Las perlas

Yesterday we arrived at las perlas, a group of islands off the pacific coast of panama. We anchored behind Isla contadora and jumped in for a swim before realising there is a lot of current here and it is very hard to get back to the boat so instead tosh and myself did the big boy thing and went for a wakeboard through the anchorage only to come back covered in tiny jellyfish stings. Even though not the biggest island in the group, Isla contadora is the most populated and is covered in large, grand houses, restaurants and shops. We will be making tracks later this morning to discover some more islands

It's been a little while

Since my last post I've been fairly busy and also out of range of phones and Internet for some time. A lot has happened, we've finished cruising in the Caribbean which was a fantastic and fun place to be. I've refreshed my scuba skills for what is to come ahead of us. We spent some time in Bonaire and curaçao. Both of which have some of the worlds best diving and snorkelling. From there it was the San blas islands which are truly fantastic, unspoilt and dotted around, most with no inhabitants at all. This is where I spotted my first shark of the trip at about 8 foot and I think a nurse shark. The San blas was great whilst it lasted but we had to head to shelter bay marina in panama for a couple of reasons. First to be measured for the canal transit and second so I could take the journey by taxi to Panama City to collect my girlfriend Alice from the airport after over 3 months of being apart. It was fantastical to have Alice on board and for her to meet Chris and Denise who own proteus and for Alice to see what I get up to. This included tosh and myself having to conduct a head gasket change which it turns out is no small task on a big six cylinder marinized engine in a relatively small space. this went on all through the night but we got the job done and all seems well now. Then there was the canal transit which was a great experience and huge mix of scenery. I have now witnessed my first crocodile of the trip in the canal. Onwards from the canal locks and we are in la playita, Panama City. It is a mad, crazy, historic and modern mix of culture and architecture. I thoroughly recommend it for any open minded traveller. Through all of this my main BIG news is my engagement to Alice that happened on valentines day. She said yes and is now back in England feeling a lot happier about our situation apart. Next stop is the Isla perlas about 30 miles away en route to the Galapagos. Internet may be a bit shady from here in but I'll atempt to stay blogging, thanks