I am saaailing ⛵️

On April 24th, the time had finally come and my 5-day adventure on the sea began - I was a little nervous all day long and checked my small backpack about 10 times to make sure I didn't forget anything (the big backpack/suitcase is stored during the entire journey), went through the whole list from "Blue Sailing" again, sent the last WhatsApp for the next week, etc. Then finally the relief came and the shuttle that took me to Puerto Lindo was waiting outside the door.

I was greeted by 4 English girls, a Swiss girl, a German girl and Jack (I don't know where he's from, I think England 😅). So the 2.5-hour drive to the harbor flew by.

After our last proper meal on land, we were taken to our "home" for the next 5 days with a speedboat. On our boat "Big Fish", our cook Franzia gave us a short safety instruction, explained the whole procedure on board, and introduced the rest of the crew (Captain "Jari" and Marinero "Louis").

The most important rules on board are actually:

1. Water (drinking water) is like gold - don't waste it, which means everything that can be washed with saltwater (dishes, hands, brushing teeth, etc.) should be washed with it.

2. Anything that has not previously been part of your body does not belong in the toilet (i.e. no toilet paper, tampons, etc.) - although this is actually the case almost everywhere in Central/South America.

3. If you need to pee, go directly into the sea (and always pay attention to where the wind blows ;-))

4. Eat - Sleep - Repeat. Actually, that's our daily routine for the next 5 days. The less you move, the less seasick you will become. Just go with the flow ;-)

After the short briefing, we were assigned our cabins.

I shared the bunk bed (bottom) with a Swiss girl named Julia, and Jack slept on top. And YES, my nightmare came true - we actually had bedbugs 😫 (probably from the previous passengers). Although we only realized this a few nights later and I believe I was lucky enough to be spared (I haven't seen any bites so far, I hope it stays that way 🙏🏻).

As you can see in the picture, the space is very limited - the boat is only 14m long and a few meters wide, and there are a total of 11 people on board (actually one too many, but she slept outside on the bench 😅) plus 3 crew members xii. So you can imagine that we got to know each other very well in those days 😉.

After setting sail from "Puerto Lindo" towards the San Blas Islands, the nightmare began for many: because of the rough sea with high waves, about half of the boat got sick and had to throw up 🤮. Luckily, I managed to avoid it by practically not moving and just lying down. But once the medication (Dramamine) started working and everyone stayed inside, it got better for everyone, and so we survived the first night on the boat.

When we woke up the next morning, we had already arrived at the first of a total of 360 islands of San Blas. The anchor was already dropped and we could enjoy a calm breakfast prepared by our cook Franzi.

During the day, we could individually spend our time snorkeling, sunbathing, and exploring the islands. Another important rule that I didn't mention before is that there is no time on board: if you are hungry, you eat; if you are tired, you sleep; and the only thing that is certain on board is that every planned activity will most likely change (e.g. due to wind and weather). Flexibility is therefore an important prerequisite ;-)

As you can see in the pictures, the weather was not always on our side and it was quite cloudy for 2 days with occasional heavy rain. But at least we could enjoy a free outdoor shower, which would not have been possible otherwise :-).

So for the first two/three days, we spent our time around the San Blas Islands, sailing from one island to another during the day. At night, we always weighed anchor and had a few calm nights where our stomachs could get used to the motion of the sea.

Twice, the crew surprised us with a delicious BBQ on the islands with fresh fish, salad, and rice. Then we made a campfire and enjoyed the evening with a few drinks and conversations.

In general, our cook Franzia always spoiled us with delicious meals. Every day there was something different and it was always very tasty, which is not always easy because there is no possibility to buy anything on the way.

On the various islands of San Blas, there is an indigenous ethnic group called "Kuna Yala". Usually, only 2-3 families live on each island in very simple, self-built wooden huts, often without electricity and other luxuries. They mostly make money from fishing, selling their handmade goods, and of course tourism (they receive a few dollars per visitor to the islands).

We often played games to pass the time - luckily the English girls knew enough games so it never got boring.

Although I have to mention at this point that it is not always easy to be with so many unknown people in a relatively small space for a relatively long time. There have been a few moments when I wished for a bit more space. But in the end, everyone knew that we had to stick together and for that time we were one big family, and it actually worked out quite well and was definitely a great experience for everyone.

But what impressed me every evening was the beautiful sunsets. It's a completely different feeling and experience to be in the middle of the sea with no houses, lights, people, etc. for miles and miles.

After spending three relaxed and cozy days around the islands, the tougher part of the journey was coming up the next morning. We left paradise behind and sailed further out into the open sea. For the next two days, we didn't see any land anymore and there was only the horizon all around us.

On our way, we encountered a large school of dolphins twice, and they loved playing with the waves created by our boat and swam alongside us for a while.

One night (after we found out that we actually had bedbugs in the cabin 🙈), I decided to spend the night outside on the deck. It was incredibly pleasant with the cool, fresh breeze. With warm clothes and a woolen blanket, it was also very comfortable because it never got really cold. That night was also quite clear, so we had a great view of the almost full moon and the stars. Definitely one of the most beautiful nights of my journey so far :-)

After many hours of sailing, playing games, listening to music, and reading books, I was glad when we finally saw the coast of Cartagena, Colombia, in the distance and we arrived on land again. It was already evening, as we took longer than planned because of the unfavorable wind (or rather, we shouldn't even bother planning because time at sea doesn't really exist ;-).

As a summary, I can say that the adventure at sea (despite my previous worries and fears) was absolutely worth it :-) It was an amazing time, an exciting experience, great people, and definitely an unforgettable journey. Even if the flights to Colombia were much cheaper, I would still recommend such a sailing trip to everyone.

And now it's time to say: ¡Adiós San Blas, hola Colombia!⛵️🇨🇴

P.S.: I never really got seasick thanks to the medication, but the first nights back on land were quite swaying and even today I sometimes feel like I'm still on the sea 🌊😅