Beautiful Downtown Chichime

Together with seven other boats, we're anchored between Uchutupu Pipigua and Uchutupa Dummat (that would be large and small Uchutupu) in an area known as Chichime. A reef surrounds most of the archipelago. The islands are filled with coconut trees and have a few white sandy beaches. It is quite beautiful and one of the "popular" spots - as it's a good jumping off spot for either Linton/Colon area or to Colombia. Backpacker boats often stop here - so several "single-handers" hang out here as the bikini clad lasses are good scenery.

There is no permanent village on either island, though there is a small "Kuna Beach Bar" on the tip of one. It has one large wooden plank table and some wooden tree stumps as benches. A propane refrigerator keeps the beer kinda cold. You can get beer for a dollar and that's about it. When we went ashore for an evening brew, we were told that the Panamanian President, Martinelli, was here at the bar the weekend before hanging out in a swimsuit chatting up the backpackers and "regulars." His wife was buying up molas from one of the areas master mola makers, Venancio. She supposedly cleaned him out.

At the East Lemons, we did attend a birthday bash for 10-year old Joshua, from Southern Belle. It was a fun event with both cruisers and the local Kunas attending. It included games like pin the claw on the crab, a piñata, tug o' war (you definitely want those strong Kuna on your side - rowing and poling those ulus make for strong men, women and kids), volleyball and of course cake and goodies. The piñata was the most fun as all the kids participated in knocking it with a stick - but when it burst open, you should have seen the adult Kunas run and start grabbing the candy, elbowing kids out of the way. It was very funny - they do love their "carmelas" (that's what they call candy or sweets).

We met some interesting folks - one was a boat with two kids aboard who were about to complete a five year circumnavigation (when they get to Southern California). They had great stories and info and shared all their electronic cruising guides from around the world with us. One of their kids got hurt the other day and needed four stitches and went to the clinic in Nargana. For all of $28 the kid got stitched up and some meds! That's in the middle of nowhere.

We had a nice sail to Chichime and will be here only for a few days awaiting a weather window so we can move to Linton then Panamarina where we're leaving the boat for our trip to the states. We're working through a lot of supplies to clean out the fridge and freezer and also some canned and packaged food we've had on board awhile. You can certainly do that here in Kuna Yala with no handy stores. Though the veggie boat came by the other day and we did get some fresh pineapple, oranges, limes and a few potatoes and onions and eggplant for the Rosetti treat. Lucky we still have a bit of cheese! Bread also got delivered to the boat right before we left the Lemons.

We should leave around Wednesday. Today, Michael will clean the prop and the hull a bit and check things out below the waterline. And perhaps an earned brew from the "bar" (we're just about out of beer on board!)

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