Emily's Birthday celebration!

Wednesday 8th March 2017. Isla Casaya, Las Perlas.

I was up at 06:00 to make bread for Emily's birthday breakfast, and laid a pretty breakfast table with a clean cloth and twenty or so pink scallop shells, that I'd found on the beach at Mogo Mogo. With cards and little parcels it was a lovely celebration!

Emily's Birthday Breakfast table

Birthday Girl!

We spent a happy morning ashore on Scorpion Beach exploring the rocky headland. The islands are made up of great sheets of sedimentary rock, and in some layers we saw what looked like tree branches. In some higher layers were honeycomb structures and circular mounds that reminded me of stromatolites (ancient bacterial colonies). There are trees growing in clefts in the rock that seem quite happy as the tide comes in several feet up their trunks, and it's a lovely sight as clear water, lit with sunlight washes in under the shady foliage. Justin spotted an iguana (or was it a baby croc) that dashed across the beach into the sea.

Later we stencilled TIN TIN onto a plank and stuck it up in a tree, and also stencilled onto the balsa log and outrigger boat. 

Emily paddled off round the headland into the next bay and was startled to be trailed by a drone. She later met the owners, Tony & Shannon aboard their catamaran "Sweetie" and they kindly gave us some of the aerial photos, and a bottle of Shannon's home brew beer. They are about to head north through the canal en route for the Mediterranean.

We surprised Emily on her return to the boat with a blue birthday cake. I'd got in Panama and it had originally said Felis Cumpleanos Emily, but it had an accident in the dinghy and the icing stuck to the box. Nonetheless it was enjoyed!

We set out to explore another bay, but it was slow going amongst the reefs, and anchorages were not easily found. Eventually we managed to get the anchor to hold off little Isla Bayona. But felt quite exposed to a fresh wind and waves, and I passed a restless night.

However Thursday morning dawns and all is well. Today we set off for the 850 miles to the Galapagos. The forecast is for a tongue of wind pushing over from a windy Caribbean to take us about halfway and then we will be in the doldrums.

We were delighted to see humpback whales in the distance splashing their tails around, but too far for a decent photo.