow channels.  North, east, south, west.  We arrived at a dock and ascended a flight of concrete steps that were reminiscent of Mayan temples.  The rise was minimally eighteen inches.   Jesus scribbled on a receipt and we returned to De la Luna where the news was conveyed that Jesus had a name and knew where the guy worked and lived and he made a quick phone call to the chief of police.

We waited for a promised lunch that evidently was not forthcoming while we were harassed by a Capuchin monkey.  We were all hungry and made a hasty departure.  I stopped off at a local store.  No candy bars.  I bought several cans of sardines and we ate them on crackers and headed back to town.

We enjoyed cheeseburgers and some brews.  I invited lovely Natalie to join us.  The guy was to be off work at four and would be arrested upon his return.  I received a text message from him shortly after four and he told me the man was in custody.  Within hours he confessed, named his two cohorts and said that the boat was on the way to Santa Catalina on the Caribbean coast of Veraguas and that it would be transferred to Colon.

Natalie left to return to the US with tears in her eyes.  "Take care girl, come back soon."  "I'll get back as soon as I can."

I was chatting with Kamron as a panga sped by in the dark.  A short while later the sound of something not good happening.  A woman swam to shore.  "Jim, there has been a boat accident, boater in the water!"  It took me but a few minutes to arrive at the scene.  A few minutes later I helped a big guy on the boat.  The panga, unlit had run right over the back of an inflatable dinghy.

The police were on the shore, lights flashing, but, still they have no boat.  Kamron held onto the panga, the panga operator held onto the dinghy and I dragged it all to the landing near the ferry dock.   Carlos, the cop who had been on my boat earlier in the day.  I told him I wasn't involved and knew nothing, if he needed to talk with me I would be back at Casa Verde.

Bat Cave - Natalie and Anna

The rain subsided and I headed into town for a day on the water with some friends.  Natalie and Anna had seen little of Bocas outside of Bocas Town.

First stop was the school in Bahia Honda.  I was checking on the state of the water catchment systems for Joe Bass.  Three tanks.  Two on their sides underneath a building,  one with several quarter inch holes poked in it.  The third was located within a foot of the downspout that would have captured water if the tank or the downspout were properly located.

Next stop, the bat cave.  I stopped at some Indian's house to see if I could get these people paddled up the river.  The Indian wanted to go in my boat.  Well, I don't need a guide, but I am growing weary of the dead trees that block the river.  The river was swollen and muddy from the rains.  Ok, we'll take my boat again, even though last time I swore I'd never take my boat up that river again.  I called Juan, who runs the property over which one must pass on the way to the cave.  The fee for crossing the land and a guide in the cave is $4.  No answer.

As we entered the river my four guests exclamed how cool this was.   There is a paucity of wildlife on the river.  Occassionally a bird can be spotted.  Once I saw a small caiman.  Getting up the river was easy due to the high water levels. On the trail we met Juan.  How he knew we were there is unknowable but he greeted us and sent his wife off to get head lamps.


We entered the cave, walked through shallow water as bats flew by and finally ended up wading in cool chest high water just before the waterfall.  We hung out there for a bit, jumped into the pool getting the mandatory Facebook pictures.  When we emerged from the cave, Natalie said, "That was the coolest thing I've done in Central America."  Glad you enjoyed yourselves.

Off to Clydes.  He wasn't home.  He was sure to be at Los Secretos.   We ascended.  Jack and Clyde were there.  Don and Amy were behind the bar.   One round and we headed out to Bastimentos.   A quick walk through town, a little time sitting on the point and back to town.

Ok, chica's let's do that again sometime.  I have a lot more to show you.  That met an enthusiastic response.

Foot Trouble

I called a water taxi co-op and caught a ride to town so that I could follow up  on my outboard repair.

The outboard wouldn't go into reverse without a horrible grinding noise.  I took the boat to Bocas Marine Tours (BMT) on Friday and chased down Chito, the mechanic that services all of their boats.

He had told me that he would call me at 11:00 but failed to do so.  I  can't go everywhere by water taxi.

Carlos at BMT decided that I needed his help in effecting the repair.  I guess I did as Chito would answer when Carlos called but wouldn't take my calls.  On the first trip Chito had concluded that the problem lay in the foot and was trying to pry out the plastic plug through which the drive shaft and the transmission shaft enter the foot.   He told me to come back at three.

At three I called and again got no answer.  Carlos called Chito and Chito answered.  He wanted me to come  down and see the problem.  Ahh, shit.  It takes a long time to get parts to Panama.

Another taxi ride to Saigon.   The foot was back on the boat.  Chito showed me a bushing that had found its way into the foot.  As the bushing was part of an electrical  assembly in the head, I could only conclude that Frank had somehow managed to get this part into the foot while conducting an unauthorized operation on the foot that I caught him doing.  He said he had been cleaning it.  Hmmm.

$150 later I was free to go.  I needed to get some gas.  Carlos insisted that I go to Isla Carenero to gas up.  No way.  I didn't know if I could make it on the gas I had and even if I could it was so near five that they would  likely be closed.   I headed off to the gas station with a five gallon tank in hand. It was but a half mile away.  Carlos was adamant that I wait for a taxi.  Why?  I'll be at the station before a taxi shows up.  I filled up the tank and walked back.

Carlos asked me to buy him a beer.  Seems reasonable.  We walked to a cantina and he ordered 10.  "Why didn't we just go to a chino and buy them?  This is an expensive way to buy beer." Not his money, he didn't care.   Back to town in the boat.  Carlos finished his beer and threw it overboard.  "What the hell is that, asshole?"  He proudly showed me the cap.  "I didn't throw this in."  What a dickhead.  I retrieved the bottle. As I dropped him off at BMT he asked for a tip.  "That's $10 in beer for an hour's work.  That's more than enough."

Back to Casa Verde.  A burger.  Chatted with Natalie for a couple of hours and invited her to go boating with me on Sunday.  She had been out of Bocas Town but once, on the sailing  trip the prior weekend.  "Sure, can Anna come?"  Why not?  Then Garrett and Scott wanted to know if they could come.  Man that's five people on the boat.  Ok, we'll go slowly.

Off to Lillies for some live music.  Lots of friends.  I  ran into a prominent citizen who is always very hammered every time I see her.  "Jim, where do you live?"  "I'm not answering any more questions.  You ask the same question ten times an hour, you can't remember shit."  Five minutes later she asked the same four questions she parrots.

"I'm not going to Aqua Lounge."  That was pretty random.  Nobody had said they were.

"I think my girls are at Iguana."  Unlikely, it's closed.  "Let's go to Barco Hundido."  I hate that place.  But I took her anyway.  She fell flat on her face while trying to walk down the street.  Yup, she definitely needs an escort.  Doubt I will be able to pawn her off on somebody.   The girls weren't at Barco Hundido.  She ordered a double rum and coke.  Jesus, woman, you can't even walk.

"Let's try Aqua Lounge."  Another place I hate.  I took her anyway.  Docking is always a problem.  One ties off and then has to walk on the edge of  2 X 6 nailed to wobbly posts for 30 feet.  I spied her passed out on a chaise lounge and made my exit.