My dearest sister,
I wasn’t prepared to  encounter so much beauty!  From the first moment since we anchored here I’ve been feeling completely overwhelmed  by the perfection, the harmony, the peace of these islands, a harmony that I can feel touching deep in my soul.
Now, I can finally understand what that Austrian couple, we had met back in May 2015 at the Grenada Marine boatyard, were talking about. They said that when they arrived here in San Blas islands, they just couldn’t leave the place and so they stayed for four years. San Blas is the western name of the Archipelago but I will use the name that native indian’s call their country: Guna Yala

At this moment,, we are anchored in Maocoui- Caimou (West Holandes) between four tiny islands, all very flat, surrounded by white sand, covered with green grass (!!) and tall palm trees. The sea is warm (27,5 C°) and the waters are turqoise colour with an amazing visibility.
Shallow reefs with colorful corals are all around, home for all kinds of tropical fish, rays, nurse sharks, ( I saw three just yesterday) conch, sea shells, huge starfish, lobsters The sound of the ocean’s waves breaking on the horse shoe reef protecting us from the swell p, adds to the magic of the scenery.
Guna indians visit us almost every day, they come with long wooden boats or with traditional dugout canoes called ULU. This morning came two of them with a boat full of fruit and vegetables, pineapples, avocado, tomatoes everything. As we just arrived from Colombia full of provisions, we did not need anything, so I asked him to come again in a few days. I just need some parsley, I told him . He gave it to me and wouldn’t accept money.
-“A la prossima”, he said , next time!

The Gunas are kind people, very polite, and although physically quite small they are well proportioned. Later today, came another four young Gunas with their ulu that had the mast and sail folded down. The bottom of the ulu was filled with water and in there, floating were small lobsters and giant crabs. They asked us where we come from and they said they have never seen Greek people before in Guna Yala. Crazy as it may seem, I still remember much of the Spanish I learned in a crush course , when I was still a student at the University. I can have a conversation of a sort. Se Entiende we understand each other as they say here . As for the live lobsters and crabs, being a vegetarian, I didn’t make any comment.
So, at the anchorage now we are about 15 sailboats, a good number of which we could call Residents, meaning yachties that come here many years or simply never leave Guna Yala. So far, the people we’ve met are nice, welcoming and very helpful to us. First we met Carl the Canadian. He was passing by with his dinghy, and we called him to ask information about the clearance procedure. Following his advice, we went to sy Runner and met Debbie & Reggie, a couple from New York, who have been living here for the past 17 years and they know everything about Guna Yala. They also run the NET, the daily morning broadcast for cruisers on SSB HF. You realize that? Seventeen years anchored in one spot. And you know something, Margarita? I can understand them, because Guna Yala is Paradise on Earth. Anyway, Debbie mentioned that on one of the boats live two women that have property in Greece, but at that point I didn’t think about it, as I was busy taking notes on how will our friend Vasso come find us here from the Panama city airport.
So, we thanked Debbie and Reggie for the information, took our kayak and went to visit the nearby BBQ island. But, apparently, the rumor of the boat with the Greek flag was spread fast and so, in the afternoon we had visitors: Connie (Costantina) and her friend Barbara from sy Islander. You will not believe this, Margarita, but Connie’s grandmother was from Pireaus and she has a house very close to our father’s! And it’s very likely that she was Yorgos teacher in Deree College.!! What a small, small world, isn’t it? Connie and Barbara, they both spend many months each year in their summer houses in Neapolis, close to Elafonissos. Barbara is an accomplished sailor, having sailed twice SINGLE HANDED across the Atlantic and from San Fransisco to Hawaii! For the past six years, she and Connie spend their winters in Guna Yala. Barbara, who was once a diplomat , is an active member of ARCH Alliance for the Restoration of Cultural Heritage who in their Greeck Chapter, try to bring to public attention the very important, prehestoric city called PAVLOPETRI, that is sunk in 2-3 meters of water in Neapolis region. Amazing what can someone learn about Greece, anchored in Guna Yala.It was agreat meeting them here, and kind of sentimental, too. Connie and Barbara invited us to a bithday party on BBQ island, the next afternoon.
–Everyone brings a mezes (greek for appetizer)!, Connie said in her fluent greek with the american accent.
Yesterday we sailed to the nearby West Coco Bandero islands and I may sound boring but the cays were truly, absolutely beautiful, pristine, like jewels of mother nature. We swam to Orduptarboat the first of the two islands the second is just 500 m2 of sand with three palm trees on top – and said hola to the three Gunas who were setting sail for some nearby island with their ulu. Both of us thirsty, we asked the young Guna who had stayed in the big hut for two coconuts.
Giancarlo his name- brought us two fresh ones, opened them with a machette and gave us to drink. We talked for quite some time, in Spanish of course, and we learned that in a few days , on February 25th on Isla Tigre , the tribe celebrates their independence (partial autonomy) from the country of Panama, with a revival of their revolt of 1925. The Gunas have their own laws, they are governed by their Congresso General, they don’t have personal property or land and they never marry people that are not from their tribe. Their villages on the tiny islands are very densely built and the houses are made of sand, leaves and bamboo. Every village has one very big hut, the Congresso (Town Hall), where the village meets with their three chiefs, the Sailas, to discuss the daily issues. In the meeting, important part play the Argars, the interpreters, who’s role is to put the Saila’s wisdom into perspective to everyday life. Giancarlo invited us to come to the celebration on Tigre island and of course we gladly accepted. I asked him about his family. He said his madre is in heaven and his padre in Panama. Giancarlo doesn’t like living in Panama, in the big city with the thousand cars. Here on Orduptarboat is his home and he has everything, the Ocean, the fish, his friends. Tranquilidad. El Paraiso Paradiso
I miss you, my baby
Love
Karina