Embera Indian Village

Day 5: We started the day by visiting the Embera Indian Village on Gamboa Lake. The Embera greeted our boats on the dock. Some tours go out to the village on dugout canoes.

Embera Musical Group–MOVIE

A musical group entertained us while we were getting off our boats.

Youtube: https://youtu.be/r_zqOAFexsc

At the Village

Our host, who explained Embera customs and culture, is the man standing in the middle. The men wear beaded skirts. We were in a tentlike structure and it was very warm and very humid, so much so that one of my tour mates had a seizure sitting in the tent. He was eventually soon okay. Scary.

Embera Women Dancers–MOVIE

We were treated to dancing by the Embera women. The skirts that they wear are called palomas and the material for them is from Asia.

Youtube: https://youtu.be/YGTPXPYvK4c

Embera Women & Children Dancers–MOVIE

The women and their children also danced.

Youtube: https://youtu.be/HFPpGMz–1Wk

Embera Wood Carvings

The Embera are known for their wood carvings.

Embera Baskets

The Embera are also known for their woven baskets.

Bead Jewelry

Bead jewelry. I was very surprised that at least four of the designs on the bracelets on the right were exactly the same as for bracelets that I had recently bought in Southern Africa. Either the Embera didn’t make the bracelets or the designs for bead bracelets are universal as they are for some ceramic tile designs.

Embera Children

The Embera children were adorable. The older boys usually wear beaded skirts as their elders do and the girls wear palomas.

Jagua Tattoos

The Embera put tattoos made from the jagua plant on their bodies. The tattoos last for about two weeks and are supposed to protect them from insects.

Embera Village

There are about 110 Embera living in this village. Their houses have thatched roofs and either no sides or partial sides.

Group Photo

A photo of our tour group. We gave our cameras or cell phones to one of the Embera men who took photos of our group one camera or cell phone at a time.

I have put my photos of the Embera Indian village on a slideshow. Go to

http://www.peggysphotos.com/embera–indian–village/

(Slide Shows, Central America, Panama, “Embera Indian Village”).

Gamboa Rainforest Reserve

We next visited the Gamboa Rainforest Reserve, a sloth and wildlife sanctuary. Also here are butterfly and orchid gardens and an aerial tram. We visited the gardens but didn’t go on the tram.

Sloths

Sloths are known for moving slowly and spending most of their time hanging upside down on trees, which these sloths aren’t doing now. Sloths live in the rainforests of South and Central America.

Jaquars

Two jaquars were at the reserve. This is one of them.

Poisonous Frogs

In a pond were these very small poisonous frogs plus many more of them. The green and black frogs are called poison dart frogs as their poison is used on darts. The red frog is called the poison red frog and is about 1 inch long.

Butterflies

We next went to the butterfly garden. Here is a photo of a butterfly eating seeds from a flower.

Orchid Nursery

Our last visit was to the orchid nursery.

I have put my photos of the Gamboa Rainforest Reserve on a slideshow. Go to

http://www.peggysphotos.com/gamboa–rainforest–reserve/

(Slide Shows, Central America, Panama, “Gamboa Rainforest Reserve”).

Lunch

We ate lunch at a restaurant that gave us a view of cruise ship heading to the canal.

Desserts

There were always good desserts in Panama.

Bridge of the Americas

We are crossing the Bridge of the Americas over the Panama Canal, which some geographers say bridges Central America to South America.

Panama Canal

Ships either go on the left or the right of the strip of land in the photo to enter the Panama Canal Extension or the original Panama Canal.

Chinese Monument

The Chinese Monument with a pagoda and lion statues is on one side of the Bridge of the Americas. It commemorates the long history of the Chinese in Panama.

Westin Playa Bonita

We arrived at the Westin Playa Bonita where we would stay for two nights.

Welcome Flags

Welcome flags at the Westin Playa Bonita.

Westin Playa Bonita

Day 6: Day 6 was a rest day and there were no tour activities. View of the Westin Playa Bonita from an observation deck. The beach on the Pacific Ocean is not good for swimming.

Westin Playa Bonita

More of the beach.

Westin Playa Bonita

Islands in the distance.

Westin Playa Bonita

I spent part of the day by the pools reading a book.

Westin Playa Bonita

I was enjoying my book as it was quiet where I was sitting until the water aerobics class started, accompanied by way too loud not very pleasant music. You could sign up for tours at the hotel’s tour desk but all the tours offered were to places that we had already been and no separate tour to Casco Viejo, where I would have wanted to go. But if I inquired further, perhaps I could have arranged a private tour. Anyway, it was good to have a day when you could wake up when you wanted and didn’t have to be on time for the bus.