Unlike the remote Pacific side of Panama where it had been difficult to acquire supplies, some Kunas made it a business to provide food supplies to the cruising boats at these outer anchorages. Every few days they would come by selling food items and taking orders. While in this anchorage we did much socializing. Saturday evening a couple invited us to dinner onboard their boat. The day before we had been given a fish by the same two. Monday night we attended the official "social" gathering of the week on the beach to burn trash and visit while sharing appetizers. Tuesday we drift-dinghy snorkeled with two other boats. Wednesday night everyone gathered again on the beach as someone had caught a big fish and wished to share it.
Friday, October 3, we departed the Eastern Holandes Cays for Green Island, 8 miles away. We spent 3 days anchored inside the reef of this uninhabited island enjoying its solitude. Unlike the many boats anchored in the Eastern Holandes, we were the lone boat at this anchorage. Only sounds from Kunas coming from the village of Nargana, 4 miles away, to fish off the reef of Green Island could be heard. Unlike the many dugout canoes at Carti propelled mostly by paddle or sail, many of the Kuna men coming to fish from Nargana had outboard motors on their dugouts. Looking out at the landscape from this anchorage, the many cays in the San Blas all seemed like a bunch of little "flat tops" sticking out from the sea as only the coconut palms could be seen.
Monday we pulled up our anchor at Green Island and headed to the Coco Bandero Cays, 3 miles away. Of all our anchorages in the San Blas, this one was our favorite and definitely the most beautiful. The cays surrounding this anchorage were uninhabited, all less than a football field in length, with only palm trees, beautiful white sand, and no mangroves. Since there were no mangroves, we didn't have the problem with "no-see-ums" like in the Holandes. The snorkeling at the Holandes and Green Island had been great, but the snorkeling at Coco Bandero was the best. We snorkeled every day along the many reef walls enjoying the large variety of beautifully colored fish and coral. Each time we snorkeled, we saw something new. Because all the cays were so close, it was fun to kayak to each of "our" small islands and then, once beaching the kayak, walk the perimeter of each cay. When we arrived at Coco Bandero, there were six boatsanchored. Two days later, four boats departed. We enjoyed many hours socializing with these two remaining boats during the remainder of our stay. |
