"Just sit right back and you'll hear a tale, a tale of a fateful trip that started from this tropic port aboard this tiny ship" ...
Our alarm goes off at 4:45 a.m ... it's go time. I've never witnessed the family awake, fed, packed and eager to go at such an ungodly hour! We were leaving Panama City today and headed to the San Blas islands. When I was doing my research for this trip, I read about this archipelago ... the turquoise water, the white sandy beaches, the idyllic small islands dotted with waving palms ... the images were dreamy and it sounded like a bucket list paradise we had to see for ourselves. We booked a 3 night sailboat charter through Airbnb. The booking stated that the ship could sleep 6 but if we were a group of 4 or more, the boat would be for our group only. A private boat to ourselves?? Our own personal captain/guide/chef to tour us around the exotic islands and prepare delicious meals for us?? I hovered over the "Book Now" button. This was going to be the splurge of our trip ... even though it was easy to justify, considering all the things that were included for the 4 days at sea. Click.
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| Dreamy right?!! A legit 'screen saver' photo I took with my phone - NO FILTER |
But my friends, travel isn't always pretty. We can post the pics and it can look unbelievably magical but I'm here to tell you, this time, the adventure we set out on, was not. We were picked up that early (and still dark) morning in a big, rugged 4WD occupied by a couple of passengers already. Hmmmmm, unexpected for sure ... how were we all going to fit??? Trying to find space for our family of four, the driver ended up strapping our backpacks and other bags to the roof. We carried on, trying to make the best of a squishy situation. You gotta be flexible, right?!!
As we bumped along the backroads on our 3 hour drive to the port, we chatted with the young couple in the vehicle, finding out that he (Vito) and she (Nora) were newly dating and travelling from Columbia through Panama and onwards to Costa Rica. It's always fun talking to fellow travellers and hearing their stories. It helped to pass the time quickly - especially from the cramped back seat where my legs were bent so tightly that my knees were up to my chin. You gotta be flexible, right?!!
It was not long into the drive and conversation that we discovered that this couple was also going to the same boat as us. Surely, this was a misunderstanding of sorts. Perhaps there are other sailboats with a captain named George accepting guests today for exactly 3 nights. And I'm sure the sailboat is much bigger than we imagine it to be and will accommodate us all comfortably. And that's what I told the kids, who kept looking at me with big, questioning eyes, but inside, I was starting to feel some disappointment creep in. As I understood it, we were to have the whole boat to ourselves??! Sigh. You gotta be flexible, right?!!
At the halfway point, we stopped for a bathroom break and bought some refreshments. It felt so good to stretch the legs and walk around a little bit. Since Jeff was sitting in the passenger seat up front and Stella and I were in the very back of the 3rd row, we were finally getting the chance to talk to each other about the new information we were finding out about our private charter. We agreed to model for the kids that flexibility is absolutely KEY when travelling and that things that sound disappointing can sometimes surprise you and turn out to be even better than expected. Jeff then tells me he has some serious concerns about the driver's physical and mental state. He says something about drugs, fidgeting, nervous twitching just as the driver walks by and tells us it's time to depart ... not worrisome at all.
I had read that the road to the port had been greatly improved over the years making it more accessible than ever. They were wrong ... lol. This next portion of the road was wicked, very narrow, full of massive potholes, twists, big turns and went up one side of a mountain and down the other like a roller coaster! No doubt we had it worse in the back of the vehicle, or maybe it was the state that the driver was in, or the speed in which he drove, but we were all starting to feel a little green from being tossed around so much. We kept looking out the windows for ANY signs of the ocean and then finally, there it was. First we had to go through a checkpoint complete with a lot of armed guards in fatigues looking in vehicles and checking passports. It was here that we paid a fee to enter the territory of the indigenous Guna people.
Finally at the port, we waited on the beach for directions as to which boat would take us out to our sailboat. Our last leg of the journey that I was told would only be a 1/2 hour ride.
