OK, we left off leaving Ustopu for undisclosed islands and here we are in Tupile ( Too- Pee-Lee),we overnighted in Mono Island but there was nothing there so we moved on that AM. Tupile is a major market area for the Kunas and they bring there trade goods here for staples they can't grow on there own islands. Things like Spam and real heathy thing like cokes and candy.
The Kunas main tranportation is a dugout canoe and oars, some are more into using the wind that blows here at 17 to 25 knots every day as you can see from the photo.
We did a little shopping here and I found $ 14.50 a case beer and a bread that the Kunas bake thats ok but doesn't beat sliced bread at all. We met the young man that I played pool with in Ustupo and he carried us form store to store until Karen had everything on her list. I had to slow the boy down a couple of times because he liked to run and Karen & I are way to advanced to keep up with the young.
I watched the man from the boat work on the new dugout and the only tool he was using was a hatchet. That's all they use from stat to finish. This one looks like a 2 or 3 man canoe but they get bigger trees and dig one out that will be 5 ft of beam and 25 to 30 ft. long, raise the sides with hand cut 2 by 6 or 8 in. boards and slap a hand steered 85 or 90 HP. Yamaha and you have there version of a ferry and put 10 to 20 people in it to go from one island to the next.
Well that's about all for today Karen & I are going to sail to Colon today so I can Haul the boat out and do some repairs but I'll finish the San Blas Island while there and maybe catch up to the present.
See Y'all Down the Road
Mike & Karen