Panama: Day 7

Thursday, April 4: Today was our day to visit another of the seven indigenous tribes of Panama--this time an Embera village. Archie picked us up at the hostel in a van and drove about 50 minutes to the interior. There we were met by a dugout canoe with two Embera men in colorful loin cloths and beaded skirts who motored us to Embera Quera, which means Embera perfume. The tour company we used was started by an American woman who was working on a documentary about the Embera when she fell in love with and married a native. She usually uses his village, which is more authentic because it is farther up river and therefore less adapted to modern civilization. The men there wear only loincloths and the women are topless. But now, during the dry season, the river is too low to get there so instead they're using Quera. It is one of the few where the tribe is buying the land and acting independently rather than living on National Park land, where they are limited by government rules. The people came originally from near Columbia but guerilla fighters and paramilitary have made it so dangerous that they have moved away. This village exists as a Cultural Center and is making it work as a tourism spot. The village is very nice, with lots of green area and flowering plants and high platform bungalows with thatched roofs. The people look healthy and beautiful. They mainly marry by age 14 and have children right away so even the grandmas looked pretty young to us. The men were playing instruments and the women clapping along as we approached the dock and got off the boat. Another dugout arrived about the same time with three young British women and an older American woman who seemed to be sponsoring them or something. We were greeted warmly and told we could wander up the hill to look around but not to enter any of the homes. Each of the twelve families has its own bungalow and there are many other buildings as well, including a 1-8 grade school for the 8 school aged children of the village, an Evangelical church, and three buildings where visitors can stay to study and live with the people. If the kids want further schooling they have to travel downriver to catch a bus to attend high school. We made our way back down to the main meeting area, under a thatched roof where a large group of older Americans had arrived and gathered for a presentation. The eight of us with our guides went up into a Community kitchen area where a second chief told us about their culture and background  showed us how the women were cooking, and generally answered all the questions we could ask. Then a medicine man took us for a hike and showed us some of the plants he uses for healing. When we returned the women served us lunch. First they brought us a giant wooden platter covered with a big banana leaf which was full of pineapple and papaya slices and covered with another big banana leaf. We ate our fill and then they brought another platter that had clever banana leaf pockets with a large fried tilapia fillet and fried plantains. It was filling and delicious. After lunch the men and women played more music and danced and invited us to dance with them. We had time to look at their crafts, mostly carvings and weavings, and Marv bought a beautiful frog from a young man named Marco who had excellent English because he had been an exchange student in Kansas!  I got a temporary tattoo on my right wrist to go with my Kuna bead bracelet on my left. Then it was time to leave Embare. We had seen many new birds for our list, a couple of iguanas, a red and a black spider monkey, and enjoyed our time immensely. It was a bit more commercial than the Kuna Villages had been but we understood the need in order to maintain some semblance of their traditions. We were happy to know that Marco had chosen to return to his village despite his time in the US, and was now married and had 2 beautiful little boys. I tried not to be sorry that a cell phone rang and was quickly answered nor that the young guys were over to the side drinking cold cans of pop from somewhere out of sight. I wondered if the people would all remove their beautiful, colorful clothing as soon as we left and get back into shorts and t-shirts. But considered as a living museum it was a very nice place to visit.

Going down the river

Arriving at Embera Quera

School kids in their classroom

Second Chief talking to us as women cook behind him

Medicine Man

Golden Hooded Tanager 

Banana Leaf lunch pockets

Our server

Marcos with his youngest son

Embera tattoo and Kuna Yala beaded bracelet

Back at the hostel we all enjoyed a dip in the little pool and some icy beers. A couple from Arizona, a deaf man from South Carolina and an older woman from Canada joined us and we had a nice time getting to know their interesting and unique life stories. We gave the horrible traffic (partly due to the construction of a new Metro system set to open next year) time to die back a bit before we headed to the Albrook Mall area to have dinner at an authentic Panamanian restaurant called El Trapiche, which was recommended to us by Archie. Finding our way around here with all the Metro construction disruptions is always a comedy of errors, even with an app Marv downloaded. But find it we did and the food was very good and quite reasonable. Marv and I shared a sampler plate of Panamanian dishes and then we each had a Caribbean sundae. Our return trip to the Hostel was much less stressful and far quicker. We did a bit of writing and a bit of packing before going to bed.

