Ol’ Providencia

            We left Colon on a 250-mile passage to the tiny island of Providencia, far to the north. The weather was, to say the least, unpleasant. We had 15-25 knots almost dead on the nose, and large swells that put us all into seasickness mode, and none of us could wait for some terra firma…

            Several hours after sighting the island, and having to sail a long way around the coast to avoid shoals, we motored into the bay on the north-west tip of the island, between the main island and the smaller sister island, Santa Catalina. Grum and Jed went ashore to meet the immigration man (who only wore Speedos) and to check us in…

           We stayed in Providencia for nearly two weeks, during which time we:

-Walked across the bridge and took a walk along the coast of Santa Catalina.

-Took a taxi to the opposite end of the island to Casa Baja and hiked up the mountainside to the highest point on Providencia (see Photo of the Month).

-George, Jed and I; Liz (from Gilana); Robin, Votoria and Ceasar (some French friends), hired some mopeds and went off around the island to Mazanilla beach where we had lunch and played rugby in the sand.

-Did lots of snorkelling on the reef next to Santa Catalina with Liz

-Mum and dad walked the whole 17 km around the island to the same beach that we went to.

-Had our Columbian friend come aboard (who was a policeman)

-Cleaned the hull (again…)

            All in all, Providencia was an excellent place to visit we reckon and it would have been great if we had stayed there a while longer…

Jack