We have just spent 6 weeks in a place that is straight out of National Geographic.   The San Blas Islands is a place that time and technology has not touched.  The Kuna Indians live so simply and rely on so little.  The men collect coconuts or fish all day and that’s what is used for trade to feed their families.  The women dress in such colorful costume, they make and sell what they wear, Molas.  Molas are several pieces of fabric sewn together to make a picture that sometimes tells a story.  They live on very small islands (365 in all) some islands have a few huts some islands have so many huts there is only room to walk between them. The only mode of transportation is on a wooden dug out canoe, some have sails and few have motors.  Although each island appears to be the same with the huts and the women’s dress they each have their own personality.  One common factor is that they are all kind, curious and gentle people.  The women are the most aggressive they run the show, it is a  matriarchic society.  The children are plentiful and the most curious.   Nearly every photo I took of these women I had to pay a dollar for, they all know how to say one dollar in English.  We were invited into many homes which consisted of palm tree leaves as roofs and sticks tied together.  They sleep in hammocks and cook over a fire made of coconut husks. The stores on the islands consist of the same things everywhere, rice, tomatoe paste and anchovies.  We brought our own supplies of course but to get fresh vegetables or eggs we had to wait for the canoe from Columbia to show up once or twice a week, almost daily, Kuna’s in their dugouts came up to our boat to sell freshly caught fish, crab, lobster or Octopus.  It was a very charming way to shop.  . Our good friends The Moore’s came to visit us for 2 weeks. The cruising world is huge down here, some nights there would be up to 20 other sail boats at an anchorage. The kids have never had a shortage of friends, friends from all around the world.  We are currently traveling with 2 other boats; we each have 2 kids, their ages range from 9 to 13 years old.  I have not been able upload until now since there is no electricity much less computers or internet but finally after a 2 1/2 day sail, we are on an Island called Provedencia.  Provedencia is just off of the coast of Nicaragua but is owned by the Columbians.  I will tell you about this place once we have experienced it.

Updated March 14, 2007