Aeeshah

 

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It was a day before my Birthday when we decided to head out, to go, to wherever.

We motored through the mangrove cays heading towards the outer cays. We both decided we would prefer the exterior anchorages. Once at Crawl Cay we settled for:

The Zapordillas

These two, uninhabited islands are surrounded by a coral reef and are located east of Bastimentos Island. The Cayos Zapordillas are known as two idyllic islands in Panama’s Bastimentos Island National Marine Park. These islands are like something off a postcard—they have white-sand beaches, tropical forests, and coral gardens just offshore.

After we anchored we headed ashore and really enjoyed a walk along the beach. We walked in both directions and then when heading back towards the dinghy.

John spotted a shark swimming along in the shallows.

We followed it a ways and then John, being John had to jump in the water and scare it, so off away it shot. We believe it was a Thrasher shark.

We enjoyed a lovely swim in the gentle surf that was rolling up onto the beach and then headed back to Aeeshah. 

Later that evening we were visited by the park’s men. They wanted a $50 parks fee for the night and we would receive a receipt. Or $25 park’s fee with no receipt. Of course we took the $25 fee. 

Cayo Agua, Punta Norte.

The next morning we chose to go to Cayo Agua, Punta Norte. We had never visited this area and it had a good write up. So off we went. The anchorage was very pleasant and so after anchoring we set off in the dinghy to explore.

The shoreline was very attractive with many little bays, a few caves, tiny isles, and wonderfully huge trees over hanging the cliffs.

We passed several long, palm lined beaches and could see that some of the land was being used as fincas/farms, as there were cows grazing under the trees.

After going as far as we dared we hauled the dinghy ashore at the end of one of the long beaches. Just near where we hauled out was a small river emptying into the sea.

I set off along the beach to look for shells and I could see John investigating the river. I did feel a few bites when I was near the seaweed, but John must have been quite well bitten as I saw him storming towards the water. Nasty sand fleas or no-see-ums, not sure which but the bites were itchy. We had a swim and then headed back to Aeeshah. On the way back I saw horses grazing too. 

That evening we found that the anchorage too had an abundance of mosquitoes. So, Cayo Agua, Water cay, obviously has many ponds and is a breeding ground for bugs that bite. (Actually, the bites on my legs were dreadful for about 5 days after).

Needless to say we left in the morning….

We had heard from friends Madeline and Roy, they had been trying to catch up with us. So, we arranged to meet up at Bluefields.

Bluefields

Bluefields is a very, large, deep, bay with tall, hills on each side. It is a part of the mainland Panama, but there are no roads or tracks leading there.

The bay has several small villages, the locals rely on farming and fishing. Everyone is very friendly and many locals paddle out to visit and or trade. When we arrived we had barely anchored when the first visitors arrived. One was a fellow called Duncan. He asked to guide us to the Casscada/Waterfalls. We agreed to go at 9:00 the next morning. 

Meanwhile we were being visited by many, many children in kyukas. Most were trading bananas or coconuts but a few just visited to say hello and get whatever we had to offer. As we knew we might have visitors we had previously bought, a dozen cokes, several small bags of rice, several packets of cookies and candies. Our stock was soon depleting.

One child was indeed quite cheeky. His name was Michael he was 6. He was alone in a kyuka and we gave him a coke. I went down below to fetch something, John was already in the cabin, when I turned around to go back up I found him in the cockpit, drinking the coke and grinning. Michael the cheeky imp!!

We ushered him off. – He had scrambled up the stern having tied his kyuka to the stern. 

Once again we were treated to a spectacular sunset! The breeze was wonderful, the visitors had headed home and we could chill.

Life was certainly good.

Las Cascades

The next morning we awaited Duncan at 9:00, waited, and waited when we finally we had nearly given him up we heard shouts from the shore which of course was Duncan paddling towards us. He climbed into our dinghy, tied his kyuka to our dinghy and off we set to meet Maddy and Roy. Duncan ended up tying his kyuka to their boat and we all set off with them in their dinghy and us with Duncan in ours.

When looking at the mangroves from outside, you would never imagine that there was a waterway, let alone the river we found.

Once we reached the mangroves Duncan, being the guide, took over the steering of our dinghy to navigate the way.

Every aspect it was exceptionally beautiful. The greens, the reflections and symmetry that surrounded us was of exceptionally beauty. It was a magical ride. 

After a while Duncan landed the dinghy at a small grassy area where we climbed off, secured the dinghies and headed a long a narrow muddy path which followed the river. 

Duncan showed us a number of different crops that were used for medicinal purposes. He also pointed out the avocado trees, plantains, bread plant, etc.

Before long the path turned into a walk along the river bed, until finally, we reached the first waterfall. The scene was just lovely, the colours blending and shining in the sunlight.

We stopped for a spell to look around and then climbed the nearby slope and continued again along the river bed and a narrow path, until we reached the larger waterfalls.

These waterfalls were much bigger with a much larger cascade of water. Again the scenery was spectacular. Duncan set off to climb these waterfalls and show us where there was a deep pool halfway down.

Once he returned he suggested we went and swim, plus try the pool. Well, I had no intention of swimming, but off went John. He jumped in clothes and all, swam to the falls, climbed out and up to the pool. Exclaiming how wonderful the water was, how refreshing!

