Ngäbes' True Colors

The most beautiful feature of the Panamanian campo is the people. Don't get me wrong, the countryside is liberating, it shouts, "come, stay, enjoy." It welcomes you with blue skies and green mountains and surprises you with waterfalls and cliffs so high, you get apprehensive just looking towards the peak. You go for the scenery and stay for the people.

After a day of hiking, we come to a small Ngäbe village noted by conical shaped houses with thatched roofs. The Ngäbes are an indigenous group that live primarily in western Panamá. As we come over the hill, we're surprised to see hundreds of people congregated around the school. Women decorated in a colorful, yet simple dress called the nagua are distinguished by contrasting colors and dientes, over-lapping zig-zag patterns. Nagua-dressed women cover the scene like a field of wildflowers. Men gather telling stories and sharing jokes. The kids play and laugh. The sight brings to mind a park on a warm, spring, Sunday afternoon.

The day's hike has left our stomachs feeling empty. It's time to eat. We bring rice and sardines willing to share with the family that cooks for us. The proposition is warmly accepted and the family invites us to their home. Their home is a collection of unique, thatched houses. One hut is for cooking, the others are for sleeping. Although both parties speak in their second language, Spanish, we have no problem understanding eachother. The Ngäbes native language is Ngäbere.

Today is election day. People from all over the district have gathered here in hopes that their candidate will amass enough votes to win. They all long that the next five years will be politically fruitful, they wait for the final tally knowing it may not beat the rising sun. Luckily, the night is clear. After a week of torrential rains, we've been blessed with a cool, starry night.

The night is dark. The school is the only building for miles with light, as it has a solar panel and a TV. Many have rarely, if ever, seen TV. They flock to it like bugs to a light. Others, ill-prepared to camp, lay down on the grass to sleep. Not ready to make the cool ground our bed, we sit around a fire. My friend, Bhoj, has the idea to make coffee. Having a pound of coffee already in his bag, he collects a large pot and buys a pound of sugar. In less than 15 minutes, our coffee rivals the TV. A line forms and we instantly make 40 new friends. Sitting around the fire, we talk about eachothers' traditions and homelands. The rest of the evening is highlighted by stories, jokes, and my friend Nate's use of their native tongue.

In the city, Ngäbes appear shy, but here in their own land, you see their true colors. They have personalities as vibrant as their dresses. The people are the true beauty of this beautiful land.