Boogie on Boys!

After last night's spectacular fireworks displays on the beach (which are continuing today!), it was a late night of tequila followed by an early morning.

So with not a lot of energy, and the fact that it is a statutory holiday beginning a long weekend, all that was on the agenda was going to the beach. Last night's full moon contributed to extra high tides today and hundreds of Panamanians were enjoying the sun and waves.

A group of young people were taking turns seeing what they could do on skimboards.

For those of you who don't know, a skimboard or 'boogie board' is a half-size surfboard with no bottom fin that you throw down onto receding waves and jump on. The thin layer of water lets the board slide easily and experts are able to manage several turns and tricks at high speed.

Because the rider is moving at high speed over sand, a fall can translate into a bad case of sandburn, so many of them wear shirts and long shorts.

Here is a shot of a rip current that I found fascinating. A wave washes up on 2 higher mounds of sand, and as they flow back to the sea, the two sides come crashing together. This creates a new wave that travels perpendicular to the oncoming waves.

Today I also saw painful evidence that, although Panamanians lay claim to some of the most beautiful natural resources found anywhere, they don't seem to have much respect for it.

In these shots, you can see their blatent disregard for picking up their litter - they just step around it and act like it isn't even there. They seem to think that as long as the ocean comes and takes it away, the problem is solved. Too bad for whoever is unfortunate enough to be on the beach where it washes up - many of the pristeen islands off the coast such as the Pearl Islands archipelago.

Sir Patrick, I presume

Actor Patrick Stewart and film writer and director Peter Jackson will now be known as Sir Patrick and Sir Peter, respectively, in their home countries.

Stewart will be awarded a knighthood by Queen Elizabeth in Britain's New Year Honours List, while Jackson has been made a knight in New Zealand.

Stewart, the 69-year-old actor who played Capt. Jean-Luc Picard in Star Trek: The Next Generation, was honoured for his services to drama during his career that's spanned half a century.

"I am very proud to receive this honour," he told the London Telegraph. "Theatre is and has always been my great joy."

Deep Thoughts

Since I seem to have so much time to ponder the fullness of space and the futility of trying to relax, I thought I would pass these thoughts on to you that some wise person sent to me in an email.

ONE TEQUILA, TWO TEQUILA, THREE TEQUILA, FLOOR.

ATHEISM IS A NON-PROPHET ORGANIZATION.

IF MAN EVOLVED FROM MONKEYS AND APES, WHY DO WE STILL HAVE MONKEYS AND APES?

IS THE MAIN REASON THAT SANTA IS SO JOLLY BECAUSE HE KNOWS WHERE ALL THE BAD GIRLS LIVE?.

I WENT TO A BOOKSTORE AND ASKED THE SALESWOMAN, "WHERE'S THE SELF- HELP SECTION?" SHE SAID IF SHE TOLD ME, IT WOULD DEFEAT THE PURPOSE.

WHAT IF THERE WERE NO HYPOTHETICAL QUESTIONS?

IF A DEAF CHILD SIGNS SWEAR WORDS, DOES HIS MOTHER WASH HIS HANDS WITH SOAP?

IF SOMEONE WITH MULTIPLE PERSONALITIES THREATENS TO KILL HIMSELF, IS IT CONSIDERED A HOSTAGE SITUATION?

IS THERE ANOTHER WORD FOR SYNONYM?

WHERE DO FOREST RANGERS GO TO "GET AWAY FROM IT ALL?"

WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN YOU SEE AN ENDANGERED ANIMAL EATING AN ENDANGERED PLANT?

IF A PARSLEY FARMER IS SUED, CAN THEY GARNISH HIS WAGES?

WOULD A FLY WITHOUT WINGS BE CALLED A WALK?

WHY DO THEY LOCK PETROL STATION BATHROOMS? ARE THEY AFRAID SOMEONE WILL CLEAN THEM?

IF A TURTLE DOESN'T HAVE A SHELL, IS HE HOMELESS OR NAKED?

CAN VEGETARIANS EAT ANIMAL CRACKERS?

IF THE POLICE ARREST A MIME, DO THEY TELL HIM HE HAS THE RIGHT TO REMAIN SILENT?

WHY DO THEY PUT BRAILLE ON THE DRIVE-THROUGH BANK MACHINES?

HOW DO THEY GET DEER TO CROSS THE ROAD ONLY AT THOSE YELLOW ROAD SIGNS?

WHAT WAS THE BEST THING BEFORE SLICED BREAD?

ONE NICE THING ABOUT EGOTISTS: THEY DON'T TALK ABOUT OTHER PEOPLE.

DOES THE LITTLE MERMAID WEAR AN ALGEBRA?

DO INFANTS ENJOY INFANCY AS MUCH AS ADULTS ENJOY ADULTERY?

HOW IS IT POSSIBLE TO HAVE A CIVIL WAR?

IF ONE SYNCHRONIZED SWIMMER DROWNS, DO THE REST DROWN TOO?

IF YOU ATE BOTH PASTA AND ANTIPASTO, WOULD YOU STILL BE HUNGRY?

IF YOU TRY TO FAIL, AND SUCCEED, WHICH HAVE YOU DONE?

