Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
PUBERTY RITUALS
Whereas adolescent boys pass into adulthood unheralded, a
young girl
undergoes two im-
portant ceremonies. The first,
innamutiki
, at her first menstruation, prompts several days
of confinement in a small ceremonial enclosure cloaked in banana leaves (
surba
) within
the house, where she is purified in herbal baths and finally painted from top to toe in the in-
digo jagua dye before being allowed to join the festivities outside. The second celebration,
innasuit
, involving the whole village, entails the young woman being officially named and
receiving a ceremonial haircut, a protracted affair signifying that she is now available for
marriage. Food is shared, pipes are passed and
chicha
abounds, though the presence of ci-
garettes and seco in some communities reflects the changing times.
Ironically the young woman at the heart of the festivities misses out on most of the fun,
remaining in seclusion until the actual hair-cutting. In an increasing fog of rituals, chants,
cocoa-bean incense, tobacco and alcohol, the celebrations, aimed partly at affirming the
coexistence of the material and spiritual worlds, continue for several days, until the
chicha
has run out, by which time several people have usually passed out.
Armila
Highly recommended is a detour to the welcoming Guna community of
Armila
, which is
idyllically located at the base of a forest-cloaked hill where two rivers empty into the sea.
Atypically spacious, and run by five
sailas
, the village boasts an intriguing mix of traditional
cane
cabañas
and more substantial Afro-Antillean-style wood-and-thatch houses, sometimes
painted, or on stilts. Beyond, over 4km of cream-coloured windswept beach extends along
the coast. This is one of the world's most important nesting sites for
leatherback turtles
,
consisting of several thousand nests protected by the community. The visitor community fee
($6) goes towards the conservation and monitoring project. Nesting occurs between February
and August, peaking between late April/May to July, and a major
turtle festival
is hosted
annually the third week in May, involving traditional music and dancing. Turtle-watching is
one of several tourist activities; others include jungle walks, river trips by dugout and swim-
ming in the local freshwater lagoon. Provided the sea is calm, beach and snorkelling trips can
be organized to the lovely Playa Blanca at La Miel, by the Colombian border.