The four of us were separated as we quickly took the remaining seats on a boat and handed our backpacks to the 2 man crew who threw them up front on top of an already large pile of luggage. The breeze from the sea was refreshing and so exhilarating after being cooped up in a vehicle for hours. The ride wasn't even that bad until we hit the open water and the waves turned out to be bigger than anticipated. Soon the water was splashing into the boat from all sides and soaking every passenger. We were drenched within a few short minutes but had to laugh out loud as the boat pounded through the waves and sent us bouncing up and down on the hard bench seating.
Some of the islands were coming into view and it was helping us to forget our crazy journey to get here!
Sigh ... we were in a tropical paradise!!!
About 1/2 hr later, we pulled up along side of a sailboat with a gentleman standing starboard. We pointed to the drenched bags that belonged to us and they were passed to our captain. Dripping and soaking wet, each one of us was pushed from behind and pulled up onto the top of the boat. Quick count ... there were 6 of us, plus George (our captain) who we followed to the back of the boat. We didn't exchange many pleasantries but rather got down to the business at hand ... boat orientation and rules for our time on the vessel. I should add that George is an x-military man and conducted this welcome session very much in that style. Once he listed off the 10th rule and showed no signs of stopping, I could sense the kids' excitement waning, their spirits deflating. Come on George, I thought. You're as prickly as a cactus.
We're not here to be your new crew members, just paying customers/guests for a few days.
George then motioned for the other couple to follow him below so that he could show them their accommodations. Soon after, we were beckoned and shown where we were sleeping. George explained that Jeff and I would take the stateroom and the kids would share the remaining little cuddy. In this moment, I'd like you to picture two teenagers (brother 6 ft tall & sister) peering into the tiny room with a bed the size of a generous twin that narrows at its feet. The expressions on their faces when they turned around were priceless. Their heads shaking subtly but the message was very clear ... no way were they going to sleep together in that confined space!! I quietly tell them that we have the day to talk about it and figure out the sleeping arrangements. There's not a lot of options and we're going to have to be flexible, right?!!
We spent the afternoon sailing approximately 3 hours to our first stop - the natural swimming pool. Formed by a sinking island, the water is not very deep and is crystal clear! We anchored here and explored a nearby island that only took us a few minutes to walk around. We swam, snorkelled and hung out at a little palapa run by locals who come set up each day with their cooler filled with beer and coke for the tourists.
" ....no phone, no lights, no motor car, not a single luxury
like Robinson Crusoe, it's as primitive as can be"
We returned to the boat for a delicious meal and watched the sun set and darkness set in around 6:30 p.m. There was not much to do on the boat once it was dark except sit out under the stars. No wifi, no electricity, no card or board games ... just each other's company. It was lovely for a couple hours but everyone ended up going to sleep pretty early. The warm temperatures and humidity above deck meant the cabins below were stifling hot. You started perspiring the moment you climbed down the ladder which led to the nickname of the 'Sweat Lodge' and later 'Torture Chamber' for the little cubby Max slept in. Stella and I shared the front bed for the first night and Jeff slept on the kitchen bench seating, contorting his body in an L-shape to fit around the table. George slept on the top of the boat. We were told to leave all the doors open below so whatever airflow that came into the stateroom could make its way through the galley and into the back sleeping quarters. And just to be clear, when I say stateroom, I mean a bit bigger bed with a private toilet and sink. No opulence or extra space, in fact we stored our backpacks on the bed. (Every closet, cubby, surface area contained George's stuff because he lived on this boat). There was no need for more than a sheet to cover us but when the sea breezes started to blow, the wind would literally lift the sheet right off of us and onto the floor. The first time this happened we had to laugh and a new nickname was born ... we were sleeping in 'Typhoon Alley'.
