Street Sweeping: Panama

Posting that flower from Panama the other day got me looking through some of the the other pictures I made there, and got me all excited about finishing another one. If you came by the Mansion the other day for our Grand Opening (thanks everyone, it was wonderful), then you may have seen this one playing on the slideshow.

This is Riceldo's Uncle. Riceldo was our canoe guide on the river to his village in Panama. They are the Embera Indians, originally from Equador and now transplanted to this national park in Panama where they live a pretty traditional lifestyle. THey live on the river that provides the primary source of water for the Panama Canal. In flow, it was like the Green River that runs through Utah. It was the dry season while we were there (only rained every other day) and it was about as shallow as the Green in the dry times here, too. In fact, once or twice our guides had to jump out and pull the boat over shoals of river cobbles. They travel this river daily, as they take their kids to landing for the school bus, and bring back certain groceries. Looks like a nice lifestyle, to me.

Part of that lifestyle includes using a certain fruit juice to paint patterns on the skin--like a hanna tattoo, but much less hassle. I made this picture as Tio was just finishing painting a pattern on my upper arm. It was squares inside one another, and it stayed for about three weeks, then the pattern stuck around in my tan for a little longer still. Kinda fun. And the $2 it cost me to do it is enough to provide a few meals for them. Sometimes a tourist trap isn't so bad.

Nikon D90, 50mm f/1.4 lens, f/2.8, 1/200s, ISO 500.