Wildcard
So, although the Americas is one continuous land from Alaska to the south of Chile, the road stops in southern Panama and begins again past the Colombian border. The Darien Gap for what ever reason - political or environmental, separates Central and South America and for us means I need to find an alternative to road travel, an expensive alternative to get Sixto across to Colombia and free reign into South America. There's no ferries that run the route and I didn't want to put Sixto on a plane and meet him at a Colombian airport days later so I decided on finding a sailboat that would take us both. The most reputed sailboat was booked out by a private group so I settled on the Wildcard, the NZ captain had been doing the route for years and had experience with motorbikes on board. I made it to the harbour, near the port town of Portobello which the Spanish used to transport a lot of the treasures found in Peru further up the Americas. I met the crew on the afternoon we were to set sail and together with Wayne and Carlos we comfortably got all Sixto's 205kg's winched onto the deck and securely fastened and covered for the 5 day cruise to Colombia. Getting him wet with salt water was a worry but they assured me the waters were calm at this time of the year.
The other 15 travelers arrived later on, Simon & Clare had arranged to get on the boat, I'd met Lui on AFL Grand Final night weeks earlier and in Panama City along with the Dutch group of three. The other passengers were Swiss, German and a couple of groups from Melbourne. Together with the crew there were 20 on board, two cats, a dog, Sixto, no showers and plenty of booze. Not so spacious but comfortable enough.
The journey included about 35 hours of travel and spent the first three days wandering around the San Blas islands, an archipelago of 365 islands, some tiny with a couple of palm trees, the largest with an airport and immigration office. Most of the islands are inhabited by the Kuna Yala indigenous group which were forced here when the Spanish arrived and mistreated them in parts of Panama and Colombia. The legend has it that they defeated the Spanish when they arrived at the islands in a vicious battle. They have since successfully revolted against the Panamanian government's attempts to suppress their customs and have been granted autonomy in control of the islands. Plantains, coconuts and fish are eaten and coconuts and lobsters are exported. The people come with big smiles and a very relaxed manner.
We spent an evening on one of the islands where the local women prepared a lobster feast.
We visited one of the larger islands one day and were given a tour of the community, it felt somewhat obtrusive but interesting to see the housing, colourful clothing and hear of their proud independence and communal way of living. The children go off fishing in dugout canoes or play music when not at school.
5 days of chilling out, playing chess, listening to music, reading, swimming to the islands, snorkelling, drinking beer and Nicaraguan rum, drinking games, sea sickness and throwing up for some, making bonfires on the islands and learning a thing or two about Debbie and Wayne's life of living on the boat and sailing the Caribbean for the past few years.
Coming in to Cartegena bay and South America on our fifth afternoon after two days of open seas, rain and a bit of swaying. It was the evening Colombia qualifies for the World Cup, I missed the celebrations in the streets as I chose the spend the final evening on the boat in the harbour with a couple of the guys and the crew. We finished off the beer and enjoyed the extra space and talk of Colombia and sailing.
The following morning we called in a boat to carry Sixto to the dock and slowly and surely tied him up and winced him onto the little boat. The two Colombians with the boat assured me we'd get there safely and dry.
Lucas, Wayne, Carlos and I balancing Sixto while Dennis lowered the ropes.
Cleanly shaven for a new continent, happy and ready to slowly get to land where 6 of us lifted Sixto onto the timber dock.
Immediately cleaned once on land to get rid of any salt from the sail and ready for sunny Colombia.
