Off To Paradise

I´d been hearing a lot about the San Blas Islands lately, and I was really digging what I had heard. Aparently they are an archipelego of about 360 tropical islands, 60 of which are inhabited by the Kuna Indians, who still claim their independence even though they were annexed by Panama several years ago. But these days I think the San Blas Islands are most famous for being a site of a reward challenge for the last season of Survivor. Whatever, paradise is paradise, regardless of how it´s been commercialized.

So today I walked into the office of Aeroperlas (the internal-Panamanian airlines) and asked for a ticket to the San Blas islands. The lady behind the coutner asked me what island? I told her I didn´t really care, just find me one that´s beautiful and has an empty seat leaving tomorrow and returning saturday. I hear that once you´re on the island you can take a canoe to other locales.

It was simple as that, well that and forking over $90. So I have my ticket to Mamitupu leaving at the ungodly time of 6:00 AM tomorrow. They only have on flight there a day, I don´t understand why they can´t make it later.

I don´t have a place to stay or any real idea of what I´ll do there, although I imagine lounging on the beach will be high on the agenda. And I hear it´s pretty easy to find a local who´s willing to let you stay in his hut and provide you meals for a few dollars a day. Aparently tourists aren´t allowed to venture out by themselves so you need to hire a guide where ever you want to go, probably a good idea anyway. And I´m convinced my snorkeling gear will finally taste salt-water!

So to anyone who´s trying to get a hold of me, I´ll be away from civilization until early saturday. No phones, no internet, no running water, no electricity. Don´t worry, I´ll tell you all about it when I get back.