You want pictures you got it.... Embera Indians

I can now say we are at least settling in more and more each day. We have a regular routine with the kids in summer school and only getting lost once or twice a day instead of four or five.

Emma and Easton are enrolled for another 3 weeks in the summer program here at Oxford school. They are having a great time swimming, computers, sports day and drama. Each week their classes practice a performance and then on Fridays they go on stage and preform... they love that.

Emma though was not liking her tailored schedule, being pulled out of her regular class to go to Spanish class , she was getting pretty upset. We decided to let her interact with the kid and leave her very boring Spanish class for now. The Spanish teacher here is no Senorita Kiss! (Em's teacher in Calgary)

(here I caught the kids whispering about something on one of our walks)

(what are you up to?)

However starting Monday Emma is going to have a full schedule for a while. East and Em will go to Oxford in the mornings, then from 1-3pm... 3times/week Emma is going to a language school for one on one time with a teacher.... a fun teacher. She is pretty excited about that! By the end of next week we will see how that goes and then decide what to do with Easton.

Mom was asking "do we like it here?" For the most part we do, no place is perfect, the kids love putting on shorts, t-shirt and running out of the apartment... I love that part also. We find it is easy to go venture off as long as we have food for the kids :-)

Last Sunday we headed to the Causeway where there is alot of great restaurants, bike riding and on this particular Sunday a dog show with dog races and owners doing routines with their dogs. This one guy had a boxer and did the usual jump, walk, sit, lay and then the dog stood up and the owner pretended to shoot the dog it then rolled over and played dead.... The kids thought that was the best...

After the dog show and ice cream (yummy ice cream & I don't usually eat it) the kids wanted to jump on the trampolines.... $3.00/kid for 7 minutes. They had a great time, it was nice because even Everett could go on. (oh I look at him and he is getting so big... no baby in him anymore, he wants to keep up with Easton) I think back and we have been on the more ever since I have been pregnant with him, good thing he is quite adaptable.

(here is Ev getting all saddled in)

(Ev is flying high and loving it)

(here goes Easton)

(Easton tried with all his might to do back flips)

(if you look behind Emma it is the ocean and the city behind that)

I think I mentioned that I was putting Everett in a new school. It is a great school that is called Little Blocks. It is alot like his old school back in Calgary. I stay with him to play... I drop off Emma & Easton at school @ 9:00am then run Everett to his school (depending on traffic 7 mins away) then Everett is done school at 11:30am, back to pick up Em & East @ 12:00pm.

(the boys love to sit in the back on the way to school.... 5 seconds away)

Here are a few pictures from Everett's school. The kids are having music class here singing Spanish songs and playing a few instruments. Ev's teachers are very nice and are very welcoming of me hanging around.

(the music teacher only speaks Spanish so it is great he hearing it)

(the boys were making me a feast in the kitchen)

(this school really allows children to explore and be creative)

In these pictures it is Everett's second day at school and it was bubble making day. The kids thought this was wonderful to make all this mess. Everett a few times forgot and sucked the soapy mixture through the straw.... obviously he did not like the taste, the teachers thought that was comical.

(these boys kept on blowing and making mountains out of bubbles)

(out at the playground still making bubbles)

About three nights a week we try to find a park to go play at and kick the ball around. Mossy took us to one in the area of San Francisco. It was a very large park acres and acres with many events going on and tons of playground equipment for kids. We had a lot of fun with Mossy, her little girl Gabby and Sharmilla's girls. I think I know how to drive back there so I will try another night with the kids.

(that would be the day to find equipment like this at home... law suit waiting to happen)

(the kids loved this insane ride)

(Mossy & Gabby)

I know I have talked about the Causeway before so I thought I better take a picture so you can visualize what I am talking about. We usually do something in the late afternoon with the kids and so we surprised them with a bike ride..... now this is no ordinary bike ride this was a five seater, very eventful, lots of pedaling adventure.

(here is the Causeway made from all the earth that was removed to make the canal. At the end of this road is a row of restaurants. This strip down the way reminds me of Sylvan Lake's main street)

At the beginning of the Causeway we parked the truck and rented our interesting bike. There are two sets of pedals but only on functioning steering wheel on this contraption. The kids again LOVED this, the view & warm breeze was perfect! We got a lot of looks.... now I am not sure if it is because of the boys up front in the baskets or we just looked pretty funny. On our stroll we never saw anybody else packed on a bike. You can rent any kind of bike but we need to find helmets for the kids before they go riding beside the ocean in case they plunge over the side.

