Panama Day 7 - Embera Drua village

Friday October 5

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Official itinerary:

After breakfast, you'll depart for the Embera Drua by dugout canoe, a mode of local transportation. As one of Panama's seven indigenous tribes, this community embraces their traditional way of life and practices age-old customs as they were passed down through the generations. Your visit begins at their on-site school—supported in part by Grand Circle Foundation—where you'll meet with the principal and a teacher. You'll then gather with the Embera tribe for an introduction to their culture and you'll savor lunch together. After you dine, the community will perform traditional dances. You'll have free time to peruse local crafts, walk the grounds, or perhaps swim in the river.  

You'll return to your hotel later this evening and enjoy the balance of the afternoon at leisure before savoring dinner in a local restaurant. 

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OMG what a day we had today. Alarm had been set for 6:30 am but we actually had woken up earlier at 6 am. Probably because we had turned the light off early last night. 

Looking out of our hotel room window we can see the Panama Canal. 

There is a cruise ship going into it.

Bus was leaving at 8 am. Looking out of the window is always interesting. We have glimpses of Panama City high-rises and the landscape with hills and mountains. They have one very intruding grass here like pampas grass but the plume is white and I think so pretty.

We have a brief toilet stop at the ranger station of the Chagres National Park and soon at 9:40 am we are at the lake were the dugout boats are waiting for us. Everybody had to put on a life jacket. All 24 of us fit into 3 boats. 

The first photo is pretty but those were not our boats. Ours were just a little further.

Each boat has a driver in the back and somebody in the front. The front person guides the boat and gives signals. In places the water gets really shallow and he has a very long stick where he can push the boat to the left or right. It was quite an experience. Very beautiful. The water. The birds. James and I could have enjoyed it more if we would not have been so very uncomfortable. We were unfortunate this time that we were placed in the middle of the canoe and shared a “shelf” (can't call it seat) with somebody else and could never change how we sat. We were very low down and didn’t know where to leave our legs. Oh well.

A kind of a selfie.

Selfie without me. Held the phone up really high not knowing what I took a photo of (hoping to get James). This was behind me and I could not turn around. I think it came out well.

It took about 45 minutes upstream to get to the village. There we were greeted with drums etc.

VIDEO!   (0:21)

Children came to lead people up the hill. Nida noticed that the children went first to those who were carrying plastic bags with the school supply gifts. But they were really cute.

We went first to what must be the community pavilion where the two teachers talked to us. There are 17 schoolchildren in the village right now. The two teachers are not part of the Embera Tribe people. They come every Sunday, stay the week and leave on Friday. They live in the Panama City area and each have a family with two children of their own.

After the introduction the children take us into their two class rooms for the younger or older children but all children sing songs for us first.

VIDEO!     (1:07)

We were supposed to interact with the children with our gifts for them. James was excellent. He drew the little family tree of ours. Then our 13year old girl drew hers, her parents and siblings. We also found a world map we we found Panama, then where we lived in the USA and then where James and I were actually born.

(shared by Octavio)

(shared by Octavio)

(shared by Octavio)
The girl (13 years) wanted James to play chess with her.

After a while we went back to the pavilion where an Embera lady named Andrea spoke to us about the tribal life and Octavio translated. She answered all sorts of questions from us.

Halfway through lunch was served. Fresh caught tilapia and plantain deep fried and generously presented. 

Native people were sitting around us, doing their crafts, even nursing the babies etc etc. I wondered what they were thinking about us.

After that Andrea continued. We also found out that the tribal leader is elected for 5 years and she had had a turn. She explains about the clothing. The used to strip bark from a certain tree, work on it until it can be used at a skirt. But since the area was declared a national park they can't do that any longer and now use cotton cloth printed for them in their special designs. It’s cotton but when I looked later (for sale) it was not suitable for quilting.

Andrea also explained how the women make those woven basket items, the material and how they die it. They also do wonderful beadwork.

The men carve wood or the tagua nut to supplement the family income.

 After Andreas talk we were shown the traditional dances. Some of them were traditionally danced under the shaman’s direction. Others were party music. 

VIDEO 1     (1:31)

VIDEO 2     (1:04)

VIDEO 3     (0:51)

(shared by Octavio)

After that we were free to wander around, check out the different stalls or go swimming in the river. I wanted to support the crafts’ people and found something to buy, a beaded hummingbird.

We were told that there was a chapel on top of the hill and I did manage to go up and down without breaking my neck.

At 1:35 pm we were in the boats and going back again. James and I were lucky this time and were in a boat which was only single file which was much better. It was all really very nice.

It was really very nice and exciting. VIDEO!     (1:05)

We were the first boat and I managed to take “group photos” of the other two arriving. 

(shared by Octavio)

We also had taken a cook and the two teachers with us and in the bus to drop them off since public transport is so bad. Traffic was terrible and we were back at the hotel about 4 pm.

An hour later James and I checked out the Irish pub across the street for some beer. We could sit outside and it was lovely. Other people and their dogs came. People watching.

At 6:30 pm we were supposed to be in the lobby. We walked next door for dinner. We had paella and sangria and lively conversation at our table. Octavio talks about the day and the next. The morning is free ... except if we go with him on a little hike.

Night, night.

Fitbit: only 5963 steps today. But plenty of activity if you ask me.