A rubbish story

 

The alarm went off at 3.50am and there was no ignoring it as it was extremely loud. I guess Andy wanted to make sure we wouldn’t miss it. We met our driver in reception at 4.30am for the short drive to the airport. We checked in and soon after 6.15am, we were in the air… in a ridiculously small plane.

The flight was just over 30 mins (or 30 mins too long if you’re me). With just enough light in the sky, we were able to take in the Panama City skyline, and a few moments later sunrise over the clouds.

It is staggering how varied Panama is. With Bocas del Toro having such a relaxed vibe and being so hot; Boquete so mild and atmospheric; Santa Catalina so small and laid back; Panama City (and the canal) being so slick and modern and now here we are… in Guna Yala (formerly known as the San Blas islands), away from modern technology. A true place to unwind.

We first heard about San Blas in 2001, and since then, I have wanted to come here. This is the home of the Kuna indigenous people.

• The Kuna speak Dulegaya. Yes is eye, no is suli. Hammock is kachi. Water is di and island is dup
• Playón Chico (Ukupseni) was the centre of the 1925 Tule revolution. The uprising against the Panamanian government which was using military action to force them to adopt Hispanic culture, led to political autonomy from the mainland. They celebrate each February and flags have started to pop up across the community
• It is said that the Kunas had the first autonomous indigenous territory in Panama and Latin America
• They are the second smallest people in the world after the pygmies

We are staying at the Yandup Island Lodge. It wasn’t easy making this happen and yesterday, as we were packing our small bags for our stay, Andy raised concerns that it was a hassle coming here, and maybe we should have skipped it (I think it was the 3.50am wake up call calling). Today, minutes after being here, he regretted the fact that there was no Internet connection, as he couldn’t research how best we could combine another trip with another stay here 🙂

The Yandup Island Lodge is eco-friendly. They have solar panels and ask their guests to be mindful of the use of water and electricity. They also engage people staying here with the community, making sure first that we don’t do anything to offend. We’re told what clothing to wear/not wear when visiting the community; how not to haggle when buying goods and how we cannot take any photos of people (in some cases, this may be possible if we ask first and probably for a small fee).

After being shown to our over-the-sea cabana (it’s gorgeous), we went to have breakfast. We have a red pepper omelette and cheese, orange juice and coffee. This is a no nonsense place. All the food is included in our package. There is one option for breakfast and set menus for lunch and dinner. This suits us well.

We also have two activities a day planned… but after a quick chat over breakfast, we’d agreed to skip this morning’s activity (snorkelling) and stay in our cabana, or to be more accurate our veranda (if that’s the correct word). We have a walkway all around our room, and to make the most of the sea view, we have two hammocks, a rocking chair and a hanging chair… tough choices.

On the spur of the moment, we decided to walk around the island (the lodge is on its own island) and five minutes later, we were in our hammocks. The four hours until lunch passed in no time. Reading, writing our diaries, staring at the view in the distance and the sea. Andy snoozed – apparently the soothing sound of the waves was the culprit 🙂

Lunch was a tasty affair – a fresh green salad, stuffed baby aubergines with green beans and potatoes and watermelon for dessert. And plenty of water. From our table, I spotted two needlefish swimming about – they’re almost translucent bright blue.

At 3.30pm, we left by boat to go to visit the Playón Chico community. Instantly, it felt like every one lives on top of each other. We learned that there are 49 Kuna communities, with around 30,000 people. Over 3.000 people live on Playón Chico alone. 60% of the population are children, with most families having between five and eight children. It’s so crowded on the island that the chief asked for volunteers to go and live on the mainland. This is now in planning, with the move planned within the next ten years. Most houses are made from material from the forest. Families commonly have two buildings – a living space and a kitchen. The women wear the Kuna traditional dress – super colourful. They are displaying their wares, mostly molas in the hope that we’ll stop and make a purchase. Traditional molas have geometric patterns. Two molas are used as part of the traditional outfit, over the skirt and blouse. Photos cost a dollar each.

There were two games of football playing on the main square – on the same pitch. All boys I noticed.

People here live simply. Mother Nature is the provider. They get fish from the sea, and food from the forest – coconut, mangos and pineapple. For wood, they burn mangrove tree and coconut shells. It is very much subsistence living.

Tourism here is well managed and controlled, and they are careful not to compromise their way of living. It is not easy to make it to Guna Yala, which means that they know exactly who is coming when and staying where. The communities benefit directly from every dollar spent.

It feels good to be able to support this community, even if only in such a small way.

Upon landing, we’d noticed a fair amount of rubbish along the water’s edge. This was evident again around the town. Mostly plastic from further up the coast washed down here with the current. It was the same story in Santa Catalina sadly: some currents are full of rubbish, and Mike tries to pick some up each time he is on a boat. Here, there was a man busy sorting through the rubbish by the airport first thing. You can’t help but think this is a losing battle.

We have great crepuscular light at sunset time. After dinner, Andy went for a massage. He comes back even more chilled. We stared at the stars for ages. It was pitch black outside. We sat in our hammocks and rocked from side to side to the sound of the sea.

Yer an itoge (I am happy).