Finally through our very long To-Do List, we leave Panama City and the rolly La Playita anchorage for the Las Perlas Islands 5 hours away. The Las Perlas Islands are generally in the direction of Galapagos and get us that bit closer as a jump off point.
We spend our first night between the islands of Chapera and Mogo Mogo. Perhaps these names sound familiar? These islands were used for the filming of one of the many seasons of the television series "Survivor". The islands are not far apart and only a stones throw from the most inhabited of the Las Perlas Islands, Isla Contadora, which has restaurants and hotels. You would easily be able to see the other tribe from one island to the next, and the distances are definitely swimmable. We sneer at the survivor's survival ability, but then fail to catch a fish for our own dinner that night.
The next day, we head to Isla Contadora to fill up our fuel tanks. We had filled tanks and jerry cans while in Panama, but want to refill the tank after the usage to get to Las Perlas - just that little bit extra, just in case. While walking to the gas station with jerry cans in hand, a local in a golf cart stops and offers us a ride. We jump in and are taken to the gas station that is a shed next to the local superette. We communicate that we are after diesel, and the "attendant" (guy manning the shed) comes back with three old paint tins full of diesel and proceeds to siphon from the paint tins into our jerry cans through a pipe that requires him to suck on the end to get it going.
The local in the golf cart has waited for us, and we attempt to ask how much it will cost us to get back to the dinghy (perhaps he is a taxi after all?). He tells us he would like 4 beers from the superette - a total cost of $4. On the way back, he takes us on a tour of the island, chatting away in Spanish, while consuming the beer we bought him. When we don't understand him, he turns towards us and has a long discussion, meanwhile swerving from one side of the road to the other. He is a very cheerful fellow, laughing and talking away - maybe slightly tipsy from drinking those 4 beers on the head at 10am.
We make it to the dinghy unscathed, and he even backs the golf cart down the ramp to the beach for us. Excellent service.
We are now heading down the chain of islands to their southernmost point, where we will leave to the Galapagos from - hopefully on Sunday 3 March our time (Monday 4 March NZ time). We will attempt to keep you updated on our position each day throughout the crossing (only requiring us to rope Gary's Dad into posting for us!).
Wish us fair winds and following seas to the Galapagos.
