San Blas Islands, Panama
Who would believe us if we said that, on vacation, we woke up at 5:15 am willingly!? Well, we did. We hopped on our Zodiacs and were greeted by a great egret and mangrove forests. A little later, the forest woke up and an array of bird calls could be heard around us: collared aracaris, streaked flycatchers, kingfishers, tanagers, hawks, and wrens; we even saw a spectacled caiman and plenty of basilisk lizards, also known as Jesus Christ lizards, for their ability to run on water.
Later that day, we disembarked in Dog Island were more beach activities awaited us: snorkeling around a sunken ship, swimming, kayaking, scuba diving, and of course, some more mola shopping.
The Kuna Indians live in the San Blas Archipelago, just off the east coast of Panama. Some also live on a narrow mainland strip and in small towns across the South American border in Colombia. These areas comprise the “Kuna Yala Comarca” and this is also the world of molas. Molas are brightly colored appliqué panels used to make the backs and fronts of Kuna women’s traditional blouses.
Girls learn to make molas when they are very young – around 4-5 years old and by the time they marry, they are consummated artists. One woman may spend up to 100 hours making one mola, and they look into their own lives and the world around them for design ideas. Geometric shapes, mazes, and abstract patterns are common choices. It is believed that the Kunas practiced decorative body painting and that these designs were translated into mola designs. But anything a woman notices during a regular day might find its way into a mola, including our faithful vessel, the Sea Voyager.
Who would believe us if we said that, on vacation, we woke up at 5:15 am willingly!? Well, we did. We hopped on our Zodiacs and were greeted by a great egret and mangrove forests. A little later, the forest woke up and an array of bird calls could be heard around us: collared aracaris, streaked flycatchers, kingfishers, tanagers, hawks, and wrens; we even saw a spectacled caiman and plenty of basilisk lizards, also known as Jesus Christ lizards, for their ability to run on water.
Later that day, we disembarked in Dog Island were more beach activities awaited us: snorkeling around a sunken ship, swimming, kayaking, scuba diving, and of course, some more mola shopping.
The Kuna Indians live in the San Blas Archipelago, just off the east coast of Panama. Some also live on a narrow mainland strip and in small towns across the South American border in Colombia. These areas comprise the “Kuna Yala Comarca” and this is also the world of molas. Molas are brightly colored appliqué panels used to make the backs and fronts of Kuna women’s traditional blouses.
Girls learn to make molas when they are very young – around 4-5 years old and by the time they marry, they are consummated artists. One woman may spend up to 100 hours making one mola, and they look into their own lives and the world around them for design ideas. Geometric shapes, mazes, and abstract patterns are common choices. It is believed that the Kunas practiced decorative body painting and that these designs were translated into mola designs. But anything a woman notices during a regular day might find its way into a mola, including our faithful vessel, the Sea Voyager.
