Saturday, 29 October 2011

The Darien Gap and San Blas - Colombia to Panama via Turbo, Capurgana, Sapzurro, Puerto Obaldia.

*if you have found this blog looking for info on how to get to Panama from Colombia including the San Blas on the cheap, scroll to the bottom of the post for directions*

Another 6 unforgettable days of the time I have been away so far.  The Darien gap and San Blas Islands are mindblowing places, virtually untouched or traveled by tourists. Yeh - it's good to hang out in popular places where you can talk with other English speaking backpackers, go to nightclubs and shop in supermarkets etc, but I think that you only get to appreciate a country and culture when you get away from all ofg that and get to places that are not in the shitty Lonely Planet. To me, when i'm in places that have hoards of people trying to sell you tours, massages and sunglasses, and all you can hear is Aussies, Brits and Americans, talking about how good happy hour is in the Irish bar down the street it just seems like being on a big holiday to some resort town in the Med - not 'traveling'. Make the effort to get away from all of that once in a while and you will get to see things from a very different perspective. Anyway - enough of all this philosophical rambling - pictures below after a little bit of info about the
Darien Gap and why it is such an issue getting from Colombia to Panama.

The Darien Gap is a region of dense jungle between Colombia and Panama, and is the last stronghold of the FARC rebels and drug trafficers that gave Colombia such a bad reputation in the 80/90's. This area is the only obstacle preventing the Pan-American highway from stretching from Alaska to Argentina. Only a very small number of hardcore people have crossed it by land either by foot, scrambler motorbike or 4x4.  It is dangerous not only because of the FARC rebels, but because the jungle is so dense that navigation is almost impossible meaning getting lost is almost inevitable.  Because of this, there are 3 ways to get from Colombia to Panama (and vice versa).  These are: fly from a major Colombian City to Panama City - $400ish USD. Go on a tour on a yacht from Cartagena via the San Blas islands (5 days, $450-500USD) or take a bus to where the roads end, then speed or cargo boats along the coast, through the islands until where the roads begin again. This price and timescale of this depends on when and where there are boats going, the level of spanish you can speak, and your haggling skills. I chose the last option.

