Bee's 3 Step Guide to Going Abroad: Step 1

Step 1: Getting Back to Y.O.U.  (Your Own Unfilled Promises)

So you say you have always wanted to travel, teach abroad, and see the world. This is what you say. Ever since you went on your last vacation to the Caribbean, or visited your family in some foreign country, or took the road with some friends on a spontaneous backpacking journey, you promised yourself that you would come home and start saving because you really enjoy traveling. Then you met someone who told you that they have taught in South Korea or if you live in the Washington DC area, you have met all the recent graduate non-profit workers who volunteered with disabled children at a camp in some far away land. Either way, one of these things peaked your curiosity, and you thought about how cool of an experience that was. But, you never thought it could be YOU.

But, yes it can be you. No you don’t have to volunteer in a village in India, Nicaragua or Kenya. You can actually do anything that you want to do, in any part of the world. You just have to be true to yourself. I have heard that phrase before, but it didn’t really understand the depth of that until last January.

I have known that I wanted to teach abroad since June of 2008.  I always had it in the back of head, but from time to time, my passion for the unknown and the need to get away would creep back up on me, usually as I was tired and driving to my second job.  

In January of 2012, per recommendation by a sister, I created a list of things that I wanted in the year and what things would be unacceptable for me. Unacceptable for me was still being in the DMV by August. I was determined to go to either Venezuela or Panama, practice my Spanish, and explore.  When the first opportunity didn’t work out, I started working on my plan B, which was Panama. Plan B, to date, has been a blessing. Everything happens the way it does for a reason.

Without being “true to myself,” I would have never been able to take this step. I had to first accept that fact that I was not comfortable with the way I was working, I adored both of populations that I was serving at both of my jobs as a youth development worker for county recreation and as a call specialist on a hotline assisting victims of human trafficking; yet, I wasn’t totally fulfilled and happy about where I was in my life. 

When Plan A didn’t work out, I started on plan B right away. I made the decision to register for the TEFL class. I couldn’t really afford it but was willing to make the sacrifice. I stayed home for about a month just being broke. But when the class started, I felt like I was getting back to myself. I love learning actually. Most importantly, I knew that I was actually taking a REAL step towards doing what I wanted to do. I was listening to my heart. 

Next, I started researching the teaching market for English teachers in Panama and possible job opportunities. Though, I had my heart set on Panama, I still made sure to consider many other teaching locations and opportunities including South Korea, Costa Rica, Indonesia, to name a few. But since Spanish was important to me, I narrowed it down to Spanish speaking countries. I knew that I wanted to be in Central America because of the tropical weather. Wasn’t quite ready to make it back down to South America yet. I also knew that I wanted to be in a place that was thriving and safe. Based on the little research that I found, it seemed like Panama had a good economy, demand for English teachers, and lots of places to see! Panama was a go.

Find out what steps I took before leaving after I decided on Panama. This next blog post is the how-to on teaching abroad, basically, before you leave! Stay tuned. You even learn while riding on Bee’s Backseat! :)

Bee, Bocas del Toro, and 2013

I dedicate this post to my late uncle Sorie Musa, who was the smartest man I knew. He would surely be proud of the fact that I am teaching language while exploring. He was a dedicated father, intellectual, French teacher and studied linguistics. Uncle, you'll be happy to know that the Musa bunch is quite the group, especially, Kekura :) 01/14/01

just a dreamer, trying to DO.

random inspiring art on Isla Bastimientos

Well, hello pasajeros! Happy New Year from your favorite DMV Sierra Leonean-American girl in Panama! I made it back to my favorite Central American country just in time for the New Year; it was intentional. After surprising my mother and sister-girl for Christmas and baby shower, respectively, partying in the best place to be Sierra Leonean outside of Sierra Leone, the DMV, and spending quality time with loved ones, I was ready to return to Panama. There is just something about this place that motivates me.

can you see the glow already?

