Overnight trip to Embera Village San Juan
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Getting to San Juan once in the canoes at Nuevo Vigia (right) involves a few cute manuvers. For
one, we need to travel across a vast lake formed by the damming up of the Chagres river
system. The reason for the lake is so that the canal depth can be regulated in rainy
season or dry.
We are in Panama during the rainy season. As we go across the lake and up onto the Peqeni
river, the skies are variously dark and threatening and then sunny again... |
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We arrive finally after a couple of hours of steering our canoe over some low
spots on the river. But here, we are welcomed with much fanfare. It seems we've
been expected.
The first canoe came in about 40 minutes before ours did. And the canoe Jennifer, Alex, Abigail, Dave and I finally arrive on was the luggage canoe that was sent back to rescue us. The rest of our original cohorts didn't arrive for more than another 20 minutes. This gave me time to snap a few photos... |
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After the last canoe arrives, we were all kind of shell-shocked. The kids from
Pennsylvania were very excited and everyone was tired and hungry. In this photo,
the village life seems oddly affected by our walking around and not really trying
to be in anyway different than we might be at a high school function in our own home town.
Later after dinner, our hosts were extremely warm and had us play basketball and/or sit with them and get to know them. |
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The 6 of us slept in this hut (left), but it took a little getting used to the stairway (above). |
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In every one of the living quarters, there is a fireplace made of a large tray with
sand and carefully placed pieces of wood. Here on the left is the fireplace in our
hut. We didn't use it, but it appears to be used quite often.
We ate mostly food we brought from the base, but we had some food made for us for
breakfast the next morning. Besides fruit, we had some kind of funnel-cake (I don't
recall if I asked what it was called) and it was delicious. |
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After breakfast, we were invited to visit with Erito--the village chief--and his family
at his home. We met with them for about an hour before heading up to original San Juan.
Before we left, Andrew and I recieved tattoos. Dave got his tattoos later
when we returned to Erito's home after getting back from original San Juan. Our hosts
were very gracious to us. |
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We set out to go to original San Juan with Alex leading the way.
It takes about a half hour on foot and during our journey, we cross a couple
of creeks and finally the Peqeni river itself.
The kids from Pennsylvania went, too. They performed for the elementary school children. The school is on the other side of the river.
There is a lot to see along the way and also once we're there. |
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This place is beautiful. It has lush greens and at times, the bluest of skies.
The people Embera now live here in Panama because of the troubles they had in Colombia--
where they originally lived--with the drug cartels and para-militaries pushing them out.
Most Emberas live in villages much like San Juan. Some others do not want to be disturbed
and live in the mountains of Panama somewhere away from other peoples.
We respect the Embera people. May God bless them and watch over them. |
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