On this trip to Panama, I decided to do a tour that my cousin Robbie recommended – the Embera Indian village. After an 1.5 hour bus ride, we arrived at the Chagres National park where some enterprising Indians have set up a historical native setting (like Pioneer Village in Toronto). We boarded dugout canoes (with outboard motors) and travelled to the site.
The Emberas greeted us in their language and in Spanish (our tour guide translated). Then they described what life used to be like for their people before the Spanish arrived and the government stopped them from living off the land in the national park.
Then they served us their version of fish and chips – fried tilapia fish with fried plantain chips – delicious! Note – the tattoos on their skin are temporary. It is made with from natural sources that act like bug spray (which is why many of them have tattoos all over their bodies.
The Emberas greeted us in their language and in Spanish (our tour guide translated). Then they described what life used to be like for their people before the Spanish arrived and the government stopped them from living off the land in the national park.Then they served us their version of fish and chips – fried tilapia fish with fried plantain chips – delicious! Note – the tattoos on their skin are temporary. It is made with from natural sources that act like bug spray (which is why many of them have tattoos all over their bodies. Then they played their native instruments and did some folk dancing for us. (As soon as we left, I'm sure that they just put on their jeans and returned to their TV sets to watch Latin American Idol – the biggest TV show down here.)
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