Peenie Wallie

Now, I get a message that I have to call FedEx or they're returning my package to Colon, Panama.

Every day, the news gets worse. We research the boats, the captains, and learn their schedules. Nothing looks good. Everything is postponed and delayed. Looks like we might not get out until Tuesday.

I walk down to the pier, and there are two cargo boats in the harbor. So, I tell Greg...I'm going to go out on the pier, find the captain, and see if he'll take our bikes to Turbo.

I'm taking charge. Stepping up my game. I've been largely a bystander in this entire process of trying to get the bikes into Colombia, and we don't currently have any information that says we'll get there before Tuesday. So, I figure it can't hurt for me to try to get us a ride.

I get to the Fronterra guards defending the pier, and they won't let me on the dock. But I just keep saying that I'm on a boat. I have a camera and a laptop and I'm wearing a swimsuit, and finally he just lets me on the pier. Once I'm on the pier, I start looking for someone who knows what's going on. They're unloading boats, and it's very confusing. Just chaos and madness, but finally I get a guy who says he's the captain of the boat in the harbor that I'm pointing to.

We start talking, and then he pulls another man into the conversation on the chaotic pier.

Now we have another person in the game, so there are 3 of us now, talking about the carga boat. When does it leave? Where does it go? Does it go to Sapzurro? Can we put our bikes on it? Can we get on it? All of these questions. Now, he says that the boat is leaving this afternoon for Sapzurro, and we can get on it. Then, tomorrow, he leaves from Sapzurro for Turbo. And he'll take our bikes, for $100 each. And I'm like....SCORE!!!

I bring Greg and Jenny into the conversation. Greg doesn't know about the boat captain - who he is or what his reputation is. Jenny is more with me...we don't care who he is. If he can steer us out of this 3rd world sand trap faster than Tuesday, she's all in. Tune isn't here to put in his 2 cents. He walked to Sapzurro with some girl. So, there's only 3 of us to make the decisions now.

Things are changing very fast in this turbulent planning phase. We're standing outside in Capurgana, trying to navigate our way out of this place. There are a lot of variables, and its very confusing. When should we go to Sapzurro? Where do we spend the night? The obvious thing to do is to check out of our hostels in Capurgana, catch a launcha boat to Sapzurro, spend the night (Sat night) in Sapzurro. When we see Tune in Sapzurro, we'll tell him that we left his stuff in the hostel. He can catch a lancha boat back to Capurgana, get his things there, check out of the hostel, and return in a lancha boat.

So we check out of our hostels, and go down to the pier, prepared to depart from Capurgana.

We climb into the lancha, and he keeps yelling at me about where to sit and what to do with my CC Filson bag, but I'm not clear what he wants me to do. Eventually, we take off in the suicidal lancha. If I never have to get in one of those boats again it will be too soon. I put on my life vest, and he starts pounding us through the waves.

It only takes about 15 minutes to get to Sapzurro. When we get to Sapzurro, we see a massive boat in the harbor - not one we've seen before. It's like a car ferry with a front hatch that opens and allows you to drive into the hull. Now, we're asking around to see where this boat is going, when it leaves, and if we can get on it. It turns out that he's going to Turbo tomorrow, and he'll take us. We can drive onto the boat with our bikes. And he'll take all 4 of us, no problem. He can take us, and our bikes also.

We're all high-fiving each out, about to cry. It's so hard to describe the feeling of being pinned in a 3rd world paradise. Only now, that we have a clear path to leaving tomorrow....only now do I truly appreciate the beauty of this tropical paradise. Now that I CAN leave....only now do I really wonder if I truly WANT to leave.

Now, we go walking down the beach, seeing the island for the first time as free citizens, not 3rd world prisoners. Now, I notice fleet of private catamarans anchored in the magnificent bay surrounded by deeply jungled mountains, the broad white sand beaches, the countless pieces of coral washed onto the sand beaches from the reefs. The locals all come down to the beach to swim, sell coco icecream, empenadas, and fruits on the beach. Or to place football (soccer).

Only when I'm free to leave do I think that I want to stay in this place longer.

HOSTEL DULE

The hostel that we're staying at in Sapzurro opened the day before we got here.
Now, I go to inspect my motorcycle in the back yard of the Hostel Dule. It's really strange that we were separated for so long. I'm hoping that we can get the motorcycles to Turbo tomorrow, so that we can keep on rolling. Very odd feeling to have not been on the bike for so long. Like cheating on a beautiful girlfriend.