Around The World In 80 Waves

There was nowhere at the surf beach to even get a drink so after my bodysurf session and an hours scorching in the sun we drove to the nearest town which is called Nueva Gorgona for a couple of beers. We found an amazing little beach there where my loud shirt was the only evidence of western tourism. Whilst there I fell in love with the latest in a very long line of mellow surf mutts that I have befriended on my journey south. Got to get myself a hound when I get back. It is long overdue!

The beers were lovely but the little shack did not serve any food so we pushed on once more stumbling across this fantastic place which had been built from the wreck of an old US army station. www.laruinatavern.com It’s owner Frank, himself a former GI told me the history of the place and the town. The original Gorgona is now a very long way down under the waters of Lake Gatun, which is the reservoir in the midle of the Panama Canal. It was flooded during the construction process and the residents were reimbursed with land on the Pacific coast, hence Neuva Gorgona.

The station was set up by the USA who finished the construction of the canal (it was started by the French) to help people relocate, establish schools, infrastructure, etc, but was abandoned around the time of the second world war because the people had been resettled.

We had some great food in the brilliant venue that Frank has built up like a phoenix from the ashes, but I got a call from an interested party about my car so had to dash back to the city sadly a long time before I even got to enjoy a game of darts with Jenny. 

Frank did tell me how to find the local surf shop where I was hoping to sell my board in order to avoid the ridiculous surcharges that airlines now make surfers pay when I move on (despite golf bags, skis, etc. weighing far more), and we called in there on the way back to the city.

The foxy female surfer working there could tell I was offering a great deal but her boss wasn’t interested without seeing the board and he was out of town, so it looks like the board will be visiting South America with me.

The only other thing to report there was the animal you see here who I will call Cat Dracula. I thought he was cute at first but the eyes tell the story. He was evil. All my best efforts at chatting up the Shred Betty were in tatters as he kept sneaking up behind me and sinking his sharp little fangs into the back of my unprotected ankles. This would be followed by me doing a flip-flopped version of the can-can. I definitely prefer dogs to cats!