I had planned on spending New Year’s at home initially but then my cousin reminded me about how I always complain on New Years wishing I were somewhere else. Sounds like something I would do. So, I made sure that I made it back to Panama on Dec 30th. I prayed and prayed and fasted and prayed that some miserable snowstorm would not keep me stuck at the airport. Granted, I almost missed my flight due to a family meeting mysteriously scheduled 2 hours before departure, lol, I was able to make it.

As soon as I stepped off the plane, the humidity brought my dry skin back to its element. Oh, how I missed the way my chocolate skin glows as a result of a tropical climate. To be ashy is not kind to one’s skin or life.

Our initial plan was to ring in the New Year at some totally rad beach party on one of the islands. However…

Notice I said initial plan. We tried. Left Panama City at about 11:30 am on New Year’s Eve heading to David. From David, we would catch another bus to Almirante and then take a water taxi to the islands. Bocas Del Toro is a province in Panama that has a set of beautiful islands on the Caribbean coast.

Somehow we passed our stop and ended up in Chaguinola, which is a city in the province. Some locals explained that it would be best for us to wait until the morning and then head back to Almirante for the water taxi. They stopped a taxi for us and the taxi took us to a really decent and affordable hotel in the town. Did I mention that the taxi ride was $1.40? Good deal and friendly town.

the caribbean!

By midnight the entire town was putting on their own fireworks in every corner. Not particularly pleasant in my opinion, but I was still grateful to be in a warm and different environment on New Year's Eve :)

I turned in shortly after ringing in the New Year, eating some street kabobs and praying for the path to continue accomplishing my dreams for this year.

The next morning we continued our sojourn to Almirante. As of right now I still love bus rides. Just something about being able to see so much of a region on a bus fascinates me. My travel partner wasn’t exactly pleased. But I enjoyed the freedom. The ride. The scenery. The greenery. This time we were actually paying attention and not dozing off. We got off at Almirante and proceeded to look for the area where we could take the water taxi. These types of things excite me. I have also come to learn that I really enjoy riding in small boats in big oceans. Lol, probably not something my mom wants to hear but I feel so at peace while being driven and taking in the scenery. Of course I strap on my life jacket. 

things you see from your water taxi

strapped up!

a little crab i picked up

After about 17 After minutes we arrived to the main island, Isla Colon. We located an affordable accommodation, then changed into our beachwear and headed to the ocean. The catch here is that you have to take a water taxi to the next islands. I love it! We went to Isla Bastimientos, and had lunch at Bibi’s. It was not particularly a sunny day and I was a tad bit stressed because of that, but then I picked up my spirits by realizing that I was in Panama on an island on New Year’s Day! Sun or no sun, we made it fun. 

monkey has no worries...hanging from the tree

peace, like a picture from a poem

The next day we bargained with a water taxi guy to take us to Red Frog, which was beautiful. I will let the pictures speak about my time at Red Frog. But in a nutshell, this beach made my New Year’s special. I felt inspired to continue going forward with my dreams and adventures. There was something about the rock structures, which I sort of climbed. Made me feel empowered and ready to take on the world.  Plus, I loved my neon margarita bathing suit courtesy of Victoria’s Secret. I also enjoyed my company, observing people, trying to guess where they were from, wondering what brought them to Bocas and riding the big waves in the Atlantic. I truly enjoyed red frog. Not to mention a yummy chicken burger and piña colada on the beach. You can't beat it.

main island

One downside about the main island, Isla Colon where we stayed was that there was barely any local food. As I consider myself a #foodie (or just greedy, lol), it is important to get the feel for the food in any place you are visiting. I look forward to that, and unfortunately, I guess due to lots of tourists, the town has lost it’s local feel, I think. Too many burger and pizza shops; I was expecting lots of places that sell fresh fish/seafood, patacones, natural juice and for a nice price, lol. But that didn’t happen. I settled for hamburgers and a pizza that I think made us sick the next day.

