Ok, I’m not going to write too much about the San Blas islands because I think the photos speak for themselves but I’ll lead you into it.

We booked the Fast Boat Tour where you boat around on a fast boat and stay on the islands, as opposed to sailing and sleeping in the boat.

The benefit is that you avoid the 36 hours in open water from Cartagena to the Islands, the downside is Turbo.

Turbo is described in Lonely Planet as ‘an aptly named town, in Colombia, as you will want to Turbo through it’ and this was very true.

After two 4 hour buses we arrived in dirty, disgusting, scary and
fecking hot Turbo. The hostel we stayed at with our Tour Group was rank, the bed was like cement and the pillow felt like a stack of wet cardboard. And the toilet / shower; repulsive.

 

At this stage we hadn’t really met the other people but we’d chatted to a guy called Joshi from the UK so the three of is went to dinner and in search of Rum. After we located the Rum, in a more dodgier part of the town, we basically ran home!

The next morning we caught a boat to an island where we would be meeting our guide. It was a four hour boat ride and it was the most horrendous four hours of my life!!!!! Except for maybe Death Road. The boat slammed down over waives, nearly tipped once, and our bags were just piled at the front. Fearful that I’d lose my bag in the sea, sore in the general ass region and scared of dying, I considered jumping in and swimming to shore. The sharks stopped me.

After we arrived and had lunch and stamped out of Colombia we were taken on ANOTHER boat to a different island where we would be staying the night. So far the tour hadn’t officially started but we were getting close to the start.

That night we sweated in a barely air conditioned dorm with 7 others. Early start and another 30 mins on the boat and we were at immigration into Panamá. They sniffer dogged every bag and then searched every single persons bags. EVERYTHING OUT, dirty knickers and all. Lucky for me my customs official spent the whole time hitting on me and we actually didn’t open half my bag. Not scary at all. I did write http://www.matchmaker.com on his arm he can find himself an Australian bride.

Another 2.5 hours on a boat and we were on the first island we were going to sleep on. We dropped our stuff off and headed to a deserted island for some swimming, sunbaking, drinking and Volley Balling.

Have I mentioned yet that I don’t really like boats!! So you might wonder why I went on this tour, well this is why:

 

The accommodation that night was over water bungalows with hammocks. We even pee’d directly into the sea.

 

So for the rest of the time the trip followed a similar sequence; boat, deserted island, swim, sunbake, drinks, coconuts and volleyball.

My time at school paid off as I killed it at volleyball showing dedication to the game and ending up with an arm full of bruises and knee scabs. But my pair won both the ‘official’ matches! Thank you Brighton High.

 

 

We ate SOOOOO much lobster each night (srsly I had 3 full lobsters one night!) and drank so much rum and played hilarious drinking games (hence the Colombia post). We also got to be introduced to the Kuna people who live on the islands. They were are really friendly people and their kids were the cutest! First time I’ve been swarmed and not pick pocketed or had something forcefully sold to me!!

 

We also made some amazing new friends, maybe not quite as amazing as the Scots (haha you three better be reading this) but amazing all the same! Three of the girls were even from Adelaide!!! And I adopted an American girl into my family.

 

After the islands we arrived in Panamá City salty, dirty (I forgot to mention the bucket showers…) and tried.

Panamá city turned out to be an unexpected beauty and not just because there were cats everywhere! But ther were cats everywhere!! Well fed and beautiful!! 

 

We were in a really nice hostel and we continued to hang out with our new friends, did the obligatory Panamá Canal trip and just generally loved it.

 

Now we’ve said good bye to a wonderful city and some new friends and were on a Business Class flight to Guatemala to see an old Friend!! Ryan here we come!!!!

Also I’m well aware that I ended up writing heaps about the San Blas islands.

Panamá City you’re easily in my top 3 cities I’ve visited in the world!!!