Next thing, Maddy jumped in and was obviously enjoying the water. So, I thought, what the hell, I had better have a dip or else I will regret it later. Duncan held my camera and off I went into the water. Wow! It was so chilly! However the water was wonderfully refreshing.

It really revitalized my whole body, washed away all the sweat, I just felt wonderful after the swim. 

Before we knew it was time to head back to the dinghies, I again enjoyed the walk but more so as I was so nice and cool from the swim.

Once back at the dinghies we made our way back down the rocks, then along the beautiful river, around the twisty bends under the trees and finally mangroves until we were once again in the bay.

The whole waterfall trip was wonderful, we all totally enjoyed the experience. 

Once again we had an abundance of visitors. I had cut down on what I could give, now giving a cookie and 2 sweets wrapped in half a paper napkin.

Later in the afternoon we saw black clouds approaching, very quickly we were slammed by strong winds, and pelting rain. It nicely cooled the air and chased away our numerous visitor, for a while that is….

Beach walks

The following morning after our early morning visitors had left happily with their “treats” we met Maddie and Roy.

We all motored in the dinghies to the village at the end of the bay. There we followed the concrete path through the small village, uphill and down hill passing small fincas and areas growing a multitude of crops.

Agroforestry or sustainable agriculture is a type of farming that uses all the plants. For example, the trees provide the shorter plants with shade and prevent soil erosion with their extensive root systems. Plants like beans pull nitrogen from the air and place it back into the soil, naturally fertilizing the other plants.

Once we reached the end of the pathway we walked through another small village. There the local leader who also runs the tiny tienda asked for a $5.00 fee from us to continue. Which of course we paid without complaint as it is his village.

Once on the beach we all enjoyed the sheer size, the surf crashing ashore, the sea spray and the freedom to go for a beach walk. 

Further down the beach were some fellow cruisers with their children enjoying the beach and playing with children from the village. We chatted for a while and continued on. 

When reaching the point there was a river emptying into the sea, so we then took to the pathway that ran behind the beach.

This pathway was lovely and shady and it led us to the next village. 

We walked through this village, but it was obvious that not many visitors strayed this far, as we were stared at from faces at windows. The locals were not unfriendly just curious.

Upon asking we were told the village was Guacamayo. After passing through we then walked the beach to the very end and turned around for our return walk back to the dinghies. 

For the walk back we kept to the pathway under the trees. Madeline stopped at the tienda and purchased some eggs and we all enjoyed a fruit juice. It was a lovely morning walk.

That afternoon we once again had a heavy rainfall. It’s definitely a pattern in this area.

Our plan for the next morning was to follow another pathway we had spied. It headed in the opposite direction and when I asked a local he had said it went to “otra playa,” aka another beach.

Off we strode again uphill and down, crossing streams, passing fincas and small local homes. Everyone we saw were friendly, but you could tell they were curious as to where we thought we were heading.

We reached an unfinished part of the pathway which was crossing a boggy area. There we walked the narrow retaining walls and continued uphill.

Upon reaching the beach we could see it was basically the far end of where we had been the day before. We continued to the end of the beach and saw to continue we would have to cross a small river.

Across to the other side we waded and off we went along the path again.

Reaching the end of the path we found a stile, which we climbed and ahead saw the most amazing beach.

It was a beautiful day with wonderful clouds so that this beach was highlighted in every way possible. It ran off into the distance as far as we could see.

Along the beach we strolled, again seeing a few locals who looked at us curiously.

I spied a pathway running parrallel to the beach but in the shade of the trees. That path was for me, out of the blazing sun it was much cooler.

I really don’t know how far we went, but what looked like the end was just a bend in the beach, by then we all were walking in the shade. We continued, walking with us was a friendly local John had adopted.

Then we reached a clearing behind the trees where we could see very nice fincas. There were cows crossing a small river to the green fields behind. Our option to cross looked to be a log bridge.

That was not for me so I walked out onto the beach where the river flowed and crossed there in the very shallow water. Back on the pathway the fincas were along the other side of the river to one side and the beach to the other.

The scenery for me was stunning! The colors vibrant, the contrasting scenes were magical.

Sure enough we reached another log bridge which is where we decided to stop our walk.

We all felt we had explored far enough for that day. Just there was a small wooden hut which turned out to be a tienda. We bought fruit juices, and headed back.

I hope to return another time and go further as in the distance we could see yet another small village and lots of beautiful beach.

Our return journey was just as beautiful, but we all walked under the shade of the trees. It was a very sunny, but very warm day.

We lucked out on the return journey. We saw a local guy push his kyuka down the beach to the surf. There he carefully timed pushing his kyuka into the surf.

Calculating perfectly when to jump aboard through the large breaking surf. Then off he paddles out to the deeper water to fish.

Now to most folks this sounds, well easy, but it wouldn’t be as the kyukas are made from a single log of a tree of which the wood is incredibly dense. Therefore the kyukas are very heavy and a side swipe from one in the surf could be lethal.

Back along the side of the beaches, over the stile, along the pathways, passing the tiny homes and finally coming to our dinghies. The walk back was just as enjoyable too.

Above is an arial shot of some of the beach that we enjoyed. The cleared are are the fincas.

We had all decided to sail back to Bocas. For us, we needed to prep for our return home which was a week away. 

