Is it March 15th already? Where does the time go? And, why haven’t we posted to our blog in so long! One answer to both questions—San Blas Islands, Panama! Over 300 islands, some so tiny, there may be only a few coconut palms swaying in the wind and other larger with settlements covering all the land which, when viewed from afar, seem to be sinking into the Caribbean Sea. We didn’t know much about the islands before we came here, and we still have only seen about 10 islands, but their natural beauty above and below the sea is incredible. They are remote and high speed Internet is non-existent. Their inhabitants are the Guna Yala people.
The Gunas have a very interesting and somewhat uncomfortable history. They won their independence from Panama in 1925 and are ruled by the Guna General Congreso. They are proud, hardworking people and thankfully have been sharing their islands with cruisers and tourists. The definitive guidebook by Eric Bauhaus, lists a few pages of do’s and don’ts to be trouble-free here and we respect their traditions and cultures. For example, every coconut in the territory has an owner (even those on the beach), so we never help ourselves, although, we have bought a couple for $1 each and with a shot of rum – it’s a perfect sundowner. About a week before our girls and then the Neilson’s came to visit. The General Congreso had a big meeting and started cracking down on charter operations, as their laws say that charter boats must be licensed and all tour guides be Gunas. They closed the road on their territory so, tourists were not allowed through for a couple of days. Luckily, we learned of this early, and sent letters and documents to our visitors, so they were able to pass. It is understandable that these people want to keep their islands natural and pristine, so curtailing the flow of tourists is the way they want to do it. For now, we are grateful to be here and enjoy it all!
February was for visitors and Josh and I really enjoyed having Emily, Sara and Lauren and then our dear friends Bob and Bonnie. Lots of good times snorkeling, lounging in the quiet of an almost empty anchorage, walks on deserted islands, enjoying a Guna restaurant meal, laughing, cooking, playing dice and card games and generally unplugging from the world. There is nothing better than sharing TGT with people we love.
Everyone knows we really enjoy dining and it doesn’t get better than on TGT. Sure, we provisioned with all the staples of delicious bread, cheeses and wine but, the real treat for us were the groceries that arrived while at anchor. The Gunas travel through the islands in their dugout canoes selling veggies, fruit, eggs and and sometimes wine and beer. Also, some enterprising and very fit Gunas deliver freshly caught lobster for about $5 a piece, conch, octopus and an occasional crab. Since we are still perfecting our fishing skills, we even purchased a 22 lb. red snapper and a 30 lb black snapper–fantastic! We made ceviche and enjoyed grilled fish and fish tacos. One day, a lovely couple rowed up to TGT selling bread made with coconut milk. This is my kind of shopping. Enjoy the photos!
Think Good Thoughts 