Day 21: Panama – 26/01/10

Today Penny and Peter are treating us to a trip up the Chagres River to visit the Embera Indian village.  We are picked up at 8.15 am by Ruth, the taxi driver/tour guide that they used earlier in their trip.  Ruth brings along with her another guide to give us even more history about what we will be seeing.

We go on a couple of toll road (the first I have seen for a while) back in the direction of Colon towards the Chagres River then turn further inland.  The road is really bad in parts once we turn off.  This is because the biggest cement plant in Latin America is located here.  The huge lorries have churned up the road and created enormous pot holes everywhere.  It’s a pity they don’t use some of that cements to deal with the problem.  About a mile around the plant, everything is covered in a fine, grey covering of cement dust, a bit like the volcanic ash on Montserrat.  What a blot on the landscape but I suppose it’s hidden away and providing employment.

We arrive at the river, put on life jackets and clamber into a dug out canoe (although a bit of modernisation has taken place as it has an outboard motor).  There is one young Indian guy on the front who acts as a guide and lookout (and it soon becomes obvious why this is necessary).  The other guy stands at the back operating the outboard motor.  As we speed along the river we watch the communication between the two guys.  The one at the front stands to watch the water depth and with a complicated series of pointing, hand signals, waving and whistling, he is able to direct the guy at the back to change direction, slow down, and sometimes pull the rudder up when we hit a particularly shallow patch of water.  A few times, the one at the front actually pushes the canoe through the water when it is shallow and we can hear the rocks scraping the bottom.  As we are two months into the dry season (which lasts 6 months) this is only going to get worse and their livelihood (taking tourists to the village) will stop.

Photo:  Canoeing with a difference

Photo:  Our canoe guide

We turn off and go up a tributary, stopping after a few hundred yards.  We get out and walk up the river, crossing it at a shallow point and continuing along a rocky path.  At times some clambering is necessary and as I am walking behind our young guide, he stops to offer me a hand and checks I am OK.  How sweet of him to help the old lady!  (Actually he is very sweet!).  Soon we come to a waterfall  but everyone except Jim declines to to swimming in the pool below.

Photos:  At the waterfall, some posing and some oblivious to Peter Paparazzi

We walk back to the canoe.  On the way, both Mike and I have to answer a call of nature, which is much easier for Mike but I spot a huge curved tree trunk and duck behind that, something I haven’t needed to do for about 40 years!

We see men digging in the river, removing rocks and stones from the river bed to create channels to keep the boats going through for longer, anxious not to let their only real source of income go – bringing in the tourists.

As we approach the village, young boys wait by the river side waiting for our motor outboard to create a wake and waves that they can play in.  Immediately we pass, they all leap in with gay abandon.  As our canoe pulls up, the musicians start playing their instruments and teenage girls come down to greet us, shaking hands and smiling, faces tattooed (but they only last a week or so) and exquisitely dressed in patterned skirts and beaded tops.  All this is done for the tourists but they have decided that this is the way they want to earn their living and they do it well and don’t look too bored with the act.

We are given a talk by the chief about their native history and their handicrafts then we are invited to look at these same handicrafts and can buy them if we want. 

Photos:  The handicrafts and the way they are made is explained to us

Each stall displays things made by a different family, but they are not pushy and just seem happy if you do buy - no sullen faces if you don’t.

Photo:  A proud young spear fisherman with his catch and his mum

We look at the souvenirs and handicrafts – I would like to buy one of the woven baskets but the one I like (typical) is $95 so I settle for a nice plate instead.

All around us, life is going on as normal, even though in front of us, it may be being acted out.  We eat lunch of pan fried tilapia fish and plantain which is delicious.

Photo:  Lunch is served

 Photos:  Village life going on around us 

Photo:  Mud pies are mud pies wherever you live!

Outside the young women of the village perform some dances for us – firstly the eagle dance, then the butterfly dance and finally the flower dance while the men provide the musical accompaniment.

Photos:  Music and dancing is provided for us

The next dance is slightly more western with men dancing with women in twos.  This is the embarrassing time as they start to get the tourists up to dance too.  I am approached by two young men, our canoe guide and one more – but the other one gets there first.  Pity, our little canoe guide was very sweet!  We shuffle around, me feeling very silly but all this disappears when I realise that Mike has been forced up too and is shuffling around looking extremely uncomfortable.  Jim is too, but he is enjoying himself.  I do have video of this (courtesy of Peter) and one day I might be brave enough to upload it.  It’s worth a giggle.

We are next taken to the botanical gardens with the medicine man who seems to claim that he has a cure for everything, including diabetes, asthma, cancer and erection problems.  Mmmm.  Not sure about that but he seems very enthusiastic is looks very good for his 78 years of age.

Photo:  The Medicine Man describing his plant potions

Photo:  Not sure which ailment the Medicine Man is describing here but it looks painful

The journey back in the canoe is a little more hairy as some of the locals jump in for a ride down the river.  This means that we scrape the bottom far more frequently and now that we are flowing down the river as against the current, we also go much quicker but we arrive safely back at the car.

I enjoy the visit to the village.  It could have made me feel cringingly voyeuristic but it doesn’t.  As Peter said, they are playing the game for the tourists, but they know it and we know it and it is tastefully and sympathetically done.  They genuinely seem happy with their lives – the kids go to college and some come back and some don’t but for the most part they are keen to protect their culture and heritage and are grateful for the dollars their performance brings in.  After all, it’s a job.

We drive to Albrook Mall which is the biggest mall in Panama.  I am after another bikini and Jim wants a new camera.  We split up in the mall so that we don’t take too long and Mike comes with me bikini shopping.  A first.  I have never seen anyone look more uncomfortable as he hangs around women’s swimwear but by the time we leave, one bikini bought (XL I might add – how skinny are the females they make these for), I am the one feeling uncomfortable and thinking that I desperately need to go on a very strict diet.  I leave all the skinny sales girls giggling and probably thinking a woman of my age shouldn’t be seen out in public let alone wearing a bikini.  They are probably right.

Ruth then takes us to the supermarket where we spot, of all things, a twin tub washing machine.  A WASHING MACHINE.  I am in love and best of all, Mike buys it  as it only cost $99.  I am a very happy bunny!!!

A great day all round!