Out to the Colombian islands to check out all Argo’s systems and prepare for the overnight crossing to Panama and the San Blas islands. Colombia’s islands are enjoyed by the upper classes. They feature islets with large tropical houses, lovely anchorages and the ubiquitous donkeys.
In company with 3 other boats and with a good weather window we crossed the Gulf of Darien to arrive in the morning in the San Blas islands. These islands are a semi-independent ‘comarca’ of Panama, run by local Kuna indian chiefs. A strange mix of ancient architecture, old ways of farming and hunting and daily village council meetings were justice is handed out by the chiefs, the islands have also introduced a few conveniences from the world outside.
Inside a Congreso, or village council meeting house.
Cruising boats figure strangely in this mix. Traditional clothing for Kuna women includes two panels sewn on blouses - molas. And they have become the principal trade item with cruisers. Molas are ‘reverse applique’ - 2 or more layers of fabric are sewn together. Then each layer, starting at the top, is cut to reveal the layer beneath. The cut edges are sewn by hand and the result is a stunning piece of fabric art.
Every village sports hut after hut of molas set out for sale.
Besides money for molas, cruisers provide technology to the Kuna. Children reaching high school age sometimes leave their islands to continue schooling on the mainland, often in Panama City. But school applications require photocopies of elementary school records and passport size photos of each child - technologies not available in the islands. These technologies are common on almost any cruising boat, however. We were asked not only for photocopies and passport photos, but once word got out that we would make pictures, much of the island changed their kids clothes and brought them out for a photo shoot. On our first island, even the head chief turned out his family to record the birth of a grandson two days ago.
Other strange technologies are cell phone towers, the odd solar panel to power them and gasoline gensets so that boom boxes can be used to play music for village festivals, with meager lighting to allow the festivities to go on after dusk.
Here are some scenes from Isla Pinos, our first stop of many. Most farming is done on the mainland portion of the comarca, usually an easy dugout ride away. Easier still if yours has a sail. The symbol on the sail is indeed the same as the German swastika, but the Kuna symbol long predates the German one and has none of the same racial overtones.
Other cruiser/Kuna interactions include being besieged by hordes of children, eager to walk beside you, touch you, smile or just look. Here we are teaching a group of kids how to play cat’s cradle. New to them, it was a favorite on every island we visited. We left a lot of cat’s cradle string on the islands!
Very few indians visit on cruising boats. Most island chiefs will not permit it, nor will they permit non-islanders to remain on their islands after dark. Here is a rare mix of dinghy and dugout heralding a small party taking place on Argo.
Villages are densely packed, rather random acumulations of thatched huts - often filling an island to the overflow point and leaving as many islands as possible unoccupied to be used for coconut plantations. Over the years the indians have converted them from swampy land with sharp, scrubby growth to idyllic beaches with waving coconuts, second only to molas as an income source. Colombian boats come regularly to trade some modern foods for coconuts. The going rate for coconuts is 5 cents each.
We were lucky on several islands to be there for large community events. Outsiders are welcome at nearly all ceremonies. We often felt that we were part of a National Geographic special. Here are shots from the 100th anniversary of the founding of the village on Isla Tigre.
The kids are climbing a greased pole - first team to the top wins, and teams take turns. One group was enterprising enough to ask a tall cruiser to be the base of their climb. Since the Kuna are the second shortest race of people on Earth almost any cruiser tops them by an easy 6 inches.
Even the babies had their turn - here's a 'race' for those who can only crawl - mom trying to get her kiddo to look down the 'track' at dad who was waving a favorite toy and bags of treats.
We were invited several times into congreso huts - the largest hut on each island used for all important celebrations and also for the nightly village meeting in which the saila or chief mediates disputes. Twice we drank their chicha (sugar beer) which is only prepared for very special occasions (the islands are dry berween times) and once we saw a re-enactment of the Kuna uprising against Panama. The latter was traumatic for the normally peace-loving Kuna. It happened in the 1920’s and three policemen (one Panamanian and two Kuna) were killed by the Kuna in protest against Panama trying to stifle the Kuna culture. To prepare themselves to do violence they had to use drugs. They still talk about the horrific loss of life and the young people on several of the islands put on re-enactments and parades annually to remind them all, and teach the children about this important part of their history.
