A Day In San Felix, Chiriqui

-East of David from the InterAmericana's San Felix turnoff, 43 miles/69 kilometers east of David, you can access Playa Las Lajas, one of Panama's most beautiful golden sand beaches; the semi-autonomous lands of Comarca Ngobe-Bugle. Even though some may have wanted an article about Las Lajas on this posting, I found San Felix much more interesting. How many of us who live in David or Boquete have really bothered to visit this town while we are visiting Las Lajas.
-San Felix is a district it's townships include Las Lajas (capital), Juay, San Félix, Lajas Adentro and Santa Cruz. It is the hub for the Ngäbe-Buglé they may receive healthcare aid, other resources, and their throughway out of the area. A great asset to this Comarca from what I noticed that day was the Jesuit charity organization serving the local & indigenous Ngobe-Bugle community of western Chiriqui with a Mission, School, Vocational Ed, Bakery, Subsistence Farming & Management, Handicraft Arts, Crisis Pregnancy Care, and Hotel/Domestic Education. Two workers at the Mission gave us a splendid tour of the grounds.
-The Center receives donations to cover operating expenses; its director is Father Adonai Cortès. The Jesuits of the mission are part of the Nuestra Senora Del Camino in San Felix and in the 70’s it provided aid to the Ngäbe-Buglé to improve their life as well. In this area, the children lacked the economic resources, and so this internship closed. In September of 2004, implementation of a series of training courses to improve the productive capacity of the Comarca Ngäbe-Buglé in this area had developed.
The buildings that house the following training curses are spotless and very organized.
-The crafts center trains and promotes large-scale handicraft production and sale in the local and international market. As well as to developed entrepreneurship and business-management enabling them to generate new revenue and resources improving the quality of life for the women and their families.
-A small bakery production building for training students on how to bake assorted breads, an assortment of desserts, food handling and control, teamwork, marketing and total quality. However, at the time of our visit the bakery’s bread mixer was not operating and in a repair shop in David.
-The education and training center in San Felix’ parish has Hospedería Belén the focus high-risk pregnancy with special attention given to their patient’s condition and treatment. They have rooms for the patient stay, their husband, or mother, or other relative, or friend can stay with them as well. This initiative has helped to reduce the high rates of mortality for women at the time of delivery.
-Agro forestry and self-sustaining farming is another training area providing their students with the necessary training tools. Educating them how to decrease the malnutrition rates, increase school performance of children and adolescents, through the implementation of agro forestry projects and self-sustaining farms that will improve their diet and consequently their economic status.
-They also have training in Computers, Basic English, Internet, Gardening, and Household Assistants.
-Attached is a video regarding Ntra. Sra. Del Camino even though it is in Spanish you can see what the center looks like.
http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=121310427077
-We visited the beautiful Iglesia IHS (Catholic Church) located in the middle of town. The Iglesia IHS is new and has beautiful murals on the ceiling acknowledging the Ngäbe-Buglé.

In addition, a museum housing art pieces from the owner's grandduaghter made from miscellaneous items that he had collected. Instead of throwing away the scraps, he would make art pieces from them creating a great way to recycle. Something we have heard all our lives “ones man’s garbage is another man’s treasure.” I have included photos of a few of his art pieces. The small museum is located across the street from La Iglesia IHS, there is no sign on the storefront but is next door to a grocery store.

-I suggest if you have not visited San Felix do so while staying in Las Lajas it merits a stop, although speaking some Spanish may be helpful.

EXPLORE.DREAM.DISCOVER

Hiking in the Ngäbe-Buglé Comarca and Then Some..

For months we had discussed a planned group-hiking trip into the steep hills on the Ngäbe-Buglé Comarca area near Las Lajas but thought we would might need a guide and do some research about this area prior. A Comarca is the territory of the Ngäbe-Buglé one of the seven indigenous groups in Panama.
-While hiking the Horqueta area in Boquete we met young man named Agustin who is Ngäbe-Buglé. Being interested in hiking the area around San Felix we informed Agustin of our interest in their culture and if there would be an activity during our hiking expedition. He mentioned a “feria” (festival) sometime in the middle of March. One week before our hike I was informed the feria would be a traditional dance not far from the village of Hato Corotú on Cerro Piedra. By the way cerro means hill in Spanish.
-So just a few days before the group hike our friend Remi and I embarked on a day trip to San Felix to acquire more information and visit the Jesuit Mission I had read about on the Internet.

-I am glad we visited the mission it gave us the information we were seeking. Plus we visited Hato Chami located further inland from San Felix. It is a very dry area with not many trees and the town on the day we visited was holding some sort of town meeting with Peace Corp volunteers. Graffiti with "no a la mina" is sprayed in many different along buildings on the road to Hato Chami more about this later. There are many Peace Corp volunteers in the Comarca as I later find out. We found three to five in Cerro Iglesia during out trip.
-On Thursday, our group of eight plus our guide Agustin began the trip from Boquete our first stop would be Hato Corotú this is Agustin's village. A four-wheel drive is necessary if you ever want to drive into this area or for that matter any of the Comarca roads. Roads are dirt with rocks and deep crevices nevertheless; it is a beautiful drive into Hato Corotú with very green steep hills, banana trees, and many toads surround the area at night.
-We begin hiking for about three hours starting at 3pm and it was a steady uphill hike. Even at three in the afternoon, the sun was extremely hot beating down on me and felt as though the sun was only inches above me. My body overheated it was a first for me and I had to stop and rest for 20 minutes to cool my body temperature, I continued arriving at a school where the others in our group resting a few minutes again and continued hiking until arriving to the top of Cerro Piedra (Stone Hill) our destination for the dance festival. Was it worth it, my answer is without doubt yes! The reason being I enjoy hiking and get a buzz!