The next morning, as I climbed up the ladder to the deck, the mood seemed a little bit off. Our Captain and Vito were engaged in some heated dialogue and the rest of us were feeling a little awkward and uncomfortable. Stella then shared that she witnessed Vito break a couple of the rules that morning. Max then added that Vito had woken him up in the middle of the night requesting that they switch cabins. It was an odd request since the cubby Max slept in was even smaller than Vito and his girlfriend's. They did not end up switching but I think that demonstrates how the heat and uncomfortableness was starting to creep in and perhaps make one delirious. Moments later we hear a splash and see that Vito just dove off the side of the boat and was swimming in the direction of the nearest island. We all thought he was just blowing off some steam and perhaps getting a nice morning swim in before breakfast. The look on his girlfriend's face said otherwise. Nora then sat down and proceeded to tell us that Vito was very unhappy with the situation onboard and was wanting to leave. I think if we were all being honest, the trip was not exactly what any of us had quite envisioned and that we were all surprised by the 'extra' passengers onboard, cramped sleeping arrangements and gruff host. However, we were surrounded by uninhabited islands, 3 hours from the mainland, another 3 hours beyond that to Panama city... what options did we have??!!!! Seriously. You gotta be flexible, right?! ! She shared our sentiments of trying to make the best of things but was discovering that her boyfriend was a bit of a hothead and that neither he nor the captain seemed very flexible or willing to give an inch. At this point, we still didn't know fully what had transpired between the captain and his guest. About an hour later, after breakfast, Vito climbs up the ladder and asks Nora to come talk to him. Our family was left shaking our heads and caught between piecing together what's actually happening and trying to listen to the emotional exchange between boyfriend and girlfriend. Before you judge us, it was not hard to overhear them...the sailboat was small and they were standing only a few feet away 😉 Only a short while later, Vito heads below deck and Nora comes to sit with us. She is shaken up and upset. She informs us that Vito is packing his bag and going to stay at the nearby island. Sorry, WHAT??!!!! He's begging her to come with him and says that he was offered a tent for them to sleep in. HOLD ON A SECOND. This same island that we explored last night? The one that had no dwellings, no cell service, no fresh water? ... what were they going to eat??? How were they going to get back to the mainland??? How long would they have to wait before someone rescued them and offered them the 3.5 hr ride to the mainland. Did they have enough cash for that? Nora agreed that it was not a good decision, too much uncertainty and potentially a dangerous plan. We told her that we would take care of her if she stayed with us and that we would do whatever it took to her get back to the city and home to her family. This poor girl was being rushed to make a decision to follow a guy she had only known for 2 weeks to a deserted island OR stay with a family she hardly knows, on a boat at sea. I was starting to feel angry that Captain and Vito were not willing to find a way to work through their differences. Instead, right before our very eyes, Vito is placing his backpack in the zodiac and getting inside. George has a smirk on his face that shows he is quite happy with this outcome and happy to facilitate his guest's departure and give him a ride to the island. Unbelievable!!! The rest of us were all standing on the boat in that moment, stunned, shocked and a little traumatized by what we were witnessing. Nora starts to cry as she watches her boyfriend abandon her. She boarded the sailboat expecting a wonderful, romantic getaway and one day later, her relationship is over. George is back, quickly doing his jobs so that he could pull up anchor and set sail. He gets on the radio and proceeds to tell the other boats in the area that, under no circumstances are they to help the unruly passenger he just left behind on an island. Are you kidding me? That's criminal! I'm starting to feel uncertain about our safety as I turn to see Vito walking along the shore, not looking back. A castaway on a deserted island.
We sailed for a couple hours that morning. We were all pretty quiet, a little traumatized, half dozing and half pretending to doze so we didn't have to engage in much conversation. Oh, we wanted to talk about the events of the morning but there was really nowhere to chat privately. Our opportunity came around lunchtime when we dropped anchor, loaded into the zodiac and were dropped off on an island the size of a postage stamp with 4 palm trees on it! Unfortunately, the incredible beauty around us was slightly tainted with the emotions of what transpired that morning. Nora needed some comforting and a good cry. It didn't take her long to perk up and before long she was taking hundreds of photos with Stella, having fun getting the perfect instagram worthy shots.
