The boat was due to leve from Puerto Lindo which was where we spent the night. A pleasant little hostel (Wunderbar); it was a hot and sticky Caribbean night. In the morning the 4 of us -Geoff and Rose, Ben and myself went down to the dockside at 7 a.m.. Our 5th member, Cecilia, would join us the next day from one of the San Blas islands.The San Blas is an extraordinary archipelago strung out along the eastern caribbean coast. They belong to the Kuna people who manage their own territory.
Our captian, Oliver, met us dockside and we loaded up our launcher to take us to "La Esmeralda", a 42 foot yacht. She was made in China and has a lovely bow (and big backside) and teak decks. With a name like esmeralda, she had to be green (well, the hull was). Geoff and Rose's bikes were securely strapped on the foredeck and our big packs stowed in the hold. There was hardly a whisper of wind so we left under motor.The sea was a lovely blue with gentle swells and we looked back on the coastline with its pretty little bays and rocky islands. It took a while to get my sealegs but for the most part my appetite ws undeterred. I found I was better as long as I didn't go below decks. Late afternoon we arrived at one of the San Blas islands that was home to a small community.Oliver was on good terms with the village and we were invited to walk around the island. It is a lovely way of life, with the community at its heart. Whilst we were waiting for our freshly caught yellow fin tuna, the children played around us and seemed highly amused by our attempts at spanish. Back on the boat we retired to our berths after a nightcap of red wine. The night was humid but it was so peaceful waking in the morning hearing the dinghy squeaking against the boat and the water gently lapping.The sounds of village life and the Sunday service drifted across. Cecilia joined us and after breakfast we set off for about 2 hours to a set of islands sparsely inhabited: turquoise waters surrounded white sandy beaches. There were one or two Kuna houses set amongst the coconut trees. We anchored in a protected spot: between two islands and near some refs, rocky and coral. This was an idyllic seting for the next 2days - we swam and snorkelled and sunned ourselves. The snorkelling amongst the coral refs made for beautiful viewing: different shapes of coral, colourful tropical fish. nearby were cone shells and on the sandy sea bed very large starfish (dinner plate-sized). I caught a glimpse of a ray skimming along the bottom. On our 3rd day, the captian took our passports to immigracion on the Island of Porvenir. ( A slight mishap when my passport was baptised in the sea - but no matter it dried out and makes me look like a seasoned traveller). We chose to remain at anchor where we were and enjoyed more time snorkelling.
On our 4th day we sailed for Cartagena. Initially we sailed east and for most of the day could see the coast. By late afternoon we could no longer see land. From 9 p.m onwards we shared watches of 2 hours each. The capatin was readily available should we need him e.g change in wind or seeing other vessels. My watch from 9 p.m to 11 p.m was peaceful and enjoyable - a halfmoon flitting in and out of the clouds and a scattering of stars. On our 5th day we saw a school of dolphins. For a while they swam in the wave from the bow. Lat afternoon the sea was choppy due to the meeting of 2 currents. the captain was anticipating a rougher night and so it was. I admit I was feeling seqsick and looking forward to arriving at Cartagena! Late morning on the 6th day we entered the calm waters in the bay of Cartagena. It was great to see the old city and the high rise towrs of la Boca Grande. We disembarked and booked into a hotel in the old walled city. Later that evening we met up with Oliver who had arranged our entry into Colombia - all was well.
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