Monday 1^st February

After a much deserved lie in Mark and Chrissy (Blue Magic) collected us in their dinghy and we went to two nearby inhabited islands. The first island 'Korbiski’, we had to negotiate a reef to get to it and touched the bottom twice! We were met on the small wooden jetty by some curious Kuna children, their parents soon showed up and gave us permission to enter their island. After selling us some bracelets and a mola they proudly showed us around their island. The huts are made of renewable, fast growing materials, the floor is slightly elevated with compacted sand and the walls are made of cane. The roof is fabricated from a special palm leaf found in the jungle and everything is held together by jungle creepers.

We took some gifts along for the children. Paul gave a small boy a frizbee and showed him what to do, they were both soon running around chasing the frizbee, I don't know who had more fun! Paul was soon like the pied piper with a little following of children. I had a skipping rope and demonstrated it very well, so I thought anyway, the boy that had it off me turned out to be much better than me and didn't seem to mind it was pink as he slung it around his neck. When we left a small gathering stood on the little wooden jetty waving us off and pointing out the reef for us.

Earlier in the day an 'ulu'(dugout canoe) came alongside and 'Nesta' introduced himself to us, he wasn't selling anything, he was just curious and invited us to his Island 'Nalunega'. We tied the dinghy to a jetty some 3 hours later and walked through the village asking for Nesta. He lived at the far end of the village and we worked our way through the maze of huts. He was all smiles when he saw us and proudly introduced us to his wife and five children. He took us into his home, the kitchen is in one hut and he shares a second hut with 13 other members of his family including his in-laws, where they all sleep in hammocks in the same room. He was cooking fish and rice for 11 people and had to set up the table and chairs before he took us on a tour of his Island. We met a family of five  generations of women the youngest was 20 days old, when we asked how old the eldest lady was nobody knew, they said she could be a hundred. Incredible!

Nesta spoke very good English that he learnt on a sailing boat some years ago, which was a good job as our Spanish is very limited! He has tasted a western lifestyle but has chosen to return to his village where they live a very long and stress free life. We were made to feel very welcome, the Kunas were as curious about us as we are about them.

As we were getting into the dinghy to go and visit the islands, John and Gillian on 'Spirit of Nina' a 44ft catamaran sailed into the bay. We first met them at the BWR seminar back in February last year and then again in August when we did our Ships Captains Medical Course and SSB Radio Course together in Southampton. We went over to say  a quick hello, whilst we were there a 'ulu' with fishermen came alongside and sold us some lobster for $6 US a lobster. John suggested if we all bought along a salad dish he would cook the lobsters on his BBQ on the boat, they also invited Bionic, Lorrigray and Perrigrina who are joining the rally here in Panama. We had a lovely evening on Spirit of Nina and met some new ralliers.