Dodging the Darien: Land Ho!

We awoke in our sticky cabin gasping for fresh air, or any other variety of air that wasn't this. In spite of the many benefits of waking up next to a lovely lady, the bed in this cabin was either designed for one invariably large being or that of two dwarven folk stright from the hot mines of Mordor. In other words at best it was a bit of a squash, and as hot as a turkish bath. Like a recently pleasured man from a brothel we shot from our cabin to be once again bathed in glorious sunshine (which I doubt usually happens outside brothels), and had our first sight of land. The land was a collection of tiny palm fronged islands surrounded with coral reefs and clear blue water. After days on the boat we were all desperate for mooring so we could finally swim, yet time ebbed as the boat slowly coasted towards the islands. Eventually, we arrived and leapt from the boat like there was little or no tomorrow, splashing around and diving in to the warmest sea water I have ever experienced. After a while some locals turned up and dropped off some beers and fish for dinner, before drinking half of the aforementioned beverages and once again hitting the high seas. Johan and I swam off to an island with fishing line and hooks to make some rods, which turned out pretty well in the end. We grabbed a windsurfing board and set off to the coral reef to find Nemo, and then catch him. Sadly we found few fish that looked edible, and none who deemed our bait appetising, but managed to flail around in the water for a while watching the impressive fishies swim around the coral. We returned empty handed yet contented in time for lunch. Once again lunch was a total rain out, and the evening was spent slight sodden, however the numerous rums consumed after dark sent us merrily to our humid beds for another night.

The next day proved to be more of the same as we moved on to another paradise island, this time inhabited. After dealing with mundane immigration necessities we arrived at the larger island, leaping from the boat quicker than as if it had hit an iceberg. This time, while the locals prepared a fish supper, the girls went to explore the island while us lads decided to content ourselves with idle floating on the waves with various cans of delicious beer. My vessel, a rather flattering rubber ring, was perfect for such an endeavour, and many hours passed before we were called in to eat. That evening we were finally blessed with a noticeable lack of the usual dump of rain, enabling us to drink beer and rum on the beach around a bonfire whilst watching Yoshi, a cool Japanese fellow on our boat, do a fire-stick-twirly-dance-show-thing. A true castaway evening, and a great final night together on the boat. The next morning we would finally head for Panamanian shore and split off our separate ways. Although in some ways the journey had lacked some of the usually preferable comforts (chiefly space, being cool, and being clean), it had been a wonderfully memorable journey for everyone.