Saturday, March 28, 2009 - San Blas Island Aguja As a last step in this long journey, I could not find better place. Aguja Island, Archipelago of San Blas, a heavenly temple of doing nothing ... The archipelago is inhabited by the Kuna indigenous people and is' composed of 365 islands (one for each day of the year they say) of various sizes and 50 are inhabited ones. They range from the island-country with over 1000 inhabitants, Piccollo atolls with few inhabitants and those are the ones normally used for tourists. Aguja Island and 'exactly one of them. Soft sand and clear, coconut palms, clear water and corals a few meters from the shore, make this island a place just 100 meters almost 'perfect.
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this site may not 'make me rethink that Chachahuate: there is' something familiar, but also many differences. The island itself 'here and' undoubtedly the best, the postcard-perfect I would say, that 'but that' and not 'repeated' the human touch that was strong with the people of Garifuna Chahahuate. Here we do not live in the family and there 'a separation of the kuna and tourists. Aguja owners are 80 families on the island-country of the Charter, which take turns every few months on the island. In addition to the family with two children kuna, and the island 'permanently inhabited by a cat, a gull can not' fly and Sergio, a Russian in Moscow who has lived here for several months. This Sergio seems to me that it is identified with a lot in life by the sinking of the twenty-first century (a little 'Mr. Lock of Lost). It is' built a rudimentary kitchen and a wire nearby, attaches the fish that day you go hunting with his spear gun. Has' also made a fan, through which derives energy from the wind and also owns a small solar panel and energy storage. In reality 'also has many other electronic gadgets, but that' can not use since humidity 'and the salt air blow all the pieces. The island also including tents ($ 20 per day including meals) and cabins ($ 30), hosts more than a dozen tourists and 5-6 kuna staff, however, that 'every night on the island part of the Charter. The kuna between owners and staff are nothing short of remarkable, but ultimately solto saputi be taken in the right direction. The tourists and 'mostly' seen as a "walking ATMs," but knowing better, after a few days, go beyond the few words of routine. I'm usually very reserved and especially women, and 'very rarely say a word more' than necessary.
Men are better when you know more 'polite and courteous, but some' can not 'say that they are of great companions. They like to live in their world, they also realize that they have a paradise, so 'organized to accommodate tourists and currently do not fare bad at all. What 'they want is the dollars, 'cause heaven is not' free and a photo with them ... $ 1! This 'at first they can' make it appear quite cold and detached, but behind this feeling there 'more, an ancient culture and jealously preserved over time, will know that' best back on the island pobla Charter. A stand out are the two children (he's 11 and she 6 years), and that as 'natural as it is, out of shape it is and' adults and curious about the tourists, they just want to know and ask questions in bursts. I also do a bit hush 'and because he likes to draw, I gave him pencil, notebook and pencils, and after having explained the rules, I started doing the orthogonal projections of the huts island.
Other people have been here a few years ago, told me that something is changing: more and more tourists are 'numerous and slowly the charm of a time
is closing more and more.' Especially on weekends the island becomes totalmentre and hundreds of tourists arriving from Panama to get two days of sun, then on Monday 'all back to normal'. With the new dirt road and gravel, now you can 'get from Panama to the coast in 2-3 hours (once served as many as 8 hours) and in a few years the street will be' road. Maybe I've just the right moment before the big boom. These islands are also popular, 'cause now have a certain minimum services pear' is not unimportant: solar energy and then light at night in the central hut, fresh water from the tank bath faucets and shower heads, but basic huts comfortable and simple and a bar-restaurant open all day (compared to Chahahuate Here are a six-star hotel).
Curiosity 'of these parts and in general in the Caribbean are the coconut trees. They call them "trees perfect" life and death ... Through the wood of the tree you can 'build a house in full, from top to bottom including furniture, also through the coconut you can' drink and eat. A perfect plant from short survivors. But better not walk too close, 'cause when the coconut falls and does not feel coming down' from that height, heavy as is ', if they catch you on the head and' certain death. Randomness 'rare, but' I started to make us more 'attention yesterday when me and it' fell one to three meters away. At first one is a bit 'stone, but then' with each passing day, you learn to quickly recognize the small sound of the moment in which the coconut off and hands instinctively go over your head ...
