MOLA TOUR
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itineraries
We were amazed at the response to our 2010 tour: no sooner did we publish the itinerary then we began to receive registrations! In what might be decribed as a snowball effect (or maybe an avalanche!), the tour filled in less than a month. But don't despair -- there is always the next tour! The following are details from our 2010 tour to give you an idea of a typical itinerary. This will be honed to perfection for the 2011 tour, and you'll get an full itinerary as soon as it is published if you are on our email or snail mailing lists --
As always, the highlight of MOLA TOUR is our stay on Dolphin Island in the eastern part of the San Blas Islands. Dolphin Island Lodge is owned and operated by Kunas and its location gives us access to three different Kuna communities. The facilities are comfortable and modern, with running water and solar electricity. The food -- especially the seafood -- is outstanding! Along with touring the nearby communities -- where you'll see more molas than you ever imagined! -- we'll spend one morning at the local "town hall" meeting, we'll be treated to a traditional Kuna meal, and in the afternoons we'll be able to learn mola making directly from Kuna artists. And if any of these activities sound too exhausting for you, there's always a hammock in the shade or a visit to the beach!
Before our stay in Kuna Yala, we'll spend a few days getting to know Panama -- not just the tourist sites along the canal and the ruins of old Spanish forts (although we'll be visiting them, too!) but ignored or undiscovered nooks that only locals know about. We've made friends throughout the city and in the surrounding countryside: these shop girls at one of our favorite fabric stores, a man in the walking mall who will take your blood pressure for a dollar, the octogenarian barber whose goal is to learn to say "beautiful women" in every native American language, the policeman who brings along his dog as he patrols Panama Viejo. With MOLA TOUR, you'll meet more Panamanians than tourists!
We're very excited about this year's extension! Participants will be welcomed for a two day stay in an Embera village along the San Juan de Pequeni River. Unlike the Kunas, the Emberas are inland people who live in loose communities on the Pacific drainages in Panama and Columbia. Their are renown for their gracious, friendly ways and for their baskets, which are made of coiled bundles sewn together with naturally dyed fibers. During our stay with the Emberas, we'll live, eat, and sleep following traditions that the Embera have observed for centuries. We'll also learn how to gather and prepare the materials for their baskets, and those who want can try their hand at creating baskets -- while the rest of us watch in awe!
The 2010 MOLA TOUR will begin on February 1 when participants arrive at Tocumen International Airport. All of the meals, transportation, lodging, entrance fees, and activities for the 10 days in Panama are included in the cost -- which, at $1800 is the lowest price on this tour since 2003!
The optional Embera extension begins on January 30 and includes one night in a traditional Embera house (and another night to recover in a "real" bed!). Cost for this extension is $300.
As always, the highlight of MOLA TOUR is our stay on Dolphin Island in the eastern part of the San Blas Islands. Dolphin Island Lodge is owned and operated by Kunas and its location gives us access to three different Kuna communities. The facilities are comfortable and modern, with running water and solar electricity. The food -- especially the seafood -- is outstanding! Along with touring the nearby communities -- where you'll see more molas than you ever imagined! -- we'll spend one morning at the local "town hall" meeting, we'll be treated to a traditional Kuna meal, and in the afternoons we'll be able to learn mola making directly from Kuna artists. And if any of these activities sound too exhausting for you, there's always a hammock in the shade or a visit to the beach!Before our stay in Kuna Yala, we'll spend a few days getting to know Panama -- not just the tourist sites along the canal and the ruins of old Spanish forts (although we'll be visiting them, too!) but ignored or undiscovered nooks that only locals know about. We've made friends throughout the city and in the surrounding countryside: these shop girls at one of our favorite fabric stores, a man in the walking mall who will take your blood pressure for a dollar, the octogenarian barber whose goal is to learn to say "beautiful women" in every native American language, the policeman who brings along his dog as he patrols Panama Viejo. With MOLA TOUR, you'll meet more Panamanians than tourists!
We're very excited about this year's extension! Participants will be welcomed for a two day stay in an Embera village along the San Juan de Pequeni River. Unlike the Kunas, the Emberas are inland people who live in loose communities on the Pacific drainages in Panama and Columbia. Their are renown for their gracious, friendly ways and for their baskets, which are made of coiled bundles sewn together with naturally dyed fibers. During our stay with the Emberas, we'll live, eat, and sleep following traditions that the Embera have observed for centuries. We'll also learn how to gather and prepare the materials for their baskets, and those who want can try their hand at creating baskets -- while the rest of us watch in awe!
The 2010 MOLA TOUR will begin on February 1 when participants arrive at Tocumen International Airport. All of the meals, transportation, lodging, entrance fees, and activities for the 10 days in Panama are included in the cost -- which, at $1800 is the lowest price on this tour since 2003!
The optional Embera extension begins on January 30 and includes one night in a traditional Embera house (and another night to recover in a "real" bed!). Cost for this extension is $300.
