94) Panama

Carti Tupile Nargana, Comarca de Kuna Yala,

San Blas Islands, Republic de Panama

9° 28.486 N 78° 57.689 W

 

Last night during dinner we arranged to have Glomildo take John, Alan and I in his Cayuco to go snorkeling for lobster.  He picked us up in his Cayuco and we paddled away.  You must keep the center of gravity very low or else it feels like it will tip over.  We also had to bail water constantly and I saw most of the other Cayuco’s doing the same.  I sat in the front and paddled and Glomildo paddled from the rear.  With all of our weight onboard it was a wet ride.  The idea sounded great to go get lobster for a big 41^st birthday dinner that Glomildo wanted to prepare later.  But, there were no lobsters (crayfish, actually) on the reef he took us to.  We went on the other side of Caibo and it was very shallow and the terrain was not rocky enough and had too much surge for bugs.  Glomildo did admit that the big ones are saved to sell to the tourists.  We got skunked.

Caibo

    

On our way back in we paddled up to his friend’s house on Caibo and arranged to buy some crabs that were kept in a garbage can suspended in the water.  While the obvious tourists are out and about paddling in a Cayuco all the people on shore stare at us and we stare back.  I don’t want to be rude and look at them but all of this is so incredibly interesting.  We are traveling back in time.

  

     

        

                      

                                                                              Crabs

  

Mainland Eastern Panama

Amor Fati galley w/ Glomildo

While sitting in the cockpit last night after eating the dinner he cooked, Glomildo, after many a rum and coke, offered to take us to the mainland.  Nancy, must know something we guys don’t know because she opted out.  We went on a little adventure today.  The same 4 guys piled in the dinghy and headed for the mainland for a jungle tour.  Now, the dinghy only has one oar, leaks air and now has a little engine problem.  About a third of the way across I learned that the motor now shuts off.  It has some kind of vacuum problem and when the fuel in the see-thru filter is used up the engine quits.  So, you pump it and choke it and it starts.  It runs for a little while and then quits.  Alan tried pumping the bulb primer while it was running and I don’t know if that worked or not.  Ok, one oar, leaking tubes, engine problem, ½ a mile off the deserted coast of Panama…  All we needed was some beer.  Several times this happened and for some reason we did not turn back and be safe but actually made it to shore.  I guess we would deal with the return trip whenever that was.

Carti Tupile islands on the horizon.

This dock sticking out of the jungle that comes to the waterline appears to be there for why?  Ah hah!  It’s for the airport!  Yes, the airport!  Woohoo!  This place is on the map! 

Airport terminal with outhouse on the left.

                                                                      

A sad aspect of these little islands is the trash issue.  They burn some of it and the rest is cast away in the water.  This Panamanian shore is in the lee and everything that floats makes it to this beach.  When the road from the highway makes it here someday and then the buildings start going up someone is going to be forced to deal with the trash issue.  Might this progress be the demise of the Kuna’s?

This guy walked from the highway

 

                                                       The airport was a jungle airport at best.  The terminal was empty.  Really!  Just concrete walls, floor and a roof.  The runway was in even worse shape.  It was made about 25 years ago and it shows. In order to land on this runway, which is long enough for small twins, you need stout landing gear and cushy tires.  It is a bumpy, ragged strip of concrete and concrete patches.  I thought it was abandoned but like the good little pilot I am I found myself kicking rocks off the runway.  The propeller can suck them up and cause damage.  Imagine my shock when I saw an airplane fly overhead and soon after land at that airstrip!  It is a working airport!  I thought the crispy little crayfish that was sunning himself on the runway was the only action this strip was seeing. 
  

 

 

I think we were a little unprepared for the trek into the jungle.  We all had on open shoes and shorts and I was the only one who brought a small water bottle and it was the jungle!  But, 3 of us had cameras.  And once again, no beer.  Apparently we don’t know how to trek properly.

