Living in a Desktop Image

I believe I may be in the running for having the best life ever. Not to make you all feel bad, but I'm about to do some quick comparisons:

From Only HD Wallpapers website

The Scenery:
Above, you see the typical island oasis image often relegated to desktop fantasies by many of those who spend their days laboring in front of a computer.
This was my backdrop for the past 9 days, which I spent without touching a computer or a cellphone:

(You'll have to excuse the fact that I did not have my SLR camera with me, so the quality of the photo does not do justice to the beauty of the Guna Yala/San Blas Islands.)


The Food:
Did you know the average supermarket apple
is 14 months old? - We bought this beautiful selection of fruits and veggies off a kayuko - sort of like a farmer's market that comes to your door, except it's a canoe that comes to your starboard.

Normally we are accustomed, (In the U.S. at least, particularly in landlocked areas such as my hometown) to seeing our seafood in gift wrapped packages of cellophane and styrofoam.

The tuna you see below was caught that day and sold to us a few meters from where it was caught for $1 each. Lobsters were $3 each.

Another dining option was free fish speared by our very own Captain Kevin.

The Neighborhood: 

Downtown living: On the larger islands you can be in walking distance of your job, the grocery, hospital and school. The big choice to make is whether you prefer running water or electricity...             

Adjoined islands Carazon de Jesus and Nargana (pictured to the left), are one of the more urban islands, with a mixture of huts and concrete homes plus electricity.

Population of each inhabited island town ranges from less than or around 100 to a couple thousand. 

The Established Locals and New Neighbors

A great place to raise a family:

There is no shortage of kids, as women start having babies pretty much as soon as they are biologically capable.

Public Pool/Playground

Kids have free range of the islands. The local playground is close-by and the swimming pool is crystal clear! Best of all there are no membership fees!

Morning traffic

Meeting Together for a Potluck

Only Guna indians are allowed to own property in Guna Yala, but that doesn't mean you can't become a part of the community, it just means that your life will be somewhat more aquatic.

You can't beat that morning commute! (I am compelled to admit the sailing community tends to be a bit geriatric).



Each night I was lulled to sleep by the calming rock of the boat, the sound of the surf and the glow of the moon and a sky full of stars.

Yesterday I stepped out of that desktop image with sea legs and some more melanin to ironically complement my growing understanding of albinism and how it is understood among the Guna people. I left the calming surf, the fresh ocean breeze, and the lulling rock of the Amuri Mina sailboat and returned to the unnerving sirens and tones of the city, the smog and the frustrations of the tranque (Spanish for traffic jam), and the solid tiles of my 5th floor apartment (which my inner ear still tells me is rocking).

I am glad to have fresh water and a shower, but I will greatly miss my pool/immediate air conditioner, the fresh and cheap food, and the ship's dress code; i.e. as little as you feel comfortable wearing.

This blog post would go on too long if I were to divulge every wonderful moment. To meet a nice balance between telling you what I experienced and meeting the demands of an easily digestible blog post, I will highlight a few of my favorite moments in a list:

• Rocking in the hammock between the masts of our sailboat in perfect peace as I looked on the beach lit by moonlight; its rays reflecting off the white, pristine sand, while being absorbed into the silhouetted palm trees.
• Guna children enjoying their childhood in the best playground there is. Their freedom to explore and freedom from stress is evident in their broad smiles and messy clothes. (It is my belief that there are very few occasions when small children should be wearing clothes without grass stains or dirt).
• Uagi's celebrity status. At every island we were greeted with inquiries as to the baby Uagi's whereabouts. A charming 2 month old, the son of Captain Kevin and Julie, Uagi ("Dolphin"in Guna) gained his popularity in his parents' decision not to return home to Canada or Germany, but to have their son on the island of Nargana.
• Snorkeling in the reefs. The water is so clear one almost doesn't need the mask and snorkel. An entirely different and incredibly diverse world lies just off-shore of many of the Guna Yala islands.

Hopefully what will come next is my move to Guna Yala for April and the beginning of May. I plan to live with a Guna family, probably on Nargana, and to spend this time interviewing and getting to know the people of Guna Yala. After one week in this tropical paradise, I decided it wouldn't be too difficult to stay a few more...



* If you or someone you know is interested in sailing in San Blas, I HIGHLY recommend Captain Kevin and his Sail San Blas tours.