After sun, sand and the warm Caribbean water, that I was ready to head back I the city, read The Alchemist and get it crackin’. Ready to get back to the hustle and bustle of Panama City. See, one thing Panama offers is the opportunity to live a semi-fast paced life (minus the amount of time traffic jams take away from that pace lol) and a wonderful beach life option. You can be an English teacher during the week and a surfer chic on the weekends. I'm not exactly a surfer but the contrast sounded nice. You catch my drift though.

As I write this post to you, I am reminded that this was one of my dreams for 2012. To travel, see Panama and as much as Central America as possible and share my experiences through writing and photos. I will continue to do this in 2013. Be ready for it all! This year, I project that I will see more, learn more and do more, for myself and girls/women.

just keep moving towards your dreams...they are attainable

Stay tuned, strap on your seatbelt for more exciting times and rides on Bee’s Backseat 2013!

Why I Love the Black Man

My friend asked me about my future today. What my plans were. Who I would marry. How things would work with me being a jetsetter. Somehow we started talking about what type of men I like and who I see myself with in the future. I told him that I had one problem:  that I love black men. He asked me what I like about black men. And then, my heart poured these words out.

Why I love the Black Man

I love the way he holds me...authoritative, showing ownership, yet so sweet and loving

I love the way his facial features are strong, yet so gentle and graceful

I love the way his cheekbones protrude from his African face, yet so softly

I love the way he palms my buttocks while holding me...rocking side to side...intense yet so tender

I love the way his hair rests on his head, black in sight, smooth to touch

I love the way his hair fades to the back of his neck, prickly yet made to caress

I love the way his hands glide over me...hands rough from hard work but never too rough to rub my soft skin

I love the way his dark full lips engolf my dark full lips...

I love the way we feed each other with our selves...

I love the way he supports, provides, gives and is the backbone...yet isnt afraid to lean on his woman or be in need of love, affection, advice, anything...

I love the way a black man loves me...with fear, with passion, with intensity, with need, with lust, with love, with with with with his all.

I love the way my black man loves me...

It took me less than 10 minutes to write all the things I appreciate about Black men. What do you appreciate about him?

Walking the Fine Line

I am well aware that the concept of the haves and the have nots exists all over the world. Yet, the prevalence of classism that I have personally experienced since I have arrived in Panama is absolutely absurd. I don't think I have ever thought about class soooo much before coming here. Could be because I spend almost all of my week with professionals and wealthy expats wanting to learn English. I think so.

somewhere around where the haves live

You see here in Panama, there are two lovely words that describe the disparities that exist in the city. And people are constantly reminding you of what is what.  Call it what you may, but I find them both rather annoying for several reasons. ‘Raka Taka,’ which is an equivalent of describing someone that might be called hood or ghetto and ‘YeiYei,’ which is the equivalent of describing the money people and the ‘bougie lifestyle.’

Allow me to explore my experience a bit more with you…

My morning class had warned me that certain things were raka taka in Panama. When I asked what raka taka was they all contributed to explain things that could were considered raka taka. My dear God, I can’t even begin to list these things on this blog; I would probably have to check many of the qualifications off for myself, lol. In a nutshell, they said it was low class…

I was still feeling things out then so I didn't form an opinion on the term. I was only taking mental notes at this point. Just mental notes.

Once as I tutored a student who was trying to pass an English exam, he asked about my social life. Admittedly, I told him that I hadn't really started going out much as I was still figuring things out and getting settled. He then proceeded to tell me which clubs to go to and which clubs not to go to, noting that one club in particular [which will remain unnamed] used to be really nice, but has since lessened in quality since now it is frequented by the "low class." He said "Oh no, teacher. Don’t go there it's low class." Mental note to self: explore what he meant by that, although I think I had an idea of exactly what he meant. I had checked out that same club just a few days back and it was pretty cool. I digged the music and could see myself going back.

