Aboard Dignity (Lagoon 420) Blog

Before leaving Portobelo we once more dinghied ashore for ice and fresh bread. That being done we headed off to Isla Grande. There was practically no wind to speak of so we motored the entire way there not even bothering to raise the sails.

We found a nice spot with a postcard view of the island and beach on it’s western end. We dropped the hook and waited out the middle of the day before going ashore to explore and get some exercise.

We tied off at the dock and took a look at the beach. It was fairly pretty although a lot of it was fenced off presumably being private property. There was a beach bar selling drinks and food.

We then walked along the palm lined shore into the ‘town’ past a few more restaurants, bars and some very nice accommodations. Isla Grande is a holiday spot favoured by folks from Panama City. Having failed to find an open restaurant in Portobelo we were looking out for somewhere to eat Friday evening. One place, Congos, looked very attractive being built out over the water. We went in to take a closer look. The chairs and tables looked a bit rough but the place looked nice. We couldn’t decipher the menu but it looked as though we had a lot of choice. There we bumped into Ian and Eugene from Malika. I’d met Ian at the dock in Shelter Bay and we’d seen them arrive with us at Portobelo although they’d left there a day before us. After a brief chat we agreed to meet up later at the restaurant.

Helen and I continued east, past a photo shoot of bikini clad girls, to and beyond the surfing beach. We found a path up the hill and vaguely remembering there was a path up to the lighthouse we started climbing. We made it to the top enjoying a little nature along the way. We came upon a very busy line of leaf cutting ants, an abundance of butterflies and a whopping great spider.

We then retraced our back to the boat to rest and recuperate. Later we dinghied around to the restaurant with our Spanish book and began the task of translating the menu. It took us a while to even figure out the appetizers. I ordered shrimp soup and Helen ordered something stuffed. We couldn’t find the word representing ‘something’ so we took a gamble. It turned out to be garlic shrimps stuffed into a pastry cases – very nice.

For the main course we ordered a ‘grande’ snapper between us with fries and salad on the side. While eating Ian and Eugene showed up. We finished our meals about the same time and shared a few beers. We eventually parted company with us wishing them a safe passage as they were off to Jamaica in the morning.

We’re very pleased we chose Isla Grande (on the recommendation from Louis/Sympatica) as the first stop for the kids. We may not stay for more than one evening but it will quickly kick start them into vacation mode.

As a result of Portobelo being Spain’s hub of their plundering it became a target of folks like Drake, Morgan and Vernon. The bay was therefore fortified against attack from the sea. Yesterday morning we explored the remains of these forts. Our first stop was on the north side of the bay. The fort comprised a lower section and a smaller section higher up the hill. Plenty of canon remain as does the general shape of the place. We had the place to ourselves which was nice. On the way back down the hill we encountered a 3ft lizard in our path which refused to budge. I prodded it with a twig a few times but it just sat there breathing. We left it and the fort and headed over to the south side where there was some more fortifications and the town of Portobelo.

The fortifications were similar to the north side although the higher section was more run down and not accessible. Walking into town we could see the place was pretty poor but some efforts have been made to preserve and present the historical aspects of the town. Around the center is the old customs house and museum which looked interesting. A sign outside stated that for one whole century a third of the worlds gold went through this one building. Nearby were a few tourist stands selling handmade items. One stand had a couple of small monkeys which instantly went for our pockets as soon as we passed near.

The church in Portobelo is noted for it’s black Christ. We were able to enter the church and see this. The layout of the church was the familiar catholic theme we saw in Cartagena.

Outside the church were a few small restaurants and some small stores. We bought a few more things that we’d forgotten before.

We rested the afternoon before returning to the town to eat out. None of the restaurants were open so either they don’t open in the evenings or we were there too early. Either way we headed back to the boat to eat. While cooking a solo sailor, Norman from Pawnee, who we’d talked to on the radio the previous evening popped by and we chatted for a while.

Today we’ll pick up some ice from the stores before heading out. We’ve decided to head straight for Isla Grande where we’ll rendezvous with the family on Sunday. It allows us time to settle in, do some exploring ourselves and be ready for the family when they arrive.