Monday

The fridge is working again.

This morning I did the washing, including the hammock I bought yesterday, and that took a lot of water.

After the washing was dry I went into the old town.  I am gradually finding my way round.

It is hot, but there is a breeze and it an easy way to pass a few hours.  Lots of statues and buildings to look at.

The hammock was dry by the time I got back, but I could not find (ok, reach) anywhere to put it that was high up enough to stop me ending up on the deck when I got in it. 

Tuesday

I turned the fridge off at 3.30 this morning to save some amps, I can’t remember the last time the batteries seriously went below 90%.  I need to invent something that will bring the fridge on and off on timer or maybe by temperature, I could call it a thermostat.  Let’s hope for wind and sun today.  I am also hammering the batteries with the computer, for the supply of music and the wifi.  There is always the generator which I have not used at all for the last year.  I should try it just to make sure it still works.

I am trying to motivate myself to do some of the things that need doing, but nothing needs doing that badly that is inspiring me to do it.

My 5 drawer cabinet is an ongoing project.  I put the drawers back in to finish drying, so that they were out of the way.  I forgot that I had also been liberal with the glue to make sure the cabinet did not come apart again.  I have had to resort to the blade from a large hacksaw, slipping this into the gap, and so far I can get 3 : 5 drawers out.  Whoever thought varnish could put up this good a fight, but I suspect that it has gone into partnership with the glue.  It has to be said that the glue is doing a much better job here, where I don’t want it, than it did on the Velcro I put up in the bathroom.  Inanimate objects cannot rise up and act against humans; whoever believes that is obviously not being picked on by such objects, or am I just being paranoid.  After much effort I managed to cut the drawers out, it was the glue, but now I will have to re-varnish.

We went in to get a book photocopied, that took three attempts, but for 40 sheets only cost $2, and Don put it on a credit card.  Do you get air miles on $2?  Then we went to the gold museum.  It was about the cultures in Columbia that worked the gold, rather than the mining side, and their amazing irrigation skills all those centuries ago, like the Egyptians.   The museum was free, but we paid for the guide.  The notices in the museum were translated into English and I had to read those to understand what the guide was telling us, his accent was very difficult. 

It was 2:1 day at the ice cream parlour and I went halves  with Laura and then Henriq wanted another one, so I went halves with him.  You get better stuff with the banana sundae, so I had that without the banana.

Wednesday

I tried the printer and it works, without having to install it and it has not been used for over a year, certainly not on this computer; and the ink had not dried out.  Pity the same can’t be said for the fridge.

There was  a Captains meeting for boats on route to Panama.  Rosarios, San Bernados, San Blas Islands, information and handy tips.

We moved from one table to another and eventually moved two of the trestle tables into the bar area to stop the charts ending up in the water as it was very windy.  We got told off for blocking the entrance to the restaurant and taking the tables, like it was busy.

Then it was Happy Hour, I stayed and the man from the marina that I wanted to haulout in came and had a chat.  I have to get down and see him. 

He explained that I could get there by dinghy, but maybe not my dinghy.  He says that I will have to take my back stays off to get hauled.

Thursday

9.30 a group of us set off for the Emerald Museum, we go with Laura because she is Venezuelan and can interpret for us. 

We were there for 3 hours.  The museum was family run and they had hammocks in the middle courtyard.  I had a lie down and read (flicked through) a Spanish version of Hello from which I gather Mel Gibson had an expensive divorce.  Then we went for lunch, (I had coconut lemonade and chocolate cake and ice cream); after 2 hours in there we went for coffee somewhere else (I had a raspberry frappe) got home at 5.30.

All this culture can be very tiring.

I have booked my flight back to the UK and work, sorry to use the W word on the blog, in the cruiser community it is considered swearing.

Friday

Very early this morning a boat cruised so close I went to have a look, it was the coastguard.  They went by with not a sound or a ripple, but they do have 400 HP on the back, so it is best not to upset them.

8.30 we went by taxi to the hotel sector, this is on the outside spit of Cartegena where the beaches are.  The street traders here are much more pushy than in the old town.  Then we walked all the way back.  I took a photo of the huge navy catamaran, over 300 feet long, and it left later that day.  I asked a trader in the old town to make me a beaded anklet as the bracelets were not long enough.  She will do it tonight and I will go and collect it tomorrow.

We picked up Ray on the way and went to the coffee shop before strolling back.

Saturday

I did the washing, which dried very quickly as the wind has really picked up and  I cleaned and tidied the inside of the boat.  The outside is covered in black soot and although I cleaned the cockpit when I did the washing it was dirty again by this afternoon.  The rest of the boat is very dirty.

We went into town this afternoon, I had to pick up my anklet, Don wanted to go to the Naval Museum and Dee wanted to watch the horse parade.  I got the anklet, but the horses, which had already been moved from last weekend to this, were now moved to next weekend.  They went to the Museum, but they are moving on and I have plenty of time.  I was not in the mood and came back. 

I was going to the supermarket to buy food, but missed that and the marina and ended up at the container dock – not paying attention.

I left the dinghy dock and started the engine before I was out of the marina and realized, too late, that the rope was not in the dinghy and I could not pull it in.  That meant it was round the prop.  I continued very slowly on tickover and got back to the boat – not paying attention.

I unraveled the rope, without tipping myself in the water, and it is rather chewed and will have to be replaced.  The engine was a bit hot, but hopefully will feel better in the morning.

I was going to buy chicken and do a roast dinner, but as I had missed the shop I settled for pancakes, which is the equivalent of Yorkshire pudding.

My Outlook usually works when the internet signal is poor, but now that is not working and the internet is, which is very strange.

Sunday

Ray came by first thing to say goodbye, he is heading to Panama where he will haul out and fly back to the Isle of Man.  There is a weather window and I think the anchorage will be seriously depleted by Wednesday.

I have got fed up with the dirt on the boat and cannot wait until I haul out, a hose pipe makes it easier, but it can be done with a bucket;  although it takes lots and lots of bucketfuls.  My back is better or I could not have managed it, but it is complaining now at the abuse it suffered.  The boat looks lovely, not perfect, but it is clean.  I have also taken off all of the ropes that are not in the mast, these are now soaking in a bucket of fresh water with washing powder.  They can stay there until I do haul out.

I went in to dominoes at 1, it was not great, but it got me out.  I then did go to the supermarket and bought some food and treated myself to a bag of ice.

There is a BBQ as it is Superbowl for the Americans.  We are still not sure if it will be shown on the marina TV, if not the real followers will head to one of the big bars.