'Franks & Beans' on the Stahlratte
Trip Start
Jul 07, 2009
1
29
Trip End
Oct 05, 2009
Where I stayed
The Stahlratte (Ship)
San Blas Islands, Panama
Thursday, September 3, 2009
When Captain Ludwig from the Stahlratte arrived in Yantup around noon, all smiles and good cheer, we couldn't have been more excited. He was a sight for sore eyes! After introductions the first thing I asked him was if the ship had a shower. When he said yes I couldn't help but give him a big ol' smooch. I hadn't washed my hair in four days!
After the weekend in Yantup, our bunk beds on the 40 meter Stahratte were pure luxury. We spent the next four days sailing through San Blas and enjoying a few more incredibly beautiful tropical islans, snorkeling, swimming and relaxing, and BBQing on the beach
sleeping quarters Stahlratte
. Most of the 18 guests on the ship were backpackers in their twenties but it was overall a pretty good group of people. We had to laugh when 'the kids' spent all night Tuesday drinking as much rum as possible and getting wicked drunk because when we hit the open sea on Wednesday there was some rough water!What do you get when you mix 24 people, one bathroom, way too much liquor, and rough seas? Dunno - I just downed a bunch of Dramamine and slept through most of the day.
The food was delicious on the Stahlratte but by Wednesday Mom and I could both tell that something wasn't quite right with our stomachs....
Highlights: Spending two days on picture perfect islands, being able to shower, meeting interesting people from all over the world.
Lowlights: Feeling a bit seasick, sharing one bathroom with 23 other people, running into a buck naked German crew member while waiting to use the bathroom at 4am. (what can I say? 'Good morning' was all that came to mind)
The four day sail was a perfect way to cap off our trip through Central America and start the next chapter in Colombia. Thanks, Stahlratte crew! You guys are the best!
