DolphinLodgePanama.com

The Caribbean Beauty of Dolphin Lodge in the San Blas Islands of Panama.

There are not a lot of places left in the world where culture and tradition are preserved. And where the sounds of the ocean and feel of the sand in between your toes take you to a place that can only be described as heaven on earth. That place is Dolphin Lodge Panama located in the vicinity of San Blas and in the Caribbean side of Panama.

Why San Blas Panama?

* Experience the breathtaking beauty of the San Blas islands which include 400 remote tropical islands in the world’s 2nd-largest barrier reef.
* Be witness to the tradition and culture of the native Kuna people.
* Partake in eco-tourism and cultural tourism set in the Caribbean islands.
* Enjoy delicious fresh seafood.
* Fun family vacation at an affordable price.

What makes the Dolphin Lodge Panama experience special?

* Uaguinega in the Kuna language means dolphin house and it is called so because it is not uncommon to get a visit from dolphins in certain seasons.
* Rooms are spacious, relaxing and comfortable.
* Cabins have running water and large bathrooms.
* Kid-friendly and budget-friendly.
* Stay at an eco-resort that uses solar panels to generate electricity because Dophin Lodge cares about the environment.
* Satelite Internet access available.

Contact Information:

* From USA Call Toll Free (1-866)-390-3451 or (954)282-8214
* In Panama: (507)209-5657
* Email us at: info@dolphinlodgepanama.com

* Website: www.dolphinlodgepanama.com

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San Blas Kuna and her trade goods

On the San Blas Islands women create an indigenous fabric art called a Mola. These quilt like creations, originally used by the San Blas Kunas to adorn the front and the rear of their everyday blouses, have recently garnered world wide recognition. Today there are thousands of collectors who frame these one of kind, yet affordable, examples of native art. Considerably more value is given to those pieces that have actually been worn so be sure to ask for any “second hand” offerings if you’re looking for more then souvenirs.

San Blas Molas are created using a technique similar to that of the 18th century silhouette/shadow portraits using cloth instead of paper. Creation uses a reverse appliqué method that requires the artist to make many intricate cuts on a “canvas” of stacked and sewn cloth. Each cut exposes another layer of color and pattern and the resultant edges are then seamed and stitched to those beaneath them.

In yet another example of San Blas ingenuity the pieces of cut out fabric are used to create a shadow twin giving native dress a double sided impact front and back. Molas can be made in the most isolated of areas and in most San Blas families are the only source of hard currency. In some remote villages women work for weeks and then travel to markets as far away as Panama City to sell while others may distribute through a local wholesaler or coop.

Recently striking design changes have been showing up the San Blas Molas. Like the arresting images of bombers, missiles, tanks and troops in Afghan woven fabrics the San Blas Indians have adopted new motifs and images of the modern Western world. Fortunately instead of the shadows of war and carnage they portray McDonalds, cell phones and televisions; an event that should prompt a little cultural introspection for us all.

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It looks like the ocean’s wearing contacts in San Blas

Well actually the answer, like all things in San Blas, is a combination of several factors including light absorption, depth, temperature, and microscopic phytoplankton. Warmer water has less oxygen then colder and the higher the temperature of the water the lower the amount of oxygen. These phytoplankton, plants like algae, require nitrogen and phosphorous as food and there’s not much in the shallow and warm waters of San Blas. So less microscopic life means the waters are less muddied or crowded and therefore much clearer. In addition, since the waters around San Blas are shallow, there is little of the thermocline effect that mixes warm top and cooler bottom waters that contain the nutrients that promote algae growth.

Light absorption also helps color the water. Sunlight, composed of electromagnetic radiation in colors from red to blue, is scattered by particles suspended and vibrating in the water. The shorter blue wavelengths scatter more effectively and are absorbed less rapidly than the longer red and orange wavelengths. Seawater appears blue for about 100 feet under the surface, and then becomes black with the absence of light. In essence, the sunlight performs a native dance with the warm and shallow water of San Blas to account for the blue hued sea.

The blue hues are bounced back to the surface making them more visible then the others. You can see the same effect in snow and ice that often appears bluish. By contrast the Red Sea is red because it contains algae that release reddish-brown pigments; the Yellow Sea is yellow because rivers fill it with mud; and the Black Sea is black because it is essentially landlocked, resulting in little oxygen near the surface and a bottom filled with hydrogen sulfide. So is it about time for you to experience these amazing blue heaven seas at the Dolphin Lodge in San Blas? You bet it is!

