We prepared for a bumpy overnight cruise across the Gulf of Panama
by taking Bonine, with an extra dose at 1:30 AM when it got
particularly rough. This left us a bit groggy for our buffet
brunch on the sundeck. We boarded our Zodiacs at 11:30 to visit
the Emberá native village on Playa de Muertos (Beach of Death)
-- it proved to be a good name, as our return Zodiac trip through
the heavy surf was exciting, to say the least! Since there are no roads
and the beach is not protected, only small craft are able to approach
the beach. Since the Pacific Explorer floats in
only 10 feet of water, Cruise West is the only commercial
passenger ship able to visit this indigenous tribal village.
These friendly
people live in small groups, in thatched huts on stilts. Wearing
little clothing, they decorate their bodies every month with dyes
extracted from local plants. They subsist on whatever they can grow,
gather and catch (very often with spears and bow and arrows).
Villagers performed dances for us, and gave demonstrations of grinding
corn and extracting sugar from cane. Their tightly woven baskets and
carvings were beautiful. We visited several homes and took pictures of
delightful children. The ship's crew continued the tradition of playing
a soccer game against the locals, winning 1-0. There were several armed
soldiers present, to thwart drug trade. Giovanni led the naturalist
walk through the dense rain forest, and it rained!
--Click on pictures for
full-screen views--
(No new
birds seen in Darien Jungle) CUMULATIVE TOTAL (BIRD
SPECIES SEEN TO DATE: 97 (62 New)
