The Darien

Western and central Panama are relatively well developed and easily accessible. Much more so than the east, and especially Darien Province. The Darien, and especially the Darien gap, have an almost mythical name amongst travelers. The Interamerican Highway stops in Yaviza and only appears 150 km south in Colombia. (the Interamerican Highway is actually not very interamerican at all). Those 150 km are covered with primary rainforest full of jaguars, harpy eagles, macaws, mahogany trees as large as light houses and abandoned gold mines. And also 7,000 Wounaan and 12,000 Emberá (indigenous people).

Unfortunately, this area is almost completely inaccessibe. Not because of the lack of roads, but because of the presence of drug traffickers, the FARC and Colombian and Panamanian (para) military units hunting the former two. Members of all of these groups are heavily armed, shoot on sight, shoot to kill and keep shooting until there is no one left to ask questions.

So we gave that bit a miss. We only went as far as Santa Fé, just 30 km inside the Darien province. Just to get there we had to drive a road that reminded us a lot of Mozambique and we had to pass three police posts with increasingly nervous policemen. They do not like tourists to visit the Darien at all. Mostly because some tourists keep trying to cross the Darien gap and get killed on the way. That the tourists get killed does not really bother the policemen. What bothers them most is that they have to risk their lives to go and recover the tourists or what is left of them.

Santa Fé and surroundings however, are quiet, peaceful and safe. Just west of Santa Fé the village of Aremae is inhabited by Wounaan and Embera indians. They managed to hang on to 6000 out of 50,000 hectares of forest that belonged to them. The other 36,000 have been taken and deforested by Latino’s from Central Panama. The remaining 6000 hectares do support at least one active harpy eagle nest. I went there and saw the nest, heard the harpy, but did not get a view of the beast. I will have to go back. Unfortunately, but understandably, the community cut and sold all the hardwood from the forest, so it is not quite primary and rather open.

The community of Arimae consists mainly of Embera indians with a few Wounaan mixed in. While Kees went to look at the harpy eaqgle, Loes discussed tourism and possible colaboration with the women of the Arimae community. The village has built a traditional house with two rooms for guests and a little shop with souvenirs made by community members. Visitors are stil few and far between. Most business is from other indians, who buy handicrafts in Arimae and sell it in ‘traditional indian villages’ along the canal and on the outskirts of Panama city. And some of the items for sale are not made by the people from Arimae, but by Indians living in even remoter areas… Loes got a demonstration in weaving. Younger women prefer modern designs and techniques (learned from an NGO), but still use traditional dyes made from plant juices. The older generation still uses traditional techniques.

We also paid a short visit to Puerto Lara, about half an hour south of Santa Fé, by boat. Puerto Lara is at the mouth of a river and is inhabited by more or less traditionally living Wounaan Indians. When a tourist visit is announced (and we were), the guests are received by a group of Indians covered in body paintings and not much else. Admittedly, I did not really dare to give the paintings of the women the attention they obviously merited.

But all in all, eastern Panama is definitely worth a visit. The people from Arimae and Puerto Lara will be glad to see you and we are happy to help you getting there.