Most celebrations were much more fun - including traditional dancing and music. The 100th anniversary event went on for days and nights and featured 4 ‘queens’ who presided over everything from a small stage. The queens came from every age group - a very young girl, perhaps 5 or 6, a teenager, a young mother and a grandmother.
One night a large group of cruisers was invited to a Kuna wedding. The groom is carried from the congreso hut by his friends and male relatives to the house of the bride. He is dumped into a hammock and his bride thrown in beside him. She gets out and is dumped back in twice more. That completes the official marriage ceremony.
The most traditional villages do not allow the Kuna to paddle their ulus out to meet the cruising boats, but most villages are more relaxed and the locals sometimes paddle for hours to sell their molas. On the more populous islands this sometimes became wearisome. We once had 5 very large ulus alongside before we had even got our anchor safely set. Each ulu had at least two women trying to sell molas - and they all hold one up after another without taking turns. It's a trifle overwhelming at times.
When we had enough of the National Geographic experience
and didn't feel like being mobbed by kids in the villages
it was easy enough to find a remote island, with an idyllic anchorage and kick back for awhile.
Have sundowners with cruising buddies on the beach
or snorkel, usually with our friends Bob and Sandy on Sapphire
The scenery is superb, the tiny beaches amazingly soft, the water warm and inviting.
Even the occasional blinding rain shower was welcome to wash down the boat.
Since Bonaire Argo has had a new crewmember - actually crewmembers. Several of these small geckos live on deck and this one was in the main cabin for awhile.
We spent more than three months in the San Blas but eventually had to leave - our freezer was nearly empty and while the Panamanian authorities are very lenient with cruising boats we eventually had to officially clear into the country. Which meant a trip to the big city. On the way we stopped to visit with our friends off Calypso who were taking a year off from cruising and living ashore helping care for a small menagerie and a large estate. Lapin got to meet and make friends with one of the three resident sloths - this one is a three toed by the name of Dooger.
Onward to Portobello where untold riches were transhipped to Spain and Lapin got yet another view of a cannon
We checked in at Colon - the Caribbean terminus of the Panama Canal and one of the nastier places we've been in Argo. Unsafe to walk; filthy and depressing. Our business done we moved on the the Rio Chagres which was dammed to make Gatun Lake - the lake which provides water to fill the locks of the Canal. Below the dam is an eight mile stretch of placid river with a tropical jungle rising immediately from its banks. Fascinating cruising. We shared the river with about 20 other cruising boats and toucans, coatimundis, American swallow-tailed kites, howler monkeys, Dooger's big cousins the two toed sloths, white faced monkeys, strange hanging nests of the oropendolas and tropical foliage in profusion.
We took many dinghy trips up small tributaries, walked or sometimes climbed the jungle trails, had sundowners in rafted dinghies floating down the river on the current and enjoyed the wildlife. Though we never braved the fresh water for a swim, not even in the large pond beneath the dam. For there are crocodiles here.
One day the dam itself tempted us further and with Sapphire we hiked beyond it to the Gatun Locks - the flight of three locks on the Caribbean end of the canal. Here we found a gigantic viewing stand and spent a couple of hours watching the ships locking through. The biggest, the Panamax ships, have only about 6" to spare on each side.
Fascinated we decided to explore further and Sapphire and Argo signed up to be line handlers on a small Canadian sailboat making the transit. We began in Colon after dark and transited the 3 locks at Gatun in late evening arriving at a giant mooring in the lake long after midnight. We spent the night there and went on next day.
Under threatening skies we started across the lake passing the army of 'stumps' which are the tops of trees drowned more than a century ago. They are now a very valuable source of lumber. We also passed some of the gigantic machinery which keeps the canal dredged. Before going through the immense Gaillard Cut and under a stunning bridge to the Miraflores Locks.
We used our canal transit to start a car tour of Panama from the big city itself. Amazingly our finest sighting of a toucan came from our hotel balcony in Panama City. The hotel attracted birds and Geoffrey's tamarins with feeders of fruit and sugar water.
Before we left the city we were reminded the start of the rainy season was just around the corner.
One highlight of our trip inland was an aerial view of the highland forest from ziplines strung between the trees and crossing a small river far below.
We enjoyed Panama immensely and plan to explore further in the coming cruising season. Three months in the San Blas was not enough. We will be back!
