Bocas del Toro, Panama

We started August with a boat project.   We noticed on our way here, when we heel hard to starboard, the motor makes a noise.  So, upon checking, we have a broken motor mount.  So, we ordered four new motor mounts and purchased them when we were in the States, and Gary on S/V Bold Venture, a Tayana 37 volunteered to assist us with the project.

So, today is the day and the project went very well.  No surprises, which is good on a boat project.  One project usually leads to three or four.   But, by 4 p.m., the job was finished and we had two sore, and tired sailors.   Thanks Gary!

"Honey, are we really here?"

Greg and Sonny checked the motor and filled it with oil and.....she started on the first push of the button.....did I tell you we got an electric start?  Nice...and it is so quiet.

                              Our New Motor        

It took several hours to make a cover.  First, I had to make a pattern, then, sew the pieces together, then, rip the pieces apart, attempting again and again.  Finally, we have a dinghy motor cover. 

This afternoon, Kay and some ladies from the marina went with the local garden club to Hospital Point at Nancy Cay to Clyde and Phyllis Stephens home to tour their property and listen to Phyllis explain how to cook the local fruits and vegetables.  It was very interesting.  They also had a allspice tree and Clyde gave me some leaves from it.  He said to boil the leaves to help allergies and sinus congestion.

In Panama, every 30 days, actually 28, you have to make a trip to the immigration office to renew your visa so you can stay in Panama.   So, today is our day.   We arranged for the water taxi to pick us up at the marina dock at 7 a.m. for the 1 1/2 hour ride to Changuinola in the water taxi.   Sandy on S/V Namaste has described the ride as one compared to a ride at Six Flags.  You travel across the bay to a canal created by the banana boats in years past, then on to the villiage of Changuinola. 

As you travel down the canal, you begin to see livios.  To us gringos, we call them lily pads.  As you travel further and further down the canal, you see more and more livios.   Until, there is no pathway through the canal....only livios.

We arrived at immigration at 8 a.m. and presented them all of our paperwork to be granted an extension.  Panama has now created a new mariner's visa, where you give them 2 passport photos each, boat documentation, proof that you are in the area, such as a marina invoice, a crew list, and, four hours later, you are given a card with your photo on it, granting you 30 more days, plus an opportunity to return three times for monthly check-ins.   It is a new process and, has and will change almost daily.   Depending on the mood of the employees.   The total cost this month was $67.   Every day is truly an adventure.

Along the road is a banana farm.  They have a conveyor belt that carries the stalks of  green bananas back to the main gathering center to put in boxes and ship t\o the US just in time to ripen.

Greg and Judy, Hugh, and Sonny getting our return tickets for the water taxi back.

We went into town for a shopping trip.   Need more cokes, wire for cable for dinghy, and microphone for computer for Skype.  Well, we got one out of three.  The Cokes are "supposed" to be in on Thursday, and could not find a new microphone.  A semi-successful shopping trip.

Happy Birthday Gary!......Susan on M/V Limerick and I baked chocolate cakes to celebrate his birthday.

Speaking of birthdays.....Today is Roberto on Deux Pieds, our long-time buddy boat friends from Argentina. 

We went with Roberto and Any tonight into Bocas town to celebrate his 61st birthday with a very nice dinner.   During our dinner, there were two young people from Chile that got up and blew through these long bamboo poles and made music.  It was very different, but very good.  Then, the gentleman took a 5" crystal ball and with music, orchestrated the ball all over, up and down, and rolling all around his body very rhymthically. 

Roberto and Any had just arrived back from Argentina bringing bags loaded of boat parts.  When passing through Miami, upon inspection of their new exhaust manifold in the box, the Customs agents must have thought it was a bomb or something dangerous, because they drilled three holes through the steel.  Now, Roberto is trying to figure out how to fill the three holes so he can install his part.

	Red Frog beach was beautiful.  Nice sand, good waves, great snorkeling, and even...."Red Frogs".

The anchorage is very peaceful and quiet.   We came over on the full moon to see if we could observe the ritual of tortoises laying their eggs on shore during the low tide of the full moon, but were told we were a month too late.  So, we do not have to stay up all night tonight, and we enjoyed the good night's sleep on anchor.

OK......today we took quarters to give to the children to get a picture of the red frogs, but, today, there were no children around.   So, after searching all day, we told Scott at the tienda on the beach that we have yet to see a "Red Frog" at "Red Frog Beach" and he invited us to follow him to see his stash.  So we did.   We followed him down a trail, near some cabanas to a tree.   He said they are usually around this tree, so we started searching.....and....finally, we found him.   Our very own...."Red Frog" so the photo shoot began......

They are about the size of your thumbnail, and in olden times, rumor has it that the locals would roast the poisonous frog and rub the tip of their spear in it to get the poison on their spear.