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Wednesday, December 12, 2007
At Anchor, Catalina Harbor, Providencia
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We’ve been here a week, and three days of
it were “boatbound,” due to some pretty brisk winds that
threatened to drag us (again). Friday evening, after a
great day of scootering around the island, we went over to
Attitude for happy hour. As soon as we stepped
aboard, Neil and Dale (s/v Orangi) pointed and
shouted simultaneously “You’re dragging!” which prompted a
hasty three-man rescue attempt to try to prevent Emma Jo
from blowing into Attitude. Cathy, Dillis and I sat
and enjoyed the show, but the wind continued upwards of
20-30 knots through Monday and we didn’t’ feel comfortable
leaving the boat to go into town.
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Ole did make it to town yesterday morning,
though, to pick up the repaired heat exchanger for the port
engine. Cost was 200,000 pesos (more or less $100), and the
leak was small – the repairman only had to plug about 3 of
the little tubes. That was the good news.
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The bad news is that yesterday afternoon we
had planned to go ashore to stretch our legs, and as Ole
stepped from the shower, he noticed the shower pump was not
working. A hasty inspection found the bilge full of gray
water. No telling how long the pump had been out.
Fortunately he had a spare pump and float switch, and by
4:00 we were pretty much back in business.
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We dinghied into town to find that all
satellite services to Providencia have been down for 9 days,
so there is no telephone or internet to be had. So we
stopped in at the bakery and had fresh lemon pie and coffee,
swapped some books at the exchange in the bakery, and
browsed the general store for Christmas cards. It felt good
to walk a bit.
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In the early evening after the sun went
down, we noticed the locals were out and about, in the
tradition of an evening paseo – young men and women,
families, grandmas and grandpas just strolling or sitting
along the brightly painted little malecon. It’s worth
pondering what life could be like when what you do in the
evening is just go for a walk with your friends or family
and talk to your neighbors, instead of being shut in with
the television or the computer. The agent, Bernardo Bush,
told us that crime is virtually unheard of here, even though
there is a marine base and small police presence (or maybe
because of it). We noticed that there is no undercurrent of
hostility or danger here, unlike some of the other Caribbean
islands we’ve visited, maybe due to the island’s history.
The cruising guides we’ve read remark that here in
Providencia people are actually glad to welcome you, and
everyone we’ve passed on the street has been pleasant and
openly friendly.
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This afternoon we decided to go ashore for
lunch, to a place on Isla Santa Catalina called Bambu. The
architecture was pretty remarkable – just a framework of
huge bamboo assembled as posts and beams around a paved
courtyard, with a little outbuilding that served as
bar/kitchen. The proprietor, an energetic 40-ish man asked
if he could just “drive” our lunch, by which we figured he
meant just decide and cook for us. We happily agreed. Our
first course was “crab toes” – the small minor claws of land
crabs, which are abundant here, prepared in butter and
garlic. Olivier, the chef/proprietor, giggled as he watched
us wolfing them down, saying “they are addictive – I could
eat a couple of hundred at a time.” He was right. This
first course was accompanied by some salmon (!) ceviche,
marinated in olive oil, herbs and lime, and homemade bread
with a spread we think was crab roe. The main course was a
beautiful array of perfectly fried sprats, little fishes
looking like art displayed on a plain wooden slab with a
large leaf and bougainvillea flower, with amazingly crisp
plantains, rice and salad. All happily washed down
with a cold Aguila. Olivier and his wife, a former
journalist from Bogota, moved here two years ago and seemed
insanely happy. I think I would be too.
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We went to town to check out with Mr. Bush,
then took a little walk around Isla Santa Catalina which is
connected by a bright floating footbridge from the main
town. About 200 people live here, very simply. The island
is tidy, well-groomed, and fringed with a malecon, or
walkway, along the water. We strolled by folks just sitting
on their porches talking, and little kids out fishing for
sprats with what looked like mom’s tablecloth. The end of
the malecon leads upward to the remains of a 17th
century fort which we think was used by pirates to repel the
more lawful ships in the area.
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After a light dinner on deck, we left at 2:00
a.m. for the 73 mile trip to the Albuquerque Cays --
about a third of the way to Bocas del Toro.
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Jan the Webmeister
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