Farsighted Fly Girl

I'm a big fan of rain forests. I love the lush terrain and the creatures that flit in the trees, lurk on the ground and splash in the water. Rain forests are synonymous with adventure and I'm always up for that. So when I learned that we had to traverse Panama's rain forest to reach the remote Embera Indian village, I was excited. Hiking and climbing through a jungle of greenery is my idea of great exercise. I've done it lots of times, in many places. Except, not typically in a maxi dress and sandals. I knew I'd have trouble when our guide gazed at my getup and shot me an incredulous stare. Not a,  "oh my, that's a pretty dress and it might get dirty look" but a "mujer, esta una probelema,"  look. I don't know what I was thinking, except that it was really, really, hot and maxi dresses are cool. Only, when rains flood areas of the rain forest that used to be dry land, and you need to walk over them, then it's not so cool.  The only...

Panama displays a rich array of cultures and influences but for me, the indigenous people represent the real Panama. I journeyed to an Embera Indian village tucked into the Panamanian rainforest and that was the most memorable experience of my trip. The Embera are also called Choco` and are warm, inviting people. This photo of an Embera girl overlooking her village is my favorite photo from my visit because it shows the beauty of both the landscape and the people.