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| Caribbean Property Magazine Home / August 2008 / 'The Islands of San Blas ' | SEND THIS PAGE TO A FRIEND  |
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AUGUST  2 0 0 8Issue 19
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| THE ISLANDS OF SAN BLAS by Jennifer Paton Have you heard of the San Blas Islands? I hadn’t, until I arrived in Panama. “Untouched”, “idyllic”, “unique”, “colourful”, “cultural” “spiritual”... all words I kept hearing to describe this chain of islands. Tempting, to say the least. YOU CAN LITERALLY ISLAND HOP ALL THE WAY TO COLUMBIA, PASSING APPROXIMATELY 400 ISLANDS EN ROUTE I had been crewing on a boat sailing around Costa Rica and Panama and was due to end my journey at the Panama Canal. I’d been on board for just over 2 months and felt like I wanted to stretch my legs and meet people some “authentic local people” - rather than watching all the stunning coastal scenery pass me by.  After being on the Pacific side of Panama, we were curious of what lay beyond it, on ‘the other side’, known as the Caribbean Atlantic side.What’s there is the Archipelago de San Blas which sounded to us like a paradise favoured by sailors because you can literally island hop all the way to Colombia, passing approximately 400 islands en route. The area is made up of three regions, including the 'Comarca de Kuna Yala' which is made up of the San Blas islands and also the coastline of Panama from Colon to almost the Colombian border. Indigenous Kuna Indians live on these islands and coastline. They have a simple economy based on agriculture, fishing and more recently, tourism. Their diet consists primarily of plantains, coconuts and fish. Their currency is jokingly referred to as the coconut, but purchases are usually in the form of exchanging trade. However, in more recent times the American dollar is widely accepted as well. The Kunas are very spiritual people which is reflected in their everyday life and their customs, legends and dance. Significantly, the San Blas Islands have their own system of government with minimal interference from the national government of Panama. Each community has its own political organisation, led by a “sahile” who is their political and spiritual leader. Chosen elders are the decision makers, and are responsible for the maintenance of their islands own economic system, language, customs and culture. The more I found out, the more interesting the San Blas Islands became, and the more I wanted to explore them.  It all seemed very adventurous yet extremely easy to coordinate. The hotel was actually visited by Karl, the brother of the family we could stay with. He was Kuna. He looked different from the Panamanians. Soft faced, smiley eyed, somehow at peace. This personal service was a nice touch but seemed all very normal to Karl. He explained that he had been nominated to have direct contact with prospective visitors to ensure there were no surprises for either party. After all, we were visiting his home, not a created tourist attraction. He carefully outlined the basics of our trip and answered all our questions. We gave him a deposit and arranged to pay the rest at the end of the trip. It was that simple. We were to leave the next day! We were picked up from our hotel at dawn by a 4WD and then had a 5 hour bumpy ride overland up to the Atlantic coast. We passed beautiful mountainous scenery and enjoyed observing the country life of Panama. We arrived at Carti airstrip (aka a field and a hut), and waited for our 'launcha' (a very long wooden boat). This seemed to be the main meeting area for drop off and pickups. I'd heard a lot about the traditional dress of Kuna Indian women and had spotted a few examples in the crowds in Panama City, but I had never expected them to be wearing their 'costumes' everyday... but they did! Grandmothers, mothers, sisters, friends and daughters were all huddled up near the airstrip in a colorful combination, sheepishly watching us, watching them, watching us!?  It was common practice to offer $1 USD and see if it was accepted before the Kuna ladies would be comfortable with their photo being taken. We each paid our registration / visitation fee of $4 USD which was a one off fee negotiated for our group in advance, for the islands we were to visit. Apparently some islands charge separately and prices can vary from $3 - $5 USD per visit. Another hint that the Kunas are savvy business people. The five of us in the tour group were guided onto our launcha along with our belongings, carefully packed in plastic sheets to protect them from the occasional splash. We were treated like royalty, yet the boat and environment was unashamedly basic. Comfy on our plank seats, but rather close to the swift passing water, our captain carefully guided us through stunning reef with his outboard. We eagerly looked all around us as we travelled. We could see tropical fish below us, lush mangroves behind us, and numerous islands varying in size all along the shore, out towards the horizon and all along the coast as far as the eye could see. | ||
