Time to dance!

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We woke up and the indigenous Kuna dance group was already here. We had overslept and all the town of Mamitpu was at our cabana waiting for the dance show to begin. The dancers performed two fifteen minute songs. They were really special, the women and men wearing traditional Kuna clothes and playing and dancing to traditional music. I was impressed by their skill and their dances and songs. I liked it so much! All the town was there and they loved it too!

Afterwards there was a party where we dressed up in traditional Kuna attire and took pictures. We gave hot chocolate and coconut bread to the dancers and we hung out and talked for a while with the people. I went swimming with all the other dancer girls on the beach, and just talked and hung out and chatted about our different worlds.

After the dancers left Natalia and I went snorkeling. We paddled out in a canoe with Jacinto and explored the underwater mystery of the sea. We returned and ate our last amazing Kuna meal and started to get really sad. I really love it here, the culture, the people, the environment. We were both really depressed we are leaving our real home, but we tried to make the best of our last night. Natalia and I as well as all of our newfound friends hung out in the hammocks till the wee hours of the morning. We sang show tunes and played charades and just in general laughed until we hurt. We took night hikes around the island and beach absorbing the stars and the moon, trying to imprint every minute of our adventure into our minds, so whenever I am feeling down and alone I will remember Mamitupu.

At 2 am Natalia and I finally faced the dragon and decided that we had to pack and get ready for our flight less than four hours away. Packing was hard, but all our friends stayed up with us and helped us pack. We finished quickly, and took one last walk around our beach saying good-bye, and then we went to sleep, falling asleep for the last time to the sound of the lapping waves, the pounding rain and the subtle shuffling of crabs.