If a boy is hitting puberty, he gets to wear his first pair of long pants. But when a girl reaches maturity, a big celebration ensues which takes the father years to pay for. In most cases, it's three days of continuous drinking and smoking. By now, the women are completely wasted. Spinning and stumbling about the gathering hall. A horde of them bump into the Chileans, urging them to join and sending them running in fright. So I ask if I can have some of what they were having.
It takes them some time to get the coming-of-age girl to serve a coconut bowl of the liquid for me. Although it’s her celebration, she does more serving than celebrating. When the bowl does get to me, I notice they've offered me quite a serving. There are twigs and stuff floating around, but I take a good hard swig and find it’s delicious. Like a light, sugary rum.
I hand it to Viagra, and out of the corner of my eye I see a white man, the size of a Kuna, and I think, huh?
Later, I sit down to a crab dinner with the Chilean ladies, the Colombian and Viagra. The Colombian is - as he has been all day - extremely happy to be here. His demeanor to Viagra and the Chileans is that of gentleman. Gustavo's dream is to start a bonfire on the island, and for everyone to join in and drink rum and sing Beatles songs.
The subject turns to the pill. "Are you on it?" I ask around the table. No, say the Chileans. No, says the Colombian. "Yes," says Viagra. I tell Viagra that the problem with chloroquine is that this part of the San Blas Islands is known for a strain of malaria immune to the more common drug. The best thing, I say, is a constant supply of 95% deet. Can't you smell it on me? I say.
Viagra says smiling, "I believe in pills."
The Chilean ladies are coworkers at a Santiago firm. Every year, Pilar and Eliana pool their vacation-time and hit the road. You wouldn’t guess it by the way they look like your best friend’s Aunt. By the way they preen their hair and come to dinner with makeup. But the ladies are travelers - partners-in-crime at the far side of the Americas. Pilar likes fine hotels, Eliana likes adventure. Their differing tastes keeps them interested in challenging each other.
