Joseph's Unbelievable Weekend in the San Blas Islands
The following is a very detailed account of my weekend so...grab a coffee, or a beer and enjoy.
San Blas is a province of Panama that is largely occupied by the Kuna Indians. The area I was going to was the western most part of the province. The plane ride from the Paitilla airport (5 minutes from my house) to the Porvenir island runway was about 45 minutes. We were in a very small and noisy ten-seater plane. I got to see the country side from the Pacific to the Atlantic. As I was approaching the Atlantic, I got very excited because I realized that it was the first time I had seen Atlantic waters (it was really the Carribean, but it doesn't matter).
As we flew by the reefs and the islands, I saw the most beautiful waters I've ever seen in my life. The sun was out so the water was clear and blue. We landed on the small island that was, at the time, full of Kunas and their art to sell. This was because there was a cruise making a stop there. Our "guy", Juan Garcia, told us not to shop that day since the prices were jacked up for the cruise people.
He took us aboard his big canoe-like boat, outfitted with a motor. As we were going to his island, I was giddy like a schoolgirl while I was admiring the other islands from afar and looking at the waters beneath us. All this while I was recovering from a mild hangover from the night before.
As we approached his island, I see four young women in their bathing suits going for a swim. I said to myself, "I wonder if they will be here for the weekend?" The actual island is very small, but it has been built up by the Smithsonian Institute people for 25 years. Juan Garcia has been there for 4 years, making his island attractive to tourists. Then, as we docked, I saw our little beach and our little huts that I'd be calling home for the next few days. I was super excited!
The first thing I did was take a little nap on a lawn chair by the beach. We spoke with the four girls during lunch. It turns out that they were Americans attending university in Quito, Ecuador. They arrived that same morning, and Juan Garcia managed to get them to stay at his island. (This is where you say to yourself, "Joseph, you lucky bastard!") And oh yeah,
"Juan Garcia, you are DA MAN!!"
After lunch, it was time to head out to another island and explore some beaches. My co-workers wanted to stay behind and read their books. I think they said that so that I could be alone with the four students. "Thanks you guys!" So we were off to one of the more than 350 islands in San Blas. We got to the island and I swear I almost had an orgasm. The island was clean, the sand was pristine, the water was so clear and cool, and there was only a little family of Kunas on the Island. You feel like the island belongs to you. This island was like something out of a movie.
Moments later, a boat pulls up and out comes a Canadian intern friend of mine. She came to San Blas with her boyfriend. It was neat that we ended up on the same island. Anyway, I borrowed a set of goggles and went exploring. It was cool to finally see reef life in person. Until then I had only seen coral and tropical fish on TV shows. I was being like a marine biologist (my original major).
Before I knew, it was time to go back. We had dinner, and the girls and I played cards. Then it was on to dance lessons. One of the girls taught me how to Salsa and Meringue. She was very patient with me, I sucked.
