Kuna Bread, Kuna Bracelets and Kuna Events

The Kuna Indians are one of the last indigenous groups who have maintained a lot of their culture and that has come with rules set down by their ruling structure. The "congresso" as it is known, is the group made up of area "sahilas" or chiefs. Each island or community also has its own congresso to rule that specific community. Recently it was announced that the congresso has decided that Kunas can longer buy beer. It also announced that on the truck ride from the island of Carti to Panama City (the only way to get to PC from here other than airplane or boat) would cost both gringos and Kuna the same. In the past, gringos paid $25 plus a bunch of fees ($2 airport fee, $6 Kuna fee). The Kunas paid $12 and the airport fee. Now everyone will pay the same - $12 plus fees. Can't believe the Kunas are actually cutting back on a way to get money.

We have been hit for a $24 Kuna fee for anchoring for a month. They are getting more organized with fancier launches and ID cards.

On many of the islands, the Kunas retain much of their culture with dress and makeup. But we have definitely noticed that the younger Kunas are getting more "westernized." Fewer women are wearing the traditional mola dress and leg and arm beads. Few men wear the red face paint. They still seem to work at the crack of dawn and go fishing in their ulus or collecting coconuts or bananas.

Yesterday Janni came by with fresh Kuna bread from an island that was a bit of an ulu row away. Her husband is the baker. The bread was the traditional Kuna shape (a cross between hot dog buns and bread sticks) though a bit larger than many. It also was a bit pricier (twenty cents a piece vs. the five cents we paid in Nargana). But it was fresh, it got delivered to the boat and it was tasty. It also meant Barbara didn't have to bake bread (yippee!)

Yanni and her friend also came by to sell molas and bracelets. They were not dressed in Kuna attire but rather more typical 20 "somethings" from the States. Barbara picked out a bracelet but needed them to alter the size so that the design would fit her wrist (a bit larger than Kuna wrists). Yanni and her friend measured the wrist and promised the bracelet the next day. It was indeed delivered but the design still didn't line up, so they went back to try again. She would come back when she came to pick up the cell phone she left at another boat to charge. She did return and after a few tries tying it correctly, the bracelet got attached and is quite pretty. They do get tied on permanently and hopefully it will last. The last time Barbara got a bracelet it finally broke (in the middle of the night with beads everywhere).

Charging cell phones is a new "tradition" for Kunas - they buy and use cell phones and then get gringos on boats to charge them, as most islands do not have electricity. We've charged our share of Kuna phones - sometimes we trade and get a few limes or something - but most of the time we just charge the phones. Kunas, because their society is a communal society and all is shared, are not obviously grateful when you do something for them. The other day we charged two cell phones for a young Kuna woman who rowed over. When she picked them up, we didn't get a thank you, or even a smile. It is kind of strange. When we do get grateful Kunas - we are thrilled!

The other day there was a small event (oversold by Breeze on "Blue Sky" as something bigger) on the Nuinudup. It was supposed to be a big burning event where piles of palm fronds get burnt with a Kuna running with a lit torch through the island at night. However, there was only one big pile burnt and no torches being run about the island as promised. Oh well - the big fire was fun to watch.

We are in the East Lemons comfortably anchored and enjoying an anchorage with only four boats (so far). Our anchor yesterday was wrapped around a rock and we ended up close to a boat named Gris Gris. But we got it unwrapped and pulled back to where we were supposed to be. Over the last several days, we've done several full 360 circles so obviously we found one of the few rocks to wrap!

All is well, we'll move on after the weekend filled with those big sport fishing boats is over. Next stop is a place where we guess they may frequent.

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