San Blas Islands
14 May 2011
Dawn
San Blas
We have found a different world! After a few days sail and passing many freighters’ in Panama waiting to get through the canal we arrived!! All is well on Nirvana Now. After killing humidity in Shelterbay Marina, in Colon we are now in the San Blas! It is still very humid but we at least get to jump into the ocean and almost cool off. The water is 86 degrees so not very cool! We have bought our token Molas and lobster from the local Kuna population but they keep coming up to the boat! Randy bought 3 lobster for $5 dollars today! Found out last night lobster are out of season for the rest of the month so won’t do that again! They have very strange looking crabs as well, also off season! The Kuna’s have dug out canoes but some have motors, some have sails and all have hand carved paddles. They live in bamboo type shacks but have store bought clothes. Strange meeting of two worlds. The Kuna population are trying to keep ancient ways. One feels obligated to buy Molas from everybody. I am sure my family and friends all want one! We meet some boaters last night at the little island near us. World travelers, some left home years and years ago, others just out for a few years! Randy made us a water catcher as one can’t buy water here. Got 2 gallons after hours of effort! We put it up and down 3 times before the rain really lasted long enough. May modify another type of catcher for the bimini cover or dodger cover. Went snorkelling today, beautiful coral and some nice fish. May not be able to do many entry’s for the next while. They say it takes 1 hour to download 1 picture so they might not be too plentiful either! I am at a Kuna bamboo shack, on an island ¼ city block, sitting outside someone’s home. No one speaks English here. The speak Kuna or Spanish. My ten weeks of Spanish has helped a bit but needs practice. We have taken to study it a few hours a day. Randy can do magic with the language and the r’s but not me! Expecting our friends Wendy and Jess in a few weeks. Randy was in Africa with them many years ago. The airport they are landing in is impressive! Hope I can load to pics to the blog! Discussing today how to make this lifestyle work for us! In 2 months today we fly home. It is too soon! I miss home but we want more! I think we have the traveling bug! We shall see… Til later Dawn and Randy