With just a few hours left of 2016, it is inevitable to look back at this year and not think about the events that have made the headlines of newspapers worldwide: the refugee crisis, the rise of xenophobic discourse, among others. I'm gonna throw it back to 2014 to make my point on this one.

When I visited Istanbul in 2014 the most shocking thing I saw upon my arrival was that the city's streets were full of homeless children, asylum seekers from Syria, as the people from the city explained to me. It was not until one of my last days of my stay when I had contact with one of them.

I was taking photos of Galata Bridge when a little boy approached me with a playful smile. I noticed he was barefoot. He started playing with my camera, and I was so impressed by his innate joy that I was left speechless. I bought him a juice and a bottle of water, and he left with a smile on his face. I managed to snap the following photographs after our brief encounter, and I continue to look at them even now. It was then when I understood the drastic proportions of this human disaster, and how incompetent we have been to stop this drama.

I keep looking into this moment because it also taught me that hope is really the last thing you lose. As genius writer Gabriel Garcia Marquez wrote, hope is sometimes all we have. In his novella 'No one writes to the colonel' he brilliantly announces what is, and will always be, one of the greatest virtues of humanity. When asked by his wife how they would make it without having money to buy food, the colonel replied he had hope in the rooster left behind by his son, and that it would win the next cockfighting tournament, and provide some desperately needed income. "You can't eat hope, but it sustains you," says the colonel.

This new year I wish you all the hope to sustain every plan, every dream, and every goal you have.

There are few places as magical as Barro Colorado. A trip to this island in the middle of the Panama Canal will leave you absolutely awestruck at how amazing our planet can be. For those who haven't heard of this place yet, here's what you should know about this wonder of the world.

Barro Colorado is one of the most studied places on Earth. With its intact tropical rainforest, it is home to thousands of plant and animal species. It has been administered by the Smithsonian since 1946, however, it was declared a nature reserve in 1926. Together with 5 adjacent peninsulas, Barro Colorado Nature Monument hosts hundreds of scientists coming each year to study its biodiversity.

Learning about the environment helps us understand our role in the conservation and protection of the planet. Scientists on Barro Colorado are well aware of this, and want to share their knowledge by making it more accesible to a wider public, which is why they organise tours to the island. It is important to book in advance, because they usually have a long waiting list. Once you have a spot on the boat, make sure you wake up early 'cause this is a one-of-a-kind experience you won't want to miss!

Marcos Riquelme, our incredibly knowledgeable tour guide, told us more about the history of this special place on our way to the island. It is important to note, as he told us, that Barro Colorado used to be part of the mainland. The big change came when the waters of the Chagres river were dammed in 1913 in order to create Gatun lake, a major part of the Panama Canal watershed. A significant part of the existing tropical rainforest was flooded, but many hilltops survived as islands. In other words, Barro Colorado was made into a capsule of biodiversity.

The Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute has a permanent research station here, and for over 8 decades Barro Colorado has been studied within a great variety of biological disciplines. The diverse ecosystem of the island has not been altered by humans, and its location makes it hard for loggers or poachers to reach, making it a perfect place to conduct research. BCI is also a part of the 50 hectare plot, which are areas of the rainforest that are constantly monitored to study the fluctuations of tree populations more precisely.

Upon our arrival on the island, we were expected by the warmest welcome committee ever: a group of howler monkeys!  During our 3-hour guided hike through the rainforest we had the opportunity to listen to howler monkeys, and be absolutely scared at the size of warrior ants. Listening to the howler monkeys was the highlight of the day for me. They live in family groups and howl to keep other monkey groups from entering their territory, in this case, a group of capuchin monkeys. The latter are actually aggressive, and we were told by Marcos not to smile, as they perceive this as a threat and get ready to attack. During our tour we also learned that rainforests soils are depleted of nutrients, which is quite fascinating because this forest type hosts large amounts and varieties of species.

Visiting this wildlife sanctuary was a life-changing experience, and I would recommend it to anyone. To understand our world is our biggest challenge, and to protect it, our duty.

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You can book your visit to BCI on the STRI website.

Imagine white sand beaches, crystal clear waters, palm trees standing tall against the sun on islands in the Caribbean, and friendly and welcoming hosts. Does it sound like a dreamlike place? Well, I'm glad to inform you paradise exists and it is called Guna Yala. Also called San Blas, Guna Yala is the home of the Guna indigenous people of Panama, who have managed to maintain their sovereignty and keep their traditions alive.

The four-hour journey to San Blas from Panama City is one I will never forget. A steep and winding jungle road will offer the avid traveller who has an eye for the beauty of nature some of the most breathtaking views of lush mountains and untouched rainforest, which stretch as far as the eye can reach, with occasional remote houses to each side of the road. At that early hour the mountains were covered by a thin layer of fog, which gave the landscape a mysterious look. I felt as if we were driving through a cloud, waking up the world as we passed by.

We arrived at the port of Carti Tupile at around 9 am, after two stops. The first stop was for our driver to drink some coffee, and the second time at a toll booth in order to pay the tax to enter indigenous territory. Afterwards we boarded one of the little lanchas and headed to beautiful Senidup, where we spent the whole day. The people on the island provided a delicious lunch, and there are public toilets and changing rooms.

It is important to clarify that Senidup is used by the Guna mainly for tourism. Other islands are inhabited, such as Ustupu or Ogobsucun. What was impressive from the boat ride was to observe how crowded the inhabited islands are! Guna people certainly know and appreciate the value of living among the many and as a part of a community.

To understand Guna lived experiences one must first have an insight in their history. What they say, according to anthropologist Paolo Fortis, is that they originally came from the area between Panama and Colombia. They inhabited the Darien Gap, but due to clashes with another indigenous group, the Embera, they slowly started moving northwards to the Caribbean coast of Panama and to the San Blas Archipelago, which is their territory today. Guna people successfully resisted assimilation during colonisation and kept fighting to defend their rights ever since. In 1925 they staged the Tule Revolution and were officially granted autonomy by the Panamanian government. They are one of the most well organised indigenous groups in the Americas, and constitute an example for other indigenous people in the struggle to secure their rights to land and to exercise their culture and beliefs.

It is important to note that they see themselves as part of the Panamanian State, although in the condition of an indigenous groups. They are also well aware of the challenges that a rapidly changing world means for them. Some of the problems they have to address include illegal activities such as drug trafficking in their territory, and the desire of Guna youth to stay in Panama City. Guna elders mentioned to Fortis that the continuity of ancestral practices is one of their biggest concerns.

Guna people are also constantly exposed to influences from other peoples through tourism and religious missions. As a matter of fact, during our boat trip from the Port of Carti to Senidup, my new Guna friend pointed at two Mormon missionaries who were transporting themselves from island to island in a canoe. My friend also pointed at the Mormon temple on one of the islands. Besides, Guna people are used by now to see and care for tourists who visit San Blas.

After one year living in the UK, I can't explain how much I was longing to bathe in warm waters again. So when we arrived to Senidup, I didn't wait long to get in the water, even though it started raining. It was the most beautiful feeling in the world, and I felt so happy to be back in the water, back home. The weather didn't get any better, but to me it wasn't important. In Senidup I felt safe and isolated from the rest of the world even if at least for a day. It was almost as if I had the remote control to silence the world and I clicked on the mute button. I was in a haven of tranquility. It was just me, the sea, and the sound of waves crashing against the warm shores.

A piece of Guna wisdom says everyone will have their own zoo in paradise, and I think Guna people know paradise with the palm of their hands.

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You can book day tours or weekend trips with San Blas Experience, totally recommended!