embaro indians

[moggyhill]

We will be coming to Cristobal via HAL Zuiderdam and doing the ship sponsered indian village tour. It is the only way they let you off the ship if you do one of their tours. We understand that indian crafts will be available to purchase at the village. What kind of a price range are they and what kinds of crafts are available. What type of money do they accept? US dollars? Thanks

[Jesterscourt]

The crafts are reasonably priced and they accept dollars that are the equivalent of their Balboa. Moreover, you actually meet the person that made what you are buying. It is beautiful stuff and you feel as if you have supported them as well, which is a win-win situation. Make sure you bring an extra bag and remember you will be taking a canoe back. This excursion was one of the highlights our trip.

[pokeyjones]

We will be coming to Cristobal via HAL Zuiderdam and doing the ship sponsered indian village tour. It is the only way they let you off the ship if you do one of their tours. We understand that indian crafts will be available to purchase at the village. What kind of a price range are they and what kinds of crafts are available. What type of money do they accept? US dollars? Thanks

 

I didn't go to the Village, but, saw them at the pier. I bought from them an 8" bowl. It was marked for $25, but, they offered it to me for $20. For larger items plan on $30-50. I also found small Mola handbags at the pier, that I paid $5 a piece for, but, they were priced at $7 or $8. Hope that gives you some idea as to what you can plan on spending. Just be sure you have a way to get it home...I was flying, and with the weight restrictions, I limited my purchases that could easily be tucked away.

[Jesterscourt]

I promised I would say a few words about the Authentic Embera Indian Village excursion and this seems like a good place to do it. We were on the 11/29 Zuiderdam sailing a few weeks ago. When colleagues ask me about my cruise I seem to gravitate toward telling them about this experience more than anything else on the trip. Whereas going through the Panama Canal, and stopping at Aruba and Curacao were certainly enriching and fulfilling experiences, you will rarely do anything as exotic or memorable as the Authentic Embera Indian Village. On a more practical note, when people ask to see your pictures, they will mainly want to see these photos and ask the most questions about the Indian Village! The long drive from Colon to the remote area of the Chagres River where we got on the motorized dug-out canoes was an education in itself. This was not modern Panama City or the dilapidated port of Colon. As our bus negotiated one pothole after another, we passed through numerous villages and got a good taste of everyday Panamanian life as well as their public transportation which consists of "diablos rojos" (red devils), which are retired American yellow school busses that they have re-painted wild colors and schemes, and more importantly, they have removed the speed-governors, so they can zip in and out of traffic, over curbs and into oncoming traffic like Mario Andrettis getting passengers through rush hour! Worth the day just to see that...

The trip was further edified by the guide who spoke practically the whole 2 hours about the Panama Canal and life in Panama with personality and humor so it was rarely boring. Don't worry. They pipe down on the trip home so you can nap! The canoes are driven by young boys from the Village and the length of the canoe ride depends on which village you visit. We went to PARARA PURU which was only about 20 minutes away and it seemed more like a lake rather than a river through the jungle so I was a bit disappointed we didn't see more flora and fauna along the way.

When you arrive at the Village, you walk up steps from the shore to where they greet you with singing and dancing. They have a main pavilion where the Chief gives a talk and where ham and cheese sandwiches are offerred (you make your own sandwich). There is also another large enclosure where they sell the handicrafts as well. To get more out of the experience, go off on your own and explore the Village. There are paths leading to the huts where they live and where the children play (you can't get lost), and they don't mind if you take pictures or even if you peer into their huts, as long as it is done with tact and genuine interest. The kids loved playing soccer with us and being picked up to pose for pictures. Men wearing loin cloths and women wearing no tops is part of their culture and if they are not dressed like this, then chances are you may be at a tourist trap, and not a genuine working village. Again, venture off from the shopping and main group and really see the Village as you will probably never get many opportunities like this again.

And finally, I will end by telling the story about the hot water bottle which we brought along for the long bus ride home. The Chief accompanied me to the cooking hut where the women and children had cooked our fish for lunch (only one fire and old fashioned pots and pans) and it became a major project heating up water transferring it to this small red hot water bottle. They had never seen one before and it was hysterical as I tried to explain in my broken spanish that it wasn't for tea! Anyway, my wife survived that long, bumpy ride home, back condition and all, because the women of the Embera Clan had come through for us!

[ellbon]

This was a highlight of my trip too. they are also did dances for us. I loved the food too.

[roddee]

JestersCourt,

 

Was the Embera Indian excursion from your ship or independent? Which ship were you on, and what was the price? It seems like you really did a lot, and found it to be so very interesting. How long was the excursion?

 

Thanks,

Dee

[Jesterscourt]

JestersCourt,

 

Was the Embera Indian excursion from your ship or independent? Which ship were you on, and what was the price? It seems like you really did a lot, and found it to be so very interesting. How long was the excursion?

 

Thanks,

Dee

 

We were on Holland America's Zuiderdam. The whole day was about 6 to 8 hours, 5 of which were spent on the bus. I forgot the price but it wasn't cheap, but well worth every penny. You cannot do this independently. If you use HAL, you will be assured of going to an authentic Village rather than a tourist trap in which case you could come to Orlando and go to Animal Kingdom. If you have a hard time with long bumpy rides you might want to bring a pillow for the bus, but the sights that you see are not to be missed if you want to get a flavor for everyday life in Panama. Don't make the mistake that I made by not taking pictures of all the interesting things on the bus ride like the crazy Red Devil public bus system and the people milling about on the streets and markets etc. The guides are funny college age guys who are a wealth of knowledge about the Canal and will keep you occupied most of the trip. One other thing, the guides were explicit about not giving anything to the Embera children since the chief does not want them to learn to beg. Let me know if you have any other questions.

[juliebug52]

We will be coming to Cristobal via HAL Zuiderdam and doing the ship sponsered indian village tour. It is the only way they let you off the ship if you do one of their tours. We understand that indian crafts will be available to purchase at the village. What kind of a price range are they and what kinds of crafts are available. What type of money do they accept? US dollars? Thanks

We did this tour last January and may do it again this month. I learned we may visit a different village. I read there are seven villages that they use. The cost of the tour thru HAL is $99. You won't regret it. It was the highlight of our trip. They do woven baskets and plates and animal masks and wood carvings. I bought a mask and want to buy three more. I saw one large beautiful basket, that they were asking $400 for. Most are much cheaper. They have necklaces and bracelets. Some just a dollar or two. At the port they have handstitched cloths, some type of embroidery. I purchased one with cats and had it made into a pillow. I plan to purchase more. You need to have cash. I did read that the tribes that entertain visitors are so busy they have to sometimes purchase crafts from other villages that do not have visitors. They are too busy!