Trip to Panama, Part 3

 I am not sure what tree this was, I just thought it was interesting. (I have been told that its breadfruit)

 A beautiful catamaran parked near the islands.

 The dock on our island

 Our boat was out in the water so the boatman stripped down to his underwear and swam out after it.

 And pulled it to the dock

 Back in Panama City (and civilization) with the molas I purchased spread out on my bed, ready for me to take the blouses apart.

 My room was a studio with a cute little kitchenette

 And a table for eating.

And even flat screen TV.  What more could you want?  OK!  There was a Casino across the street and a McDonalds up the block

Trip to Panama Part 2

 Another view from the balcony

 The parrot loved to visit me upstairs

 He kept wanting to steal my shoe laces

 Families gathered in the evening for ball games in the open square

 The parrot was acting out at dinner time

 So the owner's daughter took him for a time out on the fence

 Views from the dock

Thread for sale at a store on one of the large islands

Trip to Panama, Part 1

 Spring means its time for my more or less annual trip to the San Blas Islands off Panama to purchase molas.  The lodge where I stayed had a gorgeous (spoiled) pet parrot. 

 Garbage on the next lot which was part of the view from the lodge balcony (as well as the ocean)

 A young boy fishing (actually bailing  at the moment) from a boat near the lodge

 A typical dugout canoe

 A house had burned down here and not been replaced leaving an open area

 Allmost every island has a school where the children learn in Spanish.  Many of the older people don't speak it.

 This is what you get for $90 a night.  That's tape on the floor between the boards.

 The toilets and cold shower are downstairs.

The inland view from the top floor of the lodge.

Mola Jacket- the First Orange Jacket

Here is the first "Orange" Jacket. Well, ok, it started out to be orange and this is what happened. It is made from various large and small strips of a variety of black fabrics to give it interest. The small molas in this photo are all from my trips to the San Blas Islands. There is a bit of beading (by me) on the front molas.
The top mola of the cats was purchased on the street in Panama City. It is now getting harder and harder for me to find quality molas in Panama City. The two dancing ladies on the bottom mola are a popular mola theme. Both of these molas are beaded (by me) Some couched red cording defines the back section.

Mola for Sale

I am still making an attempt to downsize my stash of molas . This is a particularly beautiful one of a boy on a bird, The writing is "Pequeno Nijs" or Little Nijs. I don't know what Nijs means other than a name. The Kuna tell their children that babies are brought into the world on the backs of animals such as this giant bird. The workmanship is fantastic. Note the detail and tiny stitches on the face. And the tiny appliqued triangles, and the ric rac like like trim under NIJS on the right. That is all applique.
There are even embroidered bows on the shoes. And note the beautiful embroidery via tiny tiny stitches all over the mola. I can't imagine how long that took.
The stripes on the wings are all fine applique. And the blue bows on his overalls are also appliqued.


SOLD

Mola Tops

For several years I have been wearing summer tops made from rayon sarongs which I purchased in Southeast Asia. This year I decided to repeat the style, using some of the handwoven fabric which I purchased in Southeast Asia and decorating it with some of the molas which I have collected in Panama. I can wear them year round. As you see them in the summer, and over a long sleeved turtleneck shirt in the winter. This one is a wonderful indogo ikat. The mola is one I purchased two years ago from my guide on the San Blas Islands Orlando's daughter. This side celebrates the successful 1925 uprising of the Kuna against the Panamian government. The other side of the blouse has the mola from the other side of Orlando's daughter's blouse. This is one of the nicest molas I ever found, depicting Columbus's discovery of America.

Some hand woven purple ikat which i purchased in Nong Khai Thailand. The mola is an applique type made specifically for tourists. The Kuna do not wear this type and make them strictly for sale.

The other side of the shirt.

Panama and Molas

This is the Airport building in Carti. No "newfangled" stuff such as electricity or control tower. The "waiting" area is a couple of benches under the roof on the left where the man is standing. That is where the barefoot airport manager with his little orange vest checks you in with his clipboard, listing your name, age, weight, nationality and passport number. (You worry that some of this might be so that they can notify your Embassy if there is a crash. Actually there was one a few years ago near one of the Islands with all hands lost) . The manager gives you tickets for your bags but no boarding pass so you are pretty much on your own till the plane comes. This also appears to be the waiting room for the Overland route through the jungle to the main road to Panama City. A group had gathered for this and one pulled up ( a very sturdy four wheel drive with a huge baggage carrier on top) which people piled on for the jarring trip. When we heard the "plane wasn't coming" it was very tempting to take it. The sort of restaurant was in the right hand door but didn't appear to be open. The "new" trend in Molas. Using a print for the base and then embellishing it. I found this on a number of molas around various islands. Usually it was an abstract print, such as the one below, with just one of two areas containing fabric appliqued over the design. They were easy to spot even from a distance. The one below fooled me. I didn't realize it was a print until I began taking the blouse apart. On the other hand the work on this is absolutely expert. A piece of orange fabric was overlaid on the print and then cut away over the design. And the other colors were added. The only "print" showing is the black and white. Click on the photo to enlarge it. While this one is wonderful I see it as a disturbing trend.

A Few of the Molas Which I Purchased in Panama

I just returned from a trip to Panama tonight and here are a few of the molas which I purchased. (June 30...the mola on the top left with the crowns is sold.)

(June 30...the mola on the bottom right with the two people is sold)

More Molas

Here are more "regular" molas. I will be putting up photos of the appliqued pieces later today. You can click on any photo for larger views.