Welcome to Jimmy's Bliss
Colon, Panama
Shelter Bay Marina

Hi,

A quick update on our adventures. Well we have been in Panama for one week. While I miss some of the comforts of home already, I am enjoying the adventure. It has been hot and humid, with daytime temps in the 80s and nights in the 70s. We don’t have AC on the boat but fortunately it is pretty windy, most of the time, at the docks.

So far it’s been all work and very little play. We will be leaving the dock in the next 2-3 days so our preparations have been the main focus.  Our first stop is for 2-3 weeks in the San Blas Islands and they local Kuna Indians are very primitive. No running water or electricity in most places. After visiting there, we plan to sail up to Honduras, a 3-4 day voyage. So we need to prep the boat quite well.

While the boat is in great shape, there were things that needed attention. The boat owner, David, has been here for the past 4 weeks doing boat stuff, so our chores were last minute items.  We have serviced 6 sail handling winches (taking each one apart, cleaning, greasing and putting it back together), fixed one of the stuck forward sails, repaired a rip in the mainsail, silicone calked parts of the boat and various odds and ends. Not to mention unpacking our 6 huge duffel bags of stuff, weighing almost 400 pounds.

The big adventure so far has been provisioning food for the boat. The owner says that we need to provision for a good 3 months, as most food elsewhere will be much more expensive and hard to find. Also we are now at a marina with a dock, taxis, and dock carts. Loading food bags from a dinghy bobbing in the water in a remote location is indeed a bit more difficult. We made 2 separate trips to the supermarkets filling (and I mean filling) 3 shopping carts on each trip. We put so much stuff in the taxi that it was scraping the bottom of the car when we’d hit potholes. In theory we have enough packaged, canned and frozen goods for 3 months for the 3 of us. And we bought various other foods that will have a shorter shelf life, like fruits, vegetables and breads. It was certainly an adventure shopping in a 3^rd world supermarket where they only speak Spanish! My Spanish tutoring lessons are paying off and my language is improving in the daily full immersion program we are in.

On a personal note, I am slowly adjusting and am glad I have the tools of AA to call on. I am surprised at my less than “all in” reaction to being here.  At first I was very stressed about the limited wi-fi and slow, plus dropping connections. Then there was adjusting to the heat and humidity. Plus living in a small space and getting acquainted with the boat’s owner, David. Overall things are going very well, but it is an adjustment. On a side note - Cheri seems to be doing very well, which is a great help and example. I truly believe that God put this opportunity in front of me to learn and grow on many levels. So with that belief, I use step 11 in many ways. Reminding myself that I am not running the show and finding that the “acceptance prayer” has been my ongoing friend.

It would appear that for the next 3-4 weeks my email access will be very very limited, so it may be a while before I send another e-mail. I will text as able, and possible call if able.  We are heading to the San Blas Islands for 2-3 weeks. The Kuna Indians are very primitive with no electricity and water. So internet is a stretch. After the San Blas Islands we plan to sail directly to Rotan Honduras, a 2-4 day passage. Lots to update when we get to Honduras.

From: Brad 1/12/14 

Cleaning & organizing the pantry

Today' s job organizing the pantry and planning the menus for next 3 months. Not an easy job but necessary if we plan to eat well while out at sea

Our new home for next few months

More about Panama City

Panama City is one of the most cosmopolitan, culturally distinct, and enjoyable capital cities in all of Central America. Modern commercial buildings blend with cobbled streets and Spanish colonial architecture of centuries past. West of the capital lies the Panama Canal, the legendary feat of humankind that unites two entire oceans.

Panama’s most striking and popular archipelagos are Bocas del Toro and theSan Blas Islands in the Caribbean, and the Pearl Islands in the Pacific. The Pearl Islands were featured on a season of the reality TV show, Survivor. The San Blas islands are noteworthy for being populated by the Kuna Indians—remarkable artisans. Book a long-term room on a major island (specifically, Bocas Town in Bocas del Toro, and Contadora in the Pearl Islands), and use it as a base to explore Panama’s hundred of remote islands and islets.

Other worthwhile destinations are Boquete in the Chiriqui Province, an ecotourist’s dream in the southeast featuring volcanoes, waterfalls, and even the elusive quetzal; Boquete, a quaint town overflowing with flowers; and the Anton Valley, the largest inhabited dormant volcano in the world.

Panama City

Panama City is the only capital city in the world boasting a rainforest within its city limits: Metropolitan Natural Park (Parque Natural Metropolitano). Although the Panamanian currency is officially the balboa, in practicePanama uses the United States dollar almost exclusively, with the exception of balboa coins.

Adopted in 1925, the flag of Panama's Kuna Yala people is based on a swastika design. The symbol represents the octopus that created the world in ancient Kuna culture. In 1942, a ring was added to the flag's center to differentiate it from Nazi Germany's swastika flag, but that version is no longer used.

After Costa Rica, Panama was the second Latin American country to abolish its standing military.

The Panama Canal is undoubtedly one of mankind's greatest feats. Built between 1904 and 1917, the canal allows ships voyaging between San Francisco and New York to save7,872 miles of travel, instead of going around Cape Horn.
 The estimated cost was $375,000,000 US. The canal is presently undergoing expansion, scheduled for completion in 2014; the estimated cost is $5.25 billion US.

More than 12,000 people died during the construction of the Panama Railroad. Built between 1850 and 1855, it's the world's oldest operating transcontinental railroad.

In 1928, Richard Halliburton swam the entire length of the Panama Canal. He was required to pay a toll: 36 cents, since he weighed 150 pounds.


Due to the its serpentine shape, Panama is the only country in the world where you can see the sun rise in the Pacific and set in the Atlantic. You can also swim in the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean on the same day – the country is 80km wide at its narrowest point.

Portobelo

Portobelo

Ranked #8 of 14 Attractions in Colon

51 Reviews

Type: Historic Sites, National Parks, Outdoors

Activities: Scuba diving

Owner description: Picturesque bayside village features the ruins of five Spanish forts, a restored treasure house and...

“historic place”

Reviewed December 29, 2014NEW

This place is rather famous. It is one of the several UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Panama. I read about it before the trip, and its existence was a major reason for my visit to the Caribbean side of Panama. When Spaniards got their treasures in South America, they would store them here and wait for Spain-bound ships. English pirate Henry Morgan led a successful attack on the fort, but did not find much.

As part of the tour "Best of Colon" provided by my friend Mario, my family of three stopped by here. On our way, we saw the Caribbean with many palm trees on its shore. When we got off the van, we were led to watch a sloth sleeping on a tree. I was surprised to hear this lazy bone was actually a party animal. The fort was not awe-inspiring, but the surrounding area was beautiful. The wall was as low as the tower was small. It was more of a village than a fort. One native woman sold a towel with the design of the canal for $12; our guide Mario bought us a small plastic bag, which contained Italian ice with bits of pineapple. We had to bite to drink the really tasty, juicy, and fragrant thing. A small church featured a black Christ. Many blacks lived in the area and some Chinese owned shops here.

On my way back, I wondered how much gold Spaniards took from Americas. I googled and found that the entire world only produced 36 tons of gold in the entire 1500s. In 2013, China produced 420 tons, which made it the largest producer in the world by far.

It is now time to start the adventure!

This is a perfect saying for today, especially since it was my last day at work.  I am now ready to break free and rejuvenate!  We leave on our sailing adventure on Monday morning at the crack of dawn 4:30 am!  Our flight to Panama leaves at 6 am, we should arrive at 7 pm. Here we go...