Cool Stuff Archives - Chasing Panama

What is a Mola?

Craig and I have been collecting them for 2-3 years now and want to share with you what exactly a Mola is, as well as a little history behind them.

Nancy holding a Mola — our first mola purchase

Molas are brightly colored textiles created by the indigenous Gunas of the Kuna Yala Comarca from the San Blas region of Panamá. Mola means “cloth” or “clothing” in the Kuna language. These panels of stacked cloth are used to make women’s blouses or upper garments. The colorful layers of cloth are cut, and hand sewn into designs for fronts and backs of Kuna women’s blouses.

The tradition is characterized by tiny, fine stitches, bold designs and bright colors. The traditional designs range from complex geometric patterns to depictions of turtles, jungle birds and other things found in the Kuna environment. Over time however, Molas started to evolve with the changing times and include references to the modern world. An important concept in the creation of a Mola is to leave as little unworked space as possible as the Kunas believe that evil spirits can settle into the free spaces. And the more finely crafted a Mola is, as well as the number of panels, the more valuable it becomes.

The Mola originated with the tradition of Guna women painting their bodies with geometric designs using available natural colors. In later years these same designs were woven in cotton upon the arrival of the Spaniards and missionaries who brought their wares to Panamá.

Over the decades, Molas were increasingly marketed to tourists. Today, Mola panels have many uses. They can be framed as art or made into pillows, place mats, wall hangings, or even face masks. They have become a major source of income for the Kuna people.

Our Mola Collection

We have been collecting molas for the past 2-3 years now. Initially I just wanted souvenirs for the family back home in the USA. It has since turned into a bit of a passion to share these beautiful pieces of art to the world.

Early on in our Panamá adventure, we became fast friends with Remy, a Kuna working in the hospitality and tourism industry in Panama City. We always stayed in touch and met up with him whenever we were in the city. As it turns out, his mother and other family members still make these molas!

molas in production — a few molas currently in production

Needless to say, our home will be decorated with molas that were beautifully matted and framed by Craig. And, we will also have some available for sale, either unframed or completely ready to hang. If interested, please feel free to contact me.

Hope you enjoyed reading a bit about Kuna Yala molas!

A Guide for Living and Retiring in Panama (2020)

Having taken a Panama Relocation Tour in August of 2018, I can vouch for the quality of this tour. It was one of the wisest investments we could have made. See a list of testimonials here. Taking the Panama Relocation Tour allowed us to see for ourselves that Panama was he right move for us. It gave us the confidence to move full steam ahead, knowing Jackie would also be there for us AFTER the tour as well.

Jackie has put together this Ultimate Guide to living in Panama to introduce you to Panama and all of the major topics that you’ll want to know before considering a move there. They have been operating since 2010 and have helped over 1,800 people discover if living in Panama is right for them. If you don’t have time to read the whole guide all at once, there is another version of the guide that is broken up into 8 emails. Just enter your details and you will be on your way to receiving your 1st of 8 emails detailing different topics.

Amigos de Animales Boquete

A Day at the Clinic

Yesterday Nancy and I volunteered at the local spay and neuter clinic. Its mission is to provide low cost spaying and neutering of dogs and cats in the Boquete area and to promote the general welfare of the animals. There used to be a substantial amount of stray animals in the area and town itself; packs of stray dogs and feral cats roaming the streets with no access to care or sterilization. There are far fewer strays now than there used to be but the work goes on. There is a lot more information on the website: https://www.aadab.org/ I can’t say enough good things about the founders and volunteers of this organization; they are all just splendid people. Nancy and I live here now and we want to help our community and this is one of the ways we have chosen to do that.

So we decided to volunteer. The day before we had attended a brief orientation and training session but we were still unprepared for the actual clinic. We arrived at 7:30 in the morning and the parking lot was full and there was a line of owners and their pets going around the building waiting their turn for spaying and neutering! There were a lot of people volunteering to make this all work. There was a kitchen set up to feed the volunteers and provide snacks and refreshments for the owners, there was a intake area, a space where ten or so operating tables were set up and a recovery area. We were amazed but we were quickly put to work. I was to help at the intake – I helped weigh the animals, hold them still enough for the anesthesia, mark their tags with their weight and dose of medication, and line them up for the actual surgery. There were large dogs, small dogs, medium sized dogs, dogs with owners, stray dogs, cats in pet carriers, stray cats brought in in traps; just an amazing quantity of animals. And the animals were all understandably nervous and jumpy. It was hard work: getting the animals to hold still on the scales and holding them for the anesthetic injections, and lining them up for the next step. Some of the cats were too hard to control and had to be put in bags; cats don’t like being put in bags and between their teeth and claws they made it as difficult as possible! Nancy worked in the recovery area with the large dogs (we are both “dog” people no doubt). She moved them, checked their temperature, and helped them recover from the anesthesia, and got them ready to go back to their owners. Very hard work but very rewarding! We made it to the early afternoon when my back could not take any more bending and lifting, and Nancy was sore from the waist down from spending the day moving large dogs around on the floor. By the time we left close to two-hundred animals and been attended to and there seemed to be no end of the flow!

So that’s how we spent out day yesterday in Panamá. We are both still sore from the experience but we will be back to do this again soon!

Saludos, Craig

Panama Relocation Tours

For anyone interested in retiring in Panama, I highly recommend Panama Relocation Tours. Craig and I took the tour in August 2018 and were very impressed. Let me say that so many of your questions and concerns will be answered by Jackie Lange, the owner. You will receive your own personal Guide Book that you can refer to after the tour. You will meet an immigration attorney who will answer your questions, meet expats who have made Panama their home, and visit various places from Panama City, to Coronado, to Las Tablas, David, Boquete, and more.

Almost immediately after the tour, we initiated the Visa process with Attorney Marcos Kraemer. I cannot say enough nice things about our experience with him. I will report on this in another post.

While on the tour, we met some great people from various places throughout the US and Canada, and also South Africa. Some of these people are in the process of getting their Residency Visas as well. It was wonderful meeting so many people from all over, all with the desire to live in Panama being our common denominator.

You will be greeted on the first day of the tour in Panama City where Jackie will meet and greet everyone on the tour and give a talk. You will also get a chance to talk to an immigration lawyer and ask him/her questions. After that, you head out into a very comfortable air conditioned Panama Relocation Bus. While we drive, Jackie picks different topics each day to talk about. You learn not only the good things, but the not so good as well. And for us, the good far outweighs the not so good. If you have questions she can’t answer, she will find out for you and have an answer for you. Even after the tour, Jackie will respond to your questions and continue to help you. You will also have access to a private Facebook Group for Relocation Tour Alumni where you can chat with other alumni and is another vital resource.

If you are looking to get away from the cold northern winters and are looking for a warm escape for retirement, I recommend you have a look at Panama. You can have it all there…from the metropolitan city of Panama City, to David, the 2nd largest city, to sleepy beach towns, expat communities, mountains towns where the climate is spring-like all year long. And, you don’t have to be a millionaire, there are many affordable options, from being in a gated community and having all the amenities you are used to, to very inexpensive options.

I also want to mention that Panama Relocation Tours WILL NOT try to sell you real estate! They are a pure “Boots on the Ground” tour in which you will get to see “The Real Panama.”

Our experiences with the people of Panama are pretty amazing. Life is at a slower pace and it shows. The smiles on everyone’s faces show how much they love their country. We met a lot of warm and friendly Panamanians who we like to call friends.

In my opinion, there really is no other way than to invest in taking this tour. You will become equipped with the knowledge to help you move forward with your decision to move to Panama.