🌜 This years Panama Rainbow was small because most people that would have come were at the Tribal Festival being held at the same time here in Panama.
💰 Timing is everything with free-spirited people who float around the globe Living, Loving & Laughing with each-other all year round. Most Rainbows fund their travels doing Artisan type work and performing arts of all sorts so going to a large event ( Tribal Festival ) to display their wares or art is important to keep the travel funds topped up.
🌈 Rainbow gatherings are meant as a time to relax with family in the forest for a month recharging and behaving like Children in a peaceful loving environment. So what we had this year was a collection of runaways who just needed to escape the Babilon lifestyle to recharge. ( Vacation is what most people call it ) or a few without the means to attend a large pay to attend event like the Tribal Festival. ( Like me 😎 ).
The Sacred Main Fire is kept burning for the whole month, The central meeting place where meals are served, songs are sung, Music & Arts and Dancing sometimes all night long and Family discussions take place.
🌈 Rainbow Gatherings have been described in many ways but my best description is simply children gathering to play in the woods. And Children we are...You take any child from around the world and mix them with other children from around the world and they will naturally get along...Why?
👶 Children only want to play and explore life with other people. they don't see skin color or understand economics or religion. Even language is not a barrier to playing and learning about each other. Human communication has many forms and a child has them all available to them. Natural learners, I've met Traveling children that speak several languages fluent and offer interesting conversations that equal just about any adult I've ever met.
I gathered a group to go Mushroom hunting but all we did that day was stop at different parts of the river to cool off ( Very hot day ) and never even came close to the mushroom fields ( at a much higher elevation )
😜 Oh well, the mushroom picking was a washout but we had a great day trying. 😎 3 Rainbows in our group were from Europe and fair skinned, Finland, Germany & France and a few hours walk in the mid-day sun would have been too much for them. Myself, another Canadian and a young Panamanian girl live in the tropics and would have been ok.
👪 But caring for each-other is what a Rainbow is all about. That is why we do not ( as a rule ) bring alcohol to gatherings nor do we bring meat. We respect each other in every way we can and many Rainbows choose a vegetarian lifestyle ( Mostly so no animals have to be killed for food ) 🍸 and booze can sometimes bring out unpleasant traits in people so is discouraged as well.
🍻 Many Rainbows ( like myself ) are avid drinkers and enjoy a month or so booze free to dry out and only eat mostly fresh produce cooked and served by Loving family members who enjoy it most. Meals are served twice daily and vary in as many ways as you can imagine depending on who shows up and volunteers to prep and cook.
This year someone make a mud oven so we had fresh baked bread regularly and twice we had Pizza night
🍵 This year I decided to open a Coffee, Tea & Hot Chocolate shop at my camp a short way up river. It was a lovely spot but with so few people in attendance no real reason to have 2 Family gathering places. I teamed up with a German Brother who was also interested in offering some Chai Tea to family so we pooled our money to buy supplies.
🐎 One morning a local Cowboy was passing by after tending the herd and done for the day. I asked him to stop for coffee + I offered a shot of Ron Abuelo ( Grandfather Rum ) to spice it up! Of course, he agreed. 😜 Wait Cody, you said booze free! I said discouraged, and I would never make it public knowledge I had any, nor would I bring it to main circle.
While we were enjoying our coffee, A Sister from France was petting his horse and was offered a ride. While hesitant to try for the first time we got her mounted
🐴 Very nervious about being on a horse for the first time and not taking instruction very well, The horse was very confused too. LOL So after we finished our coffee the cowboy said " sit tight " and walked the horse back to the main circle with Sister aboard about a 1/2 Kilometer getting his boots wet walking through the river without a thought.
Just about all Panamanians live a Rainbow lifestyle naturally, Putting other peoples wants ahead of their own. Very gererous souls indeed. Thanks Cowboy Brother
💲 Another thing that is discoraged at Rainbow Gatherings is the exchange of money for anything. Gatherings are Free to attend, Just bring personal comforts for sleeping and something to eat with ( bowl, spoon & cup etc ). I personally like to bring a collection of sauces to flavor my food with. ( Warning ) If you let your sauces get passed around the circle at meal times be prepared for it to come back empty. LOL
💞 How & Why is everything Free ❓ Because everyone is welcome despite economic differences in family members, The Rainbow is funded by a Magic Hat Dance performed at the evening meal ( if remembered ) LOL 👒 Some Musical instuments are played and usually a child will walk the circle with a hat upturned while we sing a Loving Rainbow song and the family with the means to donate do so at this time. 💸
🌄 I've been up since 4 am and putting this blog together for you, now it's 8 am and I need to do some homestead chores. While I could keep going all day...I'll go another Rainbow blog soon, It just can't be done in 1 sitting. LOL
Time to finish and cleanup yesterdays trellus project. our climbing/flowering vines got out of hand and need a place to grow
I've been living off my small steemit income for a year now waiting for my very slow Lawyer to finish my Panamanian work permit ( soon he says, LOL ) And running away to the Rainbow for a month didn't help matters much.
So any support in the form of Clickety, clickety click you can afford would go a long way... Looks like I'll be turning that corner at months end and will have many Pacific sailing sea stories to share with you. Right now my head is full of a month of adventure stories to share, I just need to sit down and type. Stay tuned....
Thanks for reading & supporting my blog
💕 Love Always 💕