Upswept Clouds

Near Volcan Baru, Panama ~ January 9, 2006

Panama's highlands surprised me, and it was nice to cool off.

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Welcome to a Park Called "Friendship"

Panama ~ January 11, 2006

La Amistad International Park

La Amisad International Park is a World Heritage site, home to critiacally-endangered wildlife (including Baird's tapirs) and situated on the boundary between Costa Rica and Panama. We visited the Panamanian side and took an easy hiking trail through the magnificent rainforest. Animals were scarce here, but majestic and fascinating plants flavored our visit.

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Fish Mola from Panama

Panama City, Panama ~ January 17, 2006

I'm sorry about the lousy photo quality, but I couldn't resist taking pictures of several of the framed molas hanging in the restaurant area of a hotel we stayed in. Molas are a very particular kind of reverse applique stitchery made by the Indians in the Kuna Islands of Panama. Every little detail is stitched by hand, the edges of the cloth are turned under, and you end up with layer upon layer of beautifully intricate stitching as well as fascinating, artistic designs. As you can tell, I love molas. They were originally made to be worn as blouses by the women. When the sleeves and the seams wore out, they would take the design off and make it into a new blouse. Now they are sold to tourists as artwork in its own right with ragged fabric edges rather than turning into something to wear. The ragged edges are usually hidden under a frame.

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Sky in Water

Panama ~ January 14, 2006

An Island near Bocas del Toro

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Bird Mosaic, Panama

Guadalupe, Panama ~ January 11, 2010
Los Quetzales Ecolodge

See today's post on my On the Pavement blog for another bird mosaic at Los Quetzales.

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Woodpecker Mosaic

Guadalupe, Panama ~ January 11, 2010

Los Quetzales Ecolodge

See today's post on my Animal Art Along the Way blog for another bird mosaic at Los Quetzales.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Mangroves and Rain

Off of Bocas del Toro, Panama ~ January 1, 2006

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Morning Forest

Gamboa, Panama ~ January 8, 2006

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Off the Path

Panama ~ January 9, 2006
Near the town of Volcán

A mistaken turn or fork in the road near the town of Volcán in western Panama brought us this delightful vista, which we would otherwise have missed.

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Embera Basket Animals

Panama ~ January 7, 2006

An Emberá village on the Chagres River

near Panama City

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Para Ciel

Panama City, Panama ~ January 6, 2006

For Cieldequimper, who saw this photo on VP's A Bunch of Benches blog and wondered what was on the other side.

The photo above only shows what's on the other side of the very pleasant walkway, but the tourists seem to be looking at something, or is it only the bright red flowers? I believe what's on the left of the photo is the parking lot of the National Institute of Culture. If you're really interested, you can go to these coordinates (8°57'1.66"N 79°31'53.89"W) on Google Earth and see the photos others have taken, including the Institute, which has an unusual round construction on one side. You'll have to zoom down close to the center of the screen to see more than one or two photos. If you haven't played with Google Earth before, get ready for a fun and addicting ride :)

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Farming and Flowers

Las Nubes, Panama ~ February 11, 2006

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Ruins of A Monastery

Panama City, Panama ~ January 6, 2006

"La Compañía"

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Making Molas

Panama City, Panama ~ January 6, 2006

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Capybara Crossing

January 7, 2006 ~ Gamboa, Panama

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

A village on the Chagres River

On the Chagres River, Panama ~ January 7, 2006

A beautiful Embera' woman poses with her native crafts. This village of Embera' Indians near Panama City exists for and because of tourism. You arrive by canoe in life jackets, leaving the roads behind. Traditional people and their crafts, dress, language, design, architecture, and food await you. It's pleasant, friendly, and not overrun, because the number of visitors is regulated. You go with a guide, and it's about as close as many of us will get to stumbling onto an aboriginal people. Lunch was prepared in the native way; the fish were caught in the river that morning and smoked in a fire built on a second-story sleeping platform. It's not Albert Schweitzer, but neither is it Disneyland. I'd go back in a minute . . . with more money to spend on the hand-made art, most with animal motifs. One of the Indians took us and our guide, Ricardo, for a long paddle up the river. Here we swam, surrounded mostly by jungle, birds, and insects. Here there was nothing left of "civilization" except our canoe and Ricardo's designer polarizing goggles. Like us, he was a visitor.

. Ruby Tuesday