PS I know this blog posting is out of sequence as this all occurred prior to our Pirate encounter but I thought some would enjoy the story. Cheers

Jackie and I leaving Maiatla to head off into the jungle

It was late in November before I was able get back to Panama and our beloved Maiatla to prepare her for another cruise.  Shelter bay Marina by Colon on the Caribbean side of the Panama Canal has been the boats home for the past three years giving us an opportunity to visit the nearby and very beautiful San Blas Islands.

After long discussions with Janet we decided that it was time to move on so we turned our attention to the Rio Dulce River in the heartland of Guatemala. Choosing the Rio Dulce was easy as the climate and in particular the heat was somewhat tamer than in Panama. (Janet found the Heat in Panama unbearable)

Also the Rio was also reported to have some good trade’s people for boat repairs and was cheap by comparison. It had been 10 full years since Maiatla’s last refit with the last six years being driven hard in the tropics which were now evident by her blistering brigthwork and ever-increasing mechanical failures. The old girl needed/ deserved some TLC so it was time.

Janet was not up to the ordeal that would be the boat prep nor was she into the long slog up north so she opted to stay at home until the boat arrived at its final destination.  My usual crew members were not available but I did manage to coerce my elder sister, Jackie into giving me a hand for which I was gratefully appreciative but if Jackie knew what lay ahead she would have been wise to have stayed at home.

I had an aggressive schedule with hopes of getting the boat ready for sea in less than a week, which may have been wishful thinking on my part as the boat had been sitting for 9 months without being started. We would have our work cut out for us. While Jackie set about cleaning I took on the mechanical chores which started with replacing the boats entire engine batter bank as the smart charger must have had a brain fart as it fried all the batteries. Replacing the huge D8 batteries was a chore as they were buried deep in the bilge, a hard to access spot resembling a crypt.

That done came an oil change with new filters all around. With great relief the engine started with little prodding.  It was a hard week but it wasn’t all work, we took frequent swims in the pool while treating ourselves to rum drink in the restaurant. We also took time to venture into the jungle to explore the remains and ruins of the abandoned American fortification that were now hidden by jungle. Construction of the fortification of Fort Sherman began in 1912 with the intent of protecting the entrance of the new Panama which was still under construction.

The Fort would grow to house thousands, with up to 9000 infantry and airmen taking jungle survival and combat courses. The fort was final abandoned in 1999 when the canal zone was turned back over to Panama. The fort has long since abandoned with the jungle rapidly reclaiming the land. But with a bit of bushwhacking there is much to be discovered.

One day in the heat of the noonday sun we headed for the bush to see what we could find.

Bunkers in the hillsides.

You can enter the underground labyrinth but we had to be wary of the bats.  And Rats! You can walk for city blocks underground.