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Official itinerary:
This morning you'll visit a pollera shop. While initially brought over by the Spanish, the lavish, embroidered pollera dress has been adapted and embraced as the national costume of Panama. Traditionally, polleras are white with a full, two-tier skirt, and are hand-embroidered with exquisite details that can increase the value of the garment from hundreds to thousands of dollars.
Afterward, you’ll visit Las Tablas where you'll enjoy lunch in a local restaurant.
Later this afternoon you’ll visit Sarigua National Park. Also known as the Sarigua Desert, the park is a dry, barren vista, in stark contrast to the rest of Panama’s green landscapes. The site was once forested until colonizers in the second half of the 20th century clear-cut all the vegetation.
This evening dinner will be on your own.
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Early again. “5 minutes before” 7:30 am. Octavio said we would thank him because it would get hot later. At 8 am we stopped at a rangers house to pick him up. The one looking like stucco is a mud house. Very typical for this area. It takes a community about a week to build. The prefabricated building these days are not as cool here and not as comfortable.
The ranger didn’t feel well but came anyway. He had been to the hospital the day before to be tested. I felt sorry for him.
The entry was not far.
And then we started walking. As with all the other walks it is more difficult with a big group. But we did learn about different things.
We were warned about this. I think the bush was called something bullhorn. The horns are hollow and big ants live in them which are very aggressive and nasty.
Bushes with these flowers were everywhere. Oh be careful! Can give you a bad rash. Especially the sap.
A big bolder being disintegrated by the weather. Extremely hot during the day like 100 F and cooling down extreme in the night.
The park has a troubled past. It used to be lush green forest but was clear cut to make pasture for cattle. This resulted in erosion. This dirt is not fertile it used to be a dump and some things are now coming to the surface.
It was quiet except for the birds and we saw a good number of those. But it was really difficult to photograph them. Well, here is one I managed to get.
I really enjoyed the walk. We went all the way to the shrimp farm area. It was low tide or we could not walk here of course.
Two of the rangers dogs had come with us too.
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| (shared by Octavio) |
Back at the entry was a tower. Even I went up to have a quick look. No regrets this time. I always like to have a view.
We dropped the ranger off at his house and were on our merry way. We were back at the hotel at 11 am and had free time. The internet is a disappointment so I am giving up on blogging. Well, not totally. I am trying to write the text each day so it should be easy to catch up once I am home. Haha, if you read this you already know because it has happened. Really? How confusing.
We got the time wrong when we were leaving again so we started lunch (today on our own) too late. We were having a good time enjoying it with Terry and Frank when we had to rush away.
Fruit drinks. We all had something different.
Appetizers. Plantain bowls with something fishy for me.
My main course. We had to forgo the included dessert. Probably good for me.
We left with the bus at 1:30 and Octavio explained during the drive about carnival festivities in Panama and its importance especially in the town of Las Tablas.
We were at the artist`s house about 40 minutes later. This seems to be the only place in Panama where you can get a totally handmade traditional pollera. This dress seems to be very important in their lives. Handmade here it can cost anywhere between $7000 to $15000 because it takes about 2 years. She and her husband are working on this together but having about 25 other artists doing some of the work.
They explained to us the process and showed pictures and samples.
Applique.
Crewel embroidery on the right with needle lace fillings on the left.
OMG, the hem.
I was floored when the husband William demonstrated bobbinlace making. How cool is that?
VIDEO! (1:00)
They had little things to buy and i got a little block with appliqué. They call it here “Mola”.
After one hour it was time to walk back to the bus.
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| (that bush had a weaver bird nest in it but not easy to photograph) |
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| (shared by Octavio) |
We didn’t drive very far. Octavio sad he had a surprise for us. We stopped at a traditional dancing school for children. We think they came especially for us. Very cute. At the end they went around with their hats. Well, you have to support the efforts to keep children off the streets.
The children did several folk dances. Here is a VIDEO! (1:48)
Then a drummer was introduced who participates in national competitions. VIDEO! ((0:41)
Well, there is always audience participation. VIDEO! ():31)
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Since we were way too early for dinner another surprise. One in the group was a retired firefighter and had asked Octavio whether we could go to a station. Here we are.
The beginning was boring for me but then a fire investigator talked and then a new trainee demonstrated jaws-of-life and breathing equipments.
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| (shared by Octavio) |
After this we walked to the city center square where Octavio told us more about the carnival traditions.
Still time before dinner to visit the church. At the entry were announcements. The weddings were announced with passport photos of bride and groom.
The churches to us are typical Latin American catholic. We can't quite understand the overly dressing up of the saints and Jesus. Especially the wigs. But the lace on some of the garments have to be admired.
Still a little early for the restaurant but we went there and had a pre-dinner drink, a different local beer.
It is a very interesting place.
Food was very nice. The tomato soup very tasty.
As main course James had the Greek salad which had not one green leaf in it but he really liked it.
And my Caesar salad with grilled chicken was very good too. I liked it that dressing and croutons were on the side. I always forget to mention that I don’t want the croutons.
In the middle of dinner we heard a parade go by. James got up and went to the door. VIDEO! (0:40)
It was dark when we were back at the hotel and we went to bed early. Surprisingly I had no trouble falling asleep. 9143 steps probably did it.
Wow! Full day. That National Park makes me sad.
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