s/v Nine of Cups San Blas Islands Kuna Yala - Land of the Kuna

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* The San Blas Archipelago, known as Kuna Yala (Land of the Kunas), is composed of     approximately 365 islands and islets, only 50 of which are inhabited. * The San Blas Reservation was declared an independent state of Panama in 1925 after a     successful indian revolution and was legally formed in 1938. * San Blas Indians is a general term for four separate tribes of Indians that live here.     The largest tribe is the Kuna or Cuna with a total population of over 55,000. * The highest proportion of albino births in the world occurs here, estimated at 7 out    of 1000 births. * Language: Kuna;  most of the men and many of the women and children also speak    Spanish. * Currency: Usually cash...$US..."everything is for sale and has a value from coconuts to    esoteric knowledge". * Main economy: coconuts, molas, bananas, plantain and root crops. * Government independent villages are headed by "sahilas" (sigh-las) or chiefs. * Patches of land are set aside for the spirits and botanical medicines.  Monkeys,  parrots,    squirrels, wild pigs, and a variety of other animals also inhabit the mainland rainforest.    Today, a cash economy exists alongside traditional subsistence farming and fishing.

Ulus (dugout canoes) are the main mode of transportation and are carved from a single tree.  They're usually about 15-20 feet long and hold the entire family for outings such as visiting sailing yachts.  They usually paddle, but when the wind is right, they raise a sail.  We saw fishermen miles offshore in them.  Usually each village has a craftsman who builds the ulus.

"Mola" is the Kuna word for blouse.  Molas are one of the primary expressions of visual art in the Kuna society.  It is the product of hand stitching layers of cotton cloth in the process known as reverse applique.  Intricate, very fine stitchery completes the artwork.  All genuine molas are created by a Kuna woman as the focal point of her own dress.  The designs are always original and are an important way for a woman to express herself and demonstrate her talent and industry in this politically active and traditionally matriarchal society.  Marcie did her share in aiding the Kuna economy.

Let me describe a Kuna woman for you.  They all wear lots of jewelry and beads.  The beads are very tiny and multicolored.  They string them themselves on fine string and wrap them in various patterns from the wrist all the way up to the elbow.  They do the same from their ankles up their lower legs and it looks as if they are wearing leggings.  The designs are intricate and very colorful.  They also wear earrings...dangly ones...a beautiful gold filigree it looks to be.  Most wear beaded and gold necklaces and have small gold nose rings as well.  Gold rings on the fingers complete the jewelry look.  Most also rouge their cheeks in dark red cicles about 2" in diameter.  The coloful molas are incorporated into their blouses and they wear long wraparound type skirts in varying designs and colors.  Many also wear a long scarf around their heads with the ends hanging down their backs or over their shoulders.  Some use a black dye to paint themselves with temporary tatoos.  The men and kids look pretty darned ordinary compares to the women!

As always the kids are the best for they are themselves with no hidden agendas.  They were timid at first...probably because of our color and size.  But once it was determined we didn't bite (if they only knew), they clamored to hold our hands as we walked.  Sometimes we had as many as 50 or more following us around.  We felt like Pied Pipers!  Marcie told stories and sang songs with them (in Spanish no less) and David did magic tricks and handed out candy.

Without a doubt, our favorite Kuna village was Mamitupu.  There we met Pablo and his wife, Asinta.  Most of the men speak Spanish and Kuna;  the women speak Kuna only.  We were lucky that Pablo spoke excellent English, having lived in England for 7 years.  We spent lots of time with them learning about customs and culture.  The photo here is "Pablo's Beach", the place we would meet with them and sit and chat.

Pablo and Asinta of Mamitupu

The Kunas live in thatched huts with dirt floors.  There are lots of huts in varying sizes...some appear to be individual houses and others are communal in nature.  The huts are very close together with a path just wide enough to walk through between them and arranged in rectangular grids like an urban neighborhood in the U.S. with wider "streets" in front of each hut.  They sleep in hammocks and in fact hammocks play an important role in wedding and funeral ceremonies.  Wood fires are used for cooking and the smell of wood smoke carried in the wind to the boat each morning.  Since the Kunas are small in stature, usually under 5'4", the doorways are almost always less than 5'8" high,  making it awkward for us gringos.

Coco Banderas Cays Remember that only about 50 of the 365 islands were inhabited?  Here's one of the ones that wasn't!  It doesn't get much closer to paradise.