One of my favorite Spanish phrases, “Life is so”!
It’s hard to explain but I’ve been in a really good place.
My life is slowing down to a pace I can really manage as I’m realizing the “live slow” part of my mantra while working on the “sail far”!
Part of it is…, for me…, it’s easy for me to see life through a camera. The camera makes everything simple, it’s my therapy. Needless to say I’ve been out shooting and enjoying my time in Panama.
I’m attending a friends wedding in Panama city on the 8th and will take a few days to get some footage for the film. I need some contrast shots to paradise and need to get some grungy city footage for the opening sequence, should be fun.
I have also had a really good stint on the Splendid painting project. In the last two days I pulled and re-bedded two chain plates, and finished painting most of the stern section. I’m starting to work on the starboard mid-ship deck. Today I’m working on another chain plate and building my new fiberglass battery box.
I took a bike ride to old pirate town of Portobello a few days back for lunch. Not the best time for natural lighting but you get a good idea of the forts, its a really cool village. 
If you listen really hard and squint you can almost see the pirate ships in the harbor and hear their cannons. I’m not a pirate fan however I enjoyed the films. I also don’t advocate flying a pirate flag for “fun”, pirates were bad people. It is my understanding that if you fly a pirate flag to this day, by international maritime law, anyone is allowed to board your boat. Here is a brief history of Portobello from wikipedia:
“The privateer Captain Henry Morgan attacked the city in 1668. He led a fleet of privateers and 450 men against Portobelo, which, in spite of its good fortifications, he captured. His forces plundered it for 14 days, stripping nearly all its wealth while raping, torturing and killing the inhabitants.
Following the British disaster in the Blockade of Porto Bello under Admiral Hosier in 1726, the port was attacked on November 21, 1739, and captured by a British fleet, commanded by Admiral Edward Vernon during the War of Jenkins’ Ear. The British victory created an outburst of popular acclaim throughout its Empire. More medals were struck for Vernon that for any other 18th century British 
figure. Many Portobellos across the British Isles were named in honor of the victory, such as Portobello Road in London, the Portobello area in Edinburgh, and thePortobello Barracks in Dublin.[3]
The Spanish quickly recovered the Panamanian town and defeated Admiral Vernon in the Battle of Cartagena de Indias in 1741. Vernon was forced to return to England with a decimated fleet, having suffered more than 18,000 casualties.[4] Despite the Portobelo campaign, British efforts to gain a foothold in the Spanish Main and disrupt the galleon trade were fruitless. Following the War of Jenkins’ Ear, the Spanish switched from large fleets calling at few ports to small fleets trading at a wide variety of ports, the flexibility making them less subject to attack. The ships began to travel around Cape Horn to trade directly at ports on the western coast.”
This area drips with history, I love it! I wish I had an underwater metal detector. You always hear of people finding artifacts in the area.
I’m also loving the new batteries, wow do I have some power! Splendid’s lighting is horrible and I haven’t had the money to go out and buy new modern LED fixtures. I may have found a economical alternative to the power hungry halogen and incandescent 
fixtures that I have. I found affordable warm white LED bulbs on ebay that come with adapter kits for all of my sockets. I’m ordering them from China to my mail box in Miami, then from Miami they will be forwarded here. It may take a month or so But I’m excited to see them. If they are good I’m going to buy a bunch in hopes to re-sell them here.
Anyway, it’s a beautiful Sunday and I’m going for a swim before work.
Sail far and live slowly.
– Alex