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The San Blas Excursions

Like your meals several San Blas tours are also included in the room price.  On each of these many  explorations you’ll be ferried, guided, and offered souvenirs by Kuna artisans.  The Kuna will graciously welcome you into their homes and villages and provide you with a little cultural discourse when  visiting the local burial site. You may even meet a medicine man, who might  give you an exam and perform a shamanistic procedure, if it’s necessary – what a memory!  You can even let your children exercise their “but everyone’s got one” quest and get a tattoo at the Dolphin Lodge. But don’t fret this form of Panamanian body modification, using dye from the local jagua/genipa plant, fades away in a few days as your skin naturally exfoliates. For some true cultural emersion you might even think about indulging in an adult fantasy and offer your own arms, legs or forehead up as canvas.

Complementary tours, usually two a day, are available to the communities of Achutupu, Mamitupu and Ailigandi. These walking tours exemplify the daily activities of the San Blas Kuna through hands on participation and cultural interaction. Ailigandi is the site of the local Kuna congress hall, sometimes populated by several of the 49 fedora wearing congressional representatives or 250 community delegates.  But be forewarned you’ll need permission to visit there, even when congress is not in session, otherwise you can expect a cold reception.

You can also participate in a jungle river tour, visits to near by beaches or bird watching forays all included in the basic room rate. Be painfully aware that you should ask before you begin taking Kuna portrait photos, and it’s customary to pay about a dollar a shot for the sessions.  As to spending money be advised that there are no ATMs or credit card terminals, so small denomination currency is highly advised. If you want to make a splash with the locals ask your  bank, about month before your trip, for a supply of two dollar bills or Sacajawea dollars. If you want to see the local’s faces light and smile use this currency, when it’s applicable. There are several other tours available just ask our friendly San Blas staff for suggestions

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“Daddy why are the fish so many colors?”

On land vivid colors might say “I’m dangerous or bad-tasting” — but most brightly colored reef fish are actually pretty tasty to humans. Bright colors might help fish attract mates, but most fish, male to female, are equally colorful. Bright colors might help to camouflage and/or identify fish in the multi hued environment of the coral reefs. Different patterns limit inter-species aggression since fish usually don’t fight with their relatives.

These and other less well known theories are being studied and researched, and as such are still just scientific conjecture. But you also need to know, that fish don’t see as we do and recognize different colors that humans don’t. In fact research has shown that this ability to perceive colors even differs between fish species.  Most big predator fish are color blind and can’t pick up on small movements, since they don’t care what color their prey is and don’t “eat small.”  Nocturnal fish react to a different spectrum then diurnal, and it is also fascinating that fish see UV colors we can’t, so what we perceive is not what they focus on. In fact some San Blas species can emit UV signals like ocean fireflies that can turn a school of fish on a doubloon in reaction to an incoming predator. Numerous San Blas fish also have UV markings that are beyond human perception, and so is it all an illusion?

Furthermore the clarity of the fish’s environment waters has had a huge evolutionary influence.  As a result, the fish in the Pacific and Atlantic are darker than their cousins in the clearer San Blas. Dark matches dark, bright matches bright.   The fish and the waters of the Pacific and Atlantic are muddier and darker.  There you won’t see the bright reds, oranges, yellow and blues displayed by San Blas fish.   Instead your catch is markedly brown, white and black. These fish also display simpler designs lacking the intricate dots, swirls, lines and shapes of San Blas fish. So why don’t you and the kids chose some colors and start looking here in San Blas.

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Would you care for a San Blas Toddy or a Macaroon?

Every San Blas island should be flying a flag with a coco palm on it. It would be difficult to find any other Rorschach like symbol that so quickly makes you think of the South Sea Islands. We’ve all dreamed of lounging beneath a palm tree, gazing at the surreal blue ocean and sipping some exotic drink from a coconut shell.

Many think the coconut is a Native American, but it was probably brought, or some think floated, to the New World at some unknown but rather recent date. Current anthropological research dates charred coconut found in the Cook Islands to 6000 BCE, long before humans landed. Spanish records state that coconuts were already in San Blas, Panama when they arrived. Coconuts probably reached America as “floaters” or with some ancient sea voyagers blown off course – your choice!

But few would ever think of the San Blas coconut as an economic giant. Well surprisingly enough the coconut, although it’s sort of a grass, is considered the single most useful “tree” on Earth.  Even though they don’t produce wood the stems are composed of bundled strong fibers that can be used in a variety of ways.

A coconut supplies as much protein as a quarter pound of beef and is well known in its shredded and sweetened guise. Its oil is the third most consumed type globally, and the water from a few coconuts can keep a shipwrecked pilgrim alive indefinitely. The San Blas coconut is used to make candy, bakery goods, shampoos, soaps, lotions, and synthetic rubber and you can even make a fermented beverage called “toddy”.

The outer trunk is used for homes and furniture. The husk (coir) is used to make water resistant ropes for rigging on ships and when pulverized potting soil for plants. Coconut charcoal is a major component of the best air, water, and gas filters.  It has been estimated that the coconut palm has more uses than any other plant on Earth. So come to San Blas and see for yourself, you’ll never forget it.

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