Beware of The Wealthy Kuna's!

Sunday 6^th February

While we were exploring one of the islands today, Frieda stumbled across some plastic bags that had washed up on the beach; they were filled with a white powder.  At first she thought it was sugar or flour, and although curious, wisely decided not to touch them, and moved on leaving them where they lay. 

So much washes up on the beaches here, odd shoes mainly, there are shoes everywhere, then bottles and other various debris. 

However, we were looking for Tagua nuts, shells and interesting pieces of driftwood, not unidentified stuff in plastic bags.

Later that day while chatting to a local boater, who has lived in the San Blas for over a decade, Frieda mentioned the bags of white powder that she had seen.  “OH yes, that’s cocaine!” he said casually, then enthusiastically went on to tell us; apparently the drug runners from Colombia travel up and down the coast on the other side of the reef, an area which is frequently patrolled by the Colombian coastguard, who are making every attempt to curtail the distribution of drugs in these waters.  

When the drug runners see the coastguard they dump all their bags of cocaine over the side, so as not to be caught with it on board.  The bags are then washed up on the beaches of the various islands here.  Our boater friend went on to tell us that the Kuna sometimes find the bags and sell them; he said if you ever see a wealthy Kuna you know where he got his money!

I don’t know how much of this is true, and I hope I never find out.