Page 264 - The Rough Guide to Panama (Travel Guide)

262 Guna Yala Central Guna Yala
GUNA CEMETERIES
One of the most fascinating tours offered by Guna communities is to their traditional Guna
burial ground (neg uan) on the mainland. From afar the cemetery resembles a miniature
village, a mass of thatched rooftops, which turn out to be shelters protecting the graves from
the rain. Beneath each one is an elongated mound of earth, representing the pregnant belly
of nabguana (Mother nature) as she gives birth to the deceased in the heavenly spirit world
(Baba nega), as well as everyday utensils, clothing and food, which are left to accompany the
deceased on their journey and serve as gifts for relatives who have already passed away.
Before burial the deceased is bathed in aromatic herbs and dressed in their best clothes, their
cheeks painted with the natural reddish dye of achiote, a colour believed to ward off the evil
spirits (boni). after villagers have paid their respects, the body is laid to rest in a deep grave in a
hammock oriented towards the rising sun in the east, symbolic of the beginning of new life,
which is also sometimes alluded to by laying cotton threads – representing the umbilical cord –
across the corpse. a dugout tethered nearby is left to carry the deceased to their ancestors.
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interesting combination of modernity and tradition – it is generally only visited by
guests at the nearby Yandup Island Lodge (see p.264). The region possesses a handful of
delightful sand-fringed coconut isles on which to idle, and though its beaches don’t
match the breathtaking beauty of many in the western end of the archipelago, the
mainland excursions into primeval rainforest more than compensate. Consider also a
trip up Río Azúcar (Uwargandub), a few kilometres west of Narganá – it is one of the
most beautiful rivers in the comarca, brimming with birdlife, with the occasional
crocodile idling on the bank.

Narganá and Corazón de Jesús
A quick glance round either Narganá (Yandub) or Corazón de Jesús (Aggwanusadub)
and it’s easy to forget you’re in Guna Yala. The paved squares are dotted with benches,
lampposts flank wide sandy streets, evening sound systems blast out reggaeton and
bachata, and traditionally clad women are conspicuously absent. Some Guna see the
twin islands as a warning of the fate of the comarca if the spread of uaga burba – the
spirit of outsiders – proceeds unchecked. On the plus side, the location of the two
islands is enchanting, nestled in a bay and fringed with mangroves fronting forest-clad
hills. Moreover, if you’ve been travelling around the comarca, you might find Narganá’s
Hostal Parks – with cable TV – a welcome relief (see opposite).
Corazón de Jesús, in keeping with its name, has a statue of Christ in its central plaza,
which is illuminated at night. Other than that, the island’s main features are its airstrip,
a handful of government buildings and a church; there’s a small cemetery at the
northern tip. Most of the action occurs down at the wharf and at its opposite number
across the dividing channel of water in Narganá: boats load up with supplies and drop
off passengers, and yachts bob at anchor.
Across the bridge in Narganá, the gleaming golden statue of Carlos Inaediguine
Robinson, educator and major player in the 1925 Guna Revolution, stands as if in
defiance at the centre of the main plaza. Spacious sandy streets lead off the square in
grid formation, in stark contrast to most Guna communities’ cramped, labyrinthine
layouts. Cement houses, occasionally surrounded by a hedge or garden, alternate with
traditional cane-and-thatch dwellings, sometimes sprouting satellite dishes. Given that
the first missionaries to the comarca settled in Narganá, it’s no wonder the place has
four churches.
aRRIVal anD DEPaRTuRE naRGanÁ anD CORaZÓn DE JESÚS
By boat Both islands have 5.30am departures for Cartí ($20 Transporte Doña Hermalinda (T6058 4210); in Narganá,
one way). Enquire at the wharf in Corazón de Jesús or contact Paco, who runs the island’s fuel depot by his home at the back

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