Exciting and funny journey of 2009  

Hi kevin,
Although everyone says that all is well when it ends well, you took a big chance. Last January, some friends of mine invited me to a boat trip to Kunayala, at the caribbean part of Panamá. We had a big sailboat with 4 double cabins. One of them was all for myself. When we reached Kunayala, the natives came to our boat with their canoes carved from logs. They sold us fresh fish and lobsters. We made friends over a can of beer (our present as they are not allowed to drink alcoholic beverages except at special ocations so they crave for it and beg). They were going to the same place were were headed to (a bigger island) next day. They would start their trip before 6 AM as they only had their hands and arms to row. We started about 11 AM and in the middle of the trip a storm started with high waves. We used the motor and lowered the sails . Suddenly we saw our friends, their boat filled with coconuts, rowing in the middle of the harsh sea. Our captain-friend stopped the motor and with a loot of difficulty their canoe was tied to our boat. I think they might have drowned if we hadn´t passed by their way.
I think the Kuna indians took a very big chance but they don´t do it for pleasure but it is their way of living.
Take care and be careful!

Hello Kevin. You and your friends had an exciting adventure. It could have easily all gone wrong though. I am so pleased that all of us survived. I went snorkeling in Samoa on my own. The best coral was way out and a pole showed where it began. It was so wonderful to see all the colorful coral and the lovely fish. I was snorkeling for ages. When I did look up I was far out at sea. I knew that the tide has dragged me. The tide was so strong that I couldn't swim against it. I went in a semi circle back to the shore. I was exhausted when I finally got back.

Also on that same trip I went to New Zealand and I remember three German guys that were there. I arrived on day three of my walk where I was going to camp. I set up my tent next to the river because it was high tide. I was going to cross it at dawn the next day when it was going to be low tide. The three German guys made a raft out of drift wood for their backpacks. Off they went swimming across. They made it but they didn't read the notices mentioning all the people that had drowned.