Or like two weeks ago when one of my students pulled out a map and proceeded to delineate a line between where the rich people lived in the city and where the rich people did not live in the city. She assumed that I lived within those lines. She was SO excited about the discovery of this map.

Raka beach? lol. just the BEACH!

Finally, the other day as I was sitting in the teachers lounge before class, two teachers discussed weekend plans. One suggested a beach and then the other quickly surmised that the beach might not be relaxing. When I asked why not, he indicated that it wouldn't be relaxing because it was a raka-taka kind of beach and that while you try to relax, someone might come right next to your sand space and start blastin’ reggaeton. WOW. So I tried to hold it in, but that had been my breaking point.

1. So a beach that is raka cannot be relaxing.

2. Only rakas listen to Reggaeton and in fact, at the beach, they will surely invade your private space with it. That’s just what rakas do. (I am sure he meant Plena, which is Panamanian reggae and pretty darn awesome!)

Okay. When the other teacher asked what raka meant, he said that it was the Panamanian equivalent to the American term "white trash." I argued that it was everything that the money havin’ Panamanians and expats considered trash...not just white.

The room got tense. I was tense. I had reached my breaking point with this.

walking contrast. literally and figuratively

Almost four months into living here in Panama and I now realize why I am having such a hard time dealing with the constant usage of these words. The use of these words aside from the fact that it attempts to clearly delineate two social classes, makes a person feel like they have to choose what to do to stay clearly within one of these groups and steer far away from the other. Secondly, aside from the fact that I have always considered myself a well-rounded person, it is always evident that in Panama the activities that have made me feel the most connected to Panamanian people and culture are those that people might consider raka taka or frown upon. I believe in getting into the people, delving into the culture, mingling, and being a part of the experience. I didn’t come all the way to Panama to hang out at the Hard Rock hotel that is reminiscent of every Hard Rock hotel in the states. I didn’t come to Panama to mingle with people in a bar that is frequented by people who are other teachers, backpackers, expats, etc. I can do that stuff every once in a while. But I came to Panama to be in Panama. I came here to live and experience a culture outside of my own upbringing and to really feel like I am traveling. I did not come to Panama to stay in my comfort zone or do things that are modeled after bar, clubs, and restaurants in US cities. Take me to the real Panama. Take me to get empanadas and chicha* for $1.00. Take me on a $0.25 bus ride on the Diablo Rojo*. Take me to Avenida B to bargain shop and have raspao*. Take me to Mercado de Mariscos* where I can have ceviche for $3.00 and kick it with the locals. Take me to my homegirl’s house where I can meet other real people and 'parquiar'* like my Panamanians say. Let me here Plena, Reggaeton, Reggae, Bachata, Salsa, anything that screams foreign! I want it all…and if that means raca taca, then so be it. Let my standard Spanish be a must and let me pick up the local version of Panamanian Spanish ‘Que Xopaaaaa?’* Lol. Love it.

ridin' the Diablo Rojo to work.

Insert sound effect here:____________. “Teacher, you ride the Diablo Rojo? *Gasp* how is it?” Me: It is just fine; I am alive, well, and made it out to teach you English today…all for $.25 ;)

And so, I bask in joy as I tell them about how exciting my weekend activities were in the areas they would never venture, listening to the music that is very unrelaxing ;) and most importantly “low class.” I bask in letting them know that as their teacher of English and co worker, I am open to all. Perhaps then they will understand the ambiguity of a person that is the English teacher, Bintu Musa.

a sister sent this to me and i was moved by it and it fits here! credit: unknown

Above all, I am an open-minded and adaptable young woman that can fit in anywhere. Take me to an official gathering with diplomats and I will chop it up and impress all the same. I don’t walk around claiming to be from one of the richest counties in the US, nor do I rag on having lived in some of the poorest areas of this county. I can hold my own in any environment. The fact remains that in all that I do, I keep an open mind and invite all types of people, good people into my circle, and into my life. I travel to live the experience. One day I will do it for an official entity and I will make them proud by bridging gaps that often exist across cultures.