(here is my family, loving the bike ride)

(here is a better shot of the view of our bike path and Trent telling me to hurry up, enough of the pictures)

The bike ride we went on started at the beginning of the Causeway, by the time we reached all the restaurants Trent said to me "I sure hope this pedal lasts or it will be a long ride back", sure enough Trent's pedal broke. I told him they set us up to have a laugh at the Gringos..haha.... There was a shop close by so I pedaled with all my might to the store where Trent used his SPANGLISH (Spanish/English) asking if they could fix our pedal. A temporary fix... putting a band-aid on a major wound...

(hey Gringo need some help... Trent was not very happy)

To the kids disappointment we turned around heading into the wind for our pedal back... Off came the pedal again and out went the kids to walk for a bit. (Trent was NOT happy about this pedal) The kids ran watching a container ship come out of the canal heading out into the large mass of ocean.

(If you look closely you can see the Bridge of America's behind the munchkins)

(Ev has paused to watch the ship go by)

(they say they need a rest)

Again another great night out... then the drive home. We just can't seem to get it right, we take the wrong turn, end up in the wrong neighborhood and have to travel of the American's Bridge twice to get on the right roads. Trent & I just laugh now... one day we will get it right.

Friday night we went over to Jerry & Jennifer Hall's house for dinner. They have an 8yr. old son in Grade one at Crossroads School here. We had a very nice night. The kids all had a great time playing around with the dogs, cat, rabbit, hamster and geckos or (doties as Everett calls them). These are the people that live outside the city over looking a lake that has crocodiles that Trent where Trent wants to live.

Our adventure this weekend:

I was looking for a day tour that would be eventful that the kids could handle.

I told everyone we were heading out to visit the Embera Indians. The guide who picked us up spoke perfect English so that was a blessing. The drive took us just over an hour to the Charges River. The Charges river caused alot of problems when the canal was being built, it was uncontrollable during the rainy season so the American's built a dam which then created a lake called Gutan. I am happy that we did this trip in the summer because in their winter/rainy season it would be very rough out on this large open river.

All six of us loaded onto our dug out canoe (a carved out tree trunk) with our two boatman. The slightest movement even from Everett shook the boat... Trent was not liking this part of the trip, hey honey.

(here we are ready for the unknown)

(Everett taking in all his surroundings asking.. What is that, about everything)

(as we were driving along we passed these two very little girls strolling down the river... I wish this picture did this amazing experience justice... It was a pretty fasinating sight.)

Our guides took us along the river where we were surrounded by God's beauty. It was so peaceful and we could here the birds singing away.

(here is a boat that we passed to give you an idea as to what we were travelling through)

The boat ride was about 20min to the mouth of our hike to the waterfall. The hike in was Emma & Easton's favorite part. As you can see we climbed over lots of rocks, since it is dry season the water level is getting lower and lower.

(Ev is being a tropper wanting to walk)

(this was our Embera guide)

We rounded the corner and it was a beautiful spot. Everett jumped right in as well as Emma. It was a bit chilly at first... but very refreshing. There were a few people there but they left and we had this amazing waterfall and pool of water to ourselves. Emma swam all over and later told me there was fish down under us. It was amazing and Emma said "That was the best".

(a family picture..ya)

(Trent and Emma did not want to get out)

(As you can see Everett was jumped in and swam to the waterfall and back on his own)

(Easton felt alot more comfortable exploring by the rocks)

(it was beautiful here)

( Everett had enough so he was yelling to his sister "Emma lets go!")

The guide was asking about our kids... basicly checking if we were crazy to take such young kids with us. Not many young children go on this trip. Ladimour said he much prefers taking us then older retired people because older folks could easily fall or slip and be seriouly hurt. If our kids did fall we could carry them out.

After the waterfall we hiked back to the boat... desitnation
THE VILLAGE.

(Everett & Emma look so much alike... just like their daddy)

(here the kids are waving another boat on the river)

THE VILLAGE

Oh what an amazing greating... when we approached the men were playing insturments and were creating the best music, the young girls came to take us to thier village. Now that was pretty neat.

(off to the village we go)

(this girl and grabbed Easton ... Trent said East has been kidnapped... they do not get very many foreign kids around here)

(I love pictures like this... I saw this little girl and I just had to take her picture... I wonder what goes through her mind?)

Be WARNED some may be offended... Nudity to follow in the pictures to come!

