The Cruise - Part 6:
A Hot and Muggy Colón
Before we docked at Colón, the ship's doctor gave a ten minute talk about
safety issues when we went ashore. Did you know that Dengue Fever is the
most common disease brought back to the states from our port cities?
Since it's spread by mosquito bites, I'm sure to get it. And the most
common skin disease is called Cutaneous larva migrans; it has
something to do with hookworms.
I don't know any specifics because I wasn't paying attention, and I missed the warning about not swimming in fresh water or rivers if you have open sores. There was something about pus, too.
We docked in the bay at Colón, Panama in the early morning, and I disemboweled, er disembarked the ship. A colon is a colon even if it's got a fancy accent over the second O. It was raining and very muggy. Once ashore I was very careful where I stepped.
I figure that any city named after a large intestine must have some major issues, and I was right. The travel guide in the ship's library said that Colón has been disintegrating since the 1900s and today is a giant slum with high unemployment and high crime. So it's obviously messy there - what else would you expect?
Colón on foot was disappointing. There was very little of interest. I had hoped to photograph Colón's intestinal flora and fauna, but I was told you had to travel far into the interior for that.
In one of the tourist shops, I listened to the radio that was playing. There was a guy talking so fast it was an auditory blur. But having taken 10 minutes of Spanish for Beginners during a day at sea, I was able to translate the guy with ease: "Yo, mada, mada, yada, yo, da, da, mada, Coca Cola, mada, yo, dada, dada."
That evening the ship "weighed anchor." A tugboat hooked up to it with a rope and pulled it from its rear end (That's "butt" in nautical-speak.) 90 degrees until it could turn around and leave the harbor with its front end ("mouth") pointing out to sea. Forgive me for using so many technical nautical terms, but having become a sea dog, I now use the patois of sailors.
Back in my cabin I wasn't ready to sleep so I leafed through the three-ring binder giving details about the ship's functions, how to order room service, etc. The Man Overboard Procedures caught my eye:
In the Unlikely event that someone falls overboard, it is important that if you witness this, you shout "man overboard" and continue to maintain sight of the individual. Keep your finger pointed at the man overboard and send someone to call the Bridge IMMEDIATELY. The sooner the bridge is aware of this situation, the higher the probability of a successful rescue.
After having been out on several decks and gauging the height of the decks from the surface of the water, I concluded that if someone falls overboard, he can kiss his ass goodbye, especially if the ship is going 20 knots.
The truth is not always beautiful, nor beautiful words the truth.
~ Lao Tzu