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Paw Paw - Log Day 16: A Rather Strange Destination



After a rather lumpy night in higher winds and seas than forecasted for the last 12 hours of our passage and struggling to slow Paw Paw down as she romped along at speeds of 9 to 12 Kts, we eventually dropped the main sail and continued on a double-reefed head sail only to ensure an arrival in daylight. As the day broke we started to see tuffs of palm trees sticking out of the sea and masts of yachts which seemed to be anchored in the middle of nowhere. These were the San Blas Islands. An archepeligo of 340 plus islands owned and controlled by the indigenous Guna Indians, although part of mainland Panama. While accepting of visitors, they prohibit any non-Guna from settling or intermarrying and have, thus, maintained their culture and traditions without the influence of our modern world. A notable exception is the introduction of the mobile phone, but there is no infrastructure for the owners to charge them so visiting yachts provide the service. Numbering around 55 000, they are organised within a strict hierarchy of tribal leaders, including three "Sailas" (chiefs) per village and three "Caciques" (high chiefs) who rule the nation. Along with this is a rather expensive laundry list of fees we have to pay, in addition to what we have already paid to Panama.

We arrived in this rather strange part of the world just as the sun was rising, furled the head sail and motored through the reefs into the outside anchorage off Chichime Island. After washing and tidying up Paw Paw, followed by a nap we headed for the beach to join the potluck luncheon and reconnect with the rest of the fleet, after the WARC obtained permission for us to occupy the land. We were entertained by traditional dancing and music and got to see the type of huts the people live in, but needless to say, we were also looking forward to an early night and our beds!



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