That week sped past, prepping the boat takes quite a bit of work. Plus we enjoyed a lunch with friends and their dog Duke. And of course we had our daily walks.

We have a young friend and her boyfriend staying with Chico. Before we knew it we were heading out. First to Isla Colón to get our flight to Panama City.

We actually flew right past Bluefields and the outer beaches we walked. Those day there were the best! Just wonderful, we will return.

“Realize deeply that the present moment is all you ever have” Eckhart Tolle

“A single day is enough to make us a little larger”

 Paul Klee

 

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Monkey encounters along our trails

On our walks around Red Frog, we had some very, cool monkey encounters. This usually happens when we walk with Jungla and Yvette as Jungla knows when the monkeys are close before we even hear a rustle in the trees.

She runs to greet them, they jump the branches to get just above or near her, they shake the branches, bark at her, bare their teeth, act crazy and then turn to us and look embarrassed. 

Another walk, we were on a jungle track passing through an area with huge bamboo. The monkeys there were mainly family groups, mothers with babies. They were peacefully passing by, they glanced at us and seemed to assess us, then carried on their way.

New visa for us:- Costa Rica

As we are not from “a friendly nation” we have to re-up our passports, that is leave Panama to renew our visas every 3 months. 

Our choice this time around was Costa Rica, the Caribbean coast. We opted for Puerto Viejo, (Old Port), de Talamanca. It’s known for the Salsa Brava surf breaking and beaches like black-sand Playa Negra. 

We booked our tickets for the Carribe shuttle, packed a small bag and set off from the marina in Filo’s water taxi at 7:30 on a Monday morning. 

The next water taxi left Bocas at 8:30, it was a nice, smooth ride over to Almirante on the mainland. Almirante is a grungy, town that acts as the main port for the export of bananas, Chiquita mainly.

In Almirante we transferred to a small bus and set off for the border. After leaving the town you find practically nothing but massive banana fields/plantations as far as the eye can see. 

The next town we came to was Changuinola. It is a much bigger town, but just as grungy and sad looking. 

Next stop was the border which was a whole new experience for us. We left the bus with our back packs and bag and walked a short way to immigration. There we went though the process of getting our exit stamps.

We paid a lady at a table $4.00 customs fee and were ready to cross. Crossing the border involved walking across a bridge to the other side. On the other side we again lined up and did the whole passport entry into Costa Rica. It was really quick and easy. 

Our new driver showed us onto the bus and we were off. Our first stop was at a very nice hotel, Banana Azul.

There we stopped for a while so our driver could get one of the other passengers sorted out with further transport to San Jose. Meanwhile we walked around the grounds and were impressed with what we saw…..

Then we were off to our hotel: Sea Tower Hotel. 

Arriving at the hotel we found out it was in fact only10:30 am, Costa Rica is an hour behind in time, well it was too early to check in! Check in was 3:00pm. Fortunately they let us leave our bag, but John had to keep the back pack with our passports and valuables. Off we went to explore for 5 hours. (Pass time and hope to have fun).

Our first stop was to a cafe where we enjoyed a mid morning snack and drink. For me this was a chocolate croissant and a chocolate drink, made from the local coca, John did the coffee. Afterwards we headed 1st in the easterly direction along the shore, trying to keep to the shade whenever possible.

The beaches along this shoreline were yellow, sand, beaches with rocky, reef nearly right up to the shoreline.

We would walk along, get to a nice shady spot, and sit on a log looking out to sea. We went quite a ways and were then ready to turn around and find somewhere for lunch. 

Back in Puerto Vieja we strolled the streets and found there to be a Caribbean cultural atmosphere. Apparently, Puerto Viejo is influenced by a mixture of Afro-Caribbean, Costa Rican, BriBri indigenous, and Europeans!

 Luckily we found a grocery store that had an air conditioned cafeteria attached. Yep, we were both incredibly hot and needed some cool refreshments and cool air. There we managed to spend an hour getting us closer to check in time, while we discussed our plans. We decided that the best plan was to rent some sort of vehicle for transportation as it was incredibly hot and just not practical to try and bike or walk. 

Finally, it was time to check in. Our room was on the second floor of the Sea Towers hotel, a very plain room, but comfortable. We had found Jamaican patties for sale on our wanders around and they became our dinner. 

Day 2

We were treated to a very good breakfast and then set off for the car hire John had researched. It bragged to be a no nonsense basic car hire…. Adobe Car hire. There a friendly, fellow let us a brand, new, red, car. It did take John a bit of a lesson and practice to get the hang of the car as absolutely everything was different compared to cars he had driven before. We hadn’t even heard of this type of car – some sort of Chinese model. 

Gandoca Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge

Our destination that day was Gandoca Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge, which boasted a National Park, lovely beaches and views. The refuge protects 5,303 hectares of ocean front, jungle and mangroves that provide important habitat for many species of endangered wildlife and flora.

It is also the end of the road. On the drive there we passed several large, popular beaches and small settlements. 

We arrived, parked and set off into the park. Our walk took us to a lovely, vista and passed many pretty beaches.

Next we walked along a jungle pathway through to another look-out. Again it was an attractive view.

By this stage we were both saturated in sweat, and our water was nearly finished, so back to the car we headed. We were finding Costa Rica hotter than Panama. 

