Boats, Taxis, Buses, Planes and Trains

We're on the move. After big time cleaning up and the stressful closing up of Astarte, we have left her at summer camp (thanks Anna and Ian) and we are heading back to the states. Barbara's mom turns 90 and we must be there to celebrate that momentous occasion in August. We'll also see Michael's mom with a visit to Nashville (she'll be coming there from Oregon) and then a stop in St. Petersburg before heading back to Panama (loaded down with boat parts). Michael will also be adding some much needed funds to the cruising kitty and logging some additional airplane miles with some great and interesting work.

We started this adventure – because all these trips are just that, adventures – with a water taxi from Solarte to Bocas Town. Then a cab to the Hotel Angela where we'll spend the night. Then an early wake-up call to make the first water taxi from Bocas Town to Almirante. From there, a cab to the bus stop and a LONG bus trip down the isthmus of Panama to Panama City. They say it takes between 8 and 12 hours depending on traffic, strikes, marches, road closures etc. The bus leaves at 0800 and they are supposed to be comfortable and air conditioned. We'll see. We do have seats (that was an adventure in itself figuring out how to book seats in advance). It should be beautiful for the first portion of the trip at least as we head into the mountains near David and Boquete. This is where there are coffee plantations, pineapple and banana farms and lots of beautiful rain forest and landscape. We're looking forward to that. Once we get on the Pacific Highway, it probably won't be as scenic, but it will be nice to see some of the interior of Panama – we've certainly done much of the Caribbean Coast areas.

In Panama City, we'll head to the US Embassy as Michael needs more pages in his passport (he's down to his last page). Hopefully we can get that done in a half day. We get on an airplane bright and early Thursday morning for an all-day air travel adventure to Boston (long layover in Atlanta).

So we'll be stateside for a bit – and this log may take a hiatus for a short time (unless we feel inspired).

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