Received the following e-mail from Peter Hendra (SV Herodotus) and
thought as he used to participate here some might be interested in
hearing from him.


Hi Bruce,

Was just thinking about you so decided to stop being so bloody lazy
and tap the keys.

I am anchored in the lagoon at Green Island in the San Blas off the
coast of Panama. (09.28.799N, 078.38.086). I left Spanish Waters,
Curacao in October and sailed from there to Aruba and along the coast
of Colombia to Cartagena where I spent two great months. What a
wonderful city it is. Mid December I set off to the Colombia Rosario
Islands and to the San Blas. These are a truly beautiful group of
islands. Closer to the Colombian border the people live a more
traditional life style but they are very, very friendly. Most cruisers
apparently do not go south of where I am now as the waters are clearer
and it is easier to get supplies more akin to their liking.

In Cartagena I met some rather nice people who have been cruising
between Panama and Colombia for a few years and who have been so
generous with information. One couple I have since met up with again a
couple of times and have had dinner together. We plan to meet up again
in a day or so.

I have been educated somewhat and disabused of my previously held
belief that American cruisers were dripping with dollars in that many
I had met had all the gear and money seemed no object. Many here in
fact are on tight budgets and some say that they cannot afford to live
in the States, it being cheaper to cruise. The current recession is
affecting a few with properties and investments.

Seafood abounds here and yesterday I bought 3 crayfish for two dollars
each and paid 1 dollar for a conch - all alive. Unfortunately the
crays were all females and were below breeding age.

I intend to go through the canal and probably anti-foul at Balboa
yacht club. I had to scrape the prop at Curacao to get any knots at
all and again after the rich soup waters of Cartagena. There were also
a nice crop of barnacles on the keel and rudder- skeg. I'd like to see
some of Costa Rica before I head off into the Pacific.

For some reason a number of yachts seem to go up on the reefs here.
One 68 year old lady from Colorado mistook the marks and tried to
enter the channel in the Rosarios in poor light and went on the reef,
damaging her rudder and necessitating a tow back to Cartagena. We
heard of another - a Jenneau, on the reef yesterday on the radio. Two
of us were anchored at Tupilia Island and a French boat set off in the
morning and headed towards the reef area with the sun in his eyes and
shading them with his hand - dumb! Both watched him as he hit the
sharply rising coral with a rapid stop. We couldn't understand why he
had not seen the small breakers. We both set off in our dinghies to
help him but he managed to get off and angrily flagged us away.

As for me, I am still offering English language lessons to American
cruisers with varying responses.

I have taken hundreds of photos which I will post on my Myspace
account and update my blog. To date I have posted all of Cartagena,
and others such as Los Angeles Getty Centre and the La Brea Tar pits.
Since then someone told me that there was a movie industry and
Disneyland that I could have visited had I known about them.

If you are still engaged in rec.boats.cruising please give my regards
to Larry and Vic. They are welcome to drop in for proper coffee any
time. They are very personable and likeable people - even if they may
be Republicans. I am also very grateful for the helpful advice I
received from that group.

Cheers

Peter

Cheers,

Bruce
(bruceinbangkokatgmaildotcom)

"Bruce In Bangkok" wrote in message
...

Received the following e-mail from Peter Hendra (SV Herodotus) and
thought as he used to participate here some might be interested in
hearing from him.


Thanks, Bruce. Always good to hear reports from those out there, doing it.

On Fri, 02 Jan 2009 21:57:52 +0700, Bruce In Bangkok
wrote:


Received the following e-mail from Peter Hendra (SV Herodotus) and
thought as he used to participate here some might be interested in
hearing from him.

Pass him greetings from me if you have the chance.
And thanks for the update.

--Vic

On Fri, 02 Jan 2009 14:30:48 -0600, Vic Smith
wrote:

On Fri, 02 Jan 2009 21:57:52 +0700, Bruce In Bangkok
wrote:


Received the following e-mail from Peter Hendra (SV Herodotus) and
thought as he used to participate here some might be interested in
hearing from him.

Pass him greetings from me if you have the chance.
And thanks for the update.

--Vic

Will do.
Cheers,

Bruce
(bruceinbangkokatgmaildotcom)

Bruce In Bangkok wrote in
:

If you are still engaged in rec.boats.cruising please give my regards
to Larry and Vic. They are welcome to drop in for proper coffee any
time. They are very personable and likeable people - even if they may
be Republicans. I am also very grateful for the helpful advice I
received from that group.


(blush).....(c;]

Vic Smith wrote in
:

On Fri, 02 Jan 2009 21:57:52 +0700, Bruce In Bangkok
wrote:


Received the following e-mail from Peter Hendra (SV Herodotus) and
thought as he used to participate here some might be interested in
hearing from him.

Pass him greetings from me if you have the chance.
And thanks for the update.

--Vic


Me, too!.......(wave)....