Playa Cocles and Playa Chiquita

On our drive back to Punta Viaja we turned off at the tracks that led to the beaches and enjoyed the views. There are Playa Cocles and Playa Chiquita both are well-known for their postcard perfect yellowish white sand beaches that are backed by shady palm trees.

I was particularly happy to spot an unusual water bird stalking crabs behind the beach. It was a Bare-Throated Tiger-Heron, and said to be uncommon. 

Our lunch stop was a very nice roadside cafe where again across the road was a lovely view of the coastline.

Playa Negro

After lunch we drove a ways in the other direction and had a look at the black sand beach Playa Negro. It was really a mix of black, brown and yellow sands, very different from the beaches we were used to seeing.

Day 3 Limon

Today we were headed towards Limon, about 40 miles away on the coast. I’d read that Limon is home to the Afro-Costa Rican community. Part of the community traces its roots to Italian, Jamaican and Chinese laborers who worked on a late nineteenth-century railroad project that connected San Jose to Puerto Limon. 

The drive there was along a main road which was very quiet, passing many banana plantations and crossing many narrow bridges, over small rivers.

The system, or procedure with these narrow bridges was that one side or the other had to cede…..ceda el paso….as in give way. It wasn’t always clear who had to cede, ceda El Paso, so, sometimes it was almost like playing chicken. We tended to cede as we were driving a brand new rented car.

When we were going along the coastal road we stopped so I could walk across the wilds and onto the beach for a photo. These beaches were all dark sands, more or less black. And, darn hot! Pipping hot! The sea rolled ashore for as far as one could see…. There were many, many, coconut palms along these stretches. Local folks had little stands set up to sell their coconut oil. 

Before we reach Limon we passed a wide open stretch which we guessed rightly was a small airport. I was surprised to learn international flights do land there a few times a week.

Further along we came to what looked like a very new port for container shipping. To us it looked like the area was developing. Then, sure enough a small cruise ship was in Limon harbour.

Once we parked, which proved easy as few restrictions seemed to be in place, we set off for a walk around.

We walked into the park, ….. which was very nice with tall palms and a few commemorative plaques and statues.

Next we headed down a few roadways, passing shops and businesses. All quite busy with people and traffic.

We rounded up and walked along a sea wall, ending up back at the park. Limon is best described a quiet Carribean, bright, colourful, friendly, clean and tidy.

We bought a savory pastry and drink for lunch, drove around a bit more, the left Limon.

We stopped for lunch at a roadside lay-by near the shore, ate lunch, then went for a walk along the beach.

We actually didn’t walk too far as walking on that “black” sand cooks your feet and legs. The scenery was very blue, sky, sea, and reflections of blue on the wet sands.

Driving back we again took any turn offs towards the coast we found. These turnoffs all took us to shoreside dirt tracks which ran between some lovely properties and the shoreline. Once again we parked and did a short beach walk, finding the beach similar to previous. 

However on our final stop we were next to Cahuita beach and park. The park was created in 1970 to protect endangered coral reefs and the forest behind the beach. Here the sand was white, what a difference.

Our final stop that day was at an Indian curry restaurant for a take out curry for dinner.

Our last full day Day 4

We had our lovely red car to return by 10:00am. That left us with the rest of the day to fill. For the morning we enjoyed walking the streets of Puerto Viejo.

We hadn’t really paid much attention to the village. So we walked along looking at the gaily painted shops. I bought a few lovely sarongs and thought about others.

The architecture is very Caribbean we thought …..

Once the heat of the morning blazed down we found a very nice Italian ice-cream shop.

There we both enjoyed a 2 scoop delicious ice-cream. That was our lunch.

After more wandering we returned to our hotel to read, 1st buying Patties for an easy dinner. Plus they were amazingly good, spicy, Jamaican patties!

Back to Red Frog and fun dinner

Next morning we had our return journey. Our bus picked us up from our hotel, we drove to the border and repeated the crossing, but this time into Panama.

Driving back into Panama we both noted the distinct difference in standard of living, Panama being the poorer. 

Back at Red Frog we met with friends that evening for drinks and dinner. This time there were quite a few of us. It was a fun evening! 

“Smell the sea and feel the sky, let your soul and spirit fly”– Van Morrison

“The sea, once it casts its spell, holds one in its net of wonder forever.”– Jacques Cousteau

 

 

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Walks, dogs, dinners, friends…..

Back from Ecuador we set about our regular routine of getting out for a walk in the morning, seeing what’s around, chatting with our neighbours, residents and marina guests alike.

We quite regularly enjoy our walks with boat dog owners. In the marina there are a number of folks that have dogs living aboard. Yvette with Jungla are our usual, walking companions. When there is thunder heard even in the far distance Jungla gets very upset.

She clings to Yvette and refuses to walk any further. Usually we manage to convince her to move along. She is a delightful, happy little dog. Another day we were asked to take Lola for her morning walk because her owners Liz and Humberto had to go to the hospital, (poor Humberto had something in his eye).

The walk with Lola was fun, she has an orange frisbee which goes everywhere with her. Our walks usually are under as much shade as possible as the sunny skies are intensely hot. Temperatures in the 90s, have been a daily occurrence.

These walks  take us up the hills, down the other side, around and back to the marina. We enjoy watching the monkeys, if Jungla is with us she see them 1st. The monkeys shake the branches, bare their teeth and prance along the limbs trying to scare her away. 

