Studio Villamil

 Heading west by Northwest, approximately, from the Canal to Costa Rica. The Pacific is very peaceful here so close to the Equator. Our cabin is towards the bow, and we can hear the soft “shush” that tiny waves make on a beach as the bow parts the calm surface. Sea birds circle, occasionally nipping to the water  surface to grab breakfast. Not like an osprey or pelican - just a quick grab of a small fish. I’ll jump back to the Canal later. 

 Important port for Colombia and surrounding regions. Large container ships transferring containers to smaller vessels. Two small naval vessels in sight in harbor. The size of US Coast Guard cutters. Significant police presence throughout our city tour. Fortress that held off a huge English assault made of coral, reminiscent of fortress of St Augustine FL. Quite hot even in mid-winter. Can’t imagine mid summer. But schools have two month December- January break. Go figure. (Further thought - school vacation is in the holiday/dry season. Of course).  City is a mix of great wealth and significant poverty with 13% unemployment per the guide. 

 Is a beautiful city, with new high rise condos and hotels, and a well preserved old town that is undergoing a preservation minded renewal. Here too there was a significant police presence, but these were armored pairs on motorcycles both carrying UZI- like weaponry. Don’t know whether to feel safe or unsafe.  The first photo is the Nativity scene in Iglesia San Jose. Notice the Hispanic features of the Child and the contemporary baby things drying on the clothesline.  The second photo is from the Balboa section of Panama City, built to house canal construction professionals and later US military, as it was a US base until our lease of the Canal Zone expired in 1999. 

 Colon is a rugged port city. Huge Freeport area but lots of down on one’s luck areas. Shore excursions director gave it a caution. Because of the twist of Central America, the passage from Colon on the Caribbean to Panama City on the Pacific is actually a West to East passage.  Go figure. One can take a train or a highway from Colon to Panama City. We went in a bus. The Isthmus is not flat!  One could see shortly into the trip why a sea level canal was not possible. We passed sections of Gatun Lake, which provides drinking water, hydroelectric power and feeds the locks. We also saw parts of the Chargres River, which feeds the Lake, and the taming of which was an huge engineering achievement. December is the end of Panama’s long rainy season. Today our morning tour was hot and humid , and then around 2:00 the skies opened up- our guide said that it was the rainy season refusing to let go. 

 My mental geography is not that great. We’ve been sailing for several days, West I thought, and we’re still in the Eastern Time Zone. Then I looked at the map of our journey and saw that Colon is almost due South of our starting point, Fort Lauderdale. I guess I should have paid attention in sixth grade geography class instead of reading the Hardy Boys book on my lap. 

 Compare and contrast: Cartagena Colombia and Cartagena Spain - will have to wait until May 1 to finish assignment. Colombia - Busy harbor, protected anchorage, two naval vessels within sight. 

Hoping to stay ahead of the storm!  

Cuba is surprisingly long. We sailed at dusk, along with 20 other cruise ships passing by Key West well after dark. The route takes us past the western side of Cuba, and we have been sailing past it for several hours. Cozumel tomorrow morning.