Peace Corps Panama Baking and Business Tour around the Darien


At the end of March, I partnered with a few volunteers in my group to give baking and business sessions in the Darien with the Embera indigenous group. They are very fun and friendly people! In this part of Panama bordering Colombia, they wear skirts of colorful designs and for some women, that is all they wear! They either are topless (which is their traditional dress), wear a bra like top, or just a shirt with the skirts. Also, it is their tradition to be painted with blue/black designs all over their body and face from a fruit called, jagwa ( pronounced hag-wah), which lasts for about a week. They create intricate designs and around the neck and chest is a painted necklace, which is beautiful artwork to see when you are not wearing a shirt. I got the traditional design of their community, which is of their river. Usually they would wear designs that symbolize their community but now, they just create nature or creative drawings for fun. Supposedly it helps to protect your skin from the sun as a sunscreen and the women use the plant to color their hair as well. Talking with one of the women, over time, painting themselves and being topless everyday are parts of their culture that are not as common anymore like in the past. Luckily we got some of them to take a picture with us in their traditional style!





House made of bamboo!



 And we got them to play this hilarious game where they try to look at a piece of paper with a word on the back. Who ever saw the other's word first wins!


 We are making plates which are woven and painted by a palm plant I believe.

And back home I have a watermelon plant growing and it is so small! Cannot wait to eat it when it gets bigger :)

My neighbors husband found two baby monkeys near his finca in the community! They are so cute and the wife is excited to take care of them at her house. They even built a playground for them a little baby hammocks for them to sleep in!! ^.^



Location: Darién Province, Panama

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