San Blas - Panama Part II

Well, so much for clean.  At least the Islands don't stink.  The air smells like wood smoke.  Chickens and pigs push around the garbage.  The houses are made of stick walls with either tin or palm frond roofs.  Dirt Floors.  The light shines in between the sticks that are the walls.  I try not to think of the sanitation when they offer me food.  It hasn't worked that well so I've been a little stressed out - but not hungry - because I eat it.  Our hammocks are surprisingly comfortable - though there is no privacy.  Except for the outhouse over the ocean which you want to spend the least amount of time in as possible.  Many of the women wear traditional Kuna attire.  The older women have the middle of their nose pierced.  I feel like I am in National Geographic. 

It takes us about 3 minutes to tour the island.  Yup that's from one side to the other.  It's tiny and packed with huts, people, garbage, dogs, cats, chickens, pigs, and plants.  The children love to tease me and say my name.  It sounds beautiful with the rolled R.  Rebecca, Rebecca, Rebecca, everywhere we go they are calling me.  They are everywhere in the dirt playing jacks - staring at you with their big brown eyes.  

They are friendly people that all shout out, "Thomas" when they see us.  Everyone asks Mark questions, testing his Tulegia  - the Kuna Dialect.  He always passes the test.  We visit with one old man who has never been off the Island. Crazy.  His whole existance has been this 50x50yd Island.  His body is scarred and he sits in a wheelchair, but his eyes are bright and he has a ready smile.  

We sat at Desiderio's  house.  His wife and mother-in-law overwhelmed us with molas.  We sat on a little stool in the packed dirt and I looked at mola after mola.  The children looked at our pictures of Zina and Wilson.  Behind me they had a pet iguana tied to a stick.  Their grandma beaded my ankle in their traditional bracelet.  Soon it was dark and they brought out flashlights.  Then they gave me a beaded necklace as a gift.  They told me I was beautiful.  The little children run around me teasing - wanting attention.  

I woke up this morning at about 4:30.  The roosters are a little overactive here. 

 The Islands in the morning light are beautiful.  Little communities dotting the ocean - full of people and their everday lives. It is amazing.   Fidelo takes us back to the mainland to the airport.  We decide to walk through the jungle from the airport to the river rather than wait for the cars.  It takes us an hour and half.  I love it.  The jungle surrounding us with it's music, the heat beating down on us.  Spots of mud ankle deep.  We have go barefoot.  Then we wade through the brown river waist deep.

 

Then we go barrelling back to the city.  Barrelling because Tito drives fast.  He is the craziest driver on this planet.  It's pretty sweet.  The traffic in the city is super congested and Tito makes lanes out of the ditch on the side of the road.  He swerves in between cars like crazy and takes detours through parking lots that puts us ahead of at least 20 cars. No 50 cars.