San Blas, the Indian Reserve

Last year's August I was due to go on a Photography workshop in San Blas, which was to take place during a weekend. San Blas is this gorgeous archipelago on the Caribbean Sea, in the North-east side of Panama. The whole of the archipelago is a reserve for the Kuna Yala Indian tribe.

However, that very weekend in August was exactly one week after our darling Carlota passed away... I was completely devastated, canceled going to the workshop and instead, sweet Joel took me to the Dominican Republic for some new and fresh air.

Months later, life is back on the track and voila, I found out there was going to be another workshop and this time we both went. It was just 100% fabulous from any point of view one wishes to look at. Because it was so rich in stories to share, I'll split it in three entries so that we don't get a mega huge entry.

First I'll talk about the feeling of being among Indians. The next entry, I'll dedicate to the Adventure and the last one to the photos of the place.

This was my very first time in an Indian reserve. Never in my life I had been close to one, not to mention, in one! What a feeling... actually, I felt like I was browsing the depths of the pages of my geography books back in school.

All I had studied about the way they live, was happening right before my eyes. The round thatch houses surrounding the main round square, thatch houses built also in circles forming rings around the square, some half naked ladies, the jewelery, their habits... wow... I just could not believe my eyes... what a fulfilling rich experience it was!

Then, when we left the island we were staying at to hop around the different islands to enjoy different photo opportunities, the son of the Indian who owned the Inn we were staying at,

(me at the window of our room)

decided to come with us. His name was Charlie..., actually I suppose his name is still Charlie...

Charlie was a cute little boy who could be any of our own sons. He kept himself busy climbing trees or swimming while we were busy hunting for good photos. At a certain point, I looked at a lying palm tree and there he was being a kid, so... of course... I started to click Charlie.

Later, back at our Inn, after downloading the pictures, I called his parents to show them the pictures. From their reaction, I think they liked..., they were laughing and commenting them. For sure, Charlie loved the fuss around him and I think he was feeling like he was their local "Brad Pitt". So completely cute, I must add.

Then... out of the blue, in the middle of that tiny island lost in an archipelago of 365 islands that are all taken by the Kunas, out of a pitch black night, comes this Indian holding something in his hands, gives it to me and asks me to transfer Charlie's pictures to the MP3 he was giving to me! I was in a total state of shock... an Indian, living in an Indian reserve, with an Indian atmosphere, living an Indian way of life, owns a MP3. Of course, I tried to not show my amazement and did it tout de suite and returned him his MP3 with his son's pictures.

Then, as if that was not enough, about 20 minutes later, out he comes again from that dark dark night, but this time with his LAP TOP, showing me he had already transferred Charlie's pictures... I of course, fainted at the scene, LOL!!

My friends, what a scene... from the pages of my geography books I dived into the cellulose of a film by Fellini, LOL!