The Darien Gapster - Panama hasta Colombia en el barco (31 de Deciembre - 4 de Enero, 2011).

The Panaaaama, Panaaamaahaaahaaahahaa anthem continues and the afternoon of Dec 31st we get on the boat, destined for Colombia, hoping to see Johnny Depp and Keira Knightly on the way.

This was a trip that didn't quite go according to plan.........perhaps all the drunken sailors at Hostel Portobelo were trying to tell us something in their boozey rants - in trying to convince us to go on their boats instead.

Miramar - very excited to actually be leaving today!

Team kiwi - getting soaked by the swell on the left.
Note, only row not to vomit!

2 days after our scheduled departure, our captain (Marco) takes off without authority to pick the group up from Miramar. At this stage we’re all just happy to get on the boat so the choppy seas were not such an issue for the 3 hour journey to our NY Eve destination. Well at least until we got into the thick of it and the vom bags came out thick and fast.

Laughter and sitting up the front getting absolutely drenched was the best medicine to keep our tummy’s settled. One poor guy down the back was employed as a full time bailer (as the bathtub was taking on water from the swell) and vomiting in between bails.

New Years Eve spot 2010

Day one went well and we had new years on a small inhabited island – and epic it was!!

Next morning Cap’t suggested we add a day to our trip as we were so delayed the previous day, and instead opt to go to an island nearby. Although this may have been our first mistake in terms of the amazing race that we were about to enter into with Dan, it was our first taste of paradise and a perfect day.



Anchoring at our first tropical island paradise.



Crack up! These boys are as white as the sand they stand on.......





  


 



From here there are 3 days of blur where a string of action occurred that somewhat skewed our itinery.

To keep it brief as brief as possible………….

Day 3: One hour in and both engines die. Marco eventually gets one going and we troll to a random island for repair.

End up staying the night as its too late to take off again. Apparent problem – sold dodgy fuel with water in it.

Marco gets rip-rotten drunk and is unable to greet the group to discuss the mornings plans. Addresses the group “I am yer aaa Caperrrtayne”. Proceeds to suggest we add another day to make up for the day spent fixing the boat.

Now 3 days behind original schedule, division hits the group as many are not time bound and many have connecting flights/arrangements.

Discussion becomes heated and the Caperrrtayne then decides to leer into one of the Canadian girls because he simply doesn’t like her (and he tells her this). Very uncalled for!

We decide to head for Colombia the next morning but to reassess in the morning and as we travel. All happy campers and at this stage Dan is on target to meet his flight.

Everyone sheltering from the downpour.
Basketball team from neighbouring island waiting for their canoe home.





The bonus of the bathtub breaking down was that we visited
some gorgeous villages with the sweetest children.

A little laughter amongst the group the following morning as just like in slum dog millionaire (although not quite so voluntary), poor Dominic falls through the floor of the toilet. Standing on the wharf, we all see two feet dangling and a jandle floating amongst the debri. Not so funny for him!

Day 4 (and still only been to one isolated island): One hour in and the engines die again.

This time unable to restart either so we “bob” and we “bob” some more and the vomit bags come out again (Matt). Thankfully 3 local Kuna’s come to our rescue and tow us to a nearby island.
A timber boat with an old 75HP motor towes a 25 person bathtub (and 2 dead 200HP motors) in 8-10ft swell. Refer to Dan's video - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tZIP0btWQyU

Apparent problem – sold more dodgy fuel with water in it. Hmmm, by this time the sceptics are beginning to think that there may be more to it and the amount of bailing going on in the back might just have something to do with water contaminating the fuel??

  

 

Many of us now a touch agitated and fed-up!

Marco's responsible plan: 10 of us travel the remaining 7 hour with the Kuna's (that just towed us). Hmmm……… timber boat, 75 HP motor, no axillary, no radio, no canopy, notenough life jackets for everyone and large swell. No thanks!!

Meanwhile, Dan lines up a potential insurance claim as making his flight seems unlikely.
A new and external fuel tank is connected on deck. However, not anchored so tips and leaks through the back of the boat as we are about to re-board. Delayed once more....



 
 

  

Later that evening we make it to our second uninhabited island and set up camp for the night. This is where we almost forgot all of the previous days events as it was simply stunning. A local Kuna man starts cutting fresh coconuts, free beer from the captain and we spend the night around a bonfire.

………..an hour or so later, Marco realises one of the anchor ropes hasn’t held and the boat is floating merrily towards the reef.

Marco now had a few too many and doesn’t want to get wet so sends hit mate to check it out.





Camping in paradise

Aaargh, pirate hooch!

Day 5: We are off and the seas are on our side today. Cruisy day of travelling and a visit to another Kuna village for lunch.



Bano el natural....in action (literally)!

We make it to Sapsurro (Colombia) with 15 minutes to spare before customs shuts! The 6 of us in a hurry are tipped into another boat and whisked to the neighbouring bay to get our exit stamp. Tick!


This is where the amazing race gains momentum as we are in Colombia with approximately 30 hours until Dan’s flight leaves. We have to wait until morning to take a 2.5 hour boat ride to Turbo and then approximately 14 hours of bus to get us to Cartagena - broken into 3 buses because of recent land-slides.

Following morning we awake early to buy tickets to find no seats left and we would have to wait another day. Excellent, Dan misses his flight as we can have him for a few more days!!However by a strike of luck (for Dan) people didn´t turn up so we land 3 seats on the boat, enter a mad dash and take off!

La Nina has beaten Colombia and Panama in recent months.
Change of bus no. 1 due to washed out bridge

Finally a real boat! On route from Capurgana to Turbo, final water leg of the trip.

Juliette and Juan. These 2, their brothers and sister and Matts animal
noises kept us all entertained for a good 8 hours.

At 1am we arrive in Cartagena, 5 hours before Dan is scheduled to check-in.


Wander hostels for an hour and eventually retire to a hostel lobby for the rest of the night as absolutely everything is fully booked. Perhaps a fitting end to the shambles that was Dan´s summer holiday.

Sadly for us, Dan made his flight!
Although we didn’t get to all the tropical islands we dreamed of, we spent numerous unscheduled hours and a night amongst some incredible Kuna villages. I think for all 3 of us, these villages and children were a major highlight of the trip.
The boat trip was not quite so smooth but thats travelling and we had a ball anyway. Dan´s left with a pirate scar and some excellent spanish vocab under his belt. Cabeza mierda!