Signed Shamelessly,

a Sierra Leonean-American girl who just really wants to explore another culture sans the labels.

*Chicha- natural/local juice

*Diablo Rojo- local bus---meaning Red Devil, literally
*Raspao- a delicious type of shaved ice with your favorite flavor,creamer and condensed milk---yummy!

*Mercado de Mariscos- Seafood Market

*Parquiar- Panamanian slang for chillin'

*Que Xopa- Panamanian slang for 'what's up?'

NEXT! Surprise destination pending for this weekend. Please mark your calendars, pack your bags and most importantly, strap your seatbelts!*

Sun, Sizzla, and Sand

up close and personal

So this past weekend Panama celebrated its independence from Colombia. I specify that because apparently they celebrate a few more independences this month. Basically, November in Panama is one big...beach party! Who am I to complain?

Not to mention it only cost $3.00 to get to the beaches on the Pacific side, which is where I spent my weekend. Something about knowing that I can see so much for so little is empowering. I get excited about the thought.

By now many of you have seen my picture with the phenomenal reggae artist that is Sizzla! Before I even knew when Panama's holiday was, I knew I would be at the concert. Even had my outfit planned. And of course I didn't get my ticket until two days before, haha. Typical.

Anyway, at the last minute I was convinced to head to the beach on Friday night instead of early Saturday morning as I had planned, in order to beat the traffic. Usually, I like to think things out a bit more, but I said whatever; this is all about adventure and experience, right? I was already packed so I did a quick mental checklist and went outside to catch a taxi to the bus terminal. There was only one problem and one problem only; I left after 9 and the last bus was leaving to Gorgona at 9:30. But like the 'blessing pikin' that I am, I made it (despite the taxi driver driving intentionally slow after I indicated that I was in a rush.) Either he was scared of going above the speed limit or he wanted to prolong our ride together. Either way I was annoyed.

from my 'bus'

I rushed to the bus---well, little minivan type of thing. It’s what we call ‘podahpodah’ in Sierra Leone, a ‘minibus’ in Guyana, or a ‘trhttp://trotrodiaries.tumblr.com/otro’ in Ghana. I was extremely close to this one guy who was adamant about sharing his 44th birthday plans with me. He told me about everything from his family to his birthday outfit. 

I finally arrived to the the town of Gorgona and you could feel the calm before the storm; it was clear that the next day would be a day of partying!

sunny days

hidin' out under the cliff catching waves

Saturday came quickly and I checked into a little house owned by a surfer guy in a beach town called El Palmar. This particular beach is frequented by many surfers because of the waves. There is also a surf school. I enjoyed the waves and all, but I'll leave the surfing to the surfers :) I will admit that it felt good to have the waves take you with them.

hey there

beautiful rock structure

I enjoyed the beach a bit more with my homegirl, who is actually learning to surf. Then we got ready and headed out to make an impression---I mean to go to the Sizzla Concert. Yay for Sand and Sizzla. How much better does it get?

Oh wait, it gets better!

I managed to make my way into the VIP section, which basically meant I was free to go riiiiight up close to the front. I figured why shouldn't I be as close as possible to the stage? I will only see Sizzla in Panama once, right? 

Okay, the VIP scheme wasn't that easy. I paid $40 for my ticket which was general admission, but my friends paid $40 on the day of and they got a VIP ticket. I would have been okay with this if there wasnt such a bigggg difference. Like general admission was like being on the back of the bus and not by choice. And I definitely did not come all the way to Panama to be in the back. No, no, no. Not Bintu Mary.

Needless to say, I put on my DMV charm, walked up to the security guy and asked him what the price difference was so I could pay it. He directed me to the ticket booth. I asked them the same question. They told me to hold on. Luckily my friend Javi had a better idea. He would just hold my hand and cover it with his VIP wristband and we would walk right in. We tried it. It worked---or so we thought, until I saw the security guy walking towards me out of the corner of my eye. Lol okay #fail1.

