Panama to the Darien

We finally left Panama City with all things fixed---for now—and headed to the Los Perlas Islands.
We were actually on our way when we received an email from Migration---our friends on their trimaran---to say they had our exit zarpe from Panama and so we must have theirs. This, if you know anything about clearing boats in and out of countries this is a HUGELT IMPORTANT document!!! We were with them when we did our check out and even though they were done before us I guess the port captain had mixed them up. They were about to enter the Galapagos and we were still in Panama!!! We then diverted our course to the only island in the Perlas with internet and managed to get a good enough signal to scan and send them their copy---ours awaits us in the Galapagos.
The next morning we set off for the Darien. This is a little visited are in the South of Panama near the Columbia border. There are the Woonaan tribal people who inhabit this area—they are a mix of the early Spaniards and the local Indian tribes people. They live a simple life and create wonderful woven baskets which take them weeks (or months) to make and are very expensive in Panama—even more so in the USA.
We headed into the Gulf and found the entrance to the small river we had elected to go up first. It wound its way up surrounded by mangroves inhabited by all kinds of birds, The river was small and we carefully found our way up—in a rising tide situation, in case we grounded and could wait and float off. We managed to get up to the anchorage and shortly after a family in a dugout canoe came to check us out. After giving the children paper and crayons and the family water we set off in our dinghy the few more miles up to find the local village. We arrived at an area where a few dugout canoes were in the water, tied up the dinghy and followed the path to a small village. As the children saw us they proceeded to follow us—we felt like the pied piper as we walked through the grass huts. They were up on stilts—a testament to the wet season which fortunately is not now. They had no baskets for sale at that time but were very friendly and we did trade a small piece for some coffee and sugar we had bought with us.
As we left the children continued to follow us and 3 teenage boys jumped in their canoe to follow us to our boat. These boys carry around a transistor radio each which is tuned to Panama City rap music—ipods are out of their budget, also wearing baseball caps sideways so is not very different from teenagers all over. We let them come aboard and fed them candies, drinks and printed them the photo we had taken of them. They showed no desire to leave—perhaps ever—so we offered them a tow back with our dinghy and they waved cheerfully as they went back to their village. The village has 100 people---three quarters appear to be children---and these three along with two others go to school in La Palma—the nearest town---probably an hour or more in a boat of some kind. The other children are younger so I assume have some schooling in the village.
Our anchorage was beautiful and at the witching hour (sunset) the howler monkeys begin their serenade and the parrots all fly back to wherever they sleep.
The next morning at 7am we were awoken by someone whistling and it was a man we had met the day before who was wondering if we had any spare glasses. We found him a pair of reading glasses we had and he promised to return with some fish when he caught some—we were leaving so never did get them.
We then headed to a much bigger village up a larger river. We motored up and set anchor at some islands and headed up 7 miles in the dinghy.
We passed dugout canoes with families fishing on the way who wave happily to us and then we finally came to the village. Naked children were swimming near the village---I assume the crocodiles which frequent the area do not go there??
We were met by village men who want to have us look at he tagua (a nut which is carved) and the baskets, as well as pay $5 and be able to take as many photos of the village as we want.
Arriving in this village where the women were unabashedly walking topless with tattooed breasts we had to act as though we are accustomed to such apparel—or lack of it—and not ogle.
We said we wanted baskets so were led up to a hut where they banged the gong to alert all of the women that prospective buyers had arrived. Many women complete with bags of baskets and tagua carvings now showed up and displayed some on a table and the lesser pieces were on the floor in front of each artist. There was a wonderful array and they are truly beautiful. The largest ones they were asking $500---probably could have got it for $400 were out of our budget but we did bargain for a couple---I still had a credit for my birthday and Xmas gifts---I had told Ken not to get me anything so I could splurge when such an occasion should arise. I got a small impeccably crafted one which was perhaps one of the finest I had seen anywhere and a larger one which we will send home with our next visitor to store it for us till we return. Ken bought a toucan mask which looks great on our wall and I chose a basket for Judy who is visiting us in the Galapagos and had asked me to find her one.
We met a young lady who was with the Peace Corp and had Kristen’s dream job (pre family). She was living in the village for 2 years and was helping them develop a market for their wonderful crafts in the US. The people are lovely and she is enjoying her time there.
Our last night was serenaded again by the howlers---a sound we have come to expect anywhere near land in Central and South America and will be a lasting memory for us.
Tomorrow we set off across the Pacific leaving the American continent behind as we embark on our next installment of our cruising adventure.