Sunday, March 29, 2009 today to get out a bit 'from the crowd of people arrived in two days , I went to spend half a day on the island Perro. The island is 'much more' small and spartan than where I live just a few meters from the shore, there is 'a special feature' that attracted me: a wreck of a sunken ship many years ago, perfect for cruising with a mask . Being close to the seabed, it seems that the sea can not wait to sink that ship. Around only white sand in the middle, this large piece of metal half broken, but that 'over the years and' was finely "furnished" by the critters. Besides being home to many fish, the wreck and 'totally filled with corals, sponges of many colors and many other little strange ... A long work of marine craft.
Wednesday 'April 1, 2009 The days go by here on the island of Aguja and with them, including the conduct of the kuna is more and more' better. The men usually call me by name, are more and more 'friendly and now talk openly about all the times that happens. The women continue to remain on their own and do not give much confidence. A little 'body, but little to do with it, so' e '... After the first week I also bought some discount for long stay: breakfast, lunch, dinner and a tanda instead of $ 15 to $ 20 and beers at a cost of $ 1 instead of $ 2 (50 cents in Panama).
today I cooked and I cook native of 83 years to try the pasta bamberetti
In these days of sweet life, I'm scouring every meter the most 'interesting island, what one can not' take pictures, or rather the underwater world, that every time the mask gives a new adventure. Here the coral has the same value of dry stone, 'cause
backdrop, the first few meters from the shore, and it' s just full of them and a few meters later, those alive and well: underwater hills and hills covered with these hard colorful plants and between infinite 'of fish, these colorful. Here and then, where are the current hottest happen to be in front, the dense assembling of small fish as big as your little finger, which are all united to create a real submarine wall, impossible to touch and often even longer than 10 meters. Entering inside you find yourself in a very special situation: the small fish move right at the last second, I almost considered as a big fish harmless and entering it well, you find yourself with a visibility 'almost zero everywhere and surrounded by thousands and thousands of these little golden fish. To stay for hours ...
Friday April 3, 2009 Following a second round-island country of paper, a museum visit Kuna and several chats, I got a half under the Kuna people and their traditions. Sure, a little 'for the English spoken by me and hurt them a bit' for their privacy, that 'and that' came out are mostly 'frammettarie information and often vague. The Kuna, the indigenous people of San Blas, physically, are the classic Indians. They live in almost total independence from Panama (tax included) and occupy these lands for 200 years. In fact come from northern Colombia, but 'no seems to know a date when the first settlements. Throughout history Kuna are famous four revolutions. The first, undated, and 'some' myth of the classic "good versus evil in the mists of time," tabid exactly, the good, winning against Pileri, evil. The second revolution, this is not dated, and 'instead against the cannibals in the jungle. And subsequently 'remembered that in 1492 against the English (definitely a date indicative, since Columbus arrived' just in October of that year), and the last in 1925 for the independence of Panama, largely achieved.
The motto of excellence and kuna '"the people who lost their traditions loses his soul "and how this noble idea is well on display in the hall of the grand council, in many ways is not 'exactly in line with reality' of events. Religion, a little 'as in all civilizations', plays a primary role. kuna The Lord of the museum precisatto me more 'times that everything' regarding religion and 'before the arrival of the Spaniards, but' having too many coincidences and 's a bit hard to believe. kuna Religion called Ibeorgum and most 'old, based sull'adorazione "Mother Earth" and sull'allontanamento of evil spirits, and is' merged with many other elements of the mold undoubtedly Christian. kuna In the world there is one God, who would get off on earth, a spaceship flying through which has also been a model, a couple, then a sort of Adam and Eve. Through the 12 disciples of Adam and Eve, so religion would 'spread among the various communities'. They also believe in the existence of Paradise and the nurse and respect the ritual of not eating meat during Holy Week.
