Colon, Panama
4 ½ months since the last entry and we are once again back in Colon, a jump-off point on the Caribbean side of Panama for crossing the canal. Nikan is going on dry and we have to tackle a long list of preventive maintenance projects J-P prepared, besides the annual "spring cleaning", as everything is saturated and covered with salt. The first two months I spent in Toronto, helping my mother with her rehabilitation after the stroke she suffered. Meanwhile J-P sailed alone to Cartagena, Colombia, where he waited for me very patiently, taking long walks in this very beautiful colonial city. Very hot and humid during the day, pleasantly cool in the evening, as I had the chance to find out during the three days I spent there, after I joined him there by mid December, and by which time he was anxious to move on. The last two months, without any Internet anywhere, we cruised through the San Blas archipelago of over 340 islands, many uninhabited, full of coconut palms and sand beaches, with some unbelievably beautiful “National Geographic” snorkeling. Others, home to semi-autonomous Kuna Indians, who have best preserved their culture and traditions out of all the tribes in the Americas. They believe, that money changes one's way of being (selfish, greedy...etc.), although today, even in the most traditional villages we saw signs of civilization one needs money for (solar panels, cell phones, battery radios...and other little pleasantries of modern life). Until a few years ago coconuts were the official means of exchange, now they are sold to Colombian trading boats one sees all the time passing by. Another mean of making money is by selling to cruisers “molas”, which are beautiful traditional blouses Kuna women wear. The most famous part of this dress are the panels that decorate the front and the back of the blouse, made by cutting and sawing different layers of colourful cloth into all kinds of figurative or geometric designs (ex.: see the header of this blog). San Blas is a very enjoyable cruising ground in calm water, heavy swells stopped by the many very healthy reefs, with picturesque islands, where the traditional villages blend into surrounding landscape. Kuna people are always polite and friendly with a big smile. Although Panama is a very interesting country, after the nine months we spent here it's time to move on.
