This period of time in March while we´re getting boatwork done has been a great time to write and get our photos onto the blog. You will find recent photos in the new catagory of San Blas Islands and also in the Cruising 07-08.

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Watch for entries about Cartagena!

Here in Cartagena we researched three yards for having boatwork done and storing the boat for our time at home. The cost of much of what happens in Cartagena is more expensive than the U.S. --that includes groceries, travel and boatyard costs. We now understand why the average Colombian uses a motorcycle and frequents non-tableclothed restaurants--their average salary of around $15 a day doesn´t go very far. We had the impression before coming here that it would be different and more like Ecuador for costs. However, it seems that the cost of fuel has driven up prices for Colombians. As a result, we are going to be in and out of the yard as quickly as possible. The teak on the deck has been leaking for awhile and rather than face another season of leaks and back-breaking repairs, we decided to change the deck to fiberglass with a paint and non-skid covering. Other projects include fixing fiberglass bulge on the side of the boat (origin ?), adding a ladder to the back for swimming, cleaning the rigging of rust, getting the old dingy patched up and new paint on the bottom boards, plus many other small projects. All this fixing generates a boatload of fiberglass and wood dust that has now sifted through the hull covering the contents of the cupboards. So, before the splash, cleaning is on the agenda. Mike figured out that for every 5 months being on the boat, one month is devoted to maintenance. We have been very lucky as friends of ours have had their boats´electronics destroyed by lightening and far more urgent breakdowns like refridgerators, engines, etc.

Most of what`s written in our blog is about the magic carpet wonders of sailing to new lands and visiting different cultures so, the way we´ve grown to look philosophically at all the boat work projects, is just that you can´t do the one without the other!

The San Blas Islands are located in the Kuna Yala Comarca, a large area of coastal Panama east of Colon on the Caribbean side. This land is the homeland of the Kuna indigenous people who won the right to self govern within the country of Panama through a revolution in 1925. There are hundreds of islands, some very small with only a few coconut palms, others large enough for a village. The Kuna live on the islands near the coastline and farm the land up the rivers. They tend and sell their coconuts that grow on surrounding islands to the trade boats that come from Colombia. The Kuna are magnificient sailors, using specially designed ullus (dugout canoes) with lateen main and small jibs to sail along the coast and to their islands. Cruisers have been stopping here for many years and enjoying the lovely anchorages, trading with the Kuna and getting to understand their way of life. The Kuna have decided not to raise cattle and all their farming is of plants that fare well in the tropical climate. They bring water in pipes to their towns from the rivers which are clean because they do not raise livestock. The forest is largely free of man´s influence except for farming along the rivers, so animals and birds are abundant. The biggest environmental problem the Kunas have is plastic which floats to them and is a by-product of all packaged goods that they also use. Their lives are simple and you do not see lots of plastic toys and modern appliances. The towns that do not have block buildings look the cleanest and best cared for because the huts can be refirbished with new bamboo and thatch from coconut palms. One of the money-making efforts of the Kuna women is the sewing of Molas which are reverse embroidery pieces that can be made into pictures or pillows. The work is very fine and many molas are designs that are traditional and show the Kuna way of life in fabric. Others called ¨"tourist " molas are of birds, sea creatures, etc and are more pictoral.

At our first anchorage in Kuna Yala we enjoyed swimming and snorkeling--the coral reefs are magnificient throughout the area. We were able to buy a wonderful mola by Venecio, one of the most famous Kuna mola makers. Other crafts we collected were wood carvings of medicine men (for good luck travels in Finisterre), paddles and a model ullu. The Kuna women dress in lovely brilliantly colored tops made from molas on back and front and wrap skirts of darker colors. They wear beads sewn in patterns over legs and arms and gold jewlery at ears, neck and nose. During the time we were at Tigre Island we got to see a re-enactment of the Kuna revolution, during which they won rights to self govern within Panama. It was a well planned dramatic presentation, including traditional dance and music. During our time in the area we visited a number of wonderful anchorages at small islands and met many local people as well as cruisers. We gathered information about our trip to Cartagena from the San Blas and after two weeks headed East and North to Cartagena, Colombia.

watch for more photos, soon!