the religion of course bind many traditions and customs, and these are the things most likely to 'have remained unchanged over time. Women if they are normally quiet home to look after the children and sewing. Usually they are pretty and have always a golden ring in the nose to protect from evil spirits, many chains colored arms and ankles and finely sewn clothes and colorful hand-embroidered
who are called "molas". The molas and 'the handicraft par excellence, and consists of several superimposed layers of colored cloth that once must be cut and sewn to create designs and traditional symbols. Made of high importance among the Kuna is also the maturity of the parties' women. When a village girl arriving first menstruation, is locked in a hut for four days (dice. .. because otherwise the men go crazy), then at the end of the fourth day of liberation and the beginning for the whole village a large festival night, in which almost all get drunk until the collapse. Later on, the girl's father will decide 'who will' her husband. For men, however, work, work, work ... some fields on land, others to fish (never without a shell as big as a hand, to use as a horn in emergencies), and the more 'lucky, those who for one thing or another to deal with de
the growing tourism. Other attractions 'tag language, called Ywiyuli and has nothing to do with the English and the distrust of the most' modern medicine to the elderly. Their remedies were mostly 'spiritual level and with specific rituals to be performed, in which they used water extracts of various plants and small statues of wood to keep out the spirits. With regard to joint decisions and that there is a Grand Council consists of a general meeting, in which the elderly are in a position of greater respect and in this context, the women are held in high regard. In addition, there is a Grand Council Chief and this' called Sahil, and 'selected for special merit and can not' remain in office for life. I did not understand how and 'run the justice sector, but' they told me that when someone goes to break some important rule, the Grand Council may 'decide for esislio of the accused, who will be' forced to live in another community 'for a certain period of time. The Kuna people and '
a very peaceful people (the first religion to prevent the assault, theft and war), but' not "peace", as the violence and 'accepted to the defense. The first "commercial" instead of the kuna, and 'the most' controversial and ambiguous as the most changes in recent years is placed in this area. At one time the slogans were "sharing" and "help themselves", sharing what 'that was held in surplus and help in what' that it was possible, like building a house or a canoe. Certainly for relationships outside the family was required 'to another and consequently also for trade it used the simple barter of goods and the loan with interest. It 'always been the property' of the private huts and coconut trees, but not the island itself '. Now things are different. As long as a small community 'is closed in itself and lives right on the subsistence level, "help" and "barter" may also be sufficient, but when they start a trade with the outside and inside is structured a minimal "division of labor" (a person who is responsible only to a particular work or part thereof, as the building of canoes), barter and lack of property 'some are transformed into a major limitation. The kuna then, changing their way of life, have become in the last 10 years and obviously very organized traders trading good more 'precious people, the attractions of your dreams. Currently, the properties' private land, as in the broader sense as if it were a building, undoubtedly exists. Aguja island where I am for example, and 'property' of 80 families on the island-country map, and then only half 'of the paper family are the owners of Aguja. The current president of Aguja, Jose, do not lose the opportunity to give their mobile number to more 'potential tourists hoping word of mouth and the game earned him well because
or in addition to the house card (one of the few masonry), it also has a second in Citta 'in Panama. Aurelio instead, cleaner island since fired, two days ago had a great desire to talk and told me that all staff members take $ 1 per day. Can 'seem a little (and certainly not' a lot) but it 's a matter of point of view. For $ 1 Aurelio e'poi not so 'bad, as the main alternative, agricultural work or fishing, equivalent to less than $ 1 a day and activities are' much more 'tiring (more time between the only road viable). With increased specialization, however, there are 'other possibilities'. The boys of transport from island to island can also catch the $ 20 to buy a canoe and it costs around 200.
Sure things from the time of "aid and" barter " I am not a little changed. From a personal point of view, the fact that these enchanted places can go slowly disappearing 'displeasure and the "mass tourism, which drives up prices and makes it very different, and' a case as instinctive as to identify what I think Wrong. In reality 'in such situations there are not guilty: not' mass tourism that goes to these places change, but the people themselves who want to change, to want something more '. At the same time, however, 'is also particularly pleased that the kuna motto is "the people who lost their traditions lose his own soul" and in defense of this, the fact that their trade is with strangers, but never sell the property' .
Visiting the paper insulation, it seems to be in a timeless place, an island totally carpeted with wooden huts, but in no beds but rather 'hammocks, the auditorium of the Grand Council also this made of wood and with the motto kuna prominently along lanes and dirt, old ladies with traditional clothes and ornaments, and finally close to this man, stand the younger generation, who walk with phones in their hands and ears and everything mp3 almost the idea that between the two generations we do not circulate 50 years but 500.
Thursday, April 23, 2009 - Lamporecchio 
