Now we leave Grenada, heading West, chasing the sun… A good wind from the back push us and it will soon become strong when passing the Columbian coasts. We will then apreciate more the calm of the San Blas islands. Stunning islands, ambassadors of the Polynesian atolls, covered by coconut palms, at only one or two feet from the sea level. Here only live the Kunas indians. It’s their country, snatched by a long fight against the invaders, even the most recent ones. The Western civilisation is only slowly coming in, the women keep their traditional dress, their “molas” are hand sewed, they row their “ulus” as well as the men. They know that the rising of the sea level threat them, and they are already prepared to establish themself on land. A little bit further, at midway to Colon, Portobelo : In the bay you could think that you are still at the time of the galleons full of gold, on land the spanish ruins faces the multicolored buses of Panama, the San Felipe Chuch is the home of the Black Christ, venered in all central America, the vultures soar in the sky and you can feel the poverty.

Before exploring the Pacifc ocean we need a clean hull and we make a big washing to our Skoiern, under the palmtrees in Shelter bay Marina, just in front of Colon. The woods nearby also attracted us. It’s hot, and siesta time ….

And now, the Canal !

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Entering Tobago we come into the Carib’s world, where history laids his traces, perhaps more than anywhere else : the slavery, the economic domination. You can feel the leadership of USA, Canada, and others, it ‘s no longer the hispanic Europe of latin America but it’s also the reegae and rastas kingdom !
We staied almost two months in Charlotteville, Tobago, until the customs asked us to sail away, as our pets were not allowed. It’s a pity, we loved this small and quiet village, the lush forest were everything is growing, avocados, bananas, cocoa, the animals, squirels, birds, the bay flied over with pelicans, frigates and brown bobies, the so welcoming people, always in a good mood, the fishermen and their lobsters….
Anyway, Grenada was’nt far away. Here in Prickly bay we could have the best treatements in the caribs for the dog Dick, in St Georges University, get new glasses for the captain, receive our new main sail, and, last but not least, visit the oldest rhum distilery in the island (beware, this a 70° proof alcool !), the cocoa plantations and taste the best chocolate in the world. The island is so beautiful than she deserve well her name of “Spice island”.
After Christmas we will head to the San Blas islands and Panama and soon realy soon, the Pacific !

We are not tired of Brasil, Salvador where we have made, one more time, a good cleaning to our Skoiern, Jacare and João Pessoa wehre the kids conduct their cows riding horses, where the “lanchas” stay the best mean of transport to join the villages across the river, Fortaleza and his fishermen riding their unbelievable jangadas which we cross in open sea, sometimes at 40 miles from the coast, the feet in the water, standing with their huge sail spread out like a wing. Then it’s the river Para, in Amazonia, where we sail up to Soure, in Marajo island. The bufalos have replaced the horses and , again it’s the magic of the river where all occurs, the horses transported with the humans waiting in their hammocks, the zebus, dischaged in a savage manner, the fishermen which rounded us at night. We met again our red ibis and this time we have followed them in the mangrove, we will not see them again before long…

In Surinam, change of scenery : even if we are on a river, there is some differences, it’s more hot, the thunderstorms are more frequent and overall it is a curious mixing of Nederlands, Indonesia, Africa….there is roads, beautiful houses with painted roofs and

Paramaribo looks at times like South Africa. All sorts of animals are sold, when they are not eated, and we were on the point to buy a small monkey, let’s say Anne Marie…

We are now in the Caribian seas, in Tobago, Charlotteville, Pirates bay, waiting quietly at anchor the good season to go on, this times through West. Here it’s another paradise, but it is another story….

Amigos, the whim of the weather has prevented us to walk with the whales of Abrolhos, we have seen them only in the distance, some blows and others disputed to the big south swell, brown boobies taking the oportunity of the crossing to rest a little, and, then, in the state of Bahia, the magic of the mangrove, the dugouts, the saguis, small acrobats and inquisitives monkeys… Here all is going on the water, from the scolar transportation to those of mules, fishing is going by sail, the last saveiros are still sailing, without engine, pushed by breezes and currents. Discoveries : Cairu and the marvels of the old jesuit convent, the red ibis growing like popies in Maragojipe, Valença, bustling city emerging from the mangrove. The likeness with Africa is striking, even the portugues forts are here! Water surround us, its a tracery of rios, sand banks bristling by fish traps, and everywhere the same warmth, the same kindness. It’s a pity we can’t stay longer….