09:33.4N 78:56.9W
Meryon.bridges
Mon 8 Mar 2010 20:40
|
Since our last blog we have raced along under 35
kts of wind. In fact we went too fast and had to put the breaks on for
Saturday night so that we would arrive at Porvenir in the San Blas in
daylight. THis meant for a very rolly night as we struggled to keep Ares
down to 4 knts with only a scrap of canvas up.
The San Blas islands though are everything and more
that we were ever told. There are said to be 378 of them and they are
occupied by the Kuna tribe, a delightful people. The women wear
beautifully coloured clothes and the men, unfortunately jeans, old combat
trousers etc. Typical of the male the world over. We are anchored
off a tiny island which has the only airstrip, a bit of rather broken up
concrete no wider than a country lane. A twin otter arrives at 0900 5 days
a week carrying the odd backpacker and sundry other odds and sods. This is
said to be the centre of the tourism industry - an island 200 yards long by 150
yards wide with room for the airstrip and the "hotel" - a small barrack
block.
We dingied to a more populated island today and saw
more of the ribe and their reed built houses at first hand. All very
smiley and were we impressed by the smartness of the school and the
schoolmaster.
We are off in the early morning bound for Porto
Bello, not a suburb of Edinburgh, about 55 miles west. This was Columbus's
first port for the shipment of gold back to Europe and should be worth a
look. Then to the entrance to the Panama canal on the 11th to make all the
preparations for our transit.
|