Toda una aventura para llegar y valentía para irse
No recuerdo ni el día, ni cómo fue que di con Las Islas de San Blas.
Pero la idea de llegar a una isla del tamaño de una cuadra, y relajarme frente a un mar sin mucho lujo me llamó la atención.
Volé con Copa desde Quito a la ciudad de Panamá y a las 5am fui al hostal MamaLlena de donde salen los 4×4 hacia el puerto de San Blas.
En un Toyota Land Cruiser (por cierto soy big fan de Toyota), junto a 5 ingleses y 1 alemán, en una carretera culebrera, y luego de 4 horas, finalmente llegué al puerto. Luego de 30 minutos sin que nadie me dé información, llegaron los Kuna (indígenas de las islas de Panamá) en varias lanchas, hubo uno que y gritó “FRANKLIN? Sólo 15 a FRANKLIN”, como era de esperarse, este destino es tan distante y básico, que ni si quiera toma reservaciones, el que llega primero puede quedarse en esta isla, y si ya no hay espacio, pues bueno, hay otras 364 islas (no todas habitables, en San Blas de las cuales elegir, sólo tienes que tomar un bote… sólo.
Me subí en la lanchita lo más disimulada y rápidamente que pude para no llamar la atención del resto de turistas esperando en el puerto, una vez llena la lancha salimos a mar abierto. Navegué junto a otras 15 personas por 2 horas en un mar no tan tranquilo, todos quienes tripulábamos nos sujetamos lo más fuerte que podíamos al bote, y terminamos entre empapados y asustados. La noche anterior había llovido, y el mar estaba picado, entre un cielo gris, un mar café y mirando al piso del bote, porque las olas no nos dejaban ni ver ni respirar, nos acercábamos a nuestro destino.
Por suerte, el Kuna, nos obligó a poner todo nuestro equipaje en la proa del barco, tratando así que se moje un poco menos. (Ahora se lo agradezco, las fotos que ven aquí fueron tomadas con aquella cámara que se salvó de bucear en aguas internacionales)
A las casi 2 horas, divisamos a lo lejos una islita, hermosa, redonda, con muchas palmeras, esta era la soñada Franklin, como todos la conocen, por el nombre de su dueño. Franklin, es quien nos recibe y hace el check in! ¿Simple o dormitorio*? me preguntó, simple elegí yo, me asignó un número (7) mas no una llave.
No me tomó más de 30 segundos llegar a mi cabaña hecha de carrizos, sin ningún tipo de cerradura, con un piso de arena, y una cama de lo más básica con tan solo una sábana. Era perfecto, no necesitaba nada más.
“Desayuno 7am, almuerzo 1pm, cena 6pm, 10pm se apaga luz, tienda para comida, cervezas y ron abierta hasta 10pm” – esas fueron todas las palabras que Franklin nos diría en toda nuestra estadía-
La verdad, no hay mucho que hacer más que relajarse. Dar una vuelta a la isla completa toma como 15 minutos, puedes sentarte a ver el amanecer y ver a una nube de pájaros irse de la isla, ver el atardecer y ver a todos los pájaros a las 5 en punto volver, de no sé dónde, a las palmeras en Franklin, hacer snorkel, o sólo broncearte con una balboa* o leer un libro (yo me leí 2 en 4 días)
No necesitas mucho, sólo bloqueador solar, un buen pareo, un buen libro, tu snorkel y ya está! La comida está incluida con la cabaña.
Yo diría que la vida es buena! El paraíso no está tan lejos después de todo.
¿Te gustó viajar conmigo? Déjame tus comentarios abajo! Y comparte!
—————– English ——————
San Blas Islands – Panamá
An adventure to get there and bravery to leave.
I don’t recall the day nor how did I found San Blas Islands.
It called my attention the idea of visiting an island so small that you can walk around it in 15 minutes, lay in the white sand and just relax in front of the sea without luxuries.
