Day Trips
Your visit begins at 8:30am when Anne arrives at your Panama City hotel or hostel. Anne takes you through the countryside, about an hour trip. At 9:30am you arrive at the edge of the Chagres National Park, which is the watershed for the canal. Your boteros will be waiting for you with a dugout canoe. It will take approximately an hour to travel up river depending on the season and water level. Sometimes the river is so shallow the boteros have to get out and push the canoe. You may help if you feel like 'roughing it'.
At approximately10:30am, after a beautiful ride up river and through the jungle, possibly sighting toucans, sloths or maybe a monkey along the way. At Embera' Puru, we are greeted with a traditional musical greeting. After getting settled, we are allowed free reign to explore the village at our leisure, taking pictures, and interacting with curiosity. After a short talk about the Embera’s lives and culture, lifestyle, and crafts, we are taken on a short walk through the jungle with one of the village elders to teach us about the medicinal plants they use.
Upon our return to the village we feast on a delectable traditional meal of Patacones (fried plantains) and fried fish or chicken. Shortly thereafter, the natives regale us with their music as we watch the women perform traditional shamanic dances. Next comes shopping time! They make the most exquisite crafts, woven baskets, plates and masks from palm leaf fibers and carved Cocobolo wood and Tagua seeds. You can even get a tattoo! Don't worry it is a fruit juice dye and lasts only 10-12 days before it wears off. Then the entire tribe gathers for a group photo. They are not shy about posing and love to be shown the images if you have a digital camera.
Finally, we say goodbye, leaving only footprints taking with you awesome memories, photos, history, and souvenir. |
