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Got up at 5am and headed to San Blas Islands which are an archipelago of 365 islands off Panama coast in the Caribbean, home to Kuna Indian people. They run San Blas as an autonomous region and see themselves as being independent of Panama. They have their own system of governance, culture, traditions, language etc. They inhabit only a small number of the islands, the others are uninhabited. Most of them live on a few Islands in bamboo shacks which are very close together, hardly any walking space! ..just a bit of history or geography for you....They are not overly friendly to tourists (despite being lovely people) but that is understandable as most tourists just want to take photos of them and they they see tourism as a treat to their lifestyle.
We took a jeep to San Blas, with the most awful driver ever. He could hardly see over the steering wheel, in fact I don't think he could see full stop. He had his foot on and off the brakes all the way there, going about 5km per hour! Anyway arrived there safely (surprisingly) and caught a Launcha down the river (past a Kuna burial ground...see photo) and then across the sea to one of the main Islands...which you can walk around in about 10 minutes. The Island is jam packed with bamboo huts, it is a completely different world. We stayed in the house of a family (brother of one of the guys who works at the hostel in Panama City).It was two stories, on the ground level was one open room where the family slept in hammocks (everyone on the Island sleeps in hammocks), makeshift kitchen and dinner table. Upstairs was where the backpackers slept. Outside was a bamboo shower, under the stars, with 2 big drums of water and some kind of shell which you use to scoop water up to wash yourself! It was brilliant...and if anyone was looking out the window up stairs they could watch you shower. The toilet was a little walk from the house, to the waters edge where again you had bamboo and leaves around the toilet, again under the stars, and the hole for the toilet was straight into the sea. In fact you could sit on the toilet and watch the tropical fish feasting!! It was fun going to the toilet at night in the rain....you get a shower at the same time.
We arrived mid morning and after breakfast we were whisked away on a launcha to an Island for the day. The trip to the Island was about an hour and on the way we passed about 20 other islands...all of which are out of this world! The Island we were left at for the day was the most beautiful beach I have ever seen! The Island was tiny, about 2 minutes to walk around it. The beach was white and the water like a swimming pool! We were in paradise!!!!!
At lunch time the launcha dropped off fresh fish and rice and salad for lunch and left us again for the afternoon. There was one small family was living on the island in a hut and we brought fresh coconuts from them to drink and eat!
We were fetched from the Island at about 4 or 5 and headed back to the village! After dinner of fish again, yummy, we went for a wander around the village. Everyone was out and about and there was some kind of event happening at the school where there were 2 Santa's and lots of kids...we think playing bingo. A few of us went to the local museum at about 10 or 11 pm...yes it was open and was about 4m x 4m ...so tiny. Before we could say anything someone had run off to find the guy who owns and runs the museum. He eventually arrived and was very very drunk, but insisted on giving us the lowdown on the museum and Kuna people etc. One of the guys with us had been through this the day prior, (when the guy was sober) and apparently it was quite a different session! Despite not learning too much , it was highly amusing, and the best museum lecture I have ever had! The poor guy, we had dragged him away from his drinking, and he was apparently also the ¨Santa Director¨
Sunna, Jonina and I shared a room with mattresses on the floor and only half a wall between us and outside. This started off being great as the breeze was coming in, until it started to rain later in the night and everyone got wet! Although we did have our own Xmas tree in the room.
The next day was similar except we went to another Island, just as beautiful and spent the day there. You can even have your own Island for the night if you want!
After 2 days of bliss it was time to head back to Panama City. It was the most beautiful place, and amazing to see how the Kuna people live....I would love to go back one day! All in all a great experience
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