, “a place for the world to come together, where time is transcended, ancient and modern converge in symbiotic harmony, tribes share their precious ancestral wisdom as musicians call on the ethos of imagination.” But at the moment, it’s a place facing non-stop rain, an overrun sewage system, and increasingly grouchy patrons.The festival was put in lockdown in mid-March after Panama declared a national emergency following its first coronavirus case.
“We were in limbo for about a week,” Grant said. “Initially the embassy offered buses to Panama City but we only had 12 hours to decide. We also had no guarantee of being able to get a flight. In the end some of those people got their flights cancelled while they were in the airport queue.” The Tribal Gathering website claims that fisherman sell their catch and other local and indigenous people sell food, fruits, and vegetables on-site. But they’re competing with the “three bars, ten restaurants/cafes, a bakery/pizzeria, smoothie bar, chai shops” that are also on the premises, run by festival attendee volunteers who—according to a woman who