September 29, 2012
Portobelo, Panama
No offense to Christopher Columbus, who is said to have discovered Portobelo Bay in 1502, but it’s about time we left this splendid spot and got on with our travels. Just three months after limping into the Bay, DOMINO is leaner and meaner than ever, ready to take on the Pacific.
A profound notch between high hills, deep waters, and a central location on the Panama Isthmus were all reasons that led the Spanish Crown to select Portobelo as its Caribbean shipping center at the end of the 16thCentury.
The riches of Peru, tons of gold and silver were loaded on fleets of galleons; destination: Seville. But where there are treasures, there are pirates, and the infamous Henry Morgan and 460 of his men managed once to take Portobelo and was paid a nice ransom of 100,000 pesos. For what? He bought land all over the Caribbean.
The small town is a testimony to this history, with no less than four forts, two churches, and a hospital founded by the Hospitalliers.
Just walk around the sleepy town and you may trip over a cannon or two, walk across the antique Spanish bridges, stop for a beer at Captain Morgan’s house, admire the cut coral stones that make up the Customs House, or find shades under one of the few remaining Spanish-style balconies.
The locals couldn’t care less about developing tourism; the streets are trashy, the streams garbage-filled, and if not for the five Chinese grocery stores and the Italian bakery, there would be no business in town. It seems that all that matters in Portobelo is a good game of soccer between the cannons of Fort San Jeronimo, or the Saturday night performance from the “Escuelita del Ritmo” and the yearly Black Christ Festival on October 21st.
The approaches to shore are extremely shallow as the bay is silting up. There is only a small private dinghy dock at the Escuela del Ritmo, but cruisers can dock there as long as they stay to the right of the dock. For now it’s free but there is always a helper around who won’t spit on your dollar-tip.
Yet, in spite of its lack of entertainment, its filth, and nasty weather and violent thunderstorms, the bay is magnificent. One can kayak up the rivers in the shade of overhead fronds, or dinghy up to an emerald-water beach where howler monkeys are known to come and visit, or hike up the many trails to the old forts or into the rain forest.
Captain Jack, up on the hill, is a treasure for the cruisers, always ready to help with getting spare parts or throwing a good party. Tommy at Pirate’s Cove at the entrance of the Bay’s south shore is a genial host who can also cook a mean chili.
The twice-hourly bus to Colon is only $1.60 and the run to the grocery store at Sabanitas is just a short one-hour ride. As for Panama City, a two-hour bus ride will get you there for only $5.
We enjoyed Portobelo, the ruckus of the howler monkeys always warning us from an impending storm, the quietness of the bay that allowed us to repair DOMINO in peace, and the unusual safety (no robberies on board during our entire stay).
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| Sekah shops for Molas from the Kuna women |
Even though we were clobbered a few times by westerly swells that sent us straight to our bed with a nasty roll, we think that Portobelo has been one of the most splendid anchorages. I only wish we could have found a silver coin or two in the sand, as it is said that the area is sprinkled with Spanish coins, spewed from sunken galleons and drifting ashore, here and there… perhaps you will be luckier.
And now we’re off, en route for Colon and the entrance of the Panama Canal, by a splendid day… but that’s a story for another day!
Until then,
dominomarie
