11 December 2016

On The Rio Teribe, Visiting The Tjër, Naso Kingdom




































A welcome "bienvenidos" sign on the side of a room and children playing on one of the many cayucas a canoe made by the men in the village.

Our home away from home for three nights. There are three rooms in this bungalow all
were very clean and comfortable. Our hosts were working on the water situation during our stay and so it was sponge baths or swim in the river. I have learned that staying in a Comarca may be challenge for some, but, if you want to know the culture first hand then it will prove to be a wonderful experience. 

Hiking up to a mountain top and came across a Brown Tree Frog.
































While on our way to visit a village, I notice the river was so shallow that, we had to get off and be led onto an island of river rock bed as, we learned the canoe was touching the bottom. We waited on the other side where it was deeper got back into the canoe then continued on, our merry way.

















Still standing today is the Weskco Lodge a reminder of a grim history as the former site of Pana-Jungla, a jungle-warfare survival school where elite Panamanian and foreign troops went through legendarily and difficult training. It was closed in 1990, but spooky remnants of the camp include a cage that once housed a black panther, the ruins of barracks, officer quarters, and a serpentarium that once held Panama’s deadliest snakes.

























































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































A few village homes we came across along our hike. All are made of wood with some thatched or metal roofs.




































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































Wading through one of the many small rivers in the jungle trails.















































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































A day hike into one of the Naso villages, along the Rio Teribe.



































































































































































































































































































































































Geraldo, showing us a few shrimp, he hand caught on the river bank.











































































































































































































































































Making a bamboo raft with our guides.













































































































































































































































































Opps! Floating on the balsa raft on the Rio Teribe.
Will it sink? Let's hope not.







































































































































































































































Success for the captain (center) and his mates!




























































































































































Two Naso children waiting for us at the edge of Rio Teribe.


























































































































































































































































































































































Bidding farewell "Hasta luego" to our new friends at
Weckso Lodge.