Sapzurro
Author: Shirlz
The entrance to the bay of Sapzurro is well marked with lit buoys, nevertheless, I was glad to be arriving before sunset. Reefs extend a long way out from each side of the channel, but by keeping in the middle, I had more than 12m all the way to the anchorage. I was surprised to see 6 or 7 boats ranged along the shoreline, each with a line to a tree to hold their bows into the gentle swell that sometimes works its way in. Only two of the other boats were occupied and the rest looked as though they hadn’t been used for some time. There was hardly any swell when I arrived so I dropped the anchor in 7m and enjoyed a sundowner in the cockpit. Steep hills covered in brilliant green jungle surround the bay. Two big Ringed Kingfishers flew back and forth keeping an eye out for their next meal and making their distinctive chattering cry and a squadron of pelicans skimmed low over the water. I was captivated.
That night the wind picked up a little making the anchorage very rolly and uncomfortable, but my luck was in, one of the boats tied to the shore left early in the morning and I wasted no time in moving in to take their place. This made a wonderful difference and now I was happy to stay for a few days.
There was a beautiful little palm-fringed beach for landing the dinghy and it was a short walk to the village along an easy path. There is no overland access to the small village and it is centred around a concrete dock where frequent launches with fast outboards bring backpackers and provide a regular service to the neighbouring towns of Capurgana, Obaldia and the lovely beach at La Miel. A few small ‘tiendas’ for basic supplies and plenty of bars and casual restaurants. Some of the hostels provided hammocks to rent overnight. I had used up all my Colombian pesos, but they were happy to accept dollars in small denominations. A supply boat brings fresh fruit and vegetables on Saturday mornings.
From the village a path leads around the bay and along the coast to Cabo Tiburon and the border with Panama. It was a lovely tree-lined walk along the water’s edge and I was pleased to discover a fuel dock where I would be able to get diesel. Outside the bay the waves were crashing against the shore. It was low tide and the cruel reality of the reef was partly exposed. Crabs scuttled for cover when they became aware of me. At the cape a steep cliff makes it impossible to go any further and there is a Colombian army post with armed guards in camouflage gear. They were friendly and, as usual, were interested to know where I was from.
My next walk was through the village and over the hill to La Miel which is across the border in Panama. The path is paved most of the way and a long steep flight of concrete steps goes all the way up to a small, palm-thatched border post with two guards. I had to show my passport before being allowed to carry on. One of the guards generously gave me a delicious avocado. Now the steps dropped steeply down to the little village below. It was even smaller than Sapzurro with no sheltered anchorage for yachts. There is a lovely beach and a concrete dock for the supply boat and tourist launches and I had my first contact with Guna Yala officials who have a post there. I had a quick browse through the duty free store and was tempted to buy a bottle of rum as my supplies were running low, but resisted the temptation when I thought of having to carry the extra weight all the back up to the top. I had wrongly supposed that it would be possible to walk all the way to Obaldia, but I was assured that this was not the case.
Another day, another walk, this time to the nearby Colombian village of Capurgana. It is not accessible by road, but a narrow footpath leads through the jungle starting close to the anchorage. After an easy start it soon begins to climb quite steeply up the hill. The path is criss-crossed with exposed tree roots which form a natural staircase and make the rather slippery muddy clay path easy enough to negotiate. In places where the path levelled out, colourful butterflies fluttered ahead of me flying low through the dappled shade, their bright markings flickering like strobe lights. Lizards and iguanas fled panic-stricken out of my way.
When I reached the top, the panoramic view over both sides was spectacular and well worth the climb. Workmen were busy constructing a covered pavilion where one will be able to relax and enjoy the view. They were in the process of laying a concrete floor and mixing cement to fill a foundation. I had a short rest and started the walk down the other side.
Soon the path turned into a muddy quagmire where I was forced to struggle, sometimes ankle-deep, through the mud. I was glad to have my bamboo walking stick to help to keep me from slipping right into it. After a short while of battling along, I had to step aside to allow a train of about 20 mules to pass. They were labouring up the hill, each carrying two heavy bags of sand for the building project. Their handlers urged them on with encouraging words. Now I understood how the path had got so churned up. As soon as they were unloaded at the top they began the trip down to fetch the next load. Later I was forced into the bush as a mule train on the way up met one on the way down. It was a jungle traffic jam.
The village of Capurgana is quite a lot bigger than Sapzurro and seems to be more tourist conscious. There were many small hotels and hostels and most places advertised free wifi. I found a place to stop for a cold fruit juice, checked my emails and got a weather forecast. Again there were no cars and mules or donkeys were being used to pull carts. The waterfront was busy with launches coming and going from the public dock. After the gruelling mudslide down I made a snap decision to take a boat back to Sapzurro rather than reverse the trip to get back. When I went down to the dock I was told that there would soon be a boat for me and sure enough after a few minutes one arrived and I was the only passenger for the fast and exciting (and mud-free) ride back. It had been quite a day.
June 18th, 2017 at 22:48
Keep them coming…love these tales…and the pictures too…