Now we leave Grenada, heading West, chasing the sun… A good wind from the back push us and it will soon become strong when passing the Columbian coasts. We will then apreciate more the calm of the San Blas islands. Stunning islands, ambassadors of the Polynesian atolls, covered by coconut palms, at only one or two feet from the sea level. Here only live the Kunas indians. It’s their country, snatched by a long fight against the invaders, even the most recent ones. The Western civilisation is only slowly coming in, the women keep their traditional dress, their “molas” are hand sewed, they row their “ulus” as well as the men. They know that the rising of the sea level threat them, and they are already prepared to establish themself on land. A little bit further, at midway to Colon, Portobelo : In the bay you could think that you are still at the time of the galleons full of gold, on land the spanish ruins faces the multicolored buses of Panama, the San Felipe Chuch is the home of the Black Christ, venered in all central America, the vultures soar in the sky and you can feel the poverty.
Before exploring the Pacifc ocean we need a clean hull and we make a big washing to our Skoiern, under the palmtrees in Shelter bay Marina, just in front of Colon. The woods nearby also attracted us. It’s hot, and siesta time ….
And now, the Canal !
