The ISA crew had an excursion day, which began bright and
early with an hour’s van ride to a river located in Colon. We traveled with the same boyscoutish man,
Claudio, that led our adventure in Portobelo – he is a really fun guy, and is
so passionate about the history of Panama as well as anthropology and nature,
and is outdoorsy as you would expect a boy scout to be. We were in the Chagres National Park at the
place where we entered the river, which eventually deposits into the Canal. We traveled by a dug-out canoe, a cayuco, steered
by a couple of tribesmen from the indigenous tribe that we were to visit later
in the afternoon, and powered by a motorboat’s engine up river (only becoming
caught a couple of times on the shallowest parts) for around 25 minutes until
we reached a small hill of a beach, from where we began a hike into the dense
rain forest.
Heading to the cayuco
Line of cayucos and the spectacular scenary I got to enjoy
Traveling up river!
Arrival at the beach to start our trek!
The man with the yellow bag is the amazing Claudio
The trail was quite tricky
and slippery at some points, and we had to wade through a couple streams and
scramble up and over rocks to pass, but that wasn’t a problem for this Colorado
girl! I absolutely loved the hike and
its obstacles, and I think I may have gasped out loud when I saw the waterfall
lagoon that was our destination. It was
such a beauty of nature, and the perfect thing to greet us after that
trek! We swam in the chilly water for half
an hour before hiking back to the cayuco.
Hiking into the jungle
A (very narrow) bridge...
...that we crossed like pros!
Some pictures of our path...
....a really fun hike!
It was a quick ride to the beach of the Embera-Dura Indian
community. (I really loved traveling by
cayuco, it brought me back the river trips I did in my younger years – although
I do much prefer paddling myself than a loud motor of questionable soundness.) As we made our way up the beach and up a
small flight of wooden stairs in the earth to the village, some of the men
welcomed us with beating drums while a few women greeted us with
handshakes. Children watched us
silently, seeming quite shy although I’m sure they see tourists frequently. A smile does wonders when encountering a
people that live in a way that is so foreign, indeed so not involved in
modernity.
We went to a structure made of the wood, leaves, and fibers
of the local trees, and seated ourselves on the benches that were constructed on
the outside of the open square place. An
Embera man shared a history of his people (with translations from Claudio for
those who do not speak Spanish), and then a tribeswoman showed us how they use
the natural elements (mainly the fibers of the trees and other plants, which
they dye and process with various roots) of the area to make their goods. The Embera are a community that really only became
such a close-knit unit because of circumstance: before the Panamanian government
decide what area of land was to be the Chagres National Park, the Embera-Dura
had lived more widely spread throughout the territory, a family every mile
or more from each other, basically minding their own business and living off
the land. When the government came to enforce
the protection of the Park, they reached an agreement with the Embera people,
and it is because of this that tourists like me visit their village. Rather than force the indigenous people to
move and assimilate with a more modern Panama, the Embera transitioned to a
society that gets most of its income from tourism. As a tourist attraction, the Embera community
remains on good terms with the Panamanian government who established claims on
the land.
Not a bad front yard view
We were served a lunch of fried plantains (patacones), fried
fish, and fresh fruit. Our eating vessel
was a banana leaf origamically folded into a cone and our fingers. I’m not the biggest fan of patacones, but I
did try the fish and I found it to be tasty.
However the fruit was the most incredible item on the menu by far! It was the freshest and juiciest fruit I’ve
had while in Panama, and it was difficult to stop going back for more! As we finished our food, a tribeswoman and
her young son came to give those who wanted them small versions of the
traditional tattoos of the community.
These “tattoos” are only temporary, and rather than ink the dye used is
also a remedy for bug bites, protection from the sun, and a skin
protector. The Embera-Dura people – men,
women, and children – are covered! Most
of their bodies are dyed completely black with the tattoos, and I saw a variety
of designs on peoples’ arms, chests, stomachs, and faces.
Fish and chips, Panama style
The freshest of fruit
The fruit spread
Getting tattoed
Don't worry, Dad, it's not permanent
(I don’t have any photographs of the Embera-Dura, because I
feel uncomfortable taking pictures of local people…it makes me feel even more
foreign than I know I am so I try more to interact, rather than look the people
through a lens. But a Google is worth it
if you’re interested in seeing their appearance.)
For clothing, they don’t wear a lot, which is entirely
appropriate. The men wear tiny hand-made
beaded skirts, with a longer bit of cloth that goes front and center, and the
women use fabric as skirts and wear beaded bra-like tops with bits of silver
jewelry detailing. It’s customary for
the women to pass on these tops to the following generations, and the beaded
designs and adornment are significant to each separate family within the
tribe. The children wear practically
nothing, basically a loincloth, which is appropriate as they spend their time
racing throughout the village and throwing themselves into the river to cool
down; it really must be spectacular to be a child in that village.
We had a few minutes to wander, but quickly were herded by
Claudio to watch some traditional dances.
The dances are quite simple, in movement and accompaniment. They are dedicated to animals or nature
spirits, as instructed by a shaman, and the women dance as they men beat drums
or play wooden recorders (tunelessly and without rhythm, to be honest). After the dancing was complete, we spent time
in the main structure to view and purchase the wares of the community. This was the bizarre of the village, and
families had their own goods on display for us to buy. The Embera make the majority of their income
from tourists buying their goods, and I came away with a number of wonderful
items; I’m only too willing to spend my money when I know that it will go
directly the maker of the item.
Bartering is acceptable, which I love because I think it’s fun (who
knows if I’m doing as well as I think I am…).
Some of the kids were tough and wouldn’t budge, and I left their table
without the trinket I had my eye on, but I admired their sass.
Visiting the Embera-Dura and hiking to the waterfall made
for a pretty ideal day! I so excited
whenever I get the opportunity to experience a new culture, especially for one so
different from my own life as this indigenous tribe is. It’s wild to think about their daily patterns
and what I am so accustomed to. I don’t
know if I’ll have another chance to visit the village again or travel by cayuco
to go hiking to a waterfall within the jungle, which makes today incredibly
special to me because it was truly so amazing. It was an awesome experience, one that I'll hold onto for a long long time.
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