We left Panama at 11.30am on Thursday 18th for the San Blas islands. It was not a very pleasant journey, beating into twenty plus knots of wind and a big lumpy sea, with waves rolling over the fore deck and occasionally over the spray hood giving anyone in the cockpit a shower. We had to motor sail all the way. We stopped overnight in a lovely calm anchorage at Linton a privately owned island, continuing the next day and arriving at Isla Porvenir on Friday.

Before we had even managed to get the anchor down we were surrounded by dug out canoes full of native Kuna Indians. The men selling lobsters and the women wearing traditional brightly coloured costumes, were selling their molas. Kuna women make a living for their families by making molas, which are hand sewn layers of material built up into beautifully intricate designs. Each woman has her own designs, learning her skills from her mother. The price varies according to the quality and size. Nancy and Carole bought two lobsters and asked for them to be brought back next day cooked. Our lack of Spanish didn't help so there may have been a misunderstanding as the lobsters never returned.

We checked in next day by showing our cruising permit and paying our tax to the Kunas ($20 for the boat plus $2 per person). We inquired about the whereabouts of our lobsters but it seems the fishermen were not from Porvenir. Isla Porvenir is tiny, we walked round the whole shore in about half an hour. The men found the one and only hotel (hotel Porvenir) which has a bar so we ordered lunch. Here a number of Kuna women were sitting sewing their molas. They were very keen to show them to us. All were very beautiful and it took us a while to choose which ones we wanted to buy.

Later that day a Kuna called Nestor, who spoke English, called by our boat and invited us to come and watch some traditional Kuna dancing on Wichuwala island. When we arrived, chairs were set out for us in the village square and two dances were performed by six men and six women in colourful costumes. The men played reed pipes while they danced. The first dance was for the stars and the second for the fish. After this Nestor took us to his house on Isla Nalunega and introduced us to his family. The house was large with no windows and a thatched roof. The walls were made from white cane, which looks like bamboo. Inside it was cool and airy. Fourteen people, Nestor's wife, five children, mother-in-law and sister's family lived here in one large room. There was very little furniture, a double bed at one end for Nestor and his wife and another at the other end for his sister and her husband. The children and their grandma slept in hammocks. There was however a television set. Everyone was very friendly as we were shown round the village of three hundred people. We went in the village store which offered a very limited range of goods. However the bakery provided us with eight very nice bread rolls for a dollar. There was a hotel with a sign outside in English offering cold beer and coca cola.. Kuna men work in the morning, mostly fishing then all meet later in the day in a large meeting house, to discuss matters and settle disputes. Apparently our missing lobsters had been on the agenda but the fishermen were not from Nalunega either. Inside were wooden benches and a hammock in the centre for the chief. We were introduced to the chief sitting in his hammock.

Next day we moved to Limon Cay. We went ashore, again the island is very small but it had a bar, which sold cans of beer. However we, plus the cruisers from the other three boats in the anchorage soon drank them dry. A canoe was dispatched to the next small island nearby for more. Nancy did her good deed and cleared two large bags full of rubbish from the beach, which was rather a mess, including a human head on a stake.

Wednesday morning we were visited by a master mola maker, a man called Venancio His molas varied in price from $15 to $100. The $100 ones were amazing with tiny stitching but though tempted we didn't buy one of these, settling for some of the less expensive ones. After this shopping spree we left for The Holandes Islands, anchoring in a popular spot with cruisers known as the swimming pool. The whole area is surrounded by reefs and snorkeling is very good. The floating fruit and vegetable store, or rather canoe, visited us, with a good selection of produce, enabling us to replenish our supplies.

We had a traditional Christmas dinner of roast turkey etc. Later in the afternoon we went to pot luck island, a very small uninhabited island to meet our fellow cruisers who were holding a pot luck dinner there. I went down with gastroenteritis on Boxing day, the others however managed to escape probably by drinking plenty of rum. There was an unusual call for help on the radio from a boat in the anchorage. Apparently a large boa constrictor had climbed up their anchor chain and was coiled round the anchor windlass! You never know what uninvited guests may come aboard. This is the third one we've heard of so far. In Trinidad it was a swarm of bees and in Shelter bay one cruiser went on deck to be confronted by a puma and her two cubs. So far we have only had a large moth, though not being fond of moths, I would have rather faced the snake or the puma.

We sailed to Green island on Saturday. This is another small island covered in coconut palms. We walked all the way round and on route we met a Kuna man and woman who had made camp on the island. The woman was making molas..After some gesticulating and a little Spanish she told us that she needed spectacles to see her sewing. Nancy very kindly gave her a pair of reading glasses. On Sunday morning Katrina, a young French lady from a neighbouring boat visited us. She and her husband live on their small boat and make a living selling beautiful jewelery made from polished seeds and wood. They use Tagua, also called vegetable ivory, which is the seed of a palm that grows in tropical rain forests. Tagua can be polished to a high gloss with fine sand paper and looks like ivory.

From here we sailed to Eastern Naguarganup Cays, anchoring off the island of Cangombia. One native family live on this island in two huts and have cleared pathways among the coconut trees. We found a dismembered limb, which we believe came from the same doll as the head. It was here on Tuesday morning that we were visited by Lisa Harris, the most famous mola maker of all, featured in the cruising guides. Her molas were beautiful and reasonably priced. She signed each one for us. We spent New Years eve at Salar in the western end of the Naguargandup Cays, where we bought fresh lobster for dinner from the local fishermen. New Years day we sailed to Chichime Cays and from there did a night crossing back to Panama.