Today was the first full day in Panama. We all traveled in canoes on the Chagres River to an indigenous village called Embera. The people there are originally from a southeastern rainforest region in Panama called Darien. The canoe ride to the isolated village was incredibly beautiful- mountains of thick rainforest covered either side of the river. When we arrived at the village, we were greeted with smiles and music. The women had black ink painted on their bodies (a henna-like temporary tattoo) and wore very colorful beaded tops called shakiras. We danced in a palm hut and then they explained to us their culture and everyday life. During the cultural presentation, a little girl would run behind, carrying one of the stray puppies, flopping him in the air and then would just drop it on the ground, laughing. She was so cute :) We ate fresh tilapia and patacones (fried plantains) for lunch and were given our own tattoos. I got a flower butterfly-like design on the back of my shoulder. The families had also set out their carvings, jewelry, and baskets that they had hand made for us to purchase. At that point, a little boy named Raylito came and held my hand and I picked him up and we looked at it all together. After a hike through their forests full of herbal remedies and natural medicine, we all swam in the river. There was a strong current on the river’s left side, so we would go to the top of it and let the current carry us down the river a bit and do it again. It was a great day :)

-Audrey Engman