What to do in January?

PHOTO ALBUM—>> https://photos.app.goo.gl/VngjpYyb7kkh5DmT6

Out to anchor:

John and I decided to keep our slip at Red Frog as a base and head out to anchor off and on for a few weeks. Basically having the best of both worlds. So our 1st choice was to head out to:

Monkey Island and surrounding area:

Monkey Island is near Isla Popa and consists of a couple of small mangrove isles/cays where a monkey rescue has been set up.

Basically, monkeys that have been taken from the wild as pets and then kept in cages or on chains are freed here. The monkeys have one isle for their day time freedom and in the evening they cross a hanging bridge back to where their night time feed and quarters are found.

We anchored not too far away, just off a mangrove isle. We enjoyed the peaceful evening. And we did spot monkeys passing through their tunnel between the 2 islands. In the morning we explored in the dinghy by going through a canal between the main island of Popa and one of its smaller isles.

We found there was a small but busy village and farming community. The locals stared out at us, but waved back when we waved as we passed. There were some pretty bays on the outside.

Bluefields:

Was our next destination. This is a bay on the Panamanian mainland, about a mile across and five miles deep with hills of around 800ft climbing from its shoreline. We had been told it was a magnificent bay and were not disappointed.

On the way there we passed the Zappadillas and were surprised by1st the ocean swell. We had not experienced any since arriving in July. There is a large gap in the reefs and the swell was rolling in. At the mouth of Bluefields we found the seas still rolling in and so proceeded to the end of the bay.

The bay is almost like a gorge as the middle is a good 30 feet deep, but the water shallows out well before the shoreline. The scenery is very beautiful, large rolling hillsides covered in massive trees with a few local homes along the shore.

We soon had visitors arriving in cayucos, children, grannies, and others. Two teen girls and a kitten were all curious about Chico. They even plonked the kitten on the deck, but all Chico did was sniff the kitten. We gave them food for the kitten and cookies each. All staring at Aeeshah, quite cautiously at first, but after an initial “hola” they were all full of questions. John had previously, mistakenly, bought a case of cola, thinking they were his cervasa. These were a popular gift everyone loved getting a coke. The cookies too were readily accepted. In return we accepted bananas, green coconuts and hand made mesh bags. The villagers are very reserved folks, but ever so sweet and friendly once barriers are broken. One of the strangest visitors was a local motor boat with what looked like a family, they just cruised around us twice and took video with their phone. They seemed intrigued with the rigging.

On our first full morning we went in the dinghy and cruised around about a third of the bay. We passed many dwellings where folks would return our waves. Everyone going about their daily business doing laundry, fishing, etc.

In the bay itself there were always dozens of cayucos with mainly men or boys fishing. Further along the shoreline there were areas that had been cleared and we could see pastures with cattle.

However still the slopes behind were heavily forested, the scenery beautiful, and around each bend unexpected inlets and small bays. The rain started and so we pulled off to the side of a steep slope and sheltered under some trees.

We were able to continue along a bit further, but the rain became more persistent and chased us back to Aeeshah. In fact we decided that the reason the area was so lush is that part of the mainland seemed to attract plentiful rain showers.

On our last day we went in the dinghy to the end of the bay, where a village was located. We had previously researched about the area and had been told by one of the Red Frog dock hands that there was a path leading to a lovely beach. On arriving at the village we went to what looked like a “public” dock. There John asked some teen girls about the dock. They just giggled as teen girls do, but a young fellow nearby answered that we could safely leave our dinghy there. We tied up and then set off along a concrete pathway.

This pathway led through the village, up a very steep hill and then down into a valley of small farms. Now the land isn’t cleared for farming, but the bananas, cacoa, cassava, and other farmed plants are kept in their natural setting.

It was a very lush, green, and beautiful walk along this pathway. Occasionally there were small bridges where streams flowed beneath, and the pathway was quite slick with moss, but without that pathway we were sure it would be deep mud.

Towards the end of the pathway we could see the beach in the distance, we passed through another small settlement and under some coconut palms to the beach.

And what a beach it was!

It was/is a wild, huge, magnificent beach. The sea rolled in and huge waves crashed, we walked the beach towards firstly one direction to the very end. And then we walked the beach along the other direction, sometimes in the shade of coconut palms or the hillside.

We had one fellow join us as we walked, he chatted to John. Explaining that if we continued onward we would get to the next settlement. We passed small rivers that ran across the beach and into the sea.

Children were fishing in one of the small rivers, proudly displaying the small fish they had caught. Reaching the bend in the beach we could see it continued again into the distance, but we needed to return so we left that stretch for next time.

We walked back and met the young man John had spoken to at the dock. He walked back with us chatting with John.

At the dock were 3 children with huge bundles of bananas, they needed a ride down the bay to another settlement and were awaiting a water taxi. It was quite unbelievable that they had carried those bundles of bananas.

Back we traveled the next day 25 miles to the Red Frog anchorage for the night. And then back into the marina for just under a week. When there an absolutely massive super yacht entered. Its name is Dragonfly,

the owner according to Google is the founder of Alphabet, the co- founder of Google and the 10 richest man in the world.

At Red Frog this time we spent a few days catching up, laundry, provisioning, had a walk, attended yoga and next we knew we were heading back out.

1st stop was the south-side of Isla Solarte.

We anchored in two different anchorages, both off mangrove cays. Both anchorages were very peaceful. We explored in the dinghy, going in and out of mangroves bays and around mangrove cays. There were few settlements and just a few expat homes, not really much happening.

We didn’t find any landing areas to get ashore and go for a walk.

Our 2nd stop was: Saigon Bay.

Here we used the grocery store dock so we could again stock up on provisions. And we walked into Bocas to recharge our phones. Nothing exciting.

3rd stop was: The shoreline near Starfish beach

Again a very pleasant anchorage, this time not surrounded by mangroves, but with the mainland mountains in the distance. We went in the dinghy to explore the shoreline and then along to Starfish beach.

As it’s name implies there are many starfish in the water at Starfish beach, but it is also a lovely palm tree lined beach where many come to relax and there are plenty of food concessions to be found. We had previously visited, but got there on an ATV we rented. It is a very lovely location.

4th stop, Red Frog Marina again

The weather was predicted to be a little nasty for a few days so we decided to head back to Red Frog for a week or so. Getting back to the marina we were able to enjoy the regular walks.

Sloth hunting, which we are quite inept at now. Bird watching, which depends on how well hidden the birds are at the time.

Monkey spotting had been going well with them showing themselves to us on a daily basis. And seeing Red Frogs, I was happy to see one croaking!

With the windier weather came much bigger seas. The seas were roaring, rolling in at 10 – 12 foot, and at high tide rolling right up to the treelined. In the summer months it had been hard to believe that the massive Red Frog beach could be covered by the waves rolling up it. It is of course quite spectacular watching these huge waves.

One lunchtime we went to Palmar as John needed the fish of the day.

Afterwards, we happened to be on the beach when a kite surfer was setting up. I could not believe he was attempting to kite surf in the waves that were hammering the beach. We stopped to watch, seeing us,

he asked John for help to launch his kite. And sure enough off he went. In the time we watched he managed to surf the length of the beach a few times, but it wasn’t a smooth ride.

It has been a wonderful January. We’ve enjoyed everyday together, and we are blessed with the life we live on Aeeshah.