Kuna Yala

New York is just way to cold right now. On a whim I decided to go and look for some sunshine.
Earlier this week I spent a few days with the native Kuna in north western Panama and got a chance to experience pieces of the fascinating and colorful native culture. (As well as spend countless hours lounging on the pristine beaches).
The Kuna live on their own semi autonomous land that they established after a fierce revolution in 1925. Roughly 36,000 people live on only a few of the 365 islands which leaves hundreds of islands uninhabited. I stayed in a hut on a densely populated island and spent every day traveling to different tiny islands.

The reservation or "comarca" is located along a 232 mile long coastal strip on the northern Caribbean side of Panama and is separated from the populated areas of the country by dense forests and tall mountains. Getting there by land can be a challenge.













Inside the hotel room. The thick walls did not keep out the sound of the rooster at dawn.






The cute little grass hut on the left is actually the bathroom.