Getting a taste of culture

PANAMA. Time to plan ahead your next adventure, the The Manito Ocueño Festival is coming up! Celebrated on the second weekend of August, this festival is a showcase of the customs and traditions of the campesinos of Spanish descent.

Ocu is a small town in the Azuero Peninsula, in the Herrera province, about 4 hours away from the city.

What is a Manito? The Manito is a, man from the countryside, the literal translation is peasant. The name originated in the way the campesinos shook hands and touched their foreheads afterward.

Parades of traditional dresses, music and food will give you a true Panamanian experience.

You will enjoy representations of local legends and witness folk marriages and duels. The artisans of Ocu are famous for their pottery, ceramics and leather work.

Make sure you take you camera, an umbrella and sunblock!

Dear friend Carmela Gobern has organized a one day tour to the Festival on August 16.

The tour departs from Balboa (House 2361) at 5:45 a.m. and returns at approximately 7:30 p.m.

The one day tour includes transportation to and from the Festival (approximately 4 hours each way) in a comfortable tourism bus with toilet facilities The $40 price tag includes a "Welcome Packet," a visit to Ocu, and to watch the festival parade, lunch at La Galeria Restaurant in Santiago, and a brief tour of some areas in the province of Veraguas. If you are interested, contact goberncl@cwpanama.net as soon as possible, since seats on the bus are limited. The deadline for payment is Friday, August 7. Carmela can provide more specific directions to the start point.