Trish and I sailed into the far NW corner of the gulf of San Blas where the villages are even more traditional and virtually all the small islands are inhabited with space at an absolute premium.

The Kuna Indians even collect dead coral and rocks to create breakwaters for the island as even in the shelter of the outer reefs the strong winds create waves that wash through the villages

that in some case no more than 1 or 2 feet above the level of the calm sea.

We got to know Justino one of the Kuna Indians quite well, visiting his home on the island of Isla Gerti to see his one month old baby son, paying our respects to the Saila

(the Kuna chief) and taking them presents of pens, pencils, paper and crayons for the school as well as some old reading glasses. We also gave them some medication for

sore throats and colds that seemed to have hit the island, or perhaps they were all a bit run down after drinking too much Chicha after the festival on the 25^th?

Justhino also took us in his Ula up the Rio Torti, the nearby river from where the local islands collect all there fresh water. In many instances it is not only the

men but also woman young and old who make this canoe trip across a mile of open sea and another mile or so up the river. Returning  heavily laden and sometimes

against strong winds and currents.

Paddling these canoes is surprisingly hard and it is easy to see why they are so slim and so fit, even the older men and woman are fit and strong.

I’d given Justino an England football shirt a few days previously and he wore it for this trip.

The land on each side of the river is parcelled into family plots and farmed by each family group. In addition to coconuts they grow bananas, pineapple, papaya,

breadfruits and a whole host of other fruit and vegetables as well as plants and herbs for medicine.

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All this produce has then to be carried  to the ula and paddled back to the village.

Usually it is not permitted to enter the Kuna burial sites and definitely not permitted to take photographs, but because we had become friends with the village and

Justino in particular the Saila allowed him to take us to the village burial mounds and take photos.

Justino’s bigger sailing canoe was showing signs of age and looked a bit moth eaten after 15 years of hard use.

It was a great experience to have been able to go up the river and into the jungle and by the time we got back to the village my arms did ache from all the paddling.

Justino is one of the more entrepreneurial of the Kuna and his new England T shirt and wristwatch are badges of his enterprising spirit.