 An island just off the bay of Capurgana.  I took a photo of it because it was like a real 'desert island' in the Caribbean, just like in a film/book.  Since then, I have seen approximately 47564398 more and they are boring.
 Capurgana village.  Only accessible by boat or airstrip (a small prop plane comes in every few days).  Certainly no cars, no roads, and one motorbike.  Currently broken I was told. No backpackers, but a few Colombian tourists.  Great, unspoiled village feel to the place.
 I walked for an hour through the jungle out to some waterfalls a local guy told me about.  Turns out they were rubbish and about 8 foot tall.  Just outside the village I found the cemetery.  As you can see, they don't actually bury the coffins, just stack them up and concrete them over.  Nice.
 The taxi.  Horse and cart, plastic chairs with the legs cut of tied on the back.  No idea why they need a taxi as it cannot possibly take more than 10 minutes to walk from the last building on one side of the village, to the last on the opposite side.
 After spending a day and night and then the next morning in Capurgana, I took a lancha (small fishing boat/speedboat) over to the next bay/village - Sapzurro.  1.5 hour jungle walk through muddy tracks or 5 minutes, £1 boat.  Easy choice.
Sapzurro is even smaller, quieter and more unspoiled than Capurgana, which is hard to imagine.  No airstrip, no road, barely any facilities.  It is absolute paradise.
 The kid was riding the horse up and down the track in front of my hammock for a while, galloping and cantering, with no saddle, reigns, or stirrups.  Just this single piece of rope.  Hardcore.
 Homemade chili fire sauce.  Aparantly left to stew for a year before starting to get used.  Potent stuff.  I covered my rice and barracuda steak lunch with it, but luckily had some freshly squeezed pineapple juice to wash it down...
 Doubling up, this time with a folded sheet as a saddle and a proper pair or reigns.
 Local 'graffiti'
 More fire sauce to spice up the homemade bread and cheese Carlos gave me.
 Full moon (and a fishing boat coming in on the right) viewed from leaning outside the mosquito net over my hammock.
 The hammock.  Sunrise just before 6. £3 per night, I stayed 2.
 Lanches.  These are the type of boats you take all along the coast, used by fishermen.
 I went for a hike to some beaches the guys with the horse told me about. Left at 6.15am. 
 The village off-license (Alcohol shop for the non-Brits...)
 Larger fishing boat on the jetty about 7am.  The village is starting to wake up, with a few people milling around.
 The paved path through the village.
 The Colombian Army have a post here (about 15 soldiers), to ward off FARC rebels.  It must be the best posting in the world, as all they do is go swimming and snorkling, play football on the beach, chill out in hammocks, and stand around talking.  Also the 'base' looks like it has been made by school children.  You can get an idea of this by the sign above.  I went to Cabo Tiburon.  I tried to take a photo of the base, but a man with an assault rifle, and a grenade launcher slung over his back (no joke) told me not too.  I suppose that if they were not there and didn't have those weapons, there would be problems with rebels and drug traffickers as it is right on the Panama border.
 More paradise, deserted beaches.
 Cheesy self timer picture
 Looking back to the village
 Breakfast.  You can get these homemade battered, deep fried snacks anywhere in Colombia.  They are similar to 'salgados' in Brazil.  Usually contain a ball of mashed potato and mince/ground beef, some shredded chicken and veg, or an egg.  I like the mash and beef with some hot sauce on top, but went for the egg this morning.  Battered, deep fried, hard boiled egg with Tobasco at 7.15am.  Someone needs to introduce these people to granola or something...
 I walked over a hill to the Panama border.  Once you get into La Miel, the little village that is owned by Panama, there is nowhere to go except back to Sapzurro by boat of the same steep, muddy track.  Or, head off into the unknown depths of the Darien jungle with no paths...  It would be far easier if they just gave the place to Colombia and saved on the admin.
 Panama left, Colombia right.
Here I am in the Darien Gap.  Lonely planet, British Foreign Office and other pussies need to get out of their offices before advising against travel here.
 Big, barefooted woman with a bowl of fruit on her head.  This look could take off in London I think.
 More paradise blah blah blah
 Maybe this is why Panama want to hang on to their village.
 Cool off with a few coconut juices on the beach.  This was about 9am.
 Wanted poster.
 Carlos getting my lunch ready which he just bought from the fishermen.  Cheers
 Not had a sunset picture in a while so here we go.
I left Sapzurro the next day, headed back to Capurgana to get my proper Colombia exit stamp, and meet the boat I had arranged to get to Puerto Obaldia, Panama.  Sapzurro is a beautiful, chilled out village. Get there if you can...

 From Puerto Obaldia, I was lucky.  I got my entry stamp to Panama and had my bag searched for 15 minutes, then ran back to the jetty to get the last space on a lancha heading to Panama mainland via the San Blas islands, dropping off various packages at different islands, and transporting local people between them.  Puerto Obaldia is a village built around a Panamanian military base.  It's rubbish and I was glad I didn't have to stay there any longer than an hour.
 The first sight of the indigenous way of life in the San Blas islands.  I was not expecting it to be like this and was amazed.

