Odila's Flashes & Snapshots: San Blas, the Adventure and the Paradise!

Apologies, I had promised a second and a third posting on our trip to San Blas, but so much water ran under our bridges, that I ended up never posting anything else. This means that today, you'll get both together.

First the Adventure: the last island we went for photos, was "Isla Aguja". Gorgeous gorgeous gorgeous. Completely tiny. One would take only about 20 minutes to walk its perimeter, but let me tell you, what a perimeter!! After a while wondering and shooting around Isla Aguja, Elias, the local Indian who was piloting our boat between the islands and owner of the hotel we had stayed in,

(Elias waving "hello" to us upon his arrival.)

came up to say he had heard it would be better if we left about 1 hour earlier than previously planned because the river was filling up fast and if not, we could may be encounter some trouble to cross the river. Of course, needless to say, that we quickly took his suggestion, put together our equipment and off we started our return which actually meant a 20, 30 min ride on Elia's boat to the mainland and from there we would split ourselves between the two 4 x 4 cars back to Panama City.

By the way, in case you have visited my blog back in February... it's the same river we got stuck in, ok? ( http://odilabraga.blogspot.com/2010/02/from-lunch-in-caribbean-to-sandwich-on.html)

For some unknown reason. Joel got to go in the first car, a Land Rover and I got to go in the second car, a Susuki. Off we were, both cars happy ever after, following each other on a narrow, VERY windy and big time 4 x 4 car type of road. After about 20 minutes, we finally reached THE river and yes, it was high. A person, who had just crossed it on his feet, very kindly, re-crossed the river for us, so that we could know exactly how deep it was and babe... it was deep. The water was up to the guy's waist... madre mia madre santa... was the Susuki going to make it?

Happy ending, the Land Rover went first and yes, it made it, yyuuupppiieee and than us, in the Susuki... the amount of prayers sent up heavens was high, so high that at a certain point I had to remind myself that this time we were in skilled hands and surely the car was going to cross the river, ha ha ha... and so it was, the Susuki also crossed the river and we all got re-united on the other side.

The road continued in the best 4 x 4 style, steep ups and of course, steep downs. Joel in the Land Rover going first and me in the Susuki just behind. Windows were closed because of the air conditioner and loads of talking going on, when suddenly, Tamir, who was driving the car I was in, starts shouting out loud; "oh no, fire in their car, their car is on fire" and at the same time, he would blow the horn, flash the lights, scream a bit more, blow the horn harder and harder and super duper scream out loud.

Then me, who was sitting in the back seat, looked towards the car Joel was in and all I could see was the car my husband was in, was on fire. You know how fast thoughts fly by... no one knew at that point how far the fire would go... all we could see was that right bellow the car was on fire ... was it going towards the petrol tank? Was it happy to be fed by whatever and not spread itself towards the tank? Oh, what a horrible sensation... was Joel going to make out of it? Were all the other 3 passengers going to make out of it? Were we going to have any deaths? Oh no, not again... no more deaths in my life... please God, no more...

Joel and the other 3 people started "ejecting" from the car and since people were safe, we than started saving all the equipment that was on board, also kind of "ejecting" all the photo equipment specialized backpacks together with throwing any water, beer and sodas that were left from the weekend on the engine.

Four hours later, we left the scene. The burned car on a toll truck car

and the 8 passengers squeezed inside the Susuki for a few kilometers until a friend arrived with his empty car and took 4 of us in his car. Amen to good friends, hey?

Some of us, killing time waiting for the toll truck

Walking inside this flat at midnight, eight hours after we had left Isla Aguja (instead of 2:30) was a delicious sensation! In spite the big adventure, the weekend was AWESOME! Pure photographic bliss!