Sailing the High Seas

Travel. It makes life more meaningful.

It seems the story of my life has only just begun. With a new destination every week and overwhelming adventures always around the corner, my chapters may be small - but by god are they poignant. So much so I find it hard to believe that the next chapter could ever live up to the previous one... Somehow, so far, I am yet to be let down. Travelling without any plans whatsoever is definitely the way to do it. It means you are open to everything and anything that life throws your way. Your life becomes limitless, the way it should be.

For me, this was sailing to Colombia from Panama. With the choice of a flight for $200, or five days of sailing the Caribbean and visiting the Sand Blas islands for just double the price, it was not a hard decision to make. I am not sure if my words can some up how breathtaking this journey was, but i'll give it a go. Lucky pictures help speak many thousand words.

The only bad thing about the boat trip, Never Smile was on board. An American late 20-something social retard who didn't drink alcohol and had the sense of humour of a five year old... hence the nickname. We'd met him previously in Utilia, he happened to be in my diving group. So as everyone has experienced at least once in their lives, I had exhausted all avenues of pointless conversation with him. He was lucky enough to become the first person on my trip that I took a well deserved disliking to.

We had to get an hour long cab to where the boat was docked, and somehow Mitch Troy and Ben were together in one, and I ended up with Never Smile and Trent - who had flown down from Canada after a bad breakup. Next to Never Smile, he became the second, and so far, final person I have felt hostility towards on this trip. Again, definitely well deserved - if you keep following this blog you'll find out why... a rather interesting story.

Michel and Cecil, a lovely french couple, were our captain and crew for the five day sailing adventure. Sailing the Caribbean for a rather generous living, they've definitely got their lives sorted out. In total, we spent three days exploring the San Blas islands, and then it was 40 hours straight sailing the open seas to arrive in Cartagena, Colombia.

Cecil and Michel, completely and utterly in love.

The San Blas islands is an archipelago of nearly 400 islands, of which only about 50 are inhabited, mostly by the Kuna Indians. There are honestly no words to describe how beautiful the San Blas islands are. They are an unspoiled paradise, which became our playground for three days. Having the boat was the best part, we could just jump into the glorious ocean anytime we felt like it, go snorkeling, fishing, or swim over and just explore the surrounding islands. What a life!

A guy from the Kuna tribes trying to sell us this shell. Legend.

The Kuna people would often approach the boat to try and sell us things, or sometimes come over just for a chat. We did buy some fresh lobsters at one point, something ridiculous like 5 for $30. At one point, a little albino boy approached the boat, just to say hello. It was a strange sight at first, seeing a white boy rowing towards us, and we all turned to Michel and Cecil for an explanation. We were all saddened to learn that often the Kuna tribes don't exactly live in harmony, and some are inbred. This poor little boy, and one of his sisters, are both albinos.

This is easily the saddest picture I have ever taken. This boy was covered head to toe in scabs and blisters, a result for the Caribbeans harsh sun. Obviously living off the land means the Kuna tribes have no access to doctors or any kind of medication. It also means they have a hard time hiding from the sun. What a painful life this boy must live, and many others as well. It's not all paradise in the Caribbean. My heart really went out to this boy.

Another perfect Caribbean Sunset

The rest of what we explored of the Caribbean, however, was simply awe-inspiring. Unfortunately, their wasn't enough wind to sail for most of the time, but that didn't stop us from lying on the bow of the boat, enjoying the breeze, soaking up the sun, and simply living the life.

Lieutenant Dan you ain't got no legs

On our last day in the San Blas, we swam over to an uninhabited island, where we were to make a fire and have dinner - fresh fish - that evening. We spent the afternoon drinking rum, straight from the bottle of course, and trying our hardest to absorb the beauty of this magical land. Looking back on the photos, I can't help but smile to remember how happy we were. It's one of those things you are lucky to do once in your life, and I can't explain how much this part of the trip impacted on me. There are so many parts of this world that will bring you such immense satisfaction, delirium, and pure exhilaration. It makes your heart beat faster, and it makes you love life a hell of a lot more. It also comes along with one of those smiles that is so big and lasts for so long that your face hurts from the pleasure. An easy price to pay if you ask me.

Drinking rum in the Caribbean, pirate style.

RIOT squad.

Mitch taking a stroll. Oh so perfect.

After our three days spent in my version of Heaven, it was 40hrs straight sailing to Colombia, and for me that meant almost 40hrs in bed. The seas were rough, and there was a pretty big storm. In the end, we made it, to the oh-so different world of Colombia. A different kind of excitement was rushing through my veins. A new chapter had begun and I couldn't wait to delve straight into it.