San Blas / Guna Yala - Paradise on Earth

The alarm clock rang for us at 04:30 in the morning because the journey to paradise was supposed to start at 05:30. We had booked 2 nights in San Blas. San Blas, also known as Guna Yala by the locals, is an archipelago of 365 islands. These islands belong to the Guna Yalas and are managed by them. As a result, there are no large all-inclusive resorts or hotel chains there. The islands should impress with their remoteness and naturalness.

Booking was relatively easy through Airbnb and communication went well in English, even though we didn't receive much information in advance. But that was part of the adventure. We had no expectations and just went with the flow. We had initially considered whether we should drive from Panama City to the port ourselves, but fortunately we decided against it.

Punctually, but tired, we stood in front of our apartment building and waited for our driver, Rodolfo. He arrived in a large SUV (7-seater), but there were already two ladies in the car. So it was going to be very cozy since we each had a large travel backpack and a small backpack. Rodolfo showed off his Tetris skills and managed to store everything. However, Leonie's backpack ended up on the roof and it rained during the drive. Annoying, but not tragic, as the clothes remained mostly dry.

We drove along the highway for about two hours and made a final stop at a gas station to use the restroom and stock up on water (which we had to bring ourselves for all the days) or breakfast. Then we took dirt roads to the port. The roads shook us around quite a bit, making us feel sick. Rodolfo even had to stop once so we could catch our breath. The drive was a bit rough for Roman and Leonie. After another two hours, we finally arrived at the port.

Our boat was already waiting there and the young men loaded our luggage from the car onto the boat. After a 20-minute boat ride, we arrived on the island and we were not disappointed. The island was covered in white sand, many coconut trees, and a few bamboo huts (10 huts for tourists and 3 for the locals + toilet/shower house). The scenery was simply breathtaking! The interior of our bamboo hut consisted of a bed. Nothing more and nothing less. But we didn't need anything more for this experience.

Shortly after our arrival, a loud sound rang out on the island. We were called to lunch by the blowing of a shell. We had a typical Guna dish of fried fish, fried plantain, and salad. By the way, the women on the island were responsible for the food, and the men were responsible for fishing, building, and managing the guests. There were about 4 women and 10 men who lived on the island with us. The other families lived on the non-touristy islands. After the delicious lunch, we spent the day on the beach, sipping coconut water and catching up on some sleep. We could simply relax and enjoy the day without the constant pressure of reading and answering messages or surfing social media. Pure relaxation!

Towards the evening, another experience awaited us - showering. The girls were not very happy when we realized that the showers only had saltwater. This obviously didn't make our hair as clean as usual - well, you'll survive for two days, Roman replied to that. The following dinner was like every other meal - typical: fried chicken, rice, beans, and salad. These were the ingredients for every meal, with fish and chicken served alternately. Sometimes the food was a little dry for our taste, but always delicious! And luckily, there was also ketchup.

Later, the Gunas invited us to a bonfire. We sat with the Gunas and other guests around the fire, and the host told us more about the history and way of life of the Gunas. We considered the end of the day a successful conclusion and were very grateful for the hospitality of the Gunas. The night in the bamboo huts was unique. The sound of the sea was so close that you could have thought you were in the water. A gentle breeze surprisingly cooled the bamboo huts.

The second day started with breakfast at 07:00. Then we enjoyed the second day just as much as the first. In addition, we were able to borrow snorkeling equipment from the host and were able to observe various beautiful fish, pelicans, and even a stingray in the water. The second day flew by just as quickly with snorkeling, and after dinner, we went to bed early. Half of us were very sad that time flew by so quickly and the departure was imminent, while the other half was quite happy to be back in civilization soon. But before we left Guna Yala, we went on another excursion. We took a boat to another island where scenes for a famous Netflix series were filmed. And it was none other than 'Money Heist'. Sounds exciting at first, but it turned out not to be. The island was covered in grass and rather unspectacular as there was no sign of the filming. We found our island more beautiful. The sandbank in the middle of the sea was much more beautiful. We got off in the middle of the sea and could walk through knee-deep water. Here we discovered jellyfish and took great photos. A beautiful end to this tour! In the afternoon, we returned to the port by boat and this time we were driven by Jorge. Jorge's car was not the newest, so we had two breakdowns right away and the journey took an hour longer than expected. Glad and tired, we arrived in Panama City in the evening. From the car, we booked our accommodation, which promised us much more luxury. After taking a shower, we had pizza and finally a comfortable bed without salt and sand. But with dreams of this unique experience.