When it is cloudy we walk the beaches, however in the last month or more these beach walks have been rare due to the constant blazing sun. The sea has been unusually calm, with little wave action, no surfers. 

We have enjoyed fun evenings with friends at the newly opened Point restaurant. This  restaurant was a favorite with everyone and then abandoned after covid. Gary, the IT guy here at Red Frog decided to reopen it and make it popular again. We sort of started a marina “tradition” by which every other Friday we meet at the Point for drinks and dinner.

Usually there’s most of the marina folks and some of the residents too. The sunsets there looking out at Red Frog beach are beautiful. Our friends take their dogs, some like Lennie sit at the table, others enjoy playing on the beach.

Jobs completed, 

We both have been plugging away at boat jobs. Some were very necessary like the bilge pumps. John installed a whole new pump, alarm system and electrical system. This took quite a bit of time and was really awkward due to the location being down in the bilge.

Next big upgrade was installing a Starlink.

The set up, was relatively easy, but then the wiring it in was a pain as it meant getting wires through impossible spaces. So again John was busy in awkward spaces.However we now have Starlink and WOW being online is 100% improved.

Meanwhile lots of cleaning was necessary, basically every 6 months I see what can be off loaded. We tend to accumulate stuff, I get fed up with the stuff and have a big clean out. Then there were the sewing repairs to get done, nothing dramatic just simple repairs.

John re-screened the instruments. They had lost their polarization so that reading them in the daytime was not easy. We ordered polarizing plastic screen which John used. He found this really quite difficult. However the screens are better. 

Our boat windows had also lost their polarization, they were supposed to have a dark film so as to stop the sun’s glare, but magically this had disappeared. I’m guessing it was burned away by the sun. We ordered another type of plastic covered in anti glare. Now, this project was really tricky.

I make “molds” which John used to cut the plastic out using special tools, next we both fitted the new polarized plastic on. Every step was challenging, but the windows look 100% better. (And it took time as our 1st order of plastic arrived and was damaged).

No power

After one thunder lightening event during the night we found there was no power. The marina and all the facilities at the reception and the shop were out as well.

The supposed experts were called. We assumed that these were men from the mainland, but found out later that just the local maintenance crew were asked to diagnose and fix the problem. These fellows decided that a cable running between 2 transformers was the problem. That water had cause the cable to “short” out. So, they dug a huge trench between the transformers.

Ordered more cable, apparently to the cost of $17,000 and then set about laying the cable, covering it with a layer of dirt and connecting the ends. The result was …… Still no power!! By then we had been without power for 10 days, no shop, no laundry, no water and having to rely on our generator to boost our power.

Plus having to put up with the fumes from our generator  plus the noise and fumes from our neighbours. Everyone in the marina was really fed up. We would have gone to anchor, but it coincided with a time John was having to overhaul the bilges, so we were stuck.

Finally they called in the real experts, the men that actually work for the power company. They arrived after a few days and within hours they knew that water had gotten into a part of one transformer and shorted it out. They very skillfully fixed the transformer cables and finally after 17 days we had power. 

Zapordillas and Playa Azul

We did spend some time out at anchor, exploring and swimming every day. First visiting Saigon Bay, to restock. Next we headed out and ended up at the Zapadillas.

These islands fall inside of the Isla Bastimentos National Marine Park. Plus are also essential ecological sites for the critically endangered Hawksbill sea turtles that nest on their shores. The local legend say that the Zapatillas, (or slipper), Cays were created by the feet of God as they touched down from the heavens. Other stories tell of pirates hiding their treasures here.

We anchored off of the western Zaporilla island and enjoyed a wonderful evening. The next day we went ashore to the beautiful beach and had a walk. You cannot walk too high up the beach because of the turtle nests.

These are marked by stick standing up around the nests. Off, we went in the dinghy all around the perimeter of the island. The water was just beautiful, the colours amazing! 

Just as we were ready to head off we saw the park rangers coming to collect their $50. However, they went to the beach, maybe to check the turtle nests. Anyway we left and never had to pay. 

Playa Azul was our next destination, we had never been there before. This area is just across from the Zaporillas. Again it is a very scenic location, there is a long, beautiful, beach with just a few rustic, homes behind.

Nearby there is a local village too. We enjoyed taking the dinghy along the shoreline all the way to the distant point and back.

After which we followed the water way into the mangroves along canals to where the village was located.

If you were just to look at the shoreline where the entrance is found you would never guess there was a village located there. Traveling through the mangroves is a real treat.

The shady canals are enhanced with the reflections of all the foliage. It is also peaceful, just the sounds of the birds singing and the swish of the water. It is totally peaceful.

We had a wonderfully peaceful time at anchor, but once again we needed to head back to Red Frog.

Chico news:

Chico’s news is that he has made some very good fans/friends at the marina. Every few night we get anchovies or fly that are chased by the dolphin or other. In their haste to escape they jump, some land on the dock. Well Chico just adores those dead fish, even if they are sun baked. His friends, Bud and Abel pick up these fish and bring them to Chico. Now all Chico has to hear is either of them coming along the dock and he scrambles to get his hand delivered fish treat.