Panama: Day 6

Wednesday, April 3: It was still dark at 5:00 when we awoke but the staff soon started up the generator and gave us some electricity to finish packing and eat a quick breakfast. The wind had died during the early morning hours and so the water was much less choppy than any of our other trips. Unfortunately, that also meant the sand fleas were ferocious while we waited. We had bug spray on but they still bit. The plane was late in taking off from Panama City because of rain so the wait was pretty bad. When it finally arrived we were surprised to see a 6 passenger plane with two very young pilots. Cornelia muttered in her charming accent, "At home such young men are riding motor scooters." They loaded up the six of us and our luggage and a bunch of parcels from the Kuna Yala and we were on our way.

Our tiny return airplane

Kris, Cornelia, Carlos, Peggy

Marv & Heidi with the pilots in front

It was actually a very smooth flight and a good landing. After an eager and friendly looking retriever sniffed the luggage and all the boxes we were given the go-ahead and were on our way. Our taxi driver from Monday met us and drove us back to Hostel Michelle , where we were given our rooms and Kris found the keys to the car on the table. I should  say more here about the hostel. Yvonne is Michelle's mother and though they run the Hostel together she is more in evidence. Yvonne is a big, blowsy, bleached blond who reminds me of a Panamanian Bette Midler. The first night here there were only three other people, all men. It made me wonder if it was a favorite retreat for gay men and she seemed like just the sort of person who would get along great with them and kid around and mother them. When we got there today we were let in by a flamboyantly gay young man with a long blond ponytail and green polished nails, which seemed to validate my first impressions. But we were very grateful and not a little surprised that we were given our rooms at 9:00 in the morning so it was all good with us! We walked up to Nandy's Grill and, despite two recommendations, had a disappointing ham and cheese on white bread sandwich, which was all they were offering since they had just opened. Back at the Hostel Marv and I went in the tiny pool and found it refreshing and restorative. Heidi showered and then we drove to the Miraflores Locks to visit the museum and watch boats go through the tallest of the three sets of locks. It was very interesting to learn the history of this engineering marvel which will be 100 years old next year. Panama will celebrate by opening new larger locks which will accommodate the new bigger ocean-going vessels. They are very proud of how they have expanded and made the Panama Canal a commercial success since taking control by treaty in 1999. We stayed all afternoon until the center closed with yet another sandwich to sustain us. We worked on our computers and showered before walking to a nearby Peruvian restaurant for a great meal and nice conversation with the owner. Her husband is the Peruvian cook and her English is excellent because she went to school in Mississippi when she was in high school and college, paid for by Chiquita bananas who pretty much took over her homeland here in Panama. By the time we got back to the Hostel it was about time for bed. It had been a very long day and we were being picked up at 8:00 the next morning.

Marv showing the size of the drain pipes in the locks

Up and....

...down in the lowest Miraflores lock

Up and...

...down in the highest Miraflores lock

Panama: Day 5

Tuesday, April 2: HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY DEAR, DEAR MOM, THE FIRST WITHOUT HER The dining porch is open today on three sides and with the constant breeze it is the most comfortable place on the island. So I'm sitting here after lunch to write. This morning's breakfast was eggs, a slice of American-type processed cheese, and two pancakes. Best of all they gave us big glasses of orange juice with it. Juan, who runs a tight, punctual or early ship (Carlo said, "He's more Swiss than I am!" and Cornelia enthusiastically agreed) had us on our way to the island village of Achutupu by about 9:30. Achuputu is bigger than Ailigandi and has the landing strip across from it on the mainland. But it has no hospital, just a clinic staffed by nurses that is visited once a week by the doctors from Ailigandi. It was similar to the day before but most of the children were in school since it was morning. We walked by the open buildings and could hear the chatter of children, some of whom would come to the doors and windows to give a cheery "Hola!" The Kuna children are amazingly friendly and eager to bid hello or even come up to hug. Lou and Janice Oien's poppers I brought to give as gifts were a big hit. At one point there were four kids playing and I gave them each a popper. Like magic we were surrounded by 20 or more other kids, all wanting one, too. Adults are more reticent. As we made our way through the village we stopped at places for Juan to give us information or to look at Molas and other crafts for sale. I had a traditional beaded bracelet wrapped onto my wrist at the same place we bought a little purse for Ana with a contemporary Mola of a parrot on it and we bought a traditional one of a geometric pattern to make a pillow for our couch. Although it was again overcast as we went to the village, the sun came out and it was really, really hot as we finished up and came back for lunch.

