The first stop after leaving the canal was the San Blas Islands.  The islands of the archipelago are strung out along the Caribbean coast of Panama. San Blas is a series of 378 islands of which only 49 are inhabited by the fiercely independent Kuna Indians. The Kuna Indians, who run all the islands as an autonomous province  have their own economic system, language, customs and culture, with distinctive dress, legends, music and dance and thus have avoided traditional tourism development. San Blas is famous for one of its arts and crafts, the mola. Kuna women make rainbow colored fabrics, emblazoned with fish, birds, jungle animals and geometric designs that would impress Picasso himself. The men still fish from canoes as they did before Columbus came. They still run up to the corner coconut palm trees for something fresh and cool to drink each morning, just as they have for untold centuries.  These pictures were taken by my sweetheart while I relaxed and finish a Clive Cussler novels on board the ship.  She says I always miss the best things