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Date: 19 Sep 2011 00:37:56
Title: Green Island Again 09:28.86'N 78:38.03'W
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We spent 4 days in Snug Harbour anchored off the Island of Mamaraga. Whilst exploring in the dinghy we found Yauala, the island next door on the seaward side, and it was just gorgeous. It has been tidied up with palm fonds and vines etc picked up/raked and then burnt allowing easy access for walking across & around it. There was also a sandy point which made a lovely swimming pool and had a grassy bank for sitting & snoozing. The Kuna were very active collecting coconuts, fishing & snorkelling around this group of islands. We met a Kuna gentleman called Aureliano DeLeon who caught us fish and took us on a guided tour which included his house on Playon Chico (the main Kuna village in the area), a Kuna cemetery and the schools' farm. His home was located on the waters edge and housed his wife, daughters & sons and their families. There were people and children everywhere. As soon as we tied the dinghy to the jetty children held our hands and took us to the house yard where a small boy brought out plastic chairs for us to sit on. Everyone was friendly but still not having much Spanish limited the extent of our conversation. The Kuna Cemetery is located on a hill on the mainland and looks out over the Islands in Snug Harbour and out to sea. We walked about 2kms initially along the cement runway then along a path up into the jungle then up a steep ridge. The Kuna graves have lean toos built over them, some roofs are thatched while others are corrugated iron. Some of the graves were cement but most were hard packed earth with a piece of material placed over them. Aureliano then took us to the farm that the school runs. Many children from the Kuna Yala come to Playon Chico to attend school so it is quite large and the money raised from the sale of farm's fruit, veg and animals goes back to the school. The farm is extensive with banana, papaya, mango, avocardo, beans, a couple of types of tuba root veg, tomatoes as well as goats and chickens. We bought a papaya for $1 and cut it this morning - delicious. We also had our first Kuna bread (not bad) and Aureliano bought us some bananas which a red/brown/bronze skin colour. He assured us they would ripen to yellow and are delicious.  We will see. Our fishing from the boat whilst at anchor produced a 1.5in puffer fish which John jagged (goodness only knows how, poor old fishes number must have been up) and then a nice pan sized reef snapper which we ate that night. We motor/sailed 27Nm back to Green Island yesterday. Came across the same pod of Dolphins. It was a beautiful sunny day allowing a good view of the mainland and several picturesque islands we passed. We will stay here for a day or 2 and work out where to next.
John & Sue
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