A one-and-a
half to two hour boat journey on the Chagres River is what separates
the hustle and bustle of the 21st century from a lifestyle that hasn’t
changed much in the last 500 years.
Nestled
in the thick rainforests of Chagres National Park, the tiny village
of Emberá Drúa and its residents are making more and
more visitors from northern climes travel several centuries back in
time.
At first
sight, the culture of this Native American group, which migrated to
Panama from South America around the same time that Spanish conquistadors
first set foot on the Isthmus, might seem rather primitive to the
average visitor. Whereas men and boys wear loin cloths, the daily
attire of women and girls consists of a lively-colored skirt, body
paint on their nude torso, a necklace made with coins and a crown
of flowers. A closer contact will yield a different impression: cell
phones, children learning world history in school and a tourist committee
with enough knowledge at English to make you feel at home.