We had an amazing snorkel back to the boat, swimming with the current. Soon we were sailing again for another cluster of islands where we would spend the night. We had the chance to snorkel some more, swim and relax at yet another idyllic beach. When dropped off at this uninhabited island, I asked George what time he would be back to pick us up? He replied, "I'll come get you, when I get you." That answer was NOT AT ALL funny given he had left a passenger on a deserted island earlier that day. What little regard I had for our captain just vanished. Over the next day and a half, we engaged in polite conversation with George but didn't spend anymore time than we had to with the grumpy bloke. I'll admit that his dinners were delicious and his knowledge and stories of the sea were incredible but dear George was definitely not the "Super Host" Airbnb claimed him to be.
On our last full day at sea, we navigated some pretty big swells as we headed back to the area where we needed to be picked up from the next day. Everyone was feeling tired, grumpy and a little seasick. George was up in the middle of the night fixing a snack, clanging, chopping and banging around with all the lights on which no-one could sleep through. During sailing, no windows could be open which made it impossible to lay down below deck. There was no airflow and the rocking motion felt much worse in the cabins. Max ended up sitting in a tiny bit of shade he found near the back of the boat where he could empty the contents of his stomach should he need to. He did not look well. To make matters worse, some sunscreen got into one of his eyes and no amount of washing/rinsing gave him reprieve. His eye was red and puffy and he was miserable trying to avoid the bright sun. Stella was equally uncomfortable and downright grumpy. Sleep evaded her and she so desperately wanted a freshwater shower that we weren't allowed to have until later that night (one of captain's rules). And then the final straw ... she got her sunglasses caught in her matted hair that kept growing bigger with the humidity. We were all feeling ready to get off the boat and in that moment, I wished I had booked 2 nights instead of 3.
We managed to overcome these minor setbacks and uncomfortable moments and spend a nice afternoon together on another beautiful island.
The boat motor startled us awake at an early hour on our last morning. I think George wanted this cruise to end as much as we did hahaha. Stella was the first to have her bag packed and ready to go on the deck. She was counting down the hours until she could have a 'proper' shower and wash her clothes of all the damp stickiness that comes from the sea and humidity. We ate breakfast and hoped we would be picked up soon. One boat, then another and several more passed by without stopping. Finally, as we were all watching the horizon in earnest, a boat arrived and pulled up along the sailboat. We said our token goodbyes and were happy to be leaving the boat and most of all, Captain George.
Once at the port, loading into the vehicles, our driver counted heads. He was confused as to why there were only 5 of us and not 6. I bet that didn't happen very often!!! We told him the story and hoped that he would send someone or radio someone to check on Vito. We gave Nora some money for a couple nights of accommodation in a hostel and food. We treated her like I hope people would do for my kids if they ever found themselves in need. We said our goodbyes to Nora after the 3 hr drive back to the airport. Desperate for some food, we looked around for a bite to eat before our flight to the city of David. It was noon. There were no places to eat and the domestic terminal was closed. When it eventually opened, we bought what we could from the one and only vending machine in the building. We were stinky, tired, sticky and hangry now. We all just wanted to get to our next destination.
I know what you're thinking. Oh poor Normandeau's ... sure looks rough. I absolutely recognize just how unbelievably blessed and privileged we are to be able to take this excursion in the first place. I know that our couple rough days in paradise are still exponentially better than many people's good days. What I hoped to convey in this post, is that life/travel is not always as perfect as the photos portray it to be and I wanted to share the story behind the postcard scenes. Instead of just posting a bunch of breathtaking photos and letting you create our narrative, I thought I would share this experience in detail with you. There were definitely 'pinch me, I'm dreaming' moments, but there were also many times we were scared, uncomfortable and miserable. Sometimes, there's a limit to how flexible you can be before you snap.
