Written by Mia:

Teo had a fantastic, magical birthday! Even though we were supposed to be sailing the Ocean Blue on the first of April, our technical trouble gave Teo a dream birthday. We were anchored in a cute little bay off the island of Contadora, in Islas Perlas, Panama. The day started with an Easter egg hunt which included a bit of a climb up the mast. There was a GIANT Kinderegg, Harry Potter Trivial Pursuit and an X-wing. The Easter bunny knows how to make Teo happy!

The hunt was quickly followed by banana pancakes ala Tina and presents. The pile on the table made his eyes glitter and he was not disappointed! There was a Star Wars/Harry Potter theme with healthy doses of fun facts and crafts thrown in. Thank you so much everyone for making the effort to get gifts and cards to us for the day, Teo is thrilled and they really helped to make it a wonderful day!

It was hard to tear him away, but we went ashore for a restaurant lunch which included Teo favorites, mostly fried goodness (they make Patacones here which are fried plantains, YUM) and he was one satisfied customer. On the way to the restaurant we walked past the little airstrip and he was telling us proudly about his experience. We met a Swedish guy named Andreas who had booked a helicopter trip and offered Teo the last seat as a birthday present. Not many seven year olds can say they have been up in a chopper!

After lunch we had ice cream and made our way back to the Christo’s beach hut for a swim. We met a lovely South African named Christo and Teo loves him. He built an incredible paradise beach hut out of things washed up on the beach and we spent a lot of time there with him. Tina and Teo made Viking ships that are still moored there. And I think Teo grew a few centimetres as Christo gave him a cool surfer necklace made out of a seed that matches his own as a birthday present.

The beach hut was the site for the pirate party as the sun set. Christo and Andreas had decorated the place with flags and Simon and Hadley arrived with balloons and everyone was in their pirate best. Don’t tell anyone but Teo might have gone to his pirate party as a wizard. Teo was given the choice of birthday locations and he enthusiastically preferred to build a bonfire with a Christo than go back to Panama City. Naturally he was in charge of bonfire making and Christo was a very good assistant it has to be said. There was a lot of fire maintenance and discussion of bonfire tactics. To top it off when the cake arrived Teo got to light his own candles!

On our way back to the boat we were treated to a bioluminescence display that made the sea sparkle like the sky and lots of jumping fishes that caused nervous giggles. It was a wonderful day and Teo got to stay up as long as he liked. We were reading Harry Potter trivia at midnight and I think Teo might have outlasted his parents.

His birthday celebrations were not over, though! The next morning we went ashore to follow a treasure map Teo found. These pirates left some loot behind that could only be found at low tide. He found pieces of eight, stamps and a bracelet and the map was beautiful! And that still not all, a few days later Sugar Shack hosted us and Teo got another birthday party with cupcakes and colorful modelling clay. We are a lucky family indeed to have lovely family and friends who go out of their way to make a seven year old birthday this wonderful, THANK YOU!