Nothing builds confidence in a fool faster than having him pilot a fifteen metre vessel into the darkness. Nine fools really, not just passengers, but crew as well, rolling along in two to three metre waves. My job just before taking a turn at the wheel was sandwich maker. Slicing tomatoes, cucumbers and onions with a great big bloody butcher knife. I was deathly afraid of the wave that might throw me against the stove, plunging the ten inch blade into my gut, ...

 On December 20th 1989, The United States invaded Panama using planes, tanks and over 25,000 troops. Their objective was to bring former CIA operative, then Panamanian President Manuel Noriega to justice for his involvement in drug trafficking with the Colombians. And they of course wanted to restore democracy in the beleaguered nation. Noriega sought asylum in the Vatican embassy in Panama City. The Americans installed loudspeakers outside the embassy and playe...

Imagine the snort of a pig. The bark of a dog. A very large dog - perhaps a bloodhound. One where the bark comes from deep inside the dog. Put the two sounds together; magnify them and you get a sound quite similar to that of a Howler Monkey. Howlers are the loudest of all land animals. Only the Blue Whale is capable of climbing to a higher decibel level. Howlers don't grow much more than one meter and their maximum weight is 20 kilograms. The first time I sa...

Several planes had to be used to get the All-Ins from Panama City to Contadora Island. The bloody planes were racing one another. Went for a remarkable snorkel through an almost never ending sea of small fish. Biggest school I've ever seen.For my records only. Based on a 19 year memory.