Page 266 - The Rough Guide to Panama (Travel Guide)

264 Guna Yala Central Guna Yala
THE TRADITIONAL GUNA WAY OF LIFE
Historically the Guna have lived collectively and worked cooperatively. though some hunting
was practised, fishing and subsistence agriculture – yuca, plantain, rice, maize, sugar cane,
cocoa, fruit trees and coconuts – were the mainstay of the economy for many years. In the late
1960s, coconuts accounted for seventy percent of the comarca’s revenue, bartered for dry
goods, such as fuel, clothing and cooking oil, sold by the brightly painted Colombian trading
vessels that you still see tethered to the main jetty at communities across the region. More
than three million coconuts are still harvested annually.
Guna society is traditionally both matrilocal (when a man marries he moves into his in-laws’
compound and works for them) and matrilineal (property is inherited down the female line).
But these practices are slipping, and while women’s views are respected, men play a larger role
as chiefs, healers and interpreters in community meetings. Men undertake most of the
agricultural labour, and the entire Guna Congress is male.
Families traditionally live in compounds of cane-and-thatch dwellings, the living quarters
crammed with hammocks and the rafters laden with clothing, buckets and utensils. Villages
7 without aqueducts bring fresh water by canoe from the mainland. Seafood accompanied by
plantain, rice and coconut are staples, and dule masi – a fish stew containing boiled green
plantains, coconut and vegetables – is effectively the Guna national dish.
at the heart of community life stands the onmagged nega (meeting house), where
villagers, including children, congregate most evenings, though attendance is dropping off
among the young. the saila – usually recognizable by his hat – is the leader in all village
matters, though some communities now have several sailas to fulfil particular functions. a
mixture of songs, chants, stories and talk filter through the walls, as Guna history, mythology
and religion are as much a part of the reunions as information-giving, public debate and
conflict resolution. another key community building is the inna nega, where the chicha brava

cultivated lands (nainumar). Westernizing influence is evident in the numerous
churches scattered round the island, and in the presence of electricity, which allows
for a weekend film night at the community hall by the basketball court, and results
in the sound of competing TVs penetrating paper-thin walls as you try to sleep.
Attractive excursions include hikes into pristine rainforest taking in the cascading
waterfall of Saibar Maid; birdwatching up the Río Grande; and lazy sun-lounging,
moderate snorkelling and fishing off nearby coconut isles.
aRRIVal anD InFORMaTIOn PlaYÓn CHICO
By plane Daily flights leave Albrook Airport, Panama City, Linares Guardia (T6085 8493) for information.
at 6am ($80 one way). Information The community tax is $4. You may be able to
By boat The cost (one way) to/from Cartí is $30, $10 to/ catch a wi-fi signal by the school.
from Isla Tigre and $5 to/from Agligandi. Contact Genara
aCCOMMODaTIOn anD EaTInG
Domy’s 200m from the basketball court T6038 5157. ★ Yandup Island Lodge Yandub, 5min from Playón
The engaging Domy and Nilka offer a three-bed budget Chico T394 1408, Wyandupisland.com. One of the
dorm in the top floor of a two-tiered wooden house, with comarca’s standout lodgings, comprising a collection of
shower below and a breezy deck with hammocks from well-maintained octagonal cabañas with private balcony
which to watch the world go by. Breakfast ($5) and tours to and bathroom; most sit over the water, while three (slightly
a beach or the mainland can be arranged at extra cost. $10 cheaper) are set further back. The tiny island, covered with
Refresquería Sol 50m from the basketball court grass and with a small beach and nearby reef, has a breezy
T6136 6541. The best place to eat on the island, offering waterside rancho-restaurant with full bar, which serves
one of the comarca’s more varied menus and good value, excellent seafood-based cuisine, and service is friendly and
too (almuerzos $3–4). You should book, and choose your attentive. Electricity is solar-generated. All inclusive; rates
dish, in advance – select from fish, langoustines, pork include two daily excursions with an English-speaking
chops or chicken with rice and lentils – since demand often guide. Cayuco or kayak rental $15–20. Credit cards
exceeds supply. Daily 7am–8pm. accepted. $244

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