9:33.79N 78:51.63W
Breeze
Stewart & Joanne
Mon 15 Sep 2014 19:26
When we realized that it was indeed Sunday we veered off from checking in
and anchored amongst the lemon drop islands of the Eastern Lemmon Cays. The tall
coconut palms resemble lollipops in this dream world. Some things have changed
since Stewart was here more than 25 years ago. The dugout canoes have given up
their oars for outboard engines, although there are still some sail powered and
oar powered vessels. Here in the Lemmon Cays some islands now actually have bars
that serve beer, wine and rum. We chose to keep our distance from the bars and
peer through binoculars at the endless tourists arriving aboard fiberglass
skiffs, erecting beach umbrellas and sinking into the calm seas for a day
getaway. The setting sun brought peace and quiet, illuminating the mountains of
Panama in the distance. This is a very beautiful environment. Officially called
the Kuna Yala, this chain of islands agreed to be a part of Panama in 1925 after
a violent history with Spanish conquistadores, invaders, disease, pirates and
privateers. It is a matrilineal society, the women control the money and the
husbands move into the women’s family compound. The stitched molas, coconuts and
fishing are the main commerce here. The Kuna are very friendly, not obnoxious.
They have strict rules about access to the islands, foreigners may not fish nor
dive in the archipelago and must vacate the islands at dusk where villages are
present. We have seen some plastics floating in the water, but the rubbish
situation is no where near what we experienced in Colombia. There is still coal
dust from Santa Marta seeping through the lines and crevices of Breeze when it
rains.
We checked in this morning, much easier than most countries. We have a one
year cruising permit for the cost of $193.00 USD. We also paid $100 USD per
person and $30.00 to the Kuna Indians. Currently we are anchored off Green
island, sugar white sand beaches, crystal clear water, refreshing clean air. A
distant thunder growls and the sun is sparkling on the placid water.
We will slowly make our way to Rio Diablo, a modern village where we will
find an internet connection and try to acquire a sim card to enable internet
access while cruising the archipelago.
All is well, cheers from Breeze |