STARTING THE NEW YEAR - 2012

Happy New Year from Panama!  Though missing the excitement of our grand kids on Christmas morning, the Holiday Season here in Shelter Bay was very enjoyable.  Good food, good friends and plenty of libations!!

Christmas Eve Cruisers Potluck

Christmas morning began with a 4-mile hike followed by a cold Bloody Mary and fresh made sourdough pancakes.  Sunny and temperatures in the 80's....no snow in the forecast. 

Christmas Morning on Serena Ray

It would not be Christmas without a cookie bake.  Rosie and two cruiser friends spent the day making traditional favorites...peanutbutter balls, short-bread cookies, powdered sugar balls and Speculoos (a ginger/cardamom spice cookie)

Christmas Cookies

Our friends Nick and Josie are Dutch and shared her family Speculoos recipe.

Josie's Speculoos Cookies

Oddly enough, fresh herbs are more difficult to find here in Panama than what we experienced in Mexico and other Central American countries.  So, the solution...grow your own.  Herbs flourish here in this climate...seems like a business opportunity for someone!!

Growing Fresh Basil Aboard

Our Dutch friends, Nick and Josie also shared a great new bread recipe....sourdough beer bread that uses Guinness beer and a little coffee for color.... fabulous!!

Fresh Sourdough Rye-Beer Bread

Our day here in Panama generally starts  with a few miles of hiking around the old military installation.  Howler monkeys and a variety of birds watch and sometimes entertain.  One morning we came across a Boa Constrictor, around 6 feet in length, starting to make its way across the road.  A piercing scream from Rosie changed his mind and he slithered back into the tall grass.  That is the first boa we have come across on our travels.  They also have a snake here called the "2-step".....very small but appropriately named if you were to get bit.  Not seen one yet..and not looking to add it to our sightings list!!

Morning Hikes

We readied Serena Ray for departure to the Bocas as John's shoulder seems to be mending well.  Since Serena Ray has been idle for several months, a "shake-down" run to Portobello seemed prudent to ensure all systems still functioned properly.  It is a short 20 mile hop up the coast.  The weather this season has been abnormally windy..likely due to the La Nina effect so it was fairly bumpy.

Entering Portobello

As it turned out, it was fortuitous that we decided to make the quick run to Portobello, we lost the generator and also had electronics (navigation) issues...all of which are critical systems and needed to be repaired before going offshore.  So back to Shelter Bay for repairs.  On the return, we found 10 to 12 foot seas, but more comfortable as they were following seas......We are currently awaiting parts for repair of the generator, which should arrive this coming week.  Everything in Mexico or Central America takes much greater time to repair... no West Marine in the neighborhood.

Rough Seas!

SAN LORENZO

Spain constructed San Lorenzo to guard the mouth of the Chagres River. It was conquered by Henry Morgan in 1668 and by Admiral Edward Vernon in 1739, these fortifications were continuously rebuilt because they command the access to the Isthmus of Panama, which has always been of the utmost importance for Europe's commerce with its colonies. In 1761 the Spaniards rebuilt the fort for the third time, building the structures seen today. However, trade routes had changed and the new fort did not suffer any new attacks.

Fort San Lorenzo was abandoned by Spain in 1821 when Panama became independent. After Panama became part of Colombia, the fort was used as a prison, then as the point of entry for mail from Britain to Latin America. During the California Gold Rush in 1849 it served as a camping ground for adventurers, particularly on the old town of Chagres below the fort and on the west bank of the Chagres River. The Chagres River stayed as the main inter-ocean route until the construction of the railroad from Colón City to Panama in 1850.

 

Now a National Park

Cannons all faced land, not the sea.

30 foot deep barrier around the fort

Overlooking the Caribbean Sea and the moth of the Chagres River

From the watch tower

Interesting fact, the fort was built to protect the Chagres River from land attacks (guns all faced inland). They felt that the fort in Portobello would protect them from sea attacks...

Once a prison, the pit was a cell!

We will have friends from Clarkston, WA, Dale and Betsy McGreer, join us next weekend for a 2 week cruise to the Bocas Islands.  It will be great to be back on the "hook" for a while!!