GUNBOAT ISLAND TO RIO SIDRAS

January 25, 2012

At 1000 hrs this morning, we heaved up anchor and proceeded to Rio Sidras (9-27.1 N  78-50.1 W) which is about 5 nm from Gunboat Island.  Rio Sidras is a very populated island and crowded.  There is electricity; water comes from the mainland via PVC piping from remote streams.  It is all done by gravity with no pumps involved.  The water is as pure as the stream it comes from.  Since there are no towns and no one lives on the mainland, it is resonably safe to drink.

The biggest problem of Kuna villages is garbage.  We live in a plastic world and Kuna Yala is no exception.  How do you get all that garbage that is accumulated off the island?  There are no sanitary facilities so they are left with having to burn it up or rake it off into a pile.  On the outlying islands with an isolated Kuna family or two, they keep the island very clean by raking up all the garbage and burning it.  It a populated town it become increasingly difficult.  We didn't enjoy the very populated towns.  Our main purpose for coming to Rio Sidra was to meet Lisa Harris, a very famous transvestite who is a master "mola maker".  The town is very well known for quality "molas" in addition to another island just a few miles to the West called La Maquina.  These two places produce quality "molas", however, there are other less known Kuna women who are "master mola makers".  One judges a "mola" by the design and intricate layering of cloth with stitching.  It's quit a laborious challenge to make a beautiful "mola".  Throughout Kuna Yala one sees the Kuna women sitting on a stool and stitching "molas".  They will travel far in their dugout canoes to sell them.

Lisa Harris came to the boat with her beautiful "molas" and we were impressed.  Not only is she a master "mola maker", she is a Kuna historian and travel guide.  A most interesting person in all aspects of her being.  We really enjoyed her visit and -yes- we bought beautiful "molas" from her at very resonable prices.

The anchorage in Rio Sidras is rolly and not very well protected so we decided to leave the following day.