The boat trip

Finally had time to write properly about the the journey from Panama City to Cartagena in Columbia. The 40 foot boat was called 'El Joshua´and was bright red, so knew the Welsh flag would look good flying in the wind during sailing. I was joined by 4 other travelerss, Kate from Norway, Hank from California, Joachim from Denmark and Jake from England. The three crew, Colombians Freddie and Poa, and Argentinean Leo were great fun and looked after us really well during the 11 days living on the boat.

The journey took us past the most beautiful islands I have ever seen, and we usually moored up in the afternoon to stay for the night and enjoy a swim in the turquoise sea and a walk along the white sand beaches. The sunsets were amazing, and one night it was followed by a perfect moonset....the thin slither of a new moon was perfectly smiling as it got lower and lower in the sky, finally turning red and then sinking into the sea. All the stars then came out as there was absolutely no light pollution at all. Quite fantastic!


We were lucky enough to catch fish on route and so the food was great. We caught two sharks, two tuna and a wahoo which Pao managed to turn into amazing meals. We also ate lobster and king crab at one of the Kuna islands. The Kuna are the indigenous people that live on the San Blas islands off the coast of Panama. There are 365 islands, some with only a single palm tree on as they are so small. The Kuna make money from collecting coconuts from the islands, smoking fish and lobster, and making Molas (handicrafts). It was great to be able to have acess to their way of life by traveling to them on the boat. Some of the islands have very small airstrips, but then the only way to get to the others is by boat, and they are not all linked by boat taxis.

As our journey was very laid back and we all had time to extend, we stayed in Sapzurro on the Columbian coast for three nights. This was a friendly small community and we got to know the locals really well in the two days we were there. Also, the small waterfall was fantastic for the first proper shower in quite a few days. The only downside was all the mosquito's in the jungle!!

If anyone is thinking of traveling between Panama and Columbia then take a sail boat. It works out cheaper than flying as you get your meals and accommodation included. We were lucky and got an 11 day trip for $250. Usually it only takes 5 or 6 days. I really felt like I had been on a Caribbean cruise but without the need to dress up for dinner every night!! One of the highlights of my trip so far.