The Lost Paradise of Panamá

For those that live in the Tropics, it’s not always a paradise. Even the Garden of Eden had a snake problem. There are certainly many advantages when it comes to being able to grow a wide variety of fruit and vegetables on a small parcel of land. But it often comes with hardship. A friend of mine recently lost 15 chickens and two turkeys to snakes, and his brother was attacked by African bees, a very aggressive and sometimes deadly insect. And then there are the daily annoyances of no water, or no power–or both. Even though the obstacles are many, rural Panamanians thrive and are quick to flash a smile. Below are a few more pictures of life in the interior.

This is a chicken roost, a small platform of poles tied to trees about four feet off the ground. Each evening about a half-hour before dusk, the roosters and hens begin their slow climb up the angled poles to the roost. If the sun sets before they make it to the top, or are still in the yard, they’ll stop where they’re at and remain motionless and quiet until dawn.

Rooster and hens. If you haven’t been around chickens before, one quick way to tell a rooster from a hen is the large spurs on the rooster’s legs. They use these quite effectively when fighting. Contrary to wide belief, roosters don’t just crow at dawn, but during the day, night–basically whenever they feel like it. The owners put up with the noise because chickens provide a cheap and easy way to have fresh meat and eggs. Chickens are also cannibalistic. If a hen drops an egg before getting into a nest, it won’t be long before another hen will poke its beak into the shell and steal off with it, often chased by the other chickens.

Bamboo, often used for building

Calabazo. A large gourd that’s good to eat. The shells can later be used as bowls

Plantains. Many visitors might mistake the plantain trees for banana trees. I can’t say that I’ve seen Panamanians eating bananas, but they sure eat a lot of plantains. It’s as common with a meal as rice. Plantains are sturdier than bananas with a thicker texture. They can be cooked, fried or baked in as many ways as you can imagine. One common method is to make patacones. Peel and cut the plantain into quarter inch slices, and cook in oil for just a bit. Remove and flatten with the bottom of a heavy glass, and then cook until golden brown.

Maroñon. If you didn’t know it already, this is where cashews come from. The cashew is removed and roasted before being eaten. The red fruit part is used to make a delicious drink.

Maroñon tree

Yucca. Beneath these skinny plant stalks are yucca roots, which are similar to potatoes. The root is dug up, cleaned and peeled. It’s cut into pieces and typically boiled and eaten by itself, or mixed with soup. It can also be fried and is often eaten for breakfast.

These brothers got tired of the water outages, dug their own well, and built a structure around it.

A refreshing river to take a swim when there’s no water pressure

Break time. A little musica. A little coco. A little cerveza.