I flew with Copa from Quito Ecuador to Panama City and at 5am I went to MamaLlena, a hostel; from where you can take a 4×4 to drive you to San Blas Pier.
5 English men, 1 German and I, took a Toyota Land Cruiser (by the way I am a big fan of Toyota), and we drove for 4 hours in a very curvy road, till finally got to the pier.
After 30 minutes without finding somebody to give us information, the Kuna (indigenous people from Guna Yala Islands – San Blas Islands) arrived in several boats, one of them shout “Franklin? Only 15 to Franklin!”, as it was to be expected in this kind of far and basic touristic destination, you cannot make a reservation, so this Is how it works, the first to get there is the one that can stay, if there is no more room left, well, you have another 364 islands (not all able to stay at) that you can choose from, you only need to take another boat…only.
So I hop on the little boat, trying not to be noticed to avoid the tourist to rush to the boat. Once we were full, we sail to open sea.
I was sailing, next to 15 people, for 2 hours in a sea not so quiet, everyone inside the boat were holding to it as hard as we could, at the end we end up very wet and a bit scared.
The night before had rained very hard, so the sea was quite shaky, the sky was gray and the sea brown, we could only stare at the bottom of the boat because the waves didn’t let us see or breathe, happily we were getting closer to our final destination.
By luck, our captain, the Kuna, forced us to put our entire luggage at the bow of the boat, trying to keep it dry, or at least not as wet as we. I really appreciate it now; the pictures you find here were taken with that camera which was saved from diving in international seas.
At almost 2 hours after departing San Blas Pier, we saw in the distance a little island, beautiful, full with palm trees, this was the so dreamed Franklin Island, as everybody knows it for its owner’s name. Franklin was the one who welcomed us and checked us in. Simple or Dorm? He asked, simple I chose, he didn’t gave me a key only a number (7) of a room.
It took me less than 30 seconds to get to my hut made out of reeds, with no lock, sand floor, and a very basic bed with a sheet. It was perfect, I didn’t need anything else.
“Breakfast 7am, lunch 1pm, dinner 6pm, 10pm lights go off, store for food, beer, and rom open until 10pm”- Those where Franklin’s only words to be heard in my stay.
Truth is there is no much to do more than to get relaxed. To walk around the island it takes you no more than 15 min, you can sit and check the sunrise and see the birds leaving the island, and then at 5pm comeback and see the sunset and the birds coming back to franklin’s palm trees, from I don’t know where, go snorkel, or just get tan with a Balboa* or read a book (I read 2 in 4 days)
You don’t need much to be there, only sunblock, a Pareo, a good book, your snorkel, and that’s it! Food is already included in the price of the hut.
So I would say life is good! After all, Paradise is not that far away.
Did you enjoy traveling with me? Let me know! Comment and share.
- Dormitorio es un cuarto con 4 camas o 6 camas
- Balboa, cerveza típica panameña (Typical Panama beer)
Hey hi , well i just saw u on community pool .. you’re blogs are a great deal .. u travel a lot i think… amazing pics .. just wish if i cud go there someday … loved it ..
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Thank you! Yeah just starting to share my crazy little adventures 🙂 I hope you go at least to one of the places I mention, I loved them all!! 🙂
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dear ….the french experience must be good for u ? .. 😉 .. say ??
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Hahaha very!
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u decribesd it very well using mathematical symbols .. like .. x + y = z … lol .. 🙂
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this above link is ur website ??
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yes, if you refer to the conscious shop
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its nice … but girlie … 😦
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Sorry, totally girlie 🙂
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i know .. also its in dollars … mine is rupee … 🙂
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india right? I would love visit someday soon!
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most welcome .. tell me when u plan to .. 🙂 …
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Will do 😉
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sure .. and dear m new here .. so check my blog , its design , content & tell me what more i need to work on … u did a great job at ur blog so may be ur advice cud help me out as well .. 😉
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https://livesmilehelp.wordpress.com/
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yes i wish too to visit at least one ..
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