We explained the situation to him. My friend told me to speak only English. That would help our story if I pretended to be a clueless American girl. Then somehow my friend asked the security guard where he was from...and u guessed it...they were both from the city of Colon. That was it; in less than five seconds, that security guard walked right back and we walked right into VIP without problem. Later we slipped him $3.00. Gotta love third world hookups.

passionate performer

feelin' his music

And with that, I was rest assured in the VIP section.

Next mission was to work my way up to the front! And center. And if you know me, then you know I succeeded. I mean go hard or go home. And home is far from here. ;)

sandy days

The experience, the VIP hustle and all was amazing. The stadium was basically a stage set on the beach. So my feet were in sand. All the more hippie/bohemian and I loved every minute of it. Even the fact that the generator kept going out was exciting for me. When the lights went out we could see the stars. I have never thought the sky looked so beautiful. When my crew complained about the lights going out, I reminded them that we were at a reggae concert in Central America on the beach, feet in sand, how many more times will we be able to have this opportunity? Better yet, how grateful should we be that we even have this opportunity?

I even took a nap right there on the sand until the lights came back on. This was my type of thing. Beach vibin’ and reggae vibin’.

everyone diggin' the vibe

Rastas, backpackers, Panamanians, and a Sierra Leonean American girl who once dreamed of beach concerts. All of us came from different places for one thing: music. For the love of Sizzla's music and to witness his art. Music, if nothing else, is truly a powerful means of bringing people together. I will always remember the day I was walking in Suriname, a small country in South America. A black Surinamese approached me selling cds; I asked him what the hottest song was right now. He started singing ‘Yori Yori. There I was, somewhere in South America, oceans apart from Nigeria and the hottest song in Suriname, was a song by a Nigerian group. At that moment, I realized this: music is a binding force. Music transcends borders and oceans. 

Remember! Never take off your seatbelt---you never know what's next on Bee's Backseat---stay tuned for this weekend's adventure!

Takin' the Road to San Blas

And then there were two chicks and a 4x4. So my wonderful cousin came to visit me in Panama. My first guest :) She wanted to visit the San Blas Islands, which are a popular tourist destination here. Seeing as though, it was on my list of things to accomplish for October, I gladly accepted her excitement and planned a trip to San Blas. All we had to  do was deposit the money in a Kuna guy’s account and then rent a 4x4, as the road to San Blas must be driven with a 4x4. It became clear why shortly after getting on the road. 

Of course, there’s always the journey before you get to the paradise itself. And indeed San Blas was paradise, but the journey---well---it was nothing short of interesting and indeed triumphant by the end.

We began our journey from Panama City to Kuna Yala, which is the name of the land of the Kuna’s at about 6 am. We had a GPS. Or so we thought. I will explain later. We had been instructed to get gas by the airport because after that we might not run into any more gas stations. So we did just that. Only that of course, being two foreigners, we couldn’t really find the gas station or get back on the road after we found it.  We finally got back onto Carretera Panamerica somehow. We drove for about 25 minutes before running into the protesters. What protesters you ask? I knew you would! Well in quick summary of Panamanian news, the government tried to sell the land in the 'Free Zone'. The Free Zone is a tariff free shopping area in the city of Colon. Colon is a historical city in Panama, however, the city of Colon remains destitute and many live in conditions of poverty. Not surprisingly, it is the city where many of the beautiful black people live. Colon has been forgotten. Thus, the Coloneses are frustrated with the government’s plan to sell this land in the Free Zone. Quite frankly, I think they are frustrated period at the overall and long standing abandonment of their needs by the Panamanian government and rightfully so. For about two weeks now there have been numerous protests scattered throughout the city with regard to this situation.

the point where the road block begin. protesters to the left.

