We finally woke up to sunshine today after days of dark grey overcast skies and a lot of torrential rain. We left the marina on Thursday evening and anchored after dark at Portobelo. This anchorage used to be the hub of the Spanish gold trade but now is a sleepy town boasting one or two colonial buildings. Apparently Sir Francis Drake was buried at sea in a lead coffin just off the coast. Portobelo is also home to "Jesus Nazarena", a statue of a black Christ associated with a number of miracles.
Murky water sent us further up the coast to Isla Linton. Surrounded by jungle, only the sound of howler monkeys and birds interrupt the tranquillity of this pretty spot. In the evening we visited the monkeys on the uninhabited island, captivated by their antics and human-like expressions. Today we explored the waterfront of Puerto Lindo and had a much welcome snorkel out on the reefs, not much to see but a refreshing swim and our first in ages. We are surprised to see a large number of boats anchored here and what appears to be a fairly settled cruising community. It seems the western Caribbean is becoming more and more popular.
