San Blas Islands

So I’m back in Panama City after going to San Blas islands instead of Colon. If it wasn’t for an Israeli backpacker I met at Voyager Hostel in Panama City I would have missed one of the most cultural and scenic trips to date. To get to these remote islands we had to take a three hours jeep ride through the unpaved jungle roads. San Blas is an untouched pristine archipelago. It is located near the Columbian border and is home to some 40,000 Kuna Indians who have preserved there cultural, livelihood and distinct separation from the citizens of Panama.

For two days I stayed with a family headed by a jovial man named Arquimedez Fernandez or “arqui”. His large family was very hospitable and engaging. The Kuna people have there own language. While many know Spanish, few know English. The Kuna are known for there idyllic lifestyle and impressive skill of making molas textiles. The Mola is the famous fabric and pattern many Kuna sell and wear as their traditional dress.

The hammock is god in Kuna land. They of course sleep in hammocks but also do much more. Such as…everything. They spend most of the day in the hammock. When they are not cooking or fetching water, you are guaranteed to find Kuna members lounging in their respective hammocks. During important village meetings you will find tribe leaders speaking while leisurely resting in a hammock. Possibly the most unconventional use of the hammock is attributed to how they burry their dead in hammocks. Yes, in hammocks. And if that wasn’t enough they burry their domesticated animals in hammocks within the family grave to boot.

The daily trips to the surrounding islands were at the least surreal. Picture perfect Caribbean holiday postcard images are the running theme of San Blas islands. Sitting on a small naturally manicured island with one or two huts housed by indigenous Kuna Indians is a common trait among the 450 postcard islands. Shades of turquoise waters dominate the area while dolphins and ship wrecks are abundant. While basking in the Carribean sun and gazing out to sea, my mind wonders and thinks about all the past and present voyages that sailed through the area. There are countless shipwrecks reportly carrying invaluable treasures still at large. Currently the Kuna Yala is a popular transit for massive drug cartels orginating in Columbia destined for the States. With all this exciting history one can only wonder what the furture holds for this magical area of the world.

The Kuna lifestyle has thrive through the centries. They have gained policital and social autonomy and have been described of being one of the most organized indigenous people of the world. I´m glad that I choose these tranquil islands opposed to the notorious Bocas Del Toro islands near Costa Rica.