Grounding in Gold
Ordub (translates from Guna to 'Gold Island') was my home base volunteering with San Blas Adventures. Many 'double-backs' on the roster schedule left me alone on this remote island with the Guna host family.
The island gave space to recharge between the island hopping tours. The restorations often looked like:
long hammock naps
a beach yoga practice and,
float therapy in the water.
The soundscapes of the sea and palm leaves made it easy to relax. The only interruptions were the ominous thuds of coconuts falling from the trees.
The lone days gave glimpses to the Guna family’s daily life.
Cayucos circle the island. Old school fishing nets and spears source food for the next day.
The indigenous communities control these waters. Their care for the sea and its cycles allow Ordub’s reef to be teeming with life. Rays, barracudas, and sharks roam the island. The sardines here look like predators to regular sardines.
Connecting with the host family, Belinda shares their relationship with the island. Spanish is our common ground. Some details are lost on me. Settling into the sounds, I feel into the structure of what she’s saying.
Belinda inherited this island alongside several relatives. The island is time-shared across the year. This allows equal time for the inheritors to use it with their immediate families and share the profits from tourism.
Trash is a problem in Guna Yala. The locals are working hard to catch-up to the amount of products introduced to the area.
Belinda and her family keep Ordub looking spotless. She cleans all the washed-up seaweed and rubbish under the Carribean sun. By the time the guests arrive, the place looks untouched.
The closest village is Tigre. It takes two hours on boat to get there on choppy waters. This is where they source, by bucket, fresh water for cleaning, and the drop showers and toilets.
The journey they go through for the bare necessities spotlights senses of entitlement within. How accustomed I can be to receiving things. The lack of appreciation for the efforts things have taken to reach me.
