Almost two years into our life in Panama, we’re still discovering new things about our chosen home. This year we’re making an effort to branch out and explore areas we keep hearing about, but haven’t had a chance to visit yet.
A few weeks ago we got to tick another one off our Panama bucket list when we visited the Azuero Peninsula – the big land mass that sticks down into the Pacific west of Panama City. The Azuero is the true the heartland of Panama, a vast agricultural district where the pace of life moves a little slower, at least when people aren’t partying. Las Tablas is one of the biggest towns in the eastern Azuero, playing host to one festival after another throughout the year – the two biggest being Carnival (one of Panama’s largest) and the wonderous Desifile de las Mil Polleras (Parade of a Thousand Polleras).
The Thousand Polleras parade was the real reason for our trip, and it was the most over-the-top, fantastic parade we’ve ever seen. So what’s a pollera, you ask? It is the fabulous national costume of Panama, an exquisitely embroidered blouse and long, full skirt worn with an elaborate beaded hair ornament (called a tembleque) and lots of gold jewelry. The pollera is much more than a dress – it’s an important symbol of national pride, and different pollera styles are unique to specific regions in the country.
On our way to Las Tablas, we made a couple of pit stops. The first was the town of Parita, home of one of the Azuero’s most famous craftsmen, Señor Dario Lopez. He makes the sinister-looking masks worn by Diablo Sucio (Dirty Devil) dancers in parades throughout Panama, especially during Carnival. A friend of ours had told us roughly where to look for his house, and after some broken Spanish hilarity with a friendly gas station attendant, we found him.
Getting closer to Las Tablas, we made another side stop in the town of La Arena. This area is known for its ceramics and pottery, and it’s dotted with family-owned shops selling beautiful handicrafts at very reasonable prices.
After an overnight in our beach-side inn, we were ready for the main event, the Desifile de las Mil Polleras. Actually, we found out later that it was more like 20,000 polleras, a number that doesn’t surprise us in the least. In typical Panamanian fashion, the parade finally got off the ground at about 1:30 p.m., an hour and a half later than its intended start time. By 6 p.m. it was still going strong and we’d had enough of the sun and crowds, so we headed back to our inn and kept watching it on TV (this is a nationally televised event, and even President Varela was in attendance). We think it finally wound up (more or less by) by 8 or so.
One of the things we loved about the parade is its egalitarian spirit. As I mentioned, pollera is a source of national pride, and even the smallest towns and various indigenous groups had ladies swirling away with those fabulously embroidered skirts. There were dancing ladies and their dashing partners of all ages, from very small children up to octogenarians.
And the pictures just took themselves. Apologies in advance for so many – but believe me, I narrowed them down as best I could!
21 Comments
You two my idles. Great blog.
I wish you and Teresa would haul off and come visit us 🙂
Another interesting and well-written blog. Â I envy your get-up-and-go spirit. Â You guys are doing what we all should be doing and seeing the real Panama.
As an aside, I just finisned this painting. Â Recognize the waterfall and general layout? Â Â I used my artistic license on the surround, but the waterfall is pretty much an exact match to the photo you sent out from Columbia.
Mike
Sent from Samsung tablet.
Aw, thanks, Mike!! You should try to get over to the Azuero sometime -it’s a really interesting area.
I don’t see your painting (?). Can you try re-attaching?
– Susan
Reblogged this on Our Third Life-Pedasi, Panama and commented:
I was unable to attend the “desfiles de mil polleras” this year. So here is a very good blog from our blogger friends living in the Boquete area with great pictures telling the story of this year’s events from the eyes of first-time visitors to the Azuero.
Thank you so much for the re-blog! We really enjoyed exploring the Azuero. We were only able to make it down to Pedasi for a couple of hours before the parade. Next time we’ll spend more time and try to meet up with you guys.
Nice post. The dresses are amazing! And so many pretty women wearing them too.
Thank you! It was a photographer’s dream.
We loved Las Tables …went during Carnival but saw a lot of dresses being paraded as well. Wish I had seen the mask guy.
Was that when you were down here on your boat? We hardly did any inland travel in Panama then. Now we’re making up for it!
Now, we have to make a trip to Las Tables. Isn’t it fun exploring our adopted countries? I can’t believe it has been two years since you moved to Panama. Beautiful pictures!
Thanks, Debbie. I hope you do make it to Panama one of these days – we’d love to meet you! I’ve probably mentioned this before but we spent some time in Nicaragua when we were sailing and we loved it – hoping to get back there one of these days.
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So much wonderful color. This post has definitely satisfied my addiction to color for the day! And the joy on the faces brought a wide smile to my face. I wish I’d spent more time in Panama. I was in too much of a hurry to get around. But I am making my way back there! #2020
Thanks, Lisa – we really hope you make it back here someday! We’d love to meet you 🙂
Fantastic pictures.
Thanks so much! That trip was one of the highlights of our time in Panama.
I love your pictures. You do know how to enjoy yourselves.
We give it our best shot 🙂
Gorgeous costumes. I can imagine how difficult it would have been to narrow down those photos. 😉
Ha, we had hundreds of them! Very hard. But there was an amazing photo opp every second 🙂 Thanks for your comment!