Sunday, June 6, 1999  - Balboa, Panama

Check out the Panama Canal sequence. Thanks to Rodney Lee !

G’day folks,

well today has been devoted to mundane but necessary chores. Trevor has been unpacking the ‘goodies’ for the engine that the STARSHIP agent Pete Stevens brought over to the boat yesterday. Everyone else has been involved in shopping - yes just that. Almost the entire day has been taken up with shopping. This may sound somewhat incredible, but when you take into account the fact that we have had to provision for 9-12 people, who will be at least two to three months at sea with little chance to provisioning - you will probably realise that it was no small job. A glance at just one of the cash register bills would have emphasised that fact, it was about 1,2 m (4ft) long and the total was US$ 2,500.

Luckily for us DJ is back on board, she arrived yesterday evening, so there is not only another pair of hands on board, but also someone who knows where everything should go. Monika and DJ have been unpacking and repacking lockers all day and they are now all stuffed to the brim, bulging with supplies.

All of these groceries filled 10 large shopping carts and completely filled the minibus taxi. It took about 6 people to help us get them transferred from the dockside to the boat.

That was not all, we had to make a second excursion for some more specialist items and ingredients, and there will be yet a third shopping expedition tomorrow morning.

I did just get a brief look at Panama City on the way to the supermarket, but more details about that tomorrow.

All shopped out for today

Janet