Arriving at Achutupu Island Village

School room

Molas!

Getting my beaded bracelet 

Walking through the village. Much more open than Ailigandi

Playing with Poppers 

Juan demonstrates a traditional sugar cane press

"Main Street" in Achutupu

Energy efficient Street Light

We had sort of a bouillabaisse of shrimp, octopus, squid, scallops, etc. while Marv had a smaller fish (served without its head this time). Then we had until 4:00 to relax. I got a lot of reading and writing done sitting in the dining hall with the pleasant wind blowing. For our last trip Juan and our "driver" took us over to the river, whose name means Clay Pot. The Kuna take their dead over here to bury them on the mainland beside the river. We passed many of the covered graves about which we had learned at Ailigandi.The river is lined with mangrove at the mouth and then becomes more hibiscus, cashew (their version, used for dugout canoes, not the nut variety), and towering bamboo. It was very quiet as we floated along and smelled lovely, not swampy or jungley in the way I expected. We didn't see any of the caimans, capuchins, boas, or monkeys they sometimes see. But we did see many birds to add to our list, including a tree full of ibis, with more swooping in to roost for the night. It was an amazing sight. When the river got too shallow our driver turned back and we arrived at the island in time for our last dinner, with a choice of chicken or fish and cross cut french fried potatoes which may or may not have come from the freezer section somewhere. The six of us lingered at the dining table until the staff left for the night and then we all retired to pack up in order to rise at 5:00 for departure in the morning.

Birding on the river

Great Kingfisher

Lineated Woodpecker (similar to a Pileated)

Kuna Yala Graveyard

Ibis tree

Our great staff--Juan, 2nd from left, Owner, Hector, 2nd from right

Cornelia, Kris, Marv, Carlos, Peggy, Heidi

I think this story sums up what we found to be true of the Kuna Yala: Beside the dining area and along the edge of the roof there were 3 or 4 handmade embroidered bags hanging. We sat at one of our meals guessing that they were full of herbs to ward off bad spirits or to flavor the food more sweetly or something equally magic. When Juan came over to us we asked him about the meaning of the bags. He pulled out a cell phone from one of them to show us and told us that's where they got the best signal. Such a clash of old and new is what we saw over and over in our time on the San Blas Islands.

