Oh Panama!

 Panama, Panama, what are you doing to us? I was so pleased this summer to see how well Panama was dealing with the pandemic. Everyone was wearing masks and practicing social distancing, and cases were going down, from a high of 1200 new cases a day, the numbers fell and were sitting at 200-400 new cases a day.  Then something happened. I don't know exactly what prompted the change, whether it was weariness of it all, or because of a series of National holidays in November. 

Shoes?

I have to wear shoes? After three weeks in Las Perlas Islands we have returned to civilization and are feeling some culture shock. When was the last time you were able to go three weeks without putting on shoes? I am betting for the vast majority of you that it has been a very long time, if ever. The downside is our feet complaining bitterly about being confined again. We have also enjoyed three weeks without wearing a mask. These two things alone are enough to drive me back to a quiet anchorage.

Sometimes it's nice to be alone...

Away from society, away from the chaos, especially with the one you love. In these crazy times it is nice to be able to have some distance from the craziness.

Lightning update- 4 months in, Our New Normal

Everyone is going through this, the new normal. Making adjustments we never thought we would have to be making. Wearing masks, social distancing, staying home are just a small part of what has become status quo. 

Provisioning the boat for our escape from the marina.

Going in Circles

 Sometimes in life you just feel like you are going in circles. And sometimes that can actually be a good thing. It certainly was today. In order to calibrate our new autopilot we had to take Rhapsody out of the marina and drive her in circles. 

View of the Panama sign from the water

Lightning update- 3 1/2 months in

 On September 1st, the marina charged our credit card for the entire month of September. "Why did they do that?" I wondered, "We are only going to be here another week, two at the most."

On October 1st, the marina charged our credit card for the entire month of October.  I said nothing.

This is the place we have been for almost 4 months.

A Glimmer of Hope

Just as things are beginning to open up in Panama they are beginning to shut down in French Polynesia. Panama has been locked down since March. Stores and restaurants have been closed. Men and women hare been assigned gender specific days to shop, and specific two hour windows within those days. French Polynesia opened their borders for air travel on July 15th and since then has had a resurgence of Covid-19 and is beginning to add more restrictions.