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February 08, 2008
Portobello, Panama
On our way to Portobello, I found myself looking seaward, not toward land. There is something about the sea that draws me. [Now back in New York, while face down in a yoga class yesterday, the instructor asked me whether I missed land while I was away; I responded that land is where all the problems are, and that at sea, you have no physical reminders of the problems you carry with you always. At sea, it seems, things are so much simpler.]
The coastline changed dramatically from flat, wind-swept atolls, to tall, rugged, mountains. As we approached the tiny Isla Tambor, the swells were big enough that it appeared at the crest of a swell, then disappeared when we sank into the next swell. As though King Neptune himself had sewn button holes in the satin fabric of the sea.
Portobello was discovered by Christopher Columbus on November 2, 1502 on his fourth voyage. It was chosen as the Caribbean trans-shipment centre in 1586 due to its deep harbour and convenience. Between 1574 and 1702 45 fleets of galleons, none carrying less than 30 million pesos of riches, sailed from here to Seville in Spain.
Portobello is home to Cristo Negro at the Church of San Felipe de Portobello. It washed ashore from a ship that wrecked offshore. The locals decided to name it their patron saint when cholera was rampant in Panama. Cholera skipped the village and ever since, they have worshipped it. A festival is celebrated on October 21 each year.
It is a quaint and quiet town. We bought a bunch of fruit and vegetables out of the back of a pickup truck. The "biblioteca" had one functioning computer with internet, and after a long 40 minute wait, I gave up and bought a phone card. I called Chis. I needed to hear his voice. We talked for quite a while.
Posted by dave at February 8, 2008 03:14 PM