DRAMA’S ON THE HIGH SEAS & THE TSUNAMI THAT NEVER HAPPENED
Our leisurely breakfast was interrupted by the local cruising VHF channel going red hot with news of the Chilean 8.8 earth quake and the tsunami warning in our area and details of a tsunami coming our way.
Since we were only anchored in a couple of metres of water we decided to join the other 30 boats and head out to sea and wait until it had passed. We waited… and waited… and waited, but nothing happened and after the expected time we went back to our anchorage.
An hour later another warning, this time a 6ft wave only 30miles away; so once again we upped anchor and headed out to sea… we waited…. we waited and still nothing happened!! End of the drama. Oh well it is better to be safe than sorry.
Yesterday we took a tour up the Chagres River and visited another Indian tribe; very different from the Kuna Indians in San Blas. The Embera – Dura tribe, an attractive, happy and healthy race, were friendly and more excepting of tourists. Their bodies are covered with painted tattoos and the men only wear a loin cloth and the women not much more. The men were all very lithe and muscular with rippling six packs and pert buttocks. I really had to keep myself in check. (Penny’s writing this!!!)
The river trip included a spectacular ride in a dugout canoe through the jungle and then a simple but very nice lunch of fish and plantains (cooking bananas), followed by local dancing which we were invited to participate. Part of the show was to be decorated with tattoos from the ink of local vegetation. It is supposedly not permanent and lasts only about eight days.
I had a traditional tattoo painted on my arm which at the time seemed quite attractive (as far as tats go), but when I awoke the following morning I found the dark indigo ink all over my hands and my face!!
We have been busy supplying the boat with food, beer, wine and yet more wine for our trip across the Pacific and also getting the last minute checks done and guess what??? De ja bloody vu. Two days before our planned departure we were hit by the boat behind us.
We were both on a mooring; pretty safe you may think, but oh no!!! He put his engine on to charge his batteries but accidently put it into gear and rammed us at about the rate of six knots and taking out our starboard rail, one of the large winches and our Dan buoy.
As you can imagine we were pretty pissed off, first to be hit by a cargo ship in Anguilla and now this. Both times we were either at anchor or on a mooring just minding or own business. Now all our cruising friends want to travel with us, as they think we are the magnet for disasters and they will all be protected!!!
