Embara Indian trip - fabulous!

[knarf]

Hi Toto2Kansas, Did you take your excursion thru the ship or with Mario ?

 

Hi Cruisingschool, When you went with Mario-where did you get on his tour-after you went thru the Gratun Locks or before you went thru the locks. After reading some of these messages, I guess I got confused as to where you meet Mario. On your tour with Mario did you go to some "falls" after you lift the Embera village ?

 

Thank you both so much for your help. Coral Princess 1/3/06. Sincerely, Knarf (Frank backwards)

[cruisingschool]

Hi Toto2Kansas, Did you take your excursion thru the ship or with Mario ?

 

Hi Cruisingschool, When you went with Mario-where did you get on his tour-after you went thru the Gratun Locks or before you went thru the locks. After reading some of these messages, I guess I got confused as to where you meet Mario. On your tour with Mario did you go to some "falls" after you lift the Embera village ?

 

Thank you both so much for your help. Coral Princess 1/3/06. Sincerely, Knarf (Frank backwards)

 

We met Mario right at the docks. He took us to the village first. He asked if our group wanted to hike to the falls or get back earlier to shop. We voted to shop. From the village he took us to the canal and then back to the shopping zone.

[cruisingschool]

We met Mario right at the docks. He took us to the village first. He asked if our group wanted to hike to the falls or get back earlier to shop. We voted to shop. From the village he took us to the canal and then back to the shopping zone.

 

Oh--- we didn't go THROUGH the locks, we just watched ships go through. It would take too long to go through. That would be a day excursion in itself.

[2112]

I have visited an Embera tribe in Panama, although not as part of a cruise ship tour. I thought I might give you a few thoughts. First, do NOT offer candy or other items to the children. The Embera try to keep a very traditional lifestyle by choice. Once candy and other things are introduced, no good can come from it other than a couple seconds of joy for the kids. If you think that it is a good thing that people still live in traditional manners, then help keep it that way by not introducing candy, stickers, etc. Instead, buy crafts that are offered so they can purchase items that they must have to live (since the government does not let them farm or raise livestock in the National Park where they live). Second, the Embera village that you visit on this tour is not an actual village. It is staffed by actual tribe members, however, from other villages on days when the cruise ships are in port. It is, I am told, almost identical to a real village, however, and just about everything is there other than medicinal plant gardens and things like that that you would see in a real village. If you would like to see some photos of the Embera, take a look on my website at http://www.pbase.com/2112 and click on Central America and then Panama. I can't think of anything in Panama more rewarding then spending time with these wonderful people.

[motherchic]

some mentioned canoes, others mentioned boats. I am easily able to move around but i have had several back surgeries. is their any back support. can older but mobile people do this trip ?

Thank you

[sptrout]

motherchic,

 

My guess is that people who book this tour though the ship (as I did) go with larger groups that require larger boats (about 20 or so people on our tour). If the tour you take uses the same boats that we had I don't believe that you will have any problems.

 

I think that the folks that report being in canoes must have booked directly with a local operator. But, like I said, I'm just guessing. If there are any readers of this note that did use canoes, please comment on how you booked your tour.

[snorklgrl]

You get to experience the canal as the ship passes through, but no, I doubt there is time to do both the Embara Tribe and the canal tour. We did not see any wild animals on the Embara tour. We saw domesticated horses on a riverbank and I think there was a dog in the village. Someone told me that one of the natives had a cell phone -- they are pretty modern, the village is cleared (and noisy) and the wild animals are probably miles away. (I did find the canoe ride long and uncomfortable. The motor sputtered constantly and I would have been a wreck except that the lake appeared to be very shallow.)

[snorklgrl]

That canoe is darned uncomfortable and it's a pretty long canoe (long-boat, really) ride. More than 30 minutes, if I remember correctly.