San Blas and Cartagena

We only had 12 km to cycle to the marina where we were sailing from but in that time we ended up soaked to the skin. We were due to sail at about 3pm but the rain and wind were so intense that the departure was delayed until 7pm. I have never seen such heavy rain for such a long time. Even when we left the sea was still rough and it was a lumpy 12 hours to get to the San Blas islands that left us glad of our anti sickness pills. The company operate two boats and we heard from someone aboard the sailing that had departed 4 days earlier that the storm hit them at sea and it was very rough for them.

There are about 300 islands in the San Blas chain, they are all part of Panamá. They are all only just above sea level and formed when sand (created from shells and fish nibbling the coral) gets trapped behind reefs. This meant they were great for snorkeling. We saw brain and fan corals as well as angel fish, cuttlefish and bright blue fish with rainbow tails. It also means they are at great risk from rising sea levels. 

We quickly settled into island life and found it surprisingly easy to hang out on beaches chilling out and letting time slide by.

There were 20 of us on the boat. We were old enough to be the parents of all the other passengers. Despite the age differences we had a lovely time getting to know everyone else. The following nations were represented: Canada (1), New Zealand (1), Ireland (2), UK (6), Germany (4), Netherlands (3) and Denmark (3) meaning that English was the common language. 

We visited three islands in the chain and each was stunningly beautiful. 

An idea was hatched that it would be fun to hold a fake wedding. A bride and groom were selected along with the priest then a whole load of other 'wedding stereotypes' were identified (e.g. recently divorced aunt who cries the whole way through, mother in law who disapproves of the groom, teenagers getting drunk for the first time at the free bar etc) and allocated randomly. 

I was the hard of hearing grandma. We all did what we could to improvise costumes. 

It was great fun but without doubt the absolute funniest moment was when the 'jealous ex' ran up the aisle and fell to their knees pleading the groom to reconsider. 

We quickly began to take views like this for granted.

At one island, several nurse sharks circled the boat constantly waiting for scraps from the kitchen. They are harmless for humans but it was still a test of nerves to get into the water for a swim while they were about.

There was no end to the clichéd island photos that were possible.

We all had anxieties about the 40 hour crossing from the islands to Cartagena in Colombia after the first rough crossing. However the sea has calmed down and there was nothing more than a gentle swell. It was incredibly relaxing to hang out on deck chatting or watching the waves without phones to distract us. 

We woke up on the second morning after leaving the islands in Cartagena.

Arriving early in the morning meant there was no stress about unloading and getting going. We said our goodbyes to our co passengers and crew and headed off.

First stop: a photo by the Cartagena sign, getting cash and a SIM for Rachel's phone.

Second stop was at the hospital. One of the cabin doors had swung shut on Rachel's thumb during the crossing. Ouch! 

Turns out that there is a break in the final bone to accompany the incredibly bruised thumb nail. We left the hospital after 5 hours with a prescription for painkillers, antibiotics and lots of bandages. 

This meant we needed more than one night in town to allow time for the intense pain to die down. 

Thankfully we were able to get an AirB&B at the last minute on this street right in the heart of the old town. 

It also meant that we could meet up with some of our fellow passengers again for a walking tour of the old town. 

We learnt about the importance of domino playing to locals (and were warned not to play anyone as they play for money and any unpaid debts are punished by a machete to the wrist - look closely at the space where the fourth player would be).

We saw the house where Francis Drake lived. He is regarded as a pirate/ privateer here rather than a naval genius.

We learnt about the Colombian flag as well as the Cartagena flag which was created during the fight for independence as Cartagena was the place where it began. 

We saw the place where Gabriel Garcia Marquez used to sit and read which is immortalised by this mural.

We ended our tour with some arepas. Sometimes they are in a thick maize flatbread, the ones we had were in a thinner flatbread but equally delicious.

As we walked back to our apartment we bumped into Hilde and Rob who we had met as we were leaving the marina. They are from the Netherlands and have been living in their yacht for 13 years. We had a drink with them and each shared stories and details of our respective modes of transport. They were really inspirational and and filled with a desire to explore the world that was really infectious. 

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