Panama: Day 4

Monday, April 1: I can hardly believe this is real! I am in a hammock, a few feet from the ocean, with a stiff breeze to cool me in the rising temperature. We rose at 4:00, cinched up our now pared down backpacks, and took the taxi to the small Albrook Airport. Osiris (a small, round, young, Kuna woman) found us in line and helped us get our tickets and check our bags and a cooler of fresh fruit and vegetables for us to take to the island. They weighed not only our bags but each of us. Then we waited. And waited. A big group was taken out and put on a small plane and then all got off and they moved to a different plane. At that point we were taken to the first plane and told to sit any where and that the plane was too small for our luggage, which would be sent later this morning. By 6:30 we were in the air for the 45 minute flight to Achutupu landing strip. Juan met us there and told us their regular boat was being repaired so they had rented a smaller, uncovered launch to ferry us through rough water about 15 minutes to our island. It was overcast, windy and a pleasant temperature as we traveled. The San Blas islands run for about 114 miles along the Caribbean coast and are owned and governed by the Kuna Yala people. They came originally from Columbia and settled in villages along the coast and into the jungles. But 110 years ago, when Panama gained its independence from Columbia, they moved onto the islands to escape the mosquitoes and diseases of the mainland. There are 60-some villages of various sizes, each on its own island and with its own rules and regulations determined by the chief of the village. Our home for the next two nights is on a tiny island, just big enough for three thatched-roof bungalows hanging over the water, the dining "hall", which is open on two sides and is approached by a rickety dock because it is entirely built over the water, a landing dock, a small bamboo hut for the staff to hang out in, and a bunch of coconut palms, from which hang three hammocks, one of which is my spot right now. Juan will be our Kuna guide while we are here and loves to talk about his people. He speaks Kuna, Spanish and English. We were fed eggs, toast and a hot dog right away for breakfast. After Juan did a bit of an orientation for our time here, he told us we were free to relax, nap, etc. until we go to a nearby island village at 2:00. Although it was only 8:30am we all agreed it felt more like 10 or 11:00.  Our island is about 30 by 40 yards across (or was when we arrived at high tide). About a hundred yards away are two larger but uninhabited islands, one of which Carlo, half of the Swiss couple (with Cornelia) who have the other bungalow, just swam to with ease. Beyond those islands and to each side are giant breakers rolling in and breaking on the coral reef in 20 foot splashes reminiscent of what Tom Hanks needed to surmount to escape his island in Castaway.  Most people napped inside, waiting for the luggage to come with their sunscreen inside. Since I had applied mine in the morning I could enjoy the hammock, reading and watching native fishermen in their dug-out canoes pursuing their catch for the day as the sun broke through the clouds, the water turned lovely shades of turquoise, and temperatures rose into the nineties, but still with the stiff wind off the water.

In Panama City

North coastline

Achutupu Landing Strip

Traditional dugout canoe with sail

"Our" Island: Our bungalow is the first orange one from the left

Beds in our bungalow

Relaxing with the surf in the distance

Our luggage arrived and we enjoyed a yummy curry-type crab dish with rice. It was a huge helping. Marv ate some of his, not realizing it was crab. When reminded he shouldn't eat shellfish the cook prepared him an entire fish. We all had very ripe papaya and not very ripe cantaloupe for dessert. Then we had about an hour before we went to the closest island with a village, Ailigandi. The village there has 1300 people and a hospital started by a Baptist Missionary. He was very beloved and his wife returned to the village to bury his ashes when he died and stayed until her death, as well. Because of their influence there is only a Baptist church on Ailigandi, and no Catholic, Mormon or Evangelicals like the other islands. We visited a traditional cultural school where they are trying to keep their Kuna crafts and traditions alive. The principal told us about it while Kris translated. Kids attend regular school in the morning where they are taught English, Spanish and Kuna, and gather to play, socialize and attend classes in traditional crafts in the afternoon. There were kids and adults everywhere in the crowded lanes (there are no cars) and a relaxed atmosphere. Every home had a solar panel and we saw lots of people with cell phones. Many of the older women wore traditional Kuna clothing with Molas (very intricate and colorful embroidered applique) front and back. But most of the younger people were in school uniforms or shorts and tees. As we explored the village, Juan told us about everything and answered our many questions. We ended at a bamboo hut where an ancient looking elder has a small collection of carvings showing traditional coming of age ceremonies for girls, how they bury their dead, and their creation story. The old man was an accomplished weaver of portraits but Juan told us his art was dying because he couldn't find anyone interested in learning it. Westernization of the children is a huge threat to the culture of the Kuna as they flock to the cities and leave the old ways behind. The sun was hidden by clouds in the west as we headed back to Dad-Ibe. A cold beer tasted great as we read and relaxed until dinner. Tonight we each had a full fish with fried plantain slices. The six of us sat and chatted a long time at the dinner table. The staff fired up the generator at 6:00 and we had electricity until 10:00. Around 8:30 all the staff except Juan shook our hands and departed by boat. Shortly after a boat came from Ailigandi with two young men to serve as security guards while Juan slept in the bamboo hut. We all took showers of unheated water that came directly from a pipe in the wall and went to bed, exhausted by the long day and hot, humidity.

Arriving at Ailigandi and paying our tax to enter

Hammock weaver

Molas, from students and professionals

Community Bingo Game to benefit the School

Village kids handing out

Ailigandi Baptist Church

Ailigandi Island

Fish and plantain dinner