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8th November - 20th November 2008
This week we have all been very busy preparing the boat for the trip to Panama. On the way we will be stopping at Los Testigos (small islands off Venezuala), then possibly at Margarita and Los Roques. From there we go to the Dutch Antilles calling at Bonaire and possibly Aves and Cariaco. The trip,was scheduled to leave here on Monday the 17th November. As usual things have changed and our departure has been postponed until Thursday or Friday, due to an unfavorable weather forecast and a broken anchor windlass, which has been taken away for repairs.
Nancy has managed to get her yellow fever shot needed for Panama at a local clinic for free. We have been out shopping several times with Nancy's enormous list and each time we return and cross off lots of items, she thinks of more to add. Nancy and I have been cooking lots of meals which we have put in the freezer for use while at sea. It is much easier to cook in the marina. Cooking on a small yacht at sea can be very hazardous and requires a strong stomach. As a reward the cooks took a night off and we went out for dinner at the Wheelhouse restaurant. It was a huge portion of fresh tuna barbecued, even William ate it. There was so much we asked for a doggy bag and had enough left for dinner the next day and lunch the day after that.
Jim and Nancy have been to the local market twice to buy fresh vegetables and jumbo shrimps, which Jim has cleaned. These have been cooked and frozen for the trip or used for shrimp kebabs when we went out to the pot luck supper at a local marina.
William has been busy on the Internet downloading information about Panama and booking us into Shelter bay marina on the 11th of December. We will stay there while we arrange our transit of the canal and get a date, then sail to the San Blas islands for a couple of weeks while we wait for our slot. Jim has fitted a new larger toilet into the forward heads, which is much better than the other smaller one. It's a long way to Australia so you may as well travel in comfort.
There have been unusually high spring tides in combination with a storm surge off shore. Hence life on the dock has been rather interesting, with flotsam and jetsam all around the boat, even part of an old door. The dinghy dock was flooded. The paserelle (gangplank) has been bouncing all over the place and hitting the dock. Inspite of this we braved the paserelle and got off the boat to go to a party in the marina. Local restaurants provided samples of local cuisine. Jim and Nancy tried boulabaise, barbecued pork tails, sea food chowder, servechie (raw fish salad). We all enjoyed rum with cranberry and coconut in a flashing shot glass.
We took Thursday off and made use of the hire car to visit the temple on the water, a colourful Hindu temple built out at sea and reached by a causeway. Inside the temple were five statues of Hindu gods. Hanaman, the monkey, who is for health and strength. Danesh, the elephant, for knowledge and wisdom. Shiva, who dispels all negativity. Durga who deals with problems and sickness. Krishna, for happiness and the departed souls. All this was explained to us by an old gentleman who cared for the temple. While we were visiting, an open air cremation was taking place nearby, with two funeral pyres. We then went to the largest Hindu temple in Trinidad where there is a 75 foot high statue of Hanaman.
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