Day 79 - San Blas or Kuna Yala, Panama

San Blas is also known as Kuna Yala. It is a collection of some 360 islands along the coast of Panama. A lot of the islands are uninhabited, but the ones that are, feature the Kuna Indians. They were originally from Colombia, but left in the 1600’s. They are self-governing & they are most famous for the molas they create. Colourful, intricately sewn pieces of fabric, they are beautiful!

A rough tender ride to one of the islands, I stepped off & stepped back in time. Well, relatively. The women dressed traditionally. They wore red & yellow scarves on their heads & beads around their wrists & ankles. Their skirts were usually darker fabric & their tops had molas on the bottom halves. I don’t think I saw one woman who didn’t sew!

They live in huts & although there wasn’t a paved path on the island, apparently there are a few flat screen TV’s & many cell phones! Ha! I had this sinking feeling, I’ve just been had! :o)

There were ample photographic opportunities & I wanted to go wild, BUT every single person on the island has been trained, since infancy to demand $1 for every photo take of them! The only word these kids knew in English was ‘Photo’. As a photographer, I guess I feel that I should pay my ‘models’ AFTER they have made me some money. Besides, I would have need $474 to pay for every photo I would have liked to have taken! Argh! Frustrating! I paid one lady. She had the most character of all the people I saw on the small island. I’m sure it wasn’t bigger than 1-2 blocks.

I was one of the last 5 people to leave the island. Thankfully I wasn’t left behind! :o) I think I’d rather be left behind in Bora Bora if I had a choice!!

In the evening, we went out for dinner. It was an extra special dinner, as we took Augustine, the Medic Steward, out for dinner. Derek, his girlfriend, Arlene, Tracey, Augustine, Jaco & myself enjoyed a wonderful dinner at the Bistro.

I’m not sure if you’re aware, but on a ship, there are different ranks. It’s all very racist in my opinion, I’m a one-for-all, all-for-one kinda girl, but since when does my vote count?
At the top of the food chain, you have Officers. Officers have a lot of stripes on their uniforms, eat the same food as the passengers & have the best deck privileges. They are generally well paid, but have little free time to spend ashore. They often work 9-5-ish hours.

Next you have the Staff. Staff are generally working in concession jobs – Casino, Photographers, Shop Staff. They are not paid as well, but in return, they have more time off to explore the ports of call. They do not eat the same food as the passengers – some will have a limited menu depending on the ship.

Last, you have the Crew. Now, the Crew are the bulk of the ship’s company. They are paid the least & work the hardest. Guess where they are from? Mainly they come from the Philippines, Mexico, India, & Indonesia. They eat only in the mess – think rice, hot dogs, baby octopus, limited fruit & vegetables. You better pray you don’t have a restricted diet!!! They work an average of 11 hours per day. Waiters & Stateroom Stewards will take home $2000/month in tips – only if the Passengers are nice & tip! Otherwise, the company pays them about $200-300/month. The laundry staff are paid $300/month & spend their days from 8-8 below deck in a hot, smelly Laundromat. They will have 1-3 hours off in the afternoon, leaving them enough time for a nap or a chance to hop off & grab some toothpaste. They are not allowed in passenger areas.

Augustine is considered Crew, thus, it was a big deal for us to go to dinner with him. He is the sweetest, most giving young man. I hope that his time is well spent on the ship & he can return to Goa & enjoy a better life!

Oh, one more thing… If you are employed as Staff & you are lucky enough to be from India, Mexico or the Philippines, you instantly earn 30% less than your fellow colleagues hailing from Canada, Europe or Australia. How wrong is that? You definitely don’t do 30% less work, so where’s the fairness in that? And, you certainly don’t receive a 30% discount when you travel ashore!!!

Anyhow, beefs aside, it was a wonderful evening & we shared many laughs & stories. I will miss this little family I’ve found onboard. I wish them all smooth sailing & best of luck in pursuing their hopes & dreams!

Adios from San Blas,
Maria & Jaco
xxxx

Wood work & beading

Molas, Molllll-as, guaca-mol-as, molas, molas, molas

Intricate molas

Gathering sugar cane - they extract the juice by placing the sugar cane between 2 poles & then jumping on the top & longer pole to squeeze the juice out. Hey, it keeps them fit, I guess!

Three Kuna women.

One mother put the kid in the tub, bird on the head & then decided to wash the bird. And the kid, of course, had a bath too! Now that's a bird bath!

The little girls put birds on their heads & then want you to take their photo

Beads around the ankles to keep them slim - this is a desirable trait in Kuna women

Kuna Women

Molas

Tracey & Augustine

Augustine & Jaco

Arlene & Derek

The Medical Team