Let the shipwrecks of others be your seamarks!
After a rather disappointing couple of days in the Rosarios, we sailed
for the San Blas a little concerned that they would not live up to their
reputation. Another rough sail in big lumpy seas did not help, it was an
uncomfortable beam reach in a northerly force 6 but at least it was quick.
Sailing overnight we reached our planned destination and anchored in East
Hollandes Islands, the outermost reefs of the San Blas. Palm tree covered, beach
fringed islands surrounded us and we started to relax, even though the wind was
still blowing hard. At about 10 o'clock just about to go to bed, there came an
ominous bang from the rudder. We had dragged in the windy conditions into a lump
of reef that had been 200 yards behind us. The sand is mainly broken coral and
as a result is rather light, although I had dived to check the anchor and
it had appeared well buried, it had clearly not held us. In the pitch black and
in a state of trepidation we started the engine and motored towards the lights
of the other anchored yachts. Luckily the rudder came free with a bit of bumping
and we were able to re-anchor, this time adding our 60lb CQR for safety and
peace of mind.
Following this unhappy experience we were a bit reluctant to move at
first, but having explored the islands and reefs that were accessible, we moved
to another much more secluded. It was extremely quiet and very restful with
a feeling that the rest of the world was far away.
Then we
met Venancio.
We were visited whilst at this new anchorage by a dugout canoe with
Venancio Restrepo, master Mola maker selling his wares. He convinced us to buy
some of his beautiful traditional tapestries, he came on board and we got
talking to him as he spoke good English. It turned out he lived on an island
known as Shirtmakers' Island or Mormake Tupu in Kuna. We decided we would visit
this island to see how these industrious people live and we did not regret it
despite having to do some intricate eyeball reef navigation to get
there.
Mormake Tupu (Kuna), Isla Maquina (Spanish), Shirtmakers' Island
On our arrival off the island we were directed by waving
first of all and then swimmers and canoes, to the best anchorage. We were then
bombarded by Mola sales people in their rough canoes before we started to chat
to a young Kuna who spoke good English.
We asked if we could buy some bread and also asked to be
introduced to the chief to pay our 5 dollars fee, each group of islands has its
own territory and a fee is paid to anchor and cruise in their waters. We also
needed the chief's permission to visit the local river that runs inland and is
under the aegis of Mormake Tupu. The chief turned out to be asleep but
eventually appeared, a bit bleary eyed, and provided us with the necessary
paperwork . However, our young guide, Romilio, took us to
his compound on the island where his extended family and his wife Jessica and
baby daughter, Romina, lived. We bought a stalk of bananas from Romilio's
father, like the Kuna their bananas are tiny but they are very delicious,
tasting more like strawberries than bananas.
We immediately caused some laughter and confusion when we asked for a
single loaf of bread...it turns out that Kuna bread consists of rather
small rolls. Having broken the ice we chatted to our new friend and he then
showed us his family sailing Ulu or canoe and offered to take us on a guided
trip up the river.
We met as arranged the following morning and had a wonderful day with
Romilio and Jessica, first sailing to the river on the mainland where the Kuna
have their farms, and then paddling up to a communal landing place. From there
we hiked up into the jungle, Romilio hacking with his machete, passing small
areas of farmed land growing a mixture of yucca (like yams not the yucca we see
in England), coconuts, pineapples, maize, sugar cane and various fruits. We
finally arrived at his family plots and he duly cut us sugar cane to chew and
dug us some yucca to take back. The Kuna do not keep animals as they do not want
to destroy their forest, they work with the jungle not against it although they
work hard keeping their plots viable. For meat they hunt wild turkey, they have
their fishing and they catch lobster or cray fish. The Kuna are environmentally aware, they do not want
their country ruined by deforestation and cattle farming. They love their wild
animals, Romilio was proud to show us the monkey/squirrel like creatures he
spotted, we have no idea what they were and he had only the Kuna names for them.
We listened to uproarious howler monkeys and many different bird songs and
calls. He pointed out butterflies and many wild fruits and flowers which are
used to make medicines by the traditional medicine men and women.
Strange and not so strange
fruits.
On the way down we walked
for a good way down the river bed, glad of the cool water after the sweaty walk
up the hill, at some points I was chest high in water although it only came up
to Chris's waist much to the amusement of Romilio and Jessica. Romilio loves the
water and kept flopping full length as we made our way down. As a last taste of
the jungle he shinned up a coconut tree on the river bank and cut 4 green nuts
which he then proceeded to open with a machete so we could drink the delicious
juice and then eat the soft flesh which he expertly skimmed out like a wobbly
white bowl...wonderful. A paddle and sail back to Gryphon for lunch with our
Kuna friends ended a perfect 5 hours and made us much more aware of how these
people live and how well they have preserved their way of
life.
Wet and
soggy in the River Esadi
These people
are small, strong and tough. They leave home before dawn when it is cool to fish
or paddle/sail their dugout canoes to their tribes river and then walk for about
an hour through the jungle to the plateaus where the farm plots are. They have
no machinery, the machete is their constant companion and they use it
constantly, sharpening it on the river bed stones. They work until noon when
they make their way back to their islands and spend the rest of the day with
their families, the family is a large extended group of three generations. When
married the men go to live in the compound of the wife's family. They have
inter-island festivals where young Kuna meet, this often ends happily for some
couples and it prevents interbreeding causing albinism which is seen in some of
the islands.They have their own lands where they are autonomous and this right
is protected by the Panamanian government. There are Kuna schools, clinics and
places of worship on those islands that want them, on others they choose to have
no formal education, health care or religious practice; the dress and traditions
are strictly kept. The islands are divided into groups e.g. Hollandes, Coco
Banderos, Islas Lemon, some groups are home to just one extended family, others
are home to dozens but the Kuna believe in joint ownership, the only thing that
seem to be privately owned on the islands are the coconut groves which are well
tended. They have their own peacekeepers and each tribe or group They are a key
part of the Panamanian economy as their needlework skills are famous. Their area
the Kuna Yala, which is pristine rainforest land, attracts not only many yachts
but cruise ships whose passengers buy up thousands of pounds worth of their
tapestries.
The outside is beginning to intrude. They have mobile phones! In
contrast there is no mains electricity in the villages yet. (Romilio charges his
phone up using a solar panel.) There is a television in the village run by
generator. However, they are still almost self sufficient, earning a little
money from selling their molas and their coconuts. Romilio wanted to stay in the
village and did not want to travel but when we asked his wife if she ever wore
the traditional clothes she said she didn't like them. Clearly the Kuna are
changing but one can only hope that these gentle people will remain in harmony
with their environment and not be changed by the outside world too much ...or
indeed have their island villages swamped by sea level rise.
Romilio and Jessica
Upper
reaches of the River Esadi
As a finale we
spent 2 nights in a totally secluded peaceful anchorage about a mile from the
village and just off the mainland. We were watching the pelicans dive and even
being visited by a pair of dolphin. We went swimming before fully reading about
the anchorage in the pilot book, it was a cool treat then we read that the
mangrove surrounding the anchorage is home to the large Caribbean crocodile,
oops. A magical place and a wonderful experience.
They look ungainly
but the pelicans here are most graceful on the wing.
