The sailboat Melody

Jonathan:
After 6 days at sea aboard the sailboat '>Melody, it's really nice to be back on dry land. The sailing trip took us and 6 other passengers from Puerto Lindo in northern Panama though the San Blas Islands to Cartagena. For the most part the trip was great, but to be honest, getting tossed around by 10 foot waves in the open ocean for a few days definitely has its challenges. Those of us who weren't lying green-faced next to the rail spent most of our time trying to pin ourselves between various crates on the deck to keep from falling overboard, or attempting (sometimes unsuccessfully) to balance ourselves in the galley just long enough to make a sandwich or heat up some water for coffee. The only thing that seemed to help us forget the incessant rocking was that on two occasions we were joined by several dolphins who came to play in our wake.

Fortunately, we spent most of our 6-day trip cooling our heels in a very remote section of a chain of 300 small islands off the northern coast of Panama, a spot which our fearless Pepsi-fueled captain Mark lovingly refers to as the swimming pool. We spent 4 nights and 3 full days anchored in a reef cove surrounded by 4 or 5 islands, more coral reefs than we could count, and a vast expanse of crystal blue Caribbean sea. The majority of our time was spent in the water-- exploring the numerous coral fields and chasing the reef sharks and amazingly majestic eagle rays that seemed to abound in the area. When we were too tired to swim, we lounged around on the deck of the Melody, or on one of the beautifully green coconut islands within swimming distance of the boat. Like our sailing trip in Guatemala, the other travelers turned out to be great company. We all thoroughly enjoyed making fast friends and sharing travel stories.

Although quarters on the boat were a little tight for 9 people, all of us found ourselves almost constantly reassured that we had made the right decision by going with the Melody. We were fed extremely well (including a dinner which consisted of a giant thanksgiving-style butterball turkey, stuffing and potatoes), and on numerous occasions Mark went out of his way to make sure our trip was as comfortable and rewarding as it could be-- including staying an extra day in the islands at his expense to wait out some rough weather between us and Colombia. The few conversations we had with travelers from other boats along the way were filled with horrid tales of bad canned tuna, stale bread, rigid captains and rough nights at sea (all for the same price we paid).

Having arrived safe and thoroughly satisfied in Cartagena, we've enjoyed the past few days of basking in the sheer beauty and romance of this city's narrow cobbled streets and its breathtaking colonial charm. We'll be here through Sunday before we fly to Bogotá (the capital of Colombia) for a brief 3-day visit on our way to Quito, Ecuador where we're planning to spend a month studying Spanish and working on a community volunteer project.