Julia was planning on heading out to see Boquette. The sand was running out of her trip clock. I managed to convince her to let me take her boating for a day.
I picked her up at Casa Verde. She brought her backpack. Sure, you can spend the night. First stop was a friend's boat to drop off the backpack. As the panga was there, the captain was in residence. I entered the salon and was astonished. The boat was immaculately clean. Usually there are a dozen ashtrays overflowing with cigarette butts, things scattered over all the counters, clothes strewn about, a sink full of dirty dishes, an aft deck that requires high stepping to get around. But now, he is conducting tours on the boat. I had no idea he had it in him.
As I was taking off he appeared at a window and called out to me. We motored back and he told me he was going on a cruise and would be back at six. No problem, I'll be gone past then.
As we made our way to Bahia Honda, the bay that separates my island, Solarte from Isla Bastimentos I functioned as a tour guide. "There on the left is Old Bank. It is a small community of primarily Afro-Caribbean people. There is no road. One central sidewalk..." "On the right is Hospital Point, where the hospital was located in the turn of the twentieth century. It is now notorious as the domicile of a 72 year old pedophile.
Everybody loves Clyde's place. It is packed with ornamentals, exotic fruits and a very special character, Clyde. The thunder started rocking, Julia was wet and cold, so she borrowed one of Clyde's sweatshirts and a rain jacket, sampled various fruits and tasted his homemade white pineapple ice cream.
When Clyde found out that Julia was from Austria, he told about some guy he knew from Austria who was a pool hustler. Julia knew the guy.
When we left, Julia just said, "wow" which is the same thing Clyde said when she went down to pick some pineapples. Yeah, she's a cutie, alright.
"Damn, I'm cold. Want to go to a coffee shop?" We dropped by a toolshed that serves as Kirk's house. I had coffee, Julia had tea. We checked out the big boat that Kirk built by himself over the course of nine years. Julia thought Kirk was awesome, as he indeed is.
I knew them all. Julia was quite amused that 12 miles from nowhere there was a pizza joint, packed. When Josef came over with the menu, I mentioned to him that Julia was from Austria. They started talking in animated German. Turns out that Josef grew up 10 kilometers from where Julia grew up. She continued to be amused. The pizza arrived and she declared it the best pizza she had ever had as she cut off tiny pieces and at them with a fork. I, on the other hand, picked up slices and devoured them with gusto.
She had a glass of wine. A German friend of mine, who was infatuated sat in my chair and chatted her up incessantly. She had a mojito. Finally, I paid the bill and got her a to go glass. We have places to see.
I was thirsty and asked where I could get some coconut water. The man pointed and described the place then decided to lead us there. Upon arriving there was a tree with coconuts. Younger coconut palms sprout coconuts within ready reach. Unless you are under five feet tall as was the Indian and as is Julia. I grabbed one and twisted it off. She had never seen this done. Smiling, smiling, always smiling the whole day long. I paid one dollar per coconut and our guide produced a very long machete, over a meter and proceeded to hack away at the coconut, removing mass quantities of husk and finally exposing the core. I took a swig. I don't know why coconut water seems always cooler than the ambient temperature, but it was pretty refreshing.
We said our goodbye's but he insisted on walking with us on our way out. Then he collected four dollars for the entrance fee. The station had been unattended on our way in. I know not how he knew we had not paid. There were no tourists in evidence as we had arrived late in the day.
I picked her up at Casa Verde. She brought her backpack. Sure, you can spend the night. First stop was a friend's boat to drop off the backpack. As the panga was there, the captain was in residence. I entered the salon and was astonished. The boat was immaculately clean. Usually there are a dozen ashtrays overflowing with cigarette butts, things scattered over all the counters, clothes strewn about, a sink full of dirty dishes, an aft deck that requires high stepping to get around. But now, he is conducting tours on the boat. I had no idea he had it in him.
As I was taking off he appeared at a window and called out to me. We motored back and he told me he was going on a cruise and would be back at six. No problem, I'll be gone past then.
As we made our way to Bahia Honda, the bay that separates my island, Solarte from Isla Bastimentos I functioned as a tour guide. "There on the left is Old Bank. It is a small community of primarily Afro-Caribbean people. There is no road. One central sidewalk..." "On the right is Hospital Point, where the hospital was located in the turn of the twentieth century. It is now notorious as the domicile of a 72 year old pedophile.
Ian's Place
Down the bay we went. She spotted a large house up on a hill. "Is that a house or a hotel?" "It's a house, do you want to see it?" I'd never seen it and he is my next door neighbor. My worker lives there with his brother who is keeping the place while the owner spends the summer in Montreal.Clyde's
Everybody loves Clyde's place. It is packed with ornamentals, exotic fruits and a very special character, Clyde. The thunder started rocking, Julia was wet and cold, so she borrowed one of Clyde's sweatshirts and a rain jacket, sampled various fruits and tasted his homemade white pineapple ice cream. When Clyde found out that Julia was from Austria, he told about some guy he knew from Austria who was a pool hustler. Julia knew the guy.
When we left, Julia just said, "wow" which is the same thing Clyde said when she went down to pick some pineapples. Yeah, she's a cutie, alright.