 

Joy, collected over time, fuels resilience. – Brent Brown

Just another day enjoying the peace and quiet of nature

 

 

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Maria picked us up bright and early in the morning at the crazy hour of 5:30am. She and her friend drove us to the airport in Cuenca. There we boarded a flight to Quito. The flight was at 6:50am and an easy half hour later we were landing. Milton, who had driven back to Quito met us at the airport.

We drove with Milton towards our next destination:

Otavalo

Driving along the Pan American highway, Milton kept to his informative dialogue telling us all about the surrounding countryside. He 1st stopped at:

Mirador El Pisque

El Mirador is a scenic viewpoint and the peak of the inactive Sincholagua volcano can be seen.

The view is wonderful, you feel as if you are on top of the world. Milton pointed out that this is a dry region, (rain shadow), thus all the cacti.

A bit further along we stopped for breakfast at a roadside cafe. The choices of buns and rolls were all Ecuadorian, some with cheeses, some sweet, some savory. Once again all was delicious served with hot cocoa, teas and coffee. 

Back on the road we saw more green houses for the flower exports and of course beautiful bunches of flowers for sale.

And then we arrived in Octavalo and our very nice hotel Hostel Dona Esther.

Milton left us there after recommending we get out and see what was happening.

So, out we went and we walked to the town square where there were festivities happening. A band was playing music and there was a procession taking place.

We were not sure what the occasion was, but guessing it was a wedding or engagement of type, as in the center was a young woman with cash pinned to her clothing.

We had a very nice lunch and then walked around the town square enjoying the architecture and seeing the indigenous in their differing clothing, style of dress. Milton had told us each town group wears different colour hats and blankets. 

Otavalo market

The main attraction of Octavalo is the market, this was our next stop. Otavalo is known around the world as the home of the largest market in South America. The people in this region have been weavers and artisans since before Incan times.

The artisanal products are handmade by talented local artisans and master craftsmen. You can find everything from intricate ceramics to musical instruments made with wood from the nearby cloud forest and various textiles and clothing items.

I loved the differing jewelry stalls with earrings made with silver and butterfly wings, beaded armbands and earrings made from minuscule beads woven into intricate designs. The textiles ranged from hand woven materials to alpaca and lama wool scarfs all immaculately made.

It was really a sensory over load wandering the market stalls, so much so we had to take a break, go for a hot cocoa and then go back. Many of the artisans wanted to talk about their various crafts and artwork so we spent several hours in this market, even so we never got to see it all.

We again strolled around the town enjoying the atmosphere, the sights, the architecture, and so much more!

The next day our driver was Jose, we hadn’t seen him for a week and it was good to catch up with him. He first took us to: 

The Peguche Waterfall

We walked from the carpark along a wonderfully, lush, green pathway. Everywhere was green and shaded  by tall, tall trees while winding alongside a river. After a while we could see the waterfall in the distance.

 The Peguche Waterfall is 18 meters, (55ft), high and surrounded by lush green vegetation, which creates a very photogenic spot. We spent a while just wandering around the bottom of the waterfall. Jose told us that the river pools are used for purification rituals during religious festivals.

We could see petals from roses by the side of the river, he said that they were probably from a wedding. Also, the indigenous locals follow the sun calendar  and believe taking cleansing baths here a few days before the Inti Raymi ceremony, will give them strength and chase away evil spirits.

We next took a pathway up to a platform further up the waterfall. Again the view was beautiful, so green and lush. Apparently the river that feeds the waterfall rises on the slopes of the Imbabura volcano at an elevation of 8,760 feet.

On our way back down we passed a sun calendar that the locals have that tells them the time of season. There are 28 days in their months.

Our next stop was at a textile weaver’s shop and “factory” 

We were shown two different methods of weaving that the local indigenous use to make the amazing textiles. The first one was for one of the wall hangings or cloths.

The lady doing the weaving was so quick I could not get a photo as it was just a blur of movement. 

She also showed us how the alpaca or lama fur comes in just a heap, so 1st it is brushed. They use a brush that is made from the teasel plant seed pods. 

Next we were shown how the fur is spun into woolen strands. Ladies can be seen walking around doing this as it becomes second nature to them as they are taught from young girls.

The dying is the next stage, she showed us all the seeds, plant leaves etc that they use to make the various dyes. One red seed she squirted lime on and the dye was instantly in her hand. All of this was fascinating! 

She then moved to a larger loom and again demonstrated the weaving. Again her hands moved like lightening back and forth.

Plus the differing levels of the loom changing to form the pattern or picture she was creating. It was quite unbelievable. 

We walked around the studio and shop, the textiles were amazing. We did buy a few items, but I could have easily bought just so many.

It was lunch time and Jose suggested a very nice restaurant. The decor was very colourful and our food excellent. Again John and I tried a different fruit juice, I believe it was from the soursap fruit which was delicious. 

Cotacachi-Cayapas Ecological Reserve and the Cuicocha Lagoon

Next on our day’s agenda was a visit to the Cotacachi-Cayapas Ecological Reserve and the Cuicocha Lagoon. The lagoon is a volcanic crater with brilliantly, colorful, turquoise, water.

It sits at the foot of Cotacachi Volcano in the Cordillera Occidental of the Ecuadorian Andes, near the Colombian border. In its center, it has volcanic domes that peak above the surface of the lake. The word ‘cuicocha’ means in the indigenous Kichwa language lake of guinea pigs, because of the shape of these islands. 

