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We awoke early to make our 6:00 AM fight to Guna Yala. Eric was waiting at 5:00 AM and was very kind to give us a gift- a beach towel with a map of Panama on it.
We checked in at the regional airport and boarded the 12 passenger prop plane. The flight was nice- we could look out the window and see the interior of Panama. The landing was exciting! The short runway, which is used as a soccer field after the early morning flights, is sandwiched between tall hills and the ocean. The plane dives down over the mountain and comes to a quick stop just short of the water.
The Yandup Island Lodge staff met us at the plane and helped us load our backpacks on to the small boat that would carry us to the island. Yandup Island might be the size of an American football field, yet it has all the basic ammenities one could want while staying in this pristine area comprised of 365 islands. Guna Yala is a comarca with autonomous control by the indigenous people, the Guna. They survive by fishing and collecting coconuts that are shipped to nearby Colombia.
After breakfast, we headed to the beach. The beaches here are amazing- they look like the deserted islands you would want to be left on. Matthew, Steve, Megan, and Chris went snorkling while Abby and I explored the waters closer to the shore. A starfish was found, as well as a puffy sanddollar and a live conch.
We returned to our little island and cleaned up for lunch. The Yandup Island Lodge is the Ritz of the Guna Yala area. It has private bathrooms in each cabana. They are currently working on providing hot water, but since the tank sits in the sun, the water temperature is tolerable. The individual units are built in the traditional thatched style and are over the water, making the lack of air conditioning a non-issue.
Lunch was pescado entero (the whole fish, lightly fried). After a few years of travel in Central America, I have grown accustomed to a meal that stares back at me.
In the afternoon, we headed for the village. This is one of the things I really wanted the children to experience. Playon Chico is a village of 3,000 people. 60% of them are children. The homes are packed tightly together and are small thatched buildings with dirt floors. There is no plumbing and no electricity. The Panamanian government is starting to supply each family with a single solar panel, but this is a project in the works. Most surprising to me was the lack of cell phones. I have visited villages in Nicaragua and Guatemala that are very traditional, yet have cell service. I was not aware of any bright red Claro dishes in Playon Chico. Most people never leave this village.
I wanted Matthew and Abby to see that not everyone has a 3DS. There are places that have no Walmarts or grassy backyards or the other things we all so take for granted.
As soon as we stepped off the boat and into the village, it became apparent that not many light skinned, blue eyed children visit the village. Especially Abby, with her round cheeks and almost blond hair, was quite the spectacle. Children emerged from between houses and unseen alleyways to look at Abby. They pointed and giggled as Abby hid behind my legs. "Tell them hola," I instructed. "No! They are making fun of me," she replied. We talked about how it was very likely thet had never seen a little girl like her. Eventually, she relaxed. A lot. As children joined the entourage that reached close to 30 or 40 at times, Abby coolly waved and gave them an sweet, coy 'Hola' in true celebrity fashon. Matthew, my adventurer, was quick to strike up conversations with the fascinated children and a few boys were bold enough to draw closer to him. Though his Spanish is limited, he used it very well. These interactions were wonderful to see and a highlight of this mommy's trip.
It is common practice to ask the Guna for permission to take photographs of people. In return, a dollar is expected. I so wanted pictures of the children together, but could not afford to pay off the entire mob that followed us. I asked our guide what to do and he took Steve & me in to an unassuming little building where he told me to give the woman $6. Steve was carrying the money and looked at me quizzically when I asked for funding. When she returned, she carried a box with 100 pieces of bubblegum. It was a great investment! Matthew was able to share it with his new friends and I could capture these moments on film.
During all of this excitement, we were able to purchase traditional handiwork. The Mola, a type of reverse quilting, is for what the Guna are known. I found a colorful square I liked and Abby found one with butterflies.
We returned to Yandup Island for dinner and an early night. We slept quickly and well!
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