San Blas Panama

            The first afternoon, we anchored at Suledup Island after an all day sail up wind and up current to get there from Puerto Obaldia.  This is a calm anchorage that was relatively easy to navigate into using our expensive but worth it, Panama Cruising Guide.  Unfortunately, the Garmin does not have any detail for these islands.  This is a VERY calm anchorage and a 360° visual paradise!  At 6:30 AM, the morning after we arrived, a man arrived in a dugout canoe came with hand printed notes in English detailing the rules and collected the $5.00 anchoring fee. 

            We left Puerto Obaldia at the eastern end of Panama near the Colombia border.  We tried to clear in there but we are not sure why we couldn’t, the language barrier didn’t help.  The officials at Immigrations thought we were going to Colombia and wrote all over the copies of our passports then trashed them when they figured out they had made a mistake.  Anyway, we were given a blessing to go northwest through the San Blas Islands on the way to Porvenir to check in.  Roxy’s papers were even inspected by an animal control officer.

            From Suledup anchorage, we traveled nine miles to Isla Pinos (our original planned destination).  This is a beautiful island that is shaped like a whale when viewed from many miles away at sea.  We were joined there by Celtic Rover and Sea Schell after a day alone.  Roxy enjoyed the white sandy beach and we enjoyed solitude.  The village (Kuna Indian) is around the corner from where we anchored.  We went into town and planned to hike up the mountain but were discouraged by the village pastor who spoke some English.  There were supply boats at the dock and some small tiendas in the town with staples.  A local found out we were asking about pineapples and he went and harvested some and brought them to our boats!

            The Kuna Indians are the primary inhabitants of these islands.  They live a simple life.  They live in thatched huts with dirt floors, travel to the mainland in dugout canoes where some farm, and the women dress very attractively.  Hopefully, there will be some pictures but they are pretty funny about having their picture taken.  There is not enough space or time to go into much more detail than that about the Kunas. 

            On Saturday, March 15, we left Isla Pinos for points NW.  We parted company of Celtic Rover and Sea Schell at Ustupu, where they hoped to get cell phone SIM cards and internet – and they DID!!  We went about 20 miles farther and anchored at an island that I wanted to stop at after seeing pictures in the cruising guide.  It is a beautiful island, we are the only boat and a Kuna man named Freddie came to sell us bananas and mangoes.  We hired him as a guide to take us on a hike up the river on the mainland on Monday morning. 

            We make water as we need to and before we left Cartagena, we loaded up as much as we could on many provisions.  Some things are running low since we have been gone from there for over two weeks but we are doing well.  I planned to not be able to buy much until we get a lot farther up the coast of Panama.  I am making bread and probably our diet is better than when we have a store close by – less processed foods and more fresh. 

Details regarding the guided trip up the river:

            Freddie showed up promptly at the appointed time in his canoe.  When we discussed the trip the day before, he said he wanted to bring a bigger canoe but Darrell was adamant that he wanted to go in Freddie’s canoe.  These are dugout canoes made from large trees with about 4 inches of freeboard (meaning from waterline to the top edge of the canoe).  These people paddle them appearing effortless at good speeds.  He agreed that it was okay for us to bring Roxy along.  Darrell told him to bring extra oars for us to help him paddle our fat butts across the bay.

            Darrell was the first to enter to canoe – he was so excited over this excursion – like a kid!  Roxy loaded in behind him between him and Freddie.  I was last in the front.  Darrell was the gentleman and placed my seat in the highest position to help keep me dry from the small amount of water in the bottom.  I sat down and we left Alibi.  It felt like we were going to roll over every time ANYONE moved at all!!!!  Of course, Roxy was excited and didn’t want to be still and I was too high in my center of gravity.  Freddie kept saying something to me like bajo or baja but I didn’t understand.  Darrell thought Freddie was saying bahia which means bay and I thought he meant for me to get lower in the boat but I was petrified to move – not even to turn my head to scold Roxy for jumping around!  The trip across the bay took about 10-20 minutes and it was the most terrifying boat trip either of us have ever been on in our lives.  A truly white knuckled experience!  And this is two people who are very comfortable in the water – INNNNN  the water!! On the return trip, we lowered the seats (adjustable) and all had a very comfortable ride.  When Darrell helped Freddie paddle the canoe, he had a hard time keeping up because Freddie was moving so efficiently.  I never lifted my oar – some things are better left to the experts! 

            Anyway, we see these people in canoes all around us in these islands and they glide along.  We see them carrying supplies and other people.  We see them fishing from them and even standing up to throw cast nets for bait.  I have never seen one tip over.  We even see them out in the ocean waves!  We will never view them the same from now on!

Continuing Westward:

            We moved on every few days from island to island in Panama making our way towards the canal and some place that we could officially “clear-in”.  We reached the Rio Diablo and Nargana where there are many tiendas to buy groceries.  The island itself is not very pretty by Kuna Yala standards but has many amenities that the other islands do not.  Surrounding this “metropolis” are many very beautiful island groups.  I had a brief interlude of internet that I enjoyed at Green Island!

           

EXPLORING THE SAN BLAS – Or as the locals prefer Kuna Yala

We went to the Holandes Cays to an anchorage called “the swimming pool”.  It gets it’s name because that is what it looks like – turquoise water that you can see the bottom.  It is surrounded by a barrier reef and very well protected.  We arrived in quite unsettled weather and could hear the wind blowing more than 20 knots and see and hear the waves crashing just a few hundred yards from us but we sat in flat calm waters.

            We met several of the boats in the anchorage.  Most of them have been coming here for years.  It is interesting that every place we go, we are the “new kids” in the anchorage and many places, the same people have been coming to the same spot for years and years.  I guess it seems that way since we never seem to settle down anywhere.  Roxy has been loving all these islands (except the busy metropolis) because she gets to run and swim and play in the water most days twice a day.  She gets to see dolphins often also!  We hear that another boat will be coming back here with an older Brittany on board that looks just like her.  We have to be on the watch at the island we have been taking her to because there is reportedly a crocodile swimming around that island. 

            We met some fellow Texans and were able to get in a few games of “42”.  For those who don’t know, this is domino game that seems to be generalized to Texas.  Anyway, Owen and Betty are some pretty darn good “42” players.  Owen has taken Darrell under his wing to teach him the finer points of “fishing”.   There was a beach BBQ one afternoon and we were able to try out kite surfing with a trainer kite.  Darrell and Ann are HOOKED!  It was a blast - now to figure out how we can afford to get all the gear!  Roxy met another Brittany named Lokey - he looked so much like her!  

            I may NEVER get Darrell out of here.  We are having so much fun - just wish we could stay in touch better.  Hope everyone is well.