There are hot mineral springs that feed into the lake thus the colour. Unfortunately it wasn’t such a sunny day so the lake was a bit dull, but the scenery was lovely.

We had a very nice walk along a portion of the rim and enjoyed looking down on the lake. I was again very interested in the flowers I saw, having never seen any like them before.

Once again a wonderful day out with Jose.

“Stuff your eyes with wonder, live as if you’d drop dead in ten seconds. See the world. It’s more fantastic than any dream made or paid for in factories.” ~ Ray Bradbury

 

 

PHOTO ALBUM —>>  https://photos.app.goo.gl/jiGaToWWsbpijb6C7

This was day 8 in Ecuador for us and we were headed to Ingapirca, the most significant Inca ruins in Ecuador. Milton arrived and we were off heading through the Andes. 

Exciting drive with Milton

1st the Islesia Del Ecuador

It wasn’t too long before we had stopped. Milton wanted to show us the 1st and oldest church in Ecuador, the Islesia Del Ecuador. Built  or founded in1534, when the 1st Spanish arrived.

it is holy for the Santisima Virgen Maria natividad de Balbanera, (sacred to Mary the mother of Christ in the Catholic Bible). It was easy to see that this was an old the structure by the architecture.

Exhibited inside the back area were an ancient organ/piano and other relics. Plus artifacts taken from the Incas. In front there was a well with an old hand pump, which Milton demonstrated still works!

Yes, he pumped up water. Across the road were food stands where ladies were roasting Guinea pigs, no we didn’t stop to buy any.

Along the rest of the way Milton entertained us by pointing out the many fields of quinoa. The fields ranged from greens to lovely pinky reds as the grain ripened.

We saw the dairy farms with women waiting by the roadside to have the milk jug’s collected. Fields of golden wheat and oats with groups harvesting the produce by hand. They were amused to see me taking a photo. 

We reach a detour in the road where we had to go onto a newly dug route. Milton explained that there had been a terrible landslide which had taken out the road and part of a town plus killing a number of residents. This newly dug road was along what was previously an old, very narrow, steep route. It was still being dug and so really dusty and rough.

Therefore when Milton became very quiet and was concentrating on driving down this rough road we didn’t really think anything of it. In fact what had happened was the steering had stiffened and Milton was having a hard time keeping our vehicle on the road.

We reached the town at the bottom of the hill and arrived at a garage. That was when we were told the steering was not responding properly. We had basically slide downhill, around corners and nudged into the garage.

Straightway there were a few mechanics taking a look under the van and under the hood. The bottom line was the steering cable was broken and the steering fluid had leaked out. Believe it or not, but in half an hour the steering was fixed, the fluid replaced and we were underway. 

At the top of a mountain opposite the town Milton stopped to point out the landslide that had occurred across the town to us. Off we drove to the Ingapirca Ruins.

Ingapirca Ruinas

Ingapirca, this archeological site is located in the Cañar province. Ingapirca is composed of two Quichua words: Inga meaning Inca and Pirca which means wall. We arrived and Milton arranged for a special, private, guide to take us around the ruins. Our guide Angel was excellent. He started by giving us the back ground history of the site:

Angel told that In 1463, the Inca warrior Pachacuti and his son Tupac Yupanqui began to take over the land we now call Ecuador. In that they began by defeating the people of the sierra including the Quitus tribe, (the people for whom modern-day Quito is named). He said that he was also a descendent of this tribe, the Quitus, of which very few folks still recognize as a tribe any more simply because the tribes have blended together. The Incas didn’t need to fight, they simply negotiated a take over. Saying that a peaceful transfer of power was better than a war which they garenteed they would win.

We were shown how the walls of these ruins are remarkable, held together in the typical Incan way of being cut to perfection without using any adherent, as is typical of all Inca builds. 

Apparently, when the Spanish arrived they took many stones from the structures to use in their buildings. However, since the site was rediscovered many of its blocks were returned by the locals once they recognized them as coming from the important site.

The entire site is actually quite large and integrated by roads. We only toured the main area where we were shown the “holes” made as food deposits. Where the houses had been situated, along with a reconstructed home. 

A cemetery, where the very important leaders were buried along with their wives and house workers. All tucked up together for eternity. 

An astronomical observatory, where the stars were studied. The Incas having a year comprised of 28 days in a month. Angel showed us how they harvested the threads for weaving. And oh so much more.

The famous Temple of the Sun which was central to their beliefs. Therefore the temple was the most important building in the entire complex. It was constructed with an oval platform which makes it unique, since other Inca’s ruins have circle platforms.  This building also offered the best view of the complex and the valley beyond. 

After our tour we could have visited the museum, but we decided to opt for lunch as it was getting late.

Lunch was an education too. We decided to try an Ecuadorian option called a Humitas or steamed fresh corn cakes. Humitas are made using fresh corn, which is ground with other ingredients, (ours had fresh cheese), and then stuffed in a fresh corn husk and steamed.

In Ecuador, humitas are very popular in the Sierra or Highland region, especially in cities like Loja, Cuenca or Quito, and they are typically eaten for breakfast or with the afternoon coffee….And it was amazing!! It was delicious, both the flavor of the cornbread and the cheese with the slight corn husk flavor blended. 