WHOSE CRUEL IDEA WAS IT FOR THE WORD 'LISP' TO HAVE 'S' IN IT?

WHY ARE HEMORRHOIDS CALLED "HEMORRHOIDS" INSTEAD OF "ASSTEROIDS"?

WHY IS IT CALLED TOURIST SEASON IF WE CAN'T SHOOT AT THEM?

WHY IS THERE AN EXPIRATION DATE ON SOUR CREAM?

IF YOU SPIN AN ORIENTAL MAN IN A CIRCLE THREE TIMES, DOES HE BECOME DISORIENTED?

CAN AN ATHEIST GET INSURANCE AGAINST ACTS OF GOD?

Happy MMX

Happy 2010 everyone!

A full moon on this night MUST be a good omen!

I hope you all have a fun and safe night and that this is the beginning of better things for all of us.

Here are a few pix from Playa Coronado and the fireworks to celebrate the new year.

Feliz Ano Nuevo!

Same-sex marriage around the world

Step-by-step
Slowly we turn
Step-by-step
Come on!

This native love is restless and we're just not satisfied.
This native love is restless and we're just not satisfied.

[lyrics - Divine: Native Love (Step By Step)]

Gay couple marries in Argentina

Two Argentine men have succeeded in becoming Latin America's first same-sex married couple.

After their first attempt to wed earlier this month in Buenos Aires was thwarted, gay rights activists Jose Maria Di Bello and Alex Freyre took their civil ceremony to the capital of Argentina's Tierra del Fuego province, where a sympathetic governor backed their bid to make Latin American history.

The couple exchanged rings Monday in Ushuaia, the southernmost city in the world, closer to Antarctica than Buenos Aires. The informal ceremony was witnessed by state and federal officials.

Di Bello, 41, an executive at the Argentine Red Cross, met Freyre, 39, executive director of the Buenos Aires AIDS Foundation, at an HIV awareness conference. Both are HIV-positive.

Gov. Fabiana Rios said in a statement that gay marriage "is an important advance in human rights and social inclusion and we are very happy that this has happened in our state."

A celebration of friendship and goodbye

As we returned to the village, we were invited under the giant thatched roof again, this time to participate in a friendship dance that includes everyone. A simple 6-piece 'band' played for us as we joined the Embera on their dancefloor.

Some final pictures, a bit of shopping from the overflowing tables of fine crafts and a warm goodbye followed. We loaded ourselves back into the dugout canoe and headed back down the river to the diminishing sound of the Embera Puru's happy music.

WHAT AN EXPERIENCE! I had only ever seen such people in National Geographic magazines and TV. But, to meet them live in their own habitat and to understand their ingenious methods of survival, how much like us they are, and how fragile is their existence, gave me a whole new respect for indigenous cultures.

If you ever come to Panama, you must make this part of your education.

Dinner and some ancient wisdom

We were all brought under the same roof and introduced to their culture by way of a presentation and Q&A, with Anne as translator.

We learned that this village is part of over 100,000 Empera in Colombia and Panama, and that a woman can be chief as easily as a man.

They explained how they extract the materials they make their crafts from and showed us how they weave bowls that are virtually watertight out of local plants.

After that we were invited to join in a simple lunch of fried fish and plantains, with fresh pineapple and papaya served in bowls made of palm leaves.

We rinsed our hands in the basil-water and were offered tattoos - either simple wrist or arm decorations or full-body illustration for the bold among us! They used a 2-pronged piece of bamboo and ink made from a special palm-nut.

Once painted some of us went on a tour of the jungle with a shaman who showed us some of the many medicinal plants that they use on a regular basis. Treatments for snakebites, dementia, toothache (my mouth was numb for half an hour! LOL), diarrhea, erectile dysfunction (although this remedy takes about 3 days to work - plan ahead!) and an antibiotic cream for cuts. All of these plants were found within 100 metres of the village.

We meet the village

After the waterfall, we continued upriver until we reached the village. The sounds of music and laughter rose over the birds and insects to greet us. Thatched roofs atop the river bank and children swimming in the river.


We met Anne's father-in-law and mother-in-law and several other members of her adopted family - none of them much taller than 5 ft. tall but all adorned in beautifully patterned dress and beads.



A large, thatch-roofed structure served as a meeting place and display centre for woven and carved crafts made from died plant materials. We were free to move around the village and take pictures.



The people were engaging and anxious to try broken English with us although their Spanish was much better.

We also tried to learn some of their words:
meera chaba = Hello friend

An inspiring odyssey back in time

Yesterday was a remarkable day. After a 1 hour drive to meet up with our tourguide, Anne Gordon, we arrived at our embarcation point on the river where we caught the first sight of the dugout canoe that would take us to the Embera Puru village.

These are remarkable people with a simple life focussed around family and nature. They were as curious about us as we were about them and the whole day was a rich and meaningful experience.

The dugout ride took us across a lake that has been damned to supply water to the Panama Canal, but these people were here long before that.

As the lake narrowed into a winding river, our drivers found a small stream off to the side which lead up to a beautiful little waterfall.

We got out of the canoe and walked upstream to appreciate it's beauty up close. Warm, fresh water coming out of the jungle that we didn't want to leave.