Back in Panama!

Location: Shelter Bay, Panama

Greetings, humans, gremlins, and giant long-legged katydids. After an eventful month involving quarantining, shoveling immense amounts of snow, watching my succulent grow, losing feeling in my limbs due to cold, and surviving a vaguely troubling incident involving the family minivan, I boarded a plane for a direct flight to Panama City. Luckily, contrary to my previous flight, this one had in-flight entertainment. It also had a howling toddler, but no matter.

Flying into Panama City, I got to see all the tankers entering and exiting the canal.

Navigating the airport was an interesting experience. I spent 20 minutes trying to find a customs form which was supposedly on one of the grey tables next to a wall but was in fact not, and each airport person that I asked would very helpfully direct me to a different empty table. I eventually found a small stack of forms on a table at the end of the room that I filled out with the very covid-friendly shared pen.

I got into a taxi whose back seats had patterned seat covers that unfortunately covered the seat belt buckle, so I rode unbuckled for the hour and a half ride to Shelter Bay. During this ride, the driver called two people to ask where Shelter Bay was and stopped three people along the road to ask for directions, causing a small cacophony of honking each time. (He didn't have a GPS and had a flip phone.) He also pulled over once to relieve himself. Finally, during the last stretch of road which was riddled with potholes, he first drove too quickly, then too slowly, and still managed to hit potholes. I am convinced that neither he nor his car would last a week on Montreal's autoroute Métropolitaine. Nevertheless, both myself and my luggage arrived on Heaven's Door in one piece, and that's what matters. The luggage was particularly important, as it included an array of chocolate (thanks, Oma) and a water gun to fend off future grackles.

The weather is great here! It's cooler than when I left and there's a breeze, which makes staying in the boat very pleasant. It also takes longer for the day to heat up, so morning yoga on the roof is back on the schedule. The wind smells nicely of greenery. Also on the topic of green, Jem has replaced the old french press with a cute mint-green one, which is a lovely addition to the already green-themed boat. (The upholstery is dark sea-green verging on teal.) Last night we had prawns accompanied by boxed Merlot. As Jem says, "it's not wine, but it's Clos."

Our sails are repaired, but we haven't had the right weather conditions to reinstall them yet. Until then, the boat is looking slightly naked.

In conclusion, it's great to be back. I'm spending my time lounging about, reading books, and listening to the early morning birds. I'm excited for what the future has to hold! I haven't managed to get a nice sunset picture, but here's a really shaggy dog instead. Ciao