The Jungle Trip Part IV

When we got across the river, it was more of the same jungle, but darker, and deeper and thicker somehow. The path was much narrower, and the jungle threatened to swallow it whole in some spots. We hiked an hour or so, and then we arrived at the village. This wasn’t like the first one with tin roofs and cokes. This was the real deal. The huts were made of logs and stood on stilts, they were wide open without true walls, the roofs were made of leaves and thatch. The men wore colorful beads around their necks and most wore loincloths, The women were painted with a black die and only wore skirts. There were no shoes, shirts, or cutoff pants. These were the truly indigenous people of the Darien rainforest, the Embera. It was beautiful, and the people were friendly and kind, untarnished by the ways of the modern world. When we first arrived, everyone was working. The women were making baskets and cooking. Men were chopping bamboo and building a new hut. The children were chasing chickens and playing. They approached without fear and made us instantly welcome. They were sincerely excited to see us and welcomed us wholeheartedly. I felt very humble and in the presence of something sacred while I was there. They showed us their huts, and allowed us to roam freely around the tiny village. The river that ran by was deep and relatively clear. We were told that it was safe to go in the water, so we took off our shoes and shirts and cooled off while a group of women scrubbed clothes and laughed while we splashed each other and skipped rocks. We didn’t get to stay very long, but it was one of the most memorable times of my life. The Embera people gathered as we left the village, and smiled and waved to us as we went back down the path towards home.

While I was writing this story, I did a little research and found some cool websites with lots of pictures, and descriptions of the Embera way of life. Check it out.


Embera pictures

Embera Drua

Time among the Embera

Panama Indigenous People