We spent Christmas Day anchored in the Coco Bandero Cays of the San Blas Islands. A beautiful
spot nestled in the middle of three small islets, two spouting palm trees and one barren sand
dune in the sea. The wind was constant at 15 kts for the past 2 days and it is a bit choppy in the
anchorage, although we are protected from open ocean swell by a thick barrier reef that lies
outside the three islets. There are three other boats here, with a day charter cat visi􀆟ng for a
few hours before departing prior to sundown. We had a lovely Christmas morning breakfast of
chocolate chip pancakes, rosemary sausage from Martnique, and kiwi slices. Following that, we
were visited by a lovely small dugout canoe with a local guna native, his wife, a sister or cousin
and her three month old daughter complete with Santa hat. They asked to have their phones
charged which we happily obliged and they left them with us to return in the afternoon. They
explained that their home was several small islands to the SE, and we could see it from the
deck, a good hour away by paddling in their boat. Impressed I was at the beauty of these
people, always smiling, always asking us our names, and always calmly discussing the needs
they seek or wears for sale. The size of their boats, or really the pe􀆟te nature of them, is
impressive as three or four people will be in a 12 – 14ft dugout, perfectly balanced, with 1/8 to
a ¼ of the boat filled with water. Their phones were handed off in a small plastic bag and off
they went, stating their return in the later afternoon to retrieve the charged devices.
We then piled in our dingy and headed over to two of the nearby reefs. We took turns leaving
one person on the dingy while the others snorkeled the coral below. This was the best
snorkeling of the area, as the small islets were mostly shallow sandy bottom entrances into
deeper channels and supported only small coral heads that lay near the surface. These were
only inches below the water surface and there was significant chop flowing through them due
to the constant wind. The shallow sand flats quickly fell off to deeper channels of 20 meters or
so, where we observed stingrays, a nurse shark, needle fish, and jack fish, along with the typical
Caribbean reef species. Along one of the shallow islet shores, Natalie and I found ourselves
immersed in hundreds, if not thousands, of small silver fish swimming with the current in a
swarm along the shore. It was magnificent. As we surfaced, five pelicans not too far ahead
were diving into the fish school for lunch.

We next made a short visit to the treeless islet and walked along the silky sand shore, but no
snorkeling here, just a beau􀆟ful feel of turquoise warm water across our feet and the velvet
massage of the sand as our feet moved through the grains. Back to Galini and we were deciding
on dinner plans when we were visited by a different dugout with two men selling a couple of
jack fish they had just speared. We bought the larger one, around 3 pounds, for $15 and our
dinner meal plans were made. As I prepared to skin the fish, the family returned for their
phones, but this time it was the man, his wife, and their two young sons. My guess was the
boys were around 6 ‐7 years old. Their canoe was painted blue in the stern and a burnt red
along the sides. The man was the lone source of power, with a single ended short handled
paddle. Amazed again, as the left, heading for another hour or so in open water to get back to
their small islet. In the bag with their phones, we tossed in some chocolate cookies, a couple of
phone dry bags that I had not been using for some time, and a few pencils that the kids might
use.

Oh, the jack fish was then pan seared following a flour, egg, and corn meal dusting, flavored
with salt, pepper, smoked paprika, and argyle seasoning. Backed with saffron rice, green beans
garnished with Rotel, steamed broccoli, and whole meal baked bread. Great finish to a
wonderful day. I then retreated to the cockpit and was overwhelmed with a spiritual feeling of
peace, grateful to be given the gifts of a cruising lifestyle, a magnificent boat in Galini, my family
and their love, and a power greater than myself that allows all of these wonders in the world to
come together in the most unlikely chaos that is the living beauty of our world.