1****  PROVISION IDEAS for boats that plan to spend more than a month in the San Blas.
From Rija on Queen of Hearts & Lisa on Sand Dollar, after 2 and 3 years in the area.

Larger villages such as Ustupu, Tigre, Playon Chico, Rio Sidra, Carti and Aligandi have small stores with basic food items, such as rice, oil, sardines, onions and potatoes, quality is not so good, but it's cheap. Be sure to try the Kuna bread.  It’s very good, often with a bit of coconut. There are two stores on Nargana that provide a better selection of products, but you have to time your shopping with the arrival of the fresh supplies. That's never 100% sure, as it depends on weather and sea conditions for their large, but open ulus. Tienda Eidi, located on Nargana and operated by Juliano has been the best stocked for the past couple of years.  Here you can find green peppers, carrots, cabbage, tomatoes, lettuce, avocado, broccoli, soda, and beer, sometimes wine, eggs, chicken. If you have to wait for the supplyboat's return, consider giving Juliano your list in advance (in Spanish, explain where necessary), they'll hold our order for you. Some items tend to get sold very quickly! Tienda Eidi also transports supplies to the near by islands, usually once every 3 weeks. When you are in the Coco Banderos, the Holandes Cays or Green Island listen to the VHF Ch 72, the local hailing station,  for the delivery schedule or if you're fluent in Spanish call them direct. If you are in need of special items you can ask Tienda Eidi to arrange for the purchase and delivery from Colon or Panama City (PC).  We bought a new outboard motor this way (Sand Dollar).  

Beware that there are other Kunas beginning to supply items to these typical cruising grounds, but they may ask for your money first, in order to buy the items for you.  Use caution when procuring items in this fashion - enough said. 

Near the mainland: 
Kuna farmers will pass by selling locally grown limes, pineapple, bananas, plantains, but don't count on it, they've got little to spare.

Outer islands, with individual families:
Kuna will pass offering fish, lobster, crab and octopus. When asked, they'll clean it for you. They like the head/bones for the 'sopa'. Watch your best filleting knife though, we had to chase ours by dinghy (QofH). Breeding season for lobster & crab is March through May, no catching is allowed. This is often not observed by individual Kuna, same for catching small ones. You can help by not buying and explaining that before long there won't be any left to sell. 
Hint: visit families in the afternoon and ask if there's any smoked fish they can sell. The women smoke them over coconut husks, covered by palmleaves. We (QofH) spent US$1 and got plenty for 2 persons, when cleaned. They're good with a boemboe in Indonesian food and as a salad. 

Colombia trader boats frequent the larger islands, many times we were able to buy items from them, including tomatoes, margarine, cucumbers, crackers, cookies and diesel fuel (always dirty, filter!).  Here you just have to ask if they have the things you need.  This worked well in the eastern San Blas as the trader boats head west.  On the return trip they typically have only provisions for the crew to eat. 

Daily airplanes from PC will deliver vegetables and fruit, maintenance items too. Find the airline office, or speak directly to a pilot. Give them a list and in a couple of days you'll get your items and a bill. You can also go yourself to PC and combine it with other necessary things, but you'll have to find someone to be on your boat.  Have your guests bring goodies from PC, they’ll always have to stay over 1 night. Bookings for the local  plane and a small inexpensive hotel can easily be done via internet. (we know hotel Europa & Marbella, conveniently near a Super 99 or El Rey, 24hrs. QofH)
Mark on Melody (USA), regularly doing the Cartagena-San Blas-Colon-run, usually has diesel for sale, can help with cooking gas, will take your food order or maintenance items and deliver for a reasonable charge.

You can eat out, it's fun and inexpensive. Try the little thatched cabin hotel on Los Grullos (Kuanidup), the restaurant in Porvenir or Nali’s Cafe in Nargana (next to Pablo's dinghy landing). The meals are all the same: fish (catch of the day), octopus stew or chicken, served with cabbage salad, rice, a beer or soft drink, costs are anything from US$ 3 to 5. You have to tell them you're coming and there are set hours for lunch & dinner. You can often get ice cream at Nali’s.

Hint: Kuna bread - Buy 10 to 15 of these, add a light coat of vinegar and storage the bread in the refrigerator. This will extend the life of the bread by several days. Makes great French toast too. 

Unexpected maintenance problems:
 Check for skills with longtime regulars: Guido on SeeAdler (Coco Bandeiros usually) is a skilled mecanic & can do stainless welding, Joe on  Jubilee does electronics, Reg on Runner, for local knowledge and help with a connector for local gasbottles and Mark on Melody can get you things if you’re stuck. Using VHF 72 (or 68, Italian cruisers) may give you amazing results. 

