Panama City Here We Come

I'm not really a tree hugger! This photo is from a hike in Deep Cove, North Vancouver

Thea left Golfito two weeks ago to work and file income taxes and enjoy the beauty of Spring in Vancouver. Flying from Golfito is easy. SANSA airlines flies a little commuter Caravan to San Jose three times a day for about $US95 one way. It's nonrefundable but they'll give you a credit if you need to cancel. There are lots of hotels. I recommend the Holiday Inn Express or El Jardin.

While Thea was in Vancouver her brother got engaged with his high school sweetheart at his old high school!

Randy decided to leave Golfito (too expensive, too rainy and a sombre vibe about the place turned him off). He buddy boated down with Pursuit IV. Just before Punta Mala they got knocked down by 50 knot plus winds. All three sails were damaged. Thank goodness Panama City has plenty of marine services and supplies. Randy, Lost Elvis and Pursuit IV arrive at the Balboa Yacht Club April 23, 2009 at noon local time and Thea flies in on Mexicana at about 5:30 pm. They ran into Equinox today who will also join Lost Elvis in Panama.

More Golfito Costa Rica

For more informaion on Golfito, visit http://www.golfito-costarica.com/golfito/

This is one of two "super markets". Neither has good produce; you have to go the vegetable stores for that or catch the fruit and vegetable truck that comes by Land Sea on Thursdays and Saturdays.

Costa Rica is expensive by Central American standards and for no good reason. To find an affordable meal go to any "SODA". It's like a cafe/diner; in Mexico a "comedor". You can get a hearty chicken, fish or beef supper/lunch with rice, beans and vegetables for about $4. That's probably about 2,100 Colones.

Bula, the boat cat, at Land Sea, inspects all boats that are at the dock. She may even pop through a hatch and land on your stomach when you are sleeping. Ted and Katie of Lan Sea saved her from a dreadful one way trip to the Galapagos; a trip she would not see the end of.

El Salvador to Golfito, Costa Rica

After two weeks at Bahia del Sol, El Salvador our friends from Effie, Equinox, Cygnus, Pancheeta and Cygnus waived good bye from the docks as we left to cross the bar and head to Costa Rica on what was planned to be a three day sail.

Rojelio, the pilot, guided us out through the surf as perfectly as he brought us in. Our friends Alex and Hank rode in the panga for moral support and photo opportunities.

Excited to sail off to new adventures, it was sad to leave our friend and the happy, ever-smiling Salvadoreans.

After 2.6 days of straight sailing we arrived at Bahia Dulce, a huge bay which leads to Golfito (which translates as "little bay")

Golfito is located about 340 kilometers south of San José. The small port city with about seven thousand inhabitants on the one hand by the Golfo Dulce, on the other by green hills with pristine rain forest trees.

The small town offers rustic hotels, ATMs, restaurants, Internet cafes and in the northern zone in the colonial style houses of the banana company. It was a "company town". Golfito was the main port in the southern Pacific with only huge banana plantations. Because of diseases with which the bananas were infected and massive strikes by the workers the United Fruit Company decided to abandon the area. Poverty, drug abuse, alcoholism and general depravity ensued. The government decied to help the impoverished region by establishing a duty free zone. Tourism in general has helped the area recover. Close by there is a national park, beautiful beaches such as Playa Zancudo, the surfing paradise Pavones, fishing, snorkelling, hiking and other activities