San Blas Panama

San Blas Islands

The San Blas Islands are a countless number of small beautiful islands, located about 70 miles east of Panama on the Atlantic side. Some islands are habited by the Kuna people, and some uninhabited. The Comarca de San Blas or, Kuna Yale, appears little changed from the times before the Spanish Conquista, a result of the tenacity of the Kuna people. In 1938 the government of Panama granted the Kuna leaders almost autonomous rule in the officially recognized Comarca de San Blas. The traditional hierarchy of tribal leaders on national and village levels has provided the cohesion that makes the 55,000 Kuna one of the strongest nations among indigenous Americans. Most all Kuna people live on the offshore islands, and do all their farming and hunting on the main land also retrieve their drinking water from the streams. The dense jungle on the main land is over whelmed with mosquitoes therefore making it unsafe for living full time.

We sailed from Columbia right to the San Blas Islands just before Christmas. Dick and Terri were still with us. The Kuna are a matriarchal society – women are the traders and hold most financial power. Kuna women create and sell unique “molas” 3 to 5 layers of fabric panels with appliqué and embroidery. When a sailboat arrives at one of these small Kuna islands, the island’s women see you coming and prepare their merchandise then board their small dug-out canoes. They are there waiting as you set anchor. Then they approach your vessel hopping to sell their molas, wrap around skirts and their bead work. In order to visit an island you are required to visit the congreso hut to ask permission from the chiefs before entering. When we arrived there were two chiefs one real old laying in a hammock and one younger. The older one granted us permission and charged us $10.00 US to anchor in the anchorage. This island was named Mormake Tupu (shirt makers) they say that they make the best molas in the San Blas.
We hired a guide to take us onto the mainland to the rainforest jungle for a hike to the waterfalls. We have been to a number of rainforests before but never in the jungle. I saw my first Hollering monkeys. On the path we saw farmers carrying heavy crops on a pole over their shoulders.

Our guide invited us to Mormake Tupu Island for Christmas day. The Kuna people hold a big celebration in the Congreso hut. They all dress up in their tribal outfits and sing and dance. They pass around a calabash bowl filled with homemade wine. The chiefs pass out the wine to the people. They also roll their own cigarettes and put them in a large bowls. Everyone smokes and drinks for celebrations only. Carl wore his Santa suit and gave candy to the island kids. We ate Christmas dinner, chicken and rice for $15.00 US for 4 people. It was a great Christmas, one we won’t forget. Thank you, Dick & Terri for sharing this special event with us.