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| We were heading for the main island, called “Carti” and watched wide eyed as it came closer. The whole island was covered in little bamboo huts. There didn't seem to be a single spare foot! The outhouse huts (restrooms / toilets) stood out over the water, accessed by carefully placed narrow planks and bamboo rails. Palm fronds were tactfully arranged right down to the water to hide the deposits which went directly into the ocean. Differente as they say en Espanol....although...that was not the language of the indigenous Kunas. They had their own Kuna language, Dulegaya, and each island has its own dialect. THIS ACCOMMODATION CONSISTED OF A SINGLE LARGE BAMBOO HUT FULL OF HAMMOCKS STRUNG ACROSS THE BEAMS! We were warmly greeted by Peter, Karl’s brother, who would be our host for the next few days. He immediately showed us to our sleeping area so we could leave our bags there. This accommodation consisted of a single large bamboo hut full of hammocks strung across the beams! Smiling and slightly amused, we were then all guided to the main living area and were served a late breakfast. Coconut bread stuffed with eggs, fresh pineapple, fruit juice and water. Believe me, it was tastier and more satisfying than it sounds.  We took in our new surroundings and observed more closely the traditional everyday dress of women in the house where we were staying. Although the dresses varies slightly, they usually consists of a blue or green patterned fabric wrapped around their waist like a sarong, which goes all the way down to their knees. Then their traditional 'molas,' a hand embroidered square panel of cloth, identical on the front and back, makes the basis of their blouse. The sleeves are made of a light flouncy material, forming puffed sleeves to the elbow. This is also usually trimmed with a metallic complimentary band. On their heads, they wear a red cloth with yellow print, which loosely covers their hair and hangs down their necks. The highlight of their outfit however, which makes the women distinct and immediately recognizable as 'Kuna', are the tiny beads wrapped tightly around their arms and legs. From puberty, these long strings of tiny beads are tightly wrapped around their wrists all the way up to their elbows, like handless gloves. Likewise, from their ankles to their calves, footless socks of tiny colourful beads were also adorned. Since these are worn from a young age and never taken off, the women's calves were notably thin as the calf muscle does not look like it has had chance to develop. The designs were quite symmetrical and apparently take weeks to make, as every design is slightly different in color and style. For special occasions the older women wear gold ornamental necklaces and sometimes bones or wooden sticks through their noses, mouths or chins. Quite a lot to take in and very different from what I had ever seen before in tribal villages around the world.  Men don't wear traditional dress but familiar western style clothing of trousers and t-shirts. However, the older generation seemed to all wear dark trousers with long sleeved shirts and dark trilby style hats Not as colorful or as photogenic as the ladies, but they seemed dignified and full of character. The women in the home where we stayed were happy to pose for photos and answer all our questions through the translations of our host Peter. Although a matriarchal society, the other ladies we saw were shy, giggled and often hid or ran away. The older women didn't however, and seemed to have an air of respect and authority about them. WE NEVER DARED ASK THEM IF WE COULD TAKE THEIR PHOTOS We rested and then had a little wander around the dusty streets lined with bamboo huts, and noted the occasional person selling soft drinks or basic household supplies. Young children played at our feet and chickens ran around. The island also had a pet monkey! The surrounding houses and areas were immaculately clean and obviously regularly swept as the ground was just dirt and dust. Everything seemed well organised. We were soon called back for lunch, but continued to observe this simple yet fascinating way of life while we ate our coconut rice and fresh fish. We watched as men opened coconut husks, children carried water from a well and women embroidered their traditional molas. Each mola usually has a black background with colorful thick thread indicating a pattern or scene. They are all different and all represent scenes of everyday life. You see pictures of dogs, chickens, fish, coconuts and even aero planes make an appearance as the women say they see them passing overhead! For dinner we enjoyed huge fresh crabs and took delight in watching the whole preparation process from the crabs arriving from a fisherman in a boat, being carried to a cooking pot, then being shelled by the whole family. Everything seemed to be coordinated and a close family affair. It all felt very natural and a privilege to watch normal everyday life being conducted, as though it would happen the same whether we were there or not. This evening was particularly special. The local magic man had been requested and was he was chanting and burning special incense and leaves just below a young boy who lay in a hammock. Apparently the young boy was to start school in the next few weeks, so it was a ritual for the family to call in the magic man to ensure he was open to learning and intellectually ready. It was very soothing to hear these low chanting sounds throughout dinner and deep into the night. We all kept very quiet. The next day we were taken to one of the most beautiful picture perfect tropical islands I have ever seen. Crystal clear turquoise water, swaying palm trees, and soft white sand. Idyllic. We were given a picnic meal, mask and snorkels, hammocks and a pick up time for later that afternoon. The island was ours for the day. We could walk around it in 15 minutes and could see other islands, of similar beauty in the distance.  