        

Wild cotton  

Wild pineapple

On a muddy, rutted road a young guy comes walking towards us.  He had just walked 7 hours from the highway, on his way from Panama to visit his family on Sugtupu.  He was out of water and I gave him some of mine.  He was told to wait at the dinghy on the dock and we would take him with us.  This is crazy.  After walking along this road for a while, and then a while longer someone asked where we were going.  Before Glomildo was able to give the serious guide answer I piped in with, “We’re going to be put in a big iron pot of boiling water.”  “This walk is just helping to flush out the impurities”.  That broke it up. 

Hospital

  

Wild pineapple

 

Let’s see, in the jungle on a dirt road that can only be accessed during the dry season we came upon a brand new building.  It was on a bluff and can be seen from the islands.  It has no running water, utilities, paved road, etc.  This is out in the middle of nowhere and about a mile from the beach that is the edge of the jungle.  Why?  The hospital grand opening ceremony is soon and I kept wondering where the staff lives.  Getting sent here is a penalty.  Unless, you like this kinda stuff.  But even more odd is that it is for the Panamanians and not really for the Kuna’s.  

 

We tried to keep our feet out of the mud but uhm we had to step somewhere.  Feet full of mud, twigs and branches scraping our legs, sweating, not seeing any animals that can eat us and we’re just walking along.  Then, walking up the road towards us is a guy with a machete in one hand and a single barrel 12-gauge shotgun over his shoulder.  I thought this couldn’t be good.  Here we are, 3 whities with cameras and a Kuna carrying a machete in the jungle of Panama.  I can hear the water boiling.  Good thing Glomildo knows everybody and they talked for a few minutes and it turns out that he is hunting for pigs.  I politely ask if I can take his picture and the gun didn’t go off and things are OK and we start walking again and where are we going?

Wild pineapple

       

We eventually walked into the jungle for probably over a mile but less than two.  We were supposed to see the river, the waterfall, etc.  Along the road Glomildo stepped off the side onto a little trail and we followed him up the hill like good little future stew meat.  One of his friends was growing pineapple and yucco on a small clearing.  It was the dry season and that is why we were able to walk this road.  If it were raining this trek would have been impossible.  You have got to hand it to these people.  They are up against enormous hardship to survive in this environment.  They paddle a mile to the mainland, grow crops and bring back water, crops, wood for building and burning and rocks to strengthen up their shoreline.  They live on the islands because there are no biting bugs.  No wonder they are excited to see us.  The best part is that they love Americans.  When the American military went down there to “fix” things the Kuna’s have been grateful ever since.   

 

   

We never saw the river or waterfall or… We needed to start heading back to the island because Glomildo wanted to start cooking.  We picked up our passenger at the dock and motored away.  We dodged the iron pot!  The motor only quit a couple times and the look on his face when it quit the first time was, well, I probably had the same look.  This time John ran the motor slower and the problem seemed abated.  After the trek thru the jungle the waves splashing over the bow were a relief.  We made it back on time for whatever that is cause I don’t know what day it is or what time it is.  He fixed crabs, crab rice, yucca and we washed it down with beer.  We sat in his yard and it was a really great experience to sit with the leader of his island and share his birthday dinner.  We sang him a ditty.  John brought sparklers for the kids and the moment was right to light one up.  

  

Earlier I had asked Glomildo if it would be OK for me to take pictures of everybody who wanted so that I could print them and mail them to the people.  He said of course and talked with a large crowd of them and cut me loose before the sun set.  This was fantastic!  I roamed the streets with a large crowd of kids with them calling my name and asking for their photo to be taken.  Some would hold on to me as we walked and always try to get their picture taken.  They took me through yards, held up cats, goofed off, and asked for solo shots and pretty much loved the attention.  It took a while for the older kids to come around and most of the adults just flat out wanted nothing to do with it.  I intend to print the pictures and laminate them for durability and mail them.  This 2-day visit has been one of the most moving experiences I have ever had.  The look on the faces of these children was pure innocence and excitement.  They were so happy and seemed so very content.  We were lucky to be allowed to enter their world so openly and without obligation that it is hard to describe.