A day in Panama

 We had a number of possible options for our first full day in Panama. We chose to visit the Embera Quera community.  This is a village of native peoples about an hour plus outside of Panama City.  A bus took us to a spot on the Gatun River where we piled into a set of canoes for the trip to the village.  The canoe trip took about 30 minutes.


Once we were there, there were various presentations on the history of the Embera people, and their customs, and walks around the village, including up to a new building they were putting up to use as a school. 





There were songs and dances and a lunch of fish and fruit served on banana plant leaves.




Then it was back on the canoe 


And back to the bus and back to the hotel.  After a short break there was a guided walk around the hotel neighborhood, called Cisco Virgo (the old quarter), back to the hotel for another short break and then to another dinner, this time at the Biomuseo.


The Biomuseo is a science museum that tells the history of Panama from its creation from volcanos and plate uplift to the effects of this on the plants and animals of North and South America (and the world). And the importance of the biodiversity of Panama.  The Biomuseo building itself was both designed by Frank Gehry who then donated the building to Panama.

We had a lavish dinner, with Panamanian dancers.



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