  

So yes, we were stuck on this road as police had blocked off the road. It wouldn’t have been that bad if there was another way to get to San Blas. Anyway, this guy told us to follow him since he would be going in the same direction.  We made a U turn in an attempt to follow him and we lost him. Great. Just great. But luckily, (I think) our GPS was still doing us some good because somehow, we ended up on the road that we were trying to get to before the protest. We kept on drivin’ until we got to this point where the GPS told us to go straight. The only problem was this was a road going one way on our side. We literally had to cross this major highway. This time that there was an even bigger dip in the median. We attempted to cross it thinking it would be as simple as the one we encountered near the road block. Not quite. We got stuck. Uh oh. But guess who came in handy? The protesters! There were about 4 or 5 guys that were cheering us on and when their vocal directions couldn’t help they came and pushed us out of the ditch while I hit the gas. What an experience!

Even though the GPS said 169 KM to our destination, I wasn’t too confident about that GPS. Call me a little old-fashioned but I am always weary of GPS especially in Central America. Luckily we saw a sign that said indicated the road to Kuna Yala was on the left. But my cousin thought we should follow the GPS. I followed it for a bit then I stopped at a local Fonda* and asked if we were on the right path to San Blas. Just like I thought, we needed to turn around and go back to where we saw that sign.

As we began ascending the hills to Kuna Yala, I said another prayer to God and thought how my mom would have a heart attack if she knew her first born and only daughter was driving up some hills in a jungle in Central America. But then again, I think she has started to realize just how crazy her first-born is. The road was not an easy one; there were even some parts missing on the road, but we made it! And boy was it worth it! Though, I am not too sure if I will be the one driving next time.

You arrive at a checkpoint and pay a small tax because the Kuna Yala is a protected land. Then you continue on driving up and down some more curvy hills. I think the second set of curves are worse. 

Then you arrive at a port designated by your Kuna tour guide and park your car. So we parked and waited for our guy Senor Blas to meet us and take us on the boat. And there began the reward for braving the road.

The water---an incredible, deep blue, turquoise at times, aqua green at times and just plain awesome---was enough to remind you that every fear you had driving up there was worth it.

starfish mid ocean <3

our little lobster friends. $2.00 a pop.

nothing like fresh catch

our kuna jewelry

As you sail, you feel this sense of freedom being on the water. Just enjoying the breeze, the ride and the array of blues that can be found was enough. But of course, that’s not all. There are 365 islands of San Blas. I am sure each has its own little flavor. They are all very small islands that you could walk around in less than 10 minutes, some less. We visited a total of three islands. The first one was an Isla Pero where we just waded in the water and prayed for the sun to come out. And of course posed for our San Blas pics lol. Then we travelled to a second one for lunch. I swear this one had some kind of bugs that chose to only bother me. They were stinging me but leaving no marks and my cousin thought I was crazy because she wasn’t being bothered. Go figure. 

baywatchin' at San Blas

been my partner in crime since 88'

sunshine and smiles.

Finally, we spent the last couple of hours on Isla Perika. Oh my. This is where I realized that it wasn’t fair to call this a beach experience. Literally we were on an island with near-white and soft sand, clear water, starfish, palm tree with coconuts, and the peace of the ocean. The best part is that it’s not like a busy beach. Just you and the island.

I honestly thought that it was being a bit oversold when I heard people talk about it. However, when I visited, I realized why people can’t really say much about San Blas. It’s just one of those things, you have to experience. Very few words will be able to capture the essence of the San Blas Islands. Panama is up 1.

San Blas is not a beach; it is a paradise. 

Stay tuned for the next blog post because this weekend will be jampacked with fun as Panama celebrates its many independences. Pictures from the Sizzla concert in Gorgona beach and a special treat on Monday. There is a place I have been dying to visit and I have finally been invited! Hint: I mentioned it during this post. Put your seatbelts back on!

*Fonda- Local restaurants that typically serve cheap traditional food.