This gallery was shot by my wife (Marsha) and I on a visit to an Embera Village in Panama. The visit was a tour off the cruise ship. We got off the ship in Lake Gatun and took a bus ride for about an hour to reach the lake on which the Embera Village was located. We were met at the lake by members of the tribe in long dugout canoes with outboard engines on them. It was a forty minute ride in the dugout to the village. At the village we were greeted by the women and children of the tribe. There was even a band with all native instruments. They cooked lunch for us which consisted of fresh caught fish and fried plantains along with fresh fruit. Lunch was served on banana leaves and was very tastie. You will note that all the members of the tribe have tattoo like marking on their bodies. This includes all the woman and children. The makings are not under the skin tattoos but rather a black stain that is painted on. The stain will last eight to ten days before it wares off. Some of the tourists in our group had the stain tattoos put on their bodies. The Embera are outstanding crafters. The women make woven plates and the men do carving of local wood and a dried nut. The inside of the nut becomes almost like ivory when dried for over a year. This is how the tribe makes a living. The children go to state provided schools and learn Spanish. But the tribe speaks their native language in the village and dresses in loin clothes and short skirts for the woman. We were treated to a dance recital and during some of the dances the tourists were invited to get up and dance with them. They still live in the manner that their forebearers did. One family per single room hut and there is a community kitchen hut where the women prepare the food for the whole village. This village had 14 families with about 100 people total. Their medcial need are met by the tribe shaman who with the knowledge passed on to him utilizes the local plants for medicinal purposes. This visit was like a visit to a National Geographic location.