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Happy birthday to me…
Happy birthday to me…
Having a birthday in Panama…
Oh…what will I see?
Setting out early with our tour guide, we steeled ourselves for the long ride through the congested streets of Panama City. Our destination, a point on the river near the city of Chilibre, was going to be the start of our day in the rainforest and a visit with an Embrera Indian tribe.
As we made our way down the steep banks of the Chagres River, we watched as a a few boats approached the landing point. Traditionally dressed male tribe members unloaded and loaded supplies into their handcrafted canoes and readied their boats for trips back to their villages on various points of the river.
Finally, a boat docked on the banks and we were given life vests and ushered down into the waiting vessel. Motoring along the calm, shallow waters, its banks lined with the local flora and fauna, I couldn’t keep the smile off of my face. This was truly an adventure!
After what seemed like a long ride, we finally pulled into a shallow channel and pulled the canoe onto the sandy spits exposed by the low tide. Following our guide, we made our way through the rainforest…sometimes walking through the swift-moving, ankle-deep water and sometimes making our way along the muddy paths lining the river. The sound of a large amount of rushing water greeted our ears and as we made our way around a large boulder, the end of our trek was in sight.
A beautiful waterfall.
Swimming in the refreshing, cold, clear water with my son, I was elated that this was how I was able to start my day…enjoying nature at its most beautiful.
Eventually, a sound alerted us that it was time to go…thunder. A darkening sky confirmed that it was time to make our way back to our boat and as we hustled along the rain soaked paths, we realized that we were going to get really wet.
Retracing our steps along the river, we motored along in the pouring rain, hoping for a respite at the village.
As we pulled alongside the village dock, the rain continued making it difficult to make our way up the slick walkway. Even with the soggy deluge, the tribe was there to greet us as they played musical instruments and lined up, smiling and welcoming us to their home.
We were ushered to an extensive hut and invited to take a seat. As I admired the beautiful fabrics, created by the tribe, hanging throughout the interior, the members of the tribe began to enter. After a greeting and information on the tribe’s culture, lifestyle and crafts, by one of the tribe’s members, we were treated to shamanic and celebrational dances with musical accompaniments.
The villagers, dressed in their handwoven and metal, embellished cloths danced together, sometimes only the women and sometimes joined by the men.
The best was yet to come.
The tribal spokesman talked a bit more about the tribe and led into a sentence about how it was a special day. The women had prepared something special.
A special floral birthday crown for ME!
I was touched to discover that our guide had let them know that I had elected to spend my special day with them and they in turn, were so touched that they wanted to make something special for me. Words cannot express what an amazing gift that was!
After a visit to the kitchen hut, where we watched the women preparing food for the day, we were treated to a meal of locally caught, fresh, fried fish and fruit. We then browsed the vast selection of items crafted by the tribe members…baskets, fabrics, jewelry, plates and masks…while watching the younger members of the tribe play under the tables and outside in the puddles. Here, you can also have a non-permanent tattoo applied to your skin and watch some of the finest basket makers in the world as they work to create intricate all sizes of baskets with intricate patterns from palm leaves and natural pigments.
The rain was still coming down, though not as hard, and it was time to head down to the boat and back to our origination point. The beauty of the region was not lost on us, regardless of the weather, but the usual sights of sloth’s, monkeys, toucans and eagles would not be had on this day.
Still, nature is nature and sometimes in the rain forest…it rains. Though I would have loved to have had a bright, sunny day to get better photos, I still have to say, a rainy adventure on your birthday is better than no adventure on your birthday!
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Embrera Indian Tribe Tours
- There are many companies that offer Embrera day and overnight tours in Panama.
- http://panamatravelunlimited.com/panama-day-tours/panama-cultural-tours/embera-indian-village-tour/
- Prices: About $110-$125 per person for shared tours (minimum two persons) and $250 for private tours (minimum two persons).
As we were dropped off at the Plaza de la Independencia, where the country’s independence from Spain and Columbia was celebrated, I glanced around at the fine architectural details present on most of the buildings. The Casco Viejo (Spanish for Old Town) is filled with peaceful, shady plazas, wrought iron balconies, aged, brightly colored doorways and a myriad of churches.
After inspecting the dignified busts of Panama’s founding fathers, scattered throughout the square, we glanced around, not sure how to tackle the many narrow streets and plazas beckoning to my touristic nature. Heading toward the waterfront, we occasionally stopped to peruse the many souvenir shops filled with masks, pareos, outdated Panama license plates and of course, Panama hats.
The waterfront promenade offered some amazing views of the city’s impressive skyline as well as of the Cinta Costera, the viaduct that encircles the historic and governmental district of Casco Viejo, a controversial project which was built to solve the traffic nightmares without disturbing the historic neighborhood.
Grabbing a snow-cone from one of the local vendors, we sat on a park bench and savored the balmy temperatures while enjoying our chilly treat.
While my main desire was to visit La Catedral Metropolitana, the main, Catholic temple in Panama City, we found it to be under a massive renovation. The San Francisco de Asis Church was only a couple of blocks away and we decided to step in. One of the original structures from Casco Viejo, the church was nearly destroyed by fire in 1737 and 1756. Restored in 1998, it was more modern than I anticipated but presented vibrant stained glass, marble throughout and a beautiful, mosaic behind the altar.
Many restaurants and bars grace the streets in the Old Town and finding a tasty place to eat is not hard to do. In fact, nighttime, is a festive affair and should not be missed when visiting the city, even if not staying in one of the area’s many hotels and hostels.
Finally, we made our way back to Plaza de la Independencia. Taking a seat on one of the many shady, seating areas, we rested our weary feet, admiring the scenes around us. Besides the other camera touting tourists, the square attracts a large number of locals who come to interact with each other and children who use the tranquil area to play.
Once our entrance fee was paid, we were directed upstairs to the upper observation terrace. As we exited the doors onto the pavilion, luck would have it that a ship was passing through the locks!
After the final lock, the Atacama Queen sailed off under the Centennial Bridge and into Lake Miraflores for the next phase of its journey.
The Hall of Water: Source of Life highlights the importance of water, the conservation of the environment and biodiversity, protection of the Canal Watershed and the commitment to the sustainable management of resources.
Operation of the Canal is spotlighted in The Canal in Action. Here you can experience what it is like to guide a boat through a lock culvert in one of the navigation simulators. Canal improvement, modernization and maintenance projects are also the focus of this exhibit.
Information on the importance of the Canal to world trade is the center of the information presented in The Canal in the World. Descriptions of the trade routes served by the Canal and its main users, the vessels that transit the waterway and the commodities they carry and the future competitiveness of the Canal and how the Republic of Panama will benefit can be learned about here.
After our tour of the exhibition halls was complete, we stepped out on the two lower observation terraces for a more intimate look at the now-empty lock and the picturesque, white-washed building resting on the other side of the canal. On the second floor, we discovered stadium seating…seating I wish we had known about as the Atacama passed through earlier. Looking off into the distance, we scoured the horizon, hoping for another freighter or even a cruise ship.