2****  WHAT TO BRING to the San Blas that's useful and may give you some trading advantage.
Maybe we state the obvious, but we'd like to say that  KUNA YALA is governed by the Kuna Indians independently and has, for hundreds of years, been able to maintain a sustainable, if simple, balanced economy and a well-developed social system. Do they really need help from the outside world? Discuss it while you're there, as we all did and count the bottles! But now you find yourselves anchored in someone's beautiful backyard and want to thank the family for their kindness; or you get to know Kunas, they tell you their problems and you'd like to help – read on.

The following list is to give you some ideas of what we found useful gifts. It focuses on improving skills, health related items and also some things we saw they just liked very much:
-  Sails or sail material, not too heavy. Theirs are patched with any old bit of cloth.
-  Waterproof material, (for travel in boats, roof for huts), sturdy giant size garbage bags.
-  Snorkel gear (and flippers) will give a young Kuna a chance to earn money catching lobster. 
-  Quick-dry shorts, T shirts, used clothes/shoes. (give to the Sahila in a village for distribution).
-  Fishing hooks, the larger type, with matching nylon line, used for the bigger fish at the outer reef. 
-  Sunglasses, sun screen, sunhat/cap, for the Albino Kuna adults and kids.
-  Sport balls, basket/soccer. For schools or local sports team. (Fun to join in a game too)
-  Creative material for schools, school material for families, they need pens, pencils, 
   Notebooks, colored pencils, felt tip pens. Schools resumes at the middle to end of February.
-  A good, nice-looking pen for the Secretary in a village, who'll write your anchoring receipt.
-  Reading glasses, for the older women to do smaller stitches in making molas (also men who
   like to read or are shopkeepers) Nrs.+2, +2.5, +3 are good, check it if you can.
-  Soap, shampoo, towels
-  Take pictures & print them for families or do a special photo for a Sahila during a festivity.
-  Teach English at a school or to youngsters asking for it. A small dictionary is a good gift.
-  Nail polish for younger women
-  Decorated hair elastic bands for girls, till 14 they'll have long hair, then it's cut. (initiation ceremony)
-  Magazines (be discreet please), picturebooks in Spanish or beginner's English.
-  Cigarettes (& a nice-looking lighter) for the Congresso or Sahila, for chicha fuerte festivities.
   Normally Kuna don't smoke, but it's always part of chica festas.
-  Sweets, cookies, cake etc. Sharing is normal among the Kuna, give it to the mother and all will 
   get some. Care for children's teeth? Try to buy some healthy snacks (or bake) with honey or
   nuts, raisins, saltines with sesame, etc. Available in small packages in Cartagena.
-  New, plain T-shirts or tops, for the women to decorate with mola design and sell. You can get one free
    or more for a low price, because of the gift.

We found that Kuna women don't appreciate needles, scissors, colored thread. The local needles are very thin, eminently suited to their work;  thread and material colors need to match the mola material. 
Molas meane typically cash for the women, trading them for food or other items doesn’t work, but it may keep the price down. Do negotiate!
       
For the outer islands. Families live here for a month or more to gather coconuts, a cashcrop, do not help yourself to the coconuts. Trees have owners,  inherited through the women. Families in individual huts may come from different villages. Drinking water and food is brought in, but they may run out, the weather is bad so ulu can't travel. They may ask for water (by now watermakers are known) or food, like rice, sugar, coffee, powdered milk, condensed milk, avéna (oatmeal), crackers, canned food. You can usually trade for fish or lobster etc. Kids are always the first to welcome you. If you have  kids yourself you may want to, unobstrusively, check for eye infections or skin disease, which are contageous. It didn't prevent us to play with them, but back on board  we did wash thoroughly with an antibacterial soap. Dettol (dissolved in water) is very good too. You can also help by giving them these items, clean rags or cotton wool and a good skin ointment (Nestocyl). Eye drops from my medical kit worked too, but they should consult a doctor.  Lice: in checking out molas or otherwise in close contact, be aware of that possibility. (no headscarve and you without hat). Have a lice-comb and medication in your medical kit, just in case.

Last but not least, you can also bring no presents at all, you'll be just as welcome! 
Your dollars, spent to buy molas, fish and seafood will stimulate the local economy in a good way.
We hope this has helped to give you some ideas, give us yours if you can? 
Enjoy tour time there!