Aboard the MS Ryndam

Anchored in the San Blas Archipelago, Panama

4:45 pm Central Time

We arrived in the San Blas Islands about mid-day for a visit with the Kuna people, an indigenous group that is semi-autonomous from Panama. The only access to the area is by boat or floatplane, with miles of tropical rainforest on the mainland separating them from the rest of Panama. They live traditionally in thatched roof huts, fishing and growing melons and yams on small islands barely above high tide. They are poor and proud, and want to keep to as many of their tradional ways as possible. And they make very nice, colorful handicrafts and clothing to sell in the cities and to visiting tourists.

As soon as the Ryndam anchored, young men and kids in dugout canoes paddled out to the ship asking for things (mostly “dollah, dollah”) to be dropped to them and they’d dive for them. The captain had already warned us of this and asked everyone to not toss anything overboard because he didn’t want to encourage this activity, which he said was dangerous.

We boarded tenders to move to shore in stifling heat (90’sF with high, dripping humidity). Fortunately, it was a partly cloudy day so we had periodic relief from the tropical sun. Ashore we walked the dirt paths of the village, lined with women selling colorful sewn cloths called molas. The homes and stores were all wood and thatch structures with dirt floors and hammocks for sleeping. All the window openings and doorways were open to catch any breeze available. The privies are built on wooden platforms over the water’s edge with a single hole in the center; flushing takes place whenever the tide changes. There were several one-story, concrete Panamanian Government buildings--a school, a health clinic, and a commissary doling out rice to a line of women.

Everyone was polite, many smiled as we walked by, and there were children happily running and playing everywhere. But we found the whole experience a bit disconcerting--like walking into someone’s private backyard without being invited, even though we had been assured that tourist “dollahs” are much sought after and appreciated.

The picture is of a young girl in her school uniform being paddled from the island we visited to a smaller island where she lives. The school day ended about 2:30 pm and there were kids in school uniforms everywhere.