-Cerro Piedra is a secluded eerie, mystifying, but peaceful place. Arriving around 6pm we enter between two huge boulders, with two young Ngäbe-Buglé men at the entry and pay our B/1.00 entry fee. We see more boulders surrounding this hill and as we walk around I notice very little sunshine shines through the boulders and trees. We are told that many, many years ago, the caves were a hiding hang-out from the enemy.
-We met Yolanda, Agustin’s wife and their children all very happy to see us. Agustin had mentioned to the village Gringos would be visiting the feria. However, as usual, it did not start on time and it was approaching dark so we decided it was time to depart. Before our departure, the children wanted their photo taken after noticing, they could see what they looked like on my Canon Power Shot camera, so of course I shot many photos. Fortunately we all brought flashlights for our short walk down Cerro Piedra we definitely needed to see where we walking.
-We booked several nights in Las Lajas Resort Hotel; it was most unquestionably a splendid relief after our day hike up Cerro Piedra I was looking forward to a swim in the pool, showering, a delicious cold drink, and dinner.

-Fortunately, for us even arriving a little after nine the restaurant was still serving dinner. We decide that evening a long walk along the beach would be appropriate for the following morning and a day in San Felix.

-The next day after our visit to San Felix my friends play a game of Boule/Pétanque. The French pronunciation: [petɑ̃ːk]) Boules (French IPA: [bul]/ the goal is, while standing with the feet together in a small circle, to throw hollow metal balls as close as possible to a small wooden ball called a cochonnet (literally "piglet") or jack. It is sometimes called a bouchon (literally "cork") or le petit ("the small one"). Normally played on hard dirt or gravel, but can also be played on grass or other surfaces. Soft sandy beaches are not suitable. Similar games are bocce and bowls.

The Game of Balseria

-The summer is ending, the rains are coming, traditions call for it, people want it, and the time was ripe for a Balseria. We were curious about the “Balseria” festival on Cerro Iglesia and through some discussion decided to visit this place.
-We finally find Cerro Iglesia through asking many in the surrounding area. As we leave the car, we meet up with several men who are going to the Balseria and ask if they can show us where it is being held. They respond and we follow them for about a half hour until we arrive - however during our walk we hear the horns, whistles blowing, and shouting. During the whole festival, people will be making as much noise as possible from homemade contraptions (anything from cow horns to PVC whistles to turtle shells).
--Balseria is a very special festival in the Ngäbe-Buglé culture. I understand it began when one family would invite another during good harvest years. They would share their food or else it would go bad. Nowadays, it is a large gathering of people from all over. People come to drink, fight, and compete with other indian communities. There are also those who wear feathers in their hats or hunters who have animals in their back to show their success. A Balseria lasts for about four days, Chicha Fuerte (strong fermented juice) is consumed by men and women. Made from fermented corn; the taste is sweet but has LOTS of alcohol in it. People drink the whole time and some get very, very drunk.
-

Here is a brief description of a “Balseria” festival and a few photographs. It is a party in where men demonstrate strength in the calves by hitting with rafts a long (round timber) piece of balsa wood cut in five-foot lengths. Another stands his ground while a balsa-thrower may skip in close, circling the target. The balsa-dodger might tease or blow a whistle. The thrower raises his arm lifting the balsa high, he is only to hurl between knee and ankle. The dodger jumps like a dancer. Sometimes it hits the dodger sometimes it misses. However, when the dodger is struck it hits hard and OUCH, it hurts, I decided after watching several men fall on their side. In addition, bare-knuckle fighting takes place a good way to mangle a handsome face and I found it too taxing to watch.
- -

I had by no means ever seen such a spectacle and was in awe at attending this ritual where there were over 500 both Ngäbe-Buglé adults and children at this festival. As we walked around I notice a man with a very bloody face, I assumed he must have been fist fighting. Activity is everywhere as I turn here or turn there groups of Ngäbe-Buglé surround the balsa game and the bare-knuckle fighting matches where the men bang heads a lot during their session. I literally have to be aware of my gaze or surprise look on my face at what I am seeing as, I say myself "Jere close your mouth and do not look so surprised" this is what I tell myself.

-At a distance, I hear drum sounds it catches my attention, I am amused, entertained and as usual join the dance. One man asks if, I would like some ChiCha Fuerte, I decline by responding in Spanish “I do not need ChiCha to dance” and so we dance.

-Afterward awhile it is time to leave and begin our long trek back to the car - we enjoy a cold beer while resting a bit and head back to Boquete.







I am acknowledging Edward Satterblom for taking a few of these photos and letting me post them here. His photograpghs are showing the art of Balseria, yours truly dancing, and the knuckle-fight between the two guys without a shirt. -If you have a chance to visit a Comarca, it is worth the trip and a chance to learn more about Panama’s culture, people, customs, and rituals. Explore - Dream - Discover

-If you are interested in reading more about the town of San Felix and the Ngäbe-Buglé’s history, their struggle even today I have added additional information below.