Sawyer Abroad : A "Baby Moon" With the Embera's of Panama

As we anxiously await the arrival of Sawyer in 14 weeks we thought it appropriate to have a final trip with just the two of us. After climbing Machu Pichu at six and half months was denied by doctors and family alike (and for they record they were all right to do so) we set our bearings a little further North : Panama.

There is much to highlight from this trip, the genius of the canal, the fecundity of the rainforest, the white sandy beaches, the consumption of innumerable patacones (fried plantains), the dispute on the safety of attending a cockfight and the startlingly close proximity of our first hotel to the maximum security prison holding General Noriega (this is not a joke) . All however, fall short of our day spent with the Embera's, one of Panama's indigenous tribes.

Early on our third day we were met at our hotel in Gamboa by a van which drove us for nearly an hour to an undisclosed boat launch outside of Salamanca. Boat launch is a VERY generous description of what amounted to a muddy break in the rainforest leading to the river. Shortly after stepping out, a long canoe made by hollowing out at tree arrived piloted by Omar, who was wearing nothing but a loincloth. We boarded the canoe for the nearly hour long canoe ride to the village :

Arriving at the Village :

The village is secluded and has one cell phone which a does not have service. A villager every day has to climb to the highest hill and then climb a tree before he can get service to check for messages and make calls.

Despite the isolation, the increased restrictions on their traditional native practices the Embera are warm, friendly and proud of their culture and heritage. Alyse was clearly pregnant so much of our conversations focused on the birthing practices in the village.


Over lunch, consisting of fish caught that day and patacones, Alyse was asked by one of the villagers how far along she is :

Villager (In Spanish) : Is this your first child?

Alyse : Yes

Villager : Hmmm, then you don't know the pain.

An Irish ex pat mother of 3 grown children recognizing Alyse's anxious silence attempted to appease Alyse's fear.

Irishwoman : Dont worry dear, just say yes to any drug they offer and always opt for the C-Section if they ask. Trust me.

For the Embera's, all births occur in the village. We learned that women give birth on all fours and do not make a sound during the ordeal. Weeks prior to the birth the root of a "Hot Lip" is ground and made into a tea to ease the pain. Following the birth, the mother and infant stay in bed for weeks under a mosquito net as the villagers care for the mother and new baby. As the children grow, parenting in the village is best described as laissez-faire. Children are free to run, play and swim in the village unhindered for the most part. If a child gets hurt or begins to cry, older children aid the ailing child.

"Hot Lips"

We spent an entire day with the village, sharing food, culture, dance and our respective lifestyles. We tour the jungle with their village elder who doubles as their medicine man. At 90+ years old, he seemed to be in better shape than all of us.

As our time approached to leave, a tinge of melancholy touched us both as we knew we had to return to our smart phones, internet service, tv's, restaurants and the other shackles of modern society. What we found was not a primitive society refusing to assimilate into a globalized world. Rather, we found a simple and peaceful society, choosing to live unfettered and free, focusing on the deepest and most endearing of human relationships : Family.