Village Life of the Darien
XMI had an incredible opportunity to traverse the Darién Gap, home to a native tribe known as Emberá. We encountered their remote villages only accessible by foot and piragua, dugout canoes which are able to float up the area’s shallow, narrow snaking rivers. Emberá are curious, friendly people eking out life in the jungle with support from selling wares, such masks and baskets woven from fibers of the Nahuala plant and Chunga Palms as well as beaded jewelry, to the occasional tourist. If you ask, they will serve a wonderful meal of tubers and a local catch, such as capybara, a large guinea-pig-like mammal, grilled over an open log spitfire in their kitchen. We truly enjoyed this local grilled fare, their warm hospitality, and a look into the cultural life of the Darien.
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