We were escorted to a hut to learn about the Embera history, men & woman's rolls in the tribe and for lunch. A very nice woman climbed up and told us the men were responsible for collecting wood.... no tree is to be cut down unless it is a full moon. The men collect banana leaves for the woman, fish, and make fire.

(the lunch hut)

(here the boys are on a modernized esculator...haha)

The woman take the banana leaves, strip each leaf into very thin string to be dried out, then dyed with various seeds to make diffrent colors to weave baskets to sell. The woman care for the children and cook.

(Everett had these boys laughing so hard, for this picture they went serious)

The woman for the most part are topless and have body tatoos all over their bodies. The kids jumped at the chance to have tatooes done and the paint is from a root with very black seeds that are boiled to create this ink. The tatoos will last a week or so.... Trent also got a band around his bicept, he is good and tough now.... haha... So Bonnie and Troy after all the money you have spent on tatoos join a tribe and it's free.

(the boys were in there like dirty shirts... they loved the tatoos and sat so still while the girls created thier art)

(look closely at the kids wrists and you can see their band of tatoos)

(Ev felt tough)

(Trent feels really really tough.... notice his goatee)

(here everyone is laughing at how funny Everett is being... they all loved his hair)

The woman are topless except for a few who will put on a cover made of beads. On these covers some have coins sewn in them, these coins represent family trees. The coins are passed down from generation to generation among woman. The tatoo art on all their bodies was facinating but don't seem to show up very well in these pictures.

I asked about children and school. The government supplies a teacher for a school across the river until they reach age 12. After the age 12 it is up to the parents to send thier child to school but they have to go close to the city... Most children will not continue except for a few chosen ones in a village.

(the children are on summer break here in Panama so they are just relaxing and being kids)

Everything the woman said was translated through our guide.

LUNCH: It was very good. We were served fresh fish and plantane (like banana) in cone shaped banana leaf which we ate with our fingers. It was delicious, Trent & I ate the kids while they chowed down on fresh watermelon, pinapple (super juicy) and banana's. The elder tribe lady laughed she could not believe our children preferred fruit over fish.

( the fish was very fresh most likely caught in the morning we arrived)

(amazing what you can do with all that nature provides you... who said you need plates/bowls when you have leaves)

The kids were a hit here, they stroked Emma's hair alot, Everett had all the kids laughing... he was being a comical clown.

(all the children came to stare at our kids)

The story about the Embera Indians now is that the goverment took their land and made in to a nationial park. The tribes used to farm the land but now cannot. For income Indians now make crafts to sell and allow people like us inside their extremely remote and simplistic life...

I was looking at these young girls of the tribe and I just can not belive that they will never walk a mall, go to a movie like we know teenages to do. I asked if they were happy and I was told yes... they are not educated enough to make it in the city to live well so this is thier life and they enjoy it.

I bought a basket and a pair of earrings from the ladies. The income they make on their hard earned crafts they keep for thier tribe, no one takes a cut or can take it away.

After we looked at all the beautiful crafts the men started playing music again, the woman preformed a dance about flowers and then the village all joined in on the dance. It was amazing and the sound was beautiful.

(the woman doing a traditional dance for us)

One of the elder men came and pulled me out into the dance and Everett joined me. Easton loved the music and followed me out there when a lady took him as her partner... I don't think he quite new what to think.

(the music was so upbeat and tribal)

(Easton did great, Emma did not want to come out to dance)

It was a very very amazing experience. The kids had a great time and were exposed to a culture that lived without windows, doors, shoes, movies basically everything we take for granted. They loved it and they want to go back.

(the local hangout.. haha the Embera 7-11 store)

Emma is not going to be happy I tell you this but it was priceless. On the way home she said to me "I want to go back and maybe next time we can take them clothes" It was pretty cute... she thinks they are to poor to buy clothes she did not understand that is what they wear is their tradition.

The Embera Indians and the Kuna Indians are the largest tribes in Panama, very active tribes. We are going to plan a trip in April when my mom comes to go see the Kuna tribe, they are located on the San Blas Islands and from what I read live very very remote. The San Blas Islands consist of 365 islands and on a few of these islands is where Survivor was filmed. Should be interesting.

Today is Superbowl and Trent is off to a sports bar to take in the game. The kids and I are going to a pool party of little boy Easton goes to schools with the dad works for the American Embassy here. Very nice people.

(here is a funny picture of Easton wearing Emma's swim cap being a pirate... his whole look was changed by this cap)

Have a wonderful week... like usual we love to hear from you and I hope you are able to take some knew knowledge out of these stories.

All our love.
Jode and crew...