DARIEN RIVER, PANAMA - March/April 2010

The waters that have been a lucid green now begin take on a murky olive to tan as we get closer to the mouth of the river. A local fishing boat hails us and we buy a very large Corvina (sea bass) for $8 and a box of orange juice- ceviche tonight.
Not many sailors take this trek up the rivers that empty into the Gulf of San Miguel. We did a sleigh ride on an incoming tide @ 9 knots and anchored for 2 nights off the village of Las Palmas before exploring 3 large rivers in the area – the Rios Cucunati, Sabana, and Truira. Motoring up the Rio Truira at an incoming tide on Good Friday we crossed paths with three identical motor boats carrying casks and manned by soldiers in camouflage suits with no identifying labels. They look extremely surprised to see us. Pati and I immediately went into “dumb gringo” mode and waved as we go pass them. You could see they were trying to figure out what to do but since they were going down river on a fast moving current they stayed their course and we breathed a sigh of relief. No doubt they were members of the FARC, drug running guerillas from Columbia using the river to smuggle their drugs on a day when no one (except us) was using the river.

We followed a supply boat and managed to anchor and take the dinghy up to the end of the river to the town of Yaviza, which is at the end of the Pan American Highway. Here we obtained gas, some veggies and walked , a real “turn of the century” western type town. The river was very shoaled and on our return trip we got caught in the mud and had to push the dinghy. Upon returning to the boat our chain was covered with branches and small trees. Next day up the Rio Sabana we visited Boca de Lara, a community of Wounaan and Embera indigenous Indians (famously known for exquisite basket weaving, sculpting of Tagua and body tattoos) took a tour of the local school and met a French family of father and two children who were visiting.
Anchored in the Rio Cucunati we were visited by a local ‘wildlife’ boat and a local family who brought their family pets aboard (two parrots in a basket) and traded us shrimp for boat goodies (cookies, cokes) and toured our boat. We went ashore and visited their home a small and simple house with minimal possessions. But their smiles and happy dispositions made up for any lack of material goods.
After exploring for 5 days and avoiding the silted in banks and high tides we started our journey toward Ecuador.  SEE OUR JOURNEY BELOW

Make a free slideshow