The weather was of course beautiful and it is considered ideal to visit the islands all year round. The dry season is officially from mid December to mid April and averages 30 degrees. I was there in February and we enjoyed blue skies and dry hot sunny days. Most of these San Blas islands harvests coconuts and are protected and collected by nominated families. The women and children inhabitants we saw were very shy but friendly and offered to sell to us molas or beaded bracelets. If we were sunbathing or swinging in our hammocks they left us alone. The Kunas are getting more accustom to tourists as their little bit of paradise is being discovered. Since they govern their own land and businesses autonomously from Panama, they seem to have the balance right, embracing the opportunity for overseas business relationships, but on their own terms in order to protect their unique culture and land ownership. For example, you can open up an approved business on one of the islands, but under the guidelines on the Kuna chief, and in joint partnership with a Kuna resident. Likewise, and importantly for a region made up primarily of islands, in addition to any Panama sailing permit obtained, yachts and cruisers are required to pay a special cruising fee to enable them to sail around the San Blas islands. Opportunities seem to be growing too. In the 2007 – 2008 season, Panama has seen almost 200 cruise ships and over 280,000 tourists alone. This growth in tourism leads to an increase in investor interest in the tourist sector and presents incredible opportunities for tourism development. There are also tax and visa incentives to encourage the Western investor. Panama and neighbouring regions are also appealing for real estate. They have the benefits of an American dollar based economy, stable political situation sustained by the canal, free trade zone and international banking. The Kunas of Kuna Yala can embrace all these benefits of Panama, but by independently governing themselves they can protect their land and culture, and hopefully keep their paradise and unique culture intact. THEY HAVE THE GREATEST DEGREE OF POLITICAL AUTONOMY OF ANY INDIGENOUS GROUP IN LATIN AMERICA! The indigenous Kunas have been in contact with the Europeans since Columbus first sailed there in 1502, so maintaining their freedom as they see it, is not a small achievement. This independence was fiercely fought for and there were many bloody wars with Colombians and Panamanians for it. The Kuna Indians have now been independent and proudly governing their own communities, lands and waterways since the 1920's. They have the greatest degree of political autonomy of any indigenous group in Latin America! So proud and passionate of achieving their autonomy from Panama, the islands join together each year in February to perform a re-enactment of their liberation. That evening, we were told we had arrived at a special time. It was the day before they annually celebrated their Revolution. We of course had to extend our stay. Their celebrations were very entertaining and lasted 2 days. The re-enactment involved many members of the community either playing the 'baddies' (Colombians or Panamanians) or 'goodies' (Kuna people of course). There was an English translator who gave us an idea about what was happening via a microphone, however, sometimes everyone, including the hordes of Kuna spectators, would all rush off and leave us handful of tourists looking and feeling a bit confused!? We eventually realised this re-enactment was a mobile affair and the actors had all gone elsewhere in the village to continue their story in a meeting room scene or on the water.  I found myself drifting from the performance on centre stage to watching the local spectators. They were all stood up and squashed together in a montage of colourful outfits. Mainly women with a babe in arms and impeccably well-behaved children sat in front of them. The children released their energy whenever the play changed location by whooping and laughing while they raced to get there first. There was lots of pretend fighting and arguing. Most of us got covered in a red / pink sugary substance supposed to resemble blood. Luckily the seafood lunches and dinners with the Kuna family kept up our strength and gave us a nice break in between the battles. The finale and highlight was on the last day. We were allowed into a traditional ceremony hut. Women on one side; men on the other. For this occasion, the family dressed us up in traditional Kuna costume. A bonding experience, yet, I seemed to look more like a pedlar women rather than a stylish indigenous Kuna Indian lady. It certainly added to the welcome we received inside the sacred hut. As sea of red, we all sat on a bench and watched men in red long sleeved shirts, black trousers and black trilby hats, stomp their feet and bow up to the women, whooping and presenting them a huge coconut shell full of “Chi Chi”. This potent “Chi Chi” brew was made especially for such celebrations, brown in colour and tasting of coffee and strong sweet sparkling wine. If you have ever had ‘kava’ from the South Pacific…..it is very similar. They didn’t stop until everyone (about 50 of us) had drunk at least two shells. Not too bad to start with but the catch is that is it served in a generous portions and you have to drink it as quickly as possible in one go. They also insist you have to have a minimum of two, straight after each other, as one symbolises the women and one symbolises the man, and this completes the ritual. If you fancied three, you had to have four, as the offerings come as a pair. Lethal!
Author : Jennifer Paton, Born in Brisbane, Australia, Jenny was brought up in England with the rest of her family in Yorkshire. She visited Australia for her 18th birthday and decided to emigrate to the sun after graduating from University. After working in the corporate world for 6 years in Sydney in Sales & Marketing, she got itchy feet around her 30th birthday and decided to have a career break and 'live for the moment. The plan was to travel around the world as a dive instructor. That was 5 years ago... Jenny's latest adventures in the Caribbean and Central America are documented here as they happen. | ||
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