Kirk's
"Damn, I'm cold. Want to go to a coffee shop?" We dropped by a toolshed that serves as Kirk's house. I had coffee, Julia had tea. We checked out the big boat that Kirk built by himself over the course of nine years. Julia thought Kirk was awesome, as he indeed is.Rana Azul
By now it was past noon. I hadn't eaten yet. "Want to get some pizza?" Across some open water, through Dolphin Bay to Tierra Oscura, "The Darklands". Out in the middle of nowhere we rounded a point of trees to find a slew of boats. "I might know some people here."
I knew them all. Julia was quite amused that 12 miles from nowhere there was a pizza joint, packed. When Josef came over with the menu, I mentioned to him that Julia was from Austria. They started talking in animated German. Turns out that Josef grew up 10 kilometers from where Julia grew up. She continued to be amused. The pizza arrived and she declared it the best pizza she had ever had as she cut off tiny pieces and at them with a fork. I, on the other hand, picked up slices and devoured them with gusto. She had a glass of wine. A German friend of mine, who was infatuated sat in my chair and chatted her up incessantly. She had a mojito. Finally, I paid the bill and got her a to go glass. We have places to see.
Crawl Cay
"Want to see a whole bunch of fish?" Ok, Crawl Cay is right on the way. We docked. Not a fish to be seen. I bought a dollars worth of crackers for a buck and a quarter. I started throwing them in the water and fish started appearing. I advised her to get in and threw in a bunch more. The water started to boil with fish. A few minutes later it was time to head on.
Salt Creek
Off to Punta Vieja, on the Southeast corner of IslaBastimentos. We docked the boat. Our destination? Salt Creek, a community of Ngöbe that is relatively affluent as it is a tour destination. They charge to enter ($2) and for guided walks to many destinations.
A baseball game was in progress with a large audience. We then walked the length of the densely populated section, stopping when we got to a barbed wire fence with a mud trail. Not really something to be negotiated in flip flops. A elderly man came out and started talking with Julia in Spanish. Now, her Spanish is pretty damn good. She holds a bachelor's degree in Spanish and teaches it. Strangely enough most of the conversation was him asking her how to say various things in English.
I was thirsty and asked where I could get some coconut water. The man pointed and described the place then decided to lead us there. Upon arriving there was a tree with coconuts. Younger coconut palms sprout coconuts within ready reach. Unless you are under five feet tall as was the Indian and as is Julia. I grabbed one and twisted it off. She had never seen this done. Smiling, smiling, always smiling the whole day long. I paid one dollar per coconut and our guide produced a very long machete, over a meter and proceeded to hack away at the coconut, removing mass quantities of husk and finally exposing the core. I took a swig. I don't know why coconut water seems always cooler than the ambient temperature, but it was pretty refreshing.
We said our goodbye's but he insisted on walking with us on our way out. Then he collected four dollars for the entrance fee. The station had been unattended on our way in. I know not how he knew we had not paid. There were no tourists in evidence as we had arrived late in the day.
On our way out we ran across a fisherman who had scores of small red snapper and a good sized mackeral. We bought the mackeral for three dollars. Onward!
Cruising
On the way out, I tilted up the outboard and directed Julia to watch for coral heads. This is an
excellent place to mess up an outboard. Finally we got to deep water and Julia took the helm. The seas, the open Caribbean were amazingly calm, with ripples no more than a few inches. I pointed to the southern end of Isla Popa. We drove by a massive hotel and then found a few houses erected in the water hundreds of yards from shore. Good views, good breezes, no insects, why not?
Then we came across multiple structures in a cluster, three falling down and one so covered with lush growth it was impossible to ascertain the condition of the building. Tiny islands, no more than 10 meters across jutted up 5 to 15 meters. We finally rounded the point and headed west. Holy shit the sun is low. I can't navigate these mangroves in the darkness. The little skiff doesn't even have a compass. Ever smiling Julia took us home under my direction.
Dinner
I just wanted to go out and buy dinner. Julia wanted to cook the mackeral. Whatever pleases you girl. I fileted the fish and threw the scraps off the dock where they were rapidly consumed by a couple of rays. She heated some oil in a pan added salt and pepper. To the oil? Hmmm. I'll shut up. Then she happened across a bag of peanuts and raisins and when the fish were near done sprinkled them over the top. A few minutes later dinner was served. It was delicious, but not nearly enough for me.
Julia had a couple of friends from Austria in town. We went to Careening Cay to look for them and slipped a note in their door.
Off to a sushi bar to fill up, buy some groceries for breakfast and head home. You want to call them? We can go down to La Buga and Skype them from my phone. Her friends were there. Huh.
C'mon girl, time to go home.
A bright green meteor arcing a quarter of the northern sky draws the closing curtain on an epic day with a wonderful person.
Clydes Kirk's Rana Azul Around Popa Julia Salt Creek The Trip
Julia had a couple of friends from Austria in town. We went to Careening Cay to look for them and slipped a note in their door.
Off to a sushi bar to fill up, buy some groceries for breakfast and head home. You want to call them? We can go down to La Buga and Skype them from my phone. Her friends were there. Huh.
C'mon girl, time to go home.
A bright green meteor arcing a quarter of the northern sky draws the closing curtain on an epic day with a wonderful person.
Clydes Kirk's Rana Azul Around Popa Julia Salt Creek The Trip
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