 I heard a slow drumbeat and followed it to find the island 'school' practicing some sort of tribal dance ceremony.  Some proper Bruce Parry shit.
 I stayed on an island for the afternoon/night called Caledonia.  The little huts went right to the water, (where the pig was) and covered the island.  It took under 10 minutes to walk from one side to the other through all the little maze like pathways.  The San Blas islands rise no more than 1 meter out of the water, meaning they will be gone with much more sea level rise.
Fascinated by the notepad with English writing.
I got stuck in the middle of a blow pipe war, luckily the ammo was balls of mud rather than poison darts.  I asked to have a go, and they laughed hysterically when I couldn't shoot it half as far as them.  Stupid game anyway.. go and play Xbox or something...
The guy with the boat showed me where I could sleep for the night.  He woke me up to leave at 5.30am the next morning.
We went and had a huge dinner in one of the little huts.  As much fresh fish, lobster, rice, salad and patacones I could eat and a beer for about £5.  That is probably cheaper than a scraggy 2 week old kebab from Romsey kebab shop.
View from my window: more tiny islands, crystal clear turquoise water all the way to the bottom (about 5 meters), with big fat multicoloured fish swimming around below.
Struggling with the lines on his kite... Luckily, with me being a professional kitesurfer, climber, mountaineer, and soon to be sailor, I helped him out and made his day....
The finished product.  He ran off in between all the huts with his kite flapping about a meter behind him.
I had heard that you were really lucky if you could find any sort of boat going from Puerto Obaldia (which is a tiny village built around a large Panamanian military base, rubbish place), and you would probably have to wait at least 3 or 4 days, so take the first boat you can be it lancha or cargo.  I'm glad I didn't need to take a cargo boat as this is what they look like, and they take 5 days.  That would have been a nasty 5 days.
The Kuna Yala (indigenous people of the San Blas) women wear these brightly coloured traditional clothes, and a napkin over their short boys haircuts.
I arrived on the mainland opposite Carti (an island 200 meters from the mainland) where I got in a jeep.  We drove for about an hour through the jungle before reaching the main road network and heading for civilization in Panama City, a few hours away.
I made it in 6 days.  Back to the real world, Panama City.

How to do it
I'll list prices in USD for ease.  $1USD = approx 2000 Colombian pesos. Most prices will be about 20% higher until you haggle.

- Bus from Cartagena to Monteria - $10, 4 hours. Arrived Monteria 2.30pm
- Minivan Monteria to Turbo - $15, 4 hours.  Arrived Turbo 7.30pm
-Stayed the night at 'Hotel Florida' in Turbo - $7 for a crap room with fan and shower.  *despite what other things say on the internet and what people had emailed me, Turbo is not a 'really dangerous complete shithole'. There are far worse places you could be.  I wandered around the town and the port to check out where the boats leave from and get some food at about 10pm and surprise surprise, didn't get mugged.
- 'Lancha' speedboat from Turbo to Capurgana $27.50 fixed price, left at 7.30am, get there for 6.30. 2.5 uncomfortable hours. You will have to pay $1 for every pound your bags weigh (approx. 500g) over 20 pounds (10kg). I was lucky, and the woman who owned the hotel in turbo had a friend with a boat going who didn't charge me extra.
- 'Lancha' Capurgana to Puerto Obaldia - $10, half hour. If you have to stay in Puerto Obaldia a night - unlucky. Hotel/hospedaje $5 if you need it.
- 'Lancha' Puerto Obaldia - Carti (Panama mainland) $43, 10 hours. You can stop at one of the islands if you want and get a boat the next day, or a few days later as I did if you want to break the ride up and enjoy the San Blas islands.
- 'Jeep/pick up truck Carti - Panama City - $20, 3 hours.

*Can be done in 3-4 days, Cartagena to Panama City, $130.
*I spent a few nights in Capurgana and Sapzurro.  Well worth it. (5 minute $1.50 boat ride around the bay from Capurgana, see above).  Sleeping in hammocks is $2-5 depending where you stay.
*I also spent a night on Isla Caledonia in the San Blas, gave them $5.
*I would avoid the 'cargo boat' option if possible.  The boats look awful and it is incredibly slow. You have much more flexibility doing what I have outlined above.
*You can fly from Puerto Obaldia to Panama City for $97 all inc. making it slightly cheaper, unless you have lots of baggage like me (kitesurf board and bag, plus my main duffel bag).  Extra charges mean it is cheaper to go by boat.  Taking the boat is so much better due to what you get to see. You will probably get wet and uncomfortable, but its worth it. 
*on all the boats, sit as close to the back and the middle as you can. Waaaay more comfortable as you will soon find out...
*good luck.

2 comments:

  1. thank you so much for this report. Seems you're travelling how one's supposed to. kudos :P

    ReplyDelete
  2. Here is another account of the Darien Gap: Crossing the Darién Gap (2013).

    That documentary was filmed on March.

    Happy travels!

    ReplyDelete