Shelter Bay Marina at Fort Sherman.In the eastern San Blas.Once in the eastern San Blas towards the Columbian border, it was pretty much just the RC Louise and the ulus. IMGP0008Sailing ulus go out fishing beyond the reefs. The outer reefs harbor, among other things, limpets. Snug Harbor, searching for limpets to eatEddie and Steve at the western Coco BanderasIMGP001910Robin, Steve, and Eddie Aggressive mosquito control Firefly on Sail Rock at Porvenir Vain attempt to pull boat off at the entrance to the West Lemmons Corn meal arepas for breakfast Isla Tigre DSCN2867Always a project Playon Chica DSCN2901Snug Harbor DSCN2915DSCN291924Islandia DSCN2949San Blas hotels, small in number, come and goDSCN2971Robin and Eddie Mola makers aboard DSCN3004Emperor helmet shell, the Hollandes Cayes Rio Diablo with FedericoHere you can bathe and wash laundry. Up river from here, no motors and water is for drinking. DSCN3025Mangroves at Snug HarborDSCN3087MamitupuRiver at MamitupuWY family arrives by water taxi from Carti to AcuadupDSCN3169DSCN3176Grandpa gets Neil goingDSCN3179Owen and NeilSushi makingDSCN3189Dishes for seven aboard, doing on the swim step in salt waterA menagerie of sailboats plies the San BlasNorwegian herring fishing boat built in 1907Neil and RyleeAli, Neil, Owen, and Dad Clayphoto untouchedDSCN3214DSCN3216Most nights we had fish for dinner, small coastal jacks etc. PortobeloDSCN3226Does everybody have a family photo that looks like the album cover?Spanish fortificationsPainting of Kuna woman with ubiquitous green parrot petDSCN3232DSCN3239Dad and daughterDSCN3250SlothDSCN3256Every boat needs a bimini in the tropics.DSCN3258All aboardSteve's wound, .....tropical bacteria run wildDSCN3281Capuchin monkeys eating guavas for breakfasta five minute walk from the marina docksDSCN3315Our previous boat was Hannah, a Mason 44 a lot like this blue one. The Boreal is completely different, and way cool.Shelter Bay is always entertaining...with all sorts of vessels. Alfa Nero, M&M fortune heir, was for charter for $1 million per week for 12. Cruisers...and the pick up band...before they took their clothes off.Kids aboard checking out our books. 8283Antonio Zarco, who trained the US astronauts on jungle survival in case the capsule crashed in jungle.Motmot bird. 86 (2)As the populations grow on small islands, they are extended by hauling in rocks and coral. 8889 (2)Water for the island of Nargana is all hauled by dugout. 91 (2)92Mateo in his garden. Quatro Altos shopping center, where the marina bus goes twice daily. Considered safe, but the DQ has an armed guard as there are still shoot outs here. Downtown Colon. The Smithsonian has a long standing presence in the jungle around the canal. Middle class Colon, on our way to see the dentist. IMGP0036 (1)The Titan was built in the 1940s in Nazi Germany, captured by the Allies as war booty, shipped to California for 50 years, then sold to the Panama Canal Authority where the dredging division uses it. IMGP0036 (2)Gamboa. IMGP0038Mamitupu folks padde to the mainland at the end of the day to catch blue land crabs in the dark.Balboa and Morgan and Drake and the California miners of 1849 walked here. IMGP0053The builders of the canal.IMGP0054IMGP0057The Pipeline trail, famed for Christmas Day Audobon bird counts. The Zonistas lived in a stratified and segragated society manifest in its architecture; the higher up the hill in Gamboa, the higher class. Wreck off Aligandi. Original site of Panama City.Steve and Mateo at Mateo's Gamboa B & B, the only place to stay to get to know the local history.In the work yard to paint the bottomThere are in fact reefs everywhere, and one is never far from them. Mateo's backyard.The San Blas, except for one road, are served by small airstrips and water taxis. Robin and Eddie from Hood River.The Smithsonian has a long standing presence in the jungle around the canal, and is building a new facility. Our new washing device...a plunger that creates suctionSalt plus metalThe back of someone's boat card...where they have beenDSCN2698Waterfront in Bocas townLos banosOur only Christmas decoration, made by McKinsey and Lane DSCN2790Before ChristmasAfter ChristmasGreen Acres Chocolate FarmSloth. The one fact everyone knows is they leave their trees once weekly to defecate. Community in the mangroves at the edge of Bocas town.Kids in the neighborhood with boardwalksThe coast off Cusapin. A panga capsized here this year and three people drowned. Table top trees planted to provide fiber ties for bananas