We were then on the road for our next destination Cuenca.

Milton was to drop us at our hotel and then had to drive all the way back to Quito. So, when we arrived at our hotel and found it locked up it was quite concerning. However after 15 minutes of knocking, ringing the bell, banging the door, finally a young man appeared. We guessed he had been sleeping, Milton was most annoyed.

Then when we were shown to our room we found it was tiny, tiny….we measured it at 9ft by 9ft. Yes, it was very disappointing. It was also set right off of a city street and was very antiquated.

We did have a quite nice dinner at an unusually decorated restaurant nearby.

“I seek out the wide open spaces,

And exotically beautiful places,

No border will bar as I follow that star,

For travel is one of life’s graces” – anonymous

 

PHOTO ALBUM —>> https://photos.app.goo.gl/uWajJVA86ZHQykfr5

Across the Andes

The day started off as every day did with a great breakfast and Milton arriving at 8:00 to take us to: Chimborazo.

The drive there wove through the mountains, towns and farmland of the region. All along the way Milton had information for us. One of the towns was renowned for its denim clothing that it manufactured, therefore their Main Street had stores displaying denim clothes.

In another area there were many Guinea pig farms and therefore Guinea pigs being cooked and offered for sale on the roadside. 

The farming in one region consisted of different cactus which was used to make an Ecuadorian alcohol. Yet another plant was used for the fibrous strings that came from the “leaves” which the locals used to weave into bags and hats. 

On the other side of the mountain there were the farms with orchards of the blackberries and blueberries. Farms with orchards of apple trees, plum and pear trees were found yet further along on the other side of the mountains. 

We had to stop in Riobamba, named after the Rio Mamba river to pick up our guide for the Chimborazo walk. His name was Miguel and he turned out to be a very quiet young man. 

Chimborazo

It was a perfect day to visit Chimborazo, there was hardly a cloud in the sky. As we approached we were both stunned by the beauty of the area and of the Chimborazo volcano.

Chimborazo, rising to 20,702 feet (6,310 meters), is the highest peak in Ecuador. It is an inactive volcano with many craters, and it is heavily glaciated. However these glaciers are rapidly shrinking due to global warming. 

Scientists do agree that the peak of Chimborazo volcano is the furthest point from the center of the earth’s core, and the closest point on earth to the sun.

Many attempts were made to climb Chimborazo in the 18th and 19th centuries; the first to reach the summit was the British mountaineer Edward Whymper.  He climbed the peak twice in 1880. The geographer and traveler Alexander von Humboldt reached 19,286 feet (5,878 meters) in 1802. The climb up Chimborazo has also claimed a number of climbers lives mainly due to avalanches.

Up, and up we drove, around bends over bumps on the ever changing rough terrain of the roadway, passing Lamas, sheep and Alpacas. It was quite incredible how high we were…..

 We were at the 1st refuge when Milton parked. Above us was the monument to Chimborazo and the climbers who had gone before. Above that was the 2nd refuge where base camp was found. Unlike Cotopaxi the weather here that day was very cool but not uncomfortable, the sky clear. 

We were higher than at Cotopaxi, but I felt close to normal. John and I were the highest we had ever been before at over 16,000 feet. John wanted to climb to the 2nd refuge, I was happy with climbing to the monument.

Up, and up the path I went, around a few bends, over rocks and between boulders. John and the guide Miguel were already there.

Milton was at the 1st refuge. We looked at the gravestones, most of which remembered climbers lost to Chimborazo avalanches. 

Again the view was awesome, so clear and crisp was the air, the scenery incredible. 

Off John and Miguel went up the path towards the second refuge, the red and black jackets disappearing around the bends.

John told me later that Miguel told him to shuffle his feet, not take steps, but do a slow shuffle forward. He said it was a very hard slog getting up there. It took them about an hour to shuffle up. When they reached the refuge took some photos and then returned to find Milton and I. 

 

Meanwhile, I spent some time watching them disappear around the bends in the path.  

First I had another look around the monument and the graveyard then I slowly descended to where I thought I would find Milton.

I eventually saw Milton on another hilltop where the campsite was located. Up I went finding the view from there to be stunning.

The trailhead for a walking path started there, plus I found a small stream where birds were enjoying the water. In other words I explored around the immediate area while John and Miguel walked to and from the 2nd refuge.

Once they returned we climbed into Milton’s van and started to head back to Riobamba. As we were setting off we spied cyclists setting off down the slopes.

Yes, down on bikes. Apparently it is quite popular to have bikes then up to the 1st refuge and to then bike down. From my perspective this looked to be dangerous. From John’s perspective it looked exciting. Our guide Miguel has ridden down many times. He admitted most folks fall off several times.

Further along I asked to stop to look at these plants with yellow flowers. They were quite tall and with furry leaves….apparently called Rabbit’s ears.

The drive back was just as scenic, we saw indigenous shepherds and their mountain homes, lamas, alpacas and sheep.

Milton took us to our accommodation, Hotel Hacienda Abraspungo,

which was a wonderful old farmstead and a 4 star hotel.

There we had a most enjoyable walk around the estate and that evening an incredible dinner.

“I love places that make you realize how tiny you and your problems are.”

“Travel makes you realize that no matter how much you know, there’s always more to learn.”