The people who live in the jungle are as much a part of it as the animals and plants we have been learning about over the past few days. People have been living in Cuyabeno ever since humans moved down from North America thousands of years ago and have learnt to live in harmony with the rainforest. To learn more about the local people we make our way to a village down river, stopping to look at monkeys and parrots on the way.
At one point Jairo stops the boat by a large bees nest suspended in a tree. In a whisper he explains that, on the count of three, he wants us to shout 'MARCH' as loudly as possible and then be very quiet. We all want to know why, but as usual he just tells us to trust him. At first we hear nothing then there is a steady munching sound which gradually gets louder and louder. As a defense mechanism the bees rub themselves up against the side of their nest in unison - creating a surprisingly loud and threatening sound. It really does sound like soldiers on parade and is about as loud and in sync as one.
Other than its jungle location the village is very like a lot of others I have visited. The locals are not walking around naked or in lion cloths, the houses are wooden and on stilts and, of course, there is a football pitch. Jairo explains a bit about their way of life - hunting, fishing and farming cacao. He then introduces us to a woman who will be teaching us to make the local bread, made out of the yuka (pronounced 'you-ka') root, which is a bit like a big parsnip.
To plant the yuka a branch is chopped off an existing tree, stuck in the soil and left for a few months. The villagers make the bread once a week (it stays good for months) and eat it with every meal. We have ours wih tuna after digging up the root, grating it and cooking it on an open fire. There are no added ingredients - the grated yuka is just spread over a clay plate and, as it cooks, it fuses together into a flat bread. It is supposed to be very healthy and tastes surprsingly good but I don't think I could eat it with every meal.
Before we leave we each get a change to try shooting poison darts (without the poison) The blow pipe is made of bamboo and very long, making it almost too heavy to hold. My first two attempts are pathetic, the dart landing pretty much at my feet, but on the third I actually hit the target - a lime on a stick. Alex manages to hit the stick itself and Jairo nearly hits a passing chicken. Other than that no one manges to hit anything but the soil.
Down river from the village lives the local shaman (called Tomas) whom we get a chance to talk to wih Jairo as our translator. The shaman is not considered to be a 'magic man' but a doctor who treats normal illnesses. Before treating patients Tomas and other shamen drink a hallucinogenic drink made from the ayahuasca root. Lots of tourists like to pay a lot of money to try the drug, making them throw up and have terrifying visions. Shamen use ayahuasca to connect with the sprits who help them treat the problem. They train for years to be able to tolerate the drug and understand the visions it gives them. Some times the answer is 'go to hospital' but often the answer is for Tomas to send his wife into the jungle looking for a certain healing plant.
Anyone can become a shaman if they can handle the training, although it is often a hereditary role. Tomas' twelve year old son is already taking the drug as part of his training. Women are allowed to be shamen, and they're very good at it, but they can't practice while they're pregnant or mensturating. It is also forbidden for women to be around a shaman during this time, which is why Tomas lives away from the village.
Tomas tells us that his magnificent dress helps him connect with the jungle (feathers, seeds and grasses). It is also like a western doctor's white coat - it marks him out from other people. He doesn't wear it every day, but we're assured that it is not simply a show for us tourists. When we've had a chance to ask all our questions Tomas performs a cleansing ritual on one of the group. This I don't volunteer for as it seems to mostly involve being hit over and over again with stinging nettles.
Above: On the way to the village
At one point Jairo stops the boat by a large bees nest suspended in a tree. In a whisper he explains that, on the count of three, he wants us to shout 'MARCH' as loudly as possible and then be very quiet. We all want to know why, but as usual he just tells us to trust him. At first we hear nothing then there is a steady munching sound which gradually gets louder and louder. As a defense mechanism the bees rub themselves up against the side of their nest in unison - creating a surprisingly loud and threatening sound. It really does sound like soldiers on parade and is about as loud and in sync as one.
Other than its jungle location the village is very like a lot of others I have visited. The locals are not walking around naked or in lion cloths, the houses are wooden and on stilts and, of course, there is a football pitch. Jairo explains a bit about their way of life - hunting, fishing and farming cacao. He then introduces us to a woman who will be teaching us to make the local bread, made out of the yuka (pronounced 'you-ka') root, which is a bit like a big parsnip.
Above: Yuka roots
To plant the yuka a branch is chopped off an existing tree, stuck in the soil and left for a few months. The villagers make the bread once a week (it stays good for months) and eat it with every meal. We have ours wih tuna after digging up the root, grating it and cooking it on an open fire. There are no added ingredients - the grated yuka is just spread over a clay plate and, as it cooks, it fuses together into a flat bread. It is supposed to be very healthy and tastes surprsingly good but I don't think I could eat it with every meal.
Above: Me grating the yuka
Above: Cooking the grated root into a flat bread
Before we leave we each get a change to try shooting poison darts (without the poison) The blow pipe is made of bamboo and very long, making it almost too heavy to hold. My first two attempts are pathetic, the dart landing pretty much at my feet, but on the third I actually hit the target - a lime on a stick. Alex manages to hit the stick itself and Jairo nearly hits a passing chicken. Other than that no one manges to hit anything but the soil.
Down river from the village lives the local shaman (called Tomas) whom we get a chance to talk to wih Jairo as our translator. The shaman is not considered to be a 'magic man' but a doctor who treats normal illnesses. Before treating patients Tomas and other shamen drink a hallucinogenic drink made from the ayahuasca root. Lots of tourists like to pay a lot of money to try the drug, making them throw up and have terrifying visions. Shamen use ayahuasca to connect with the sprits who help them treat the problem. They train for years to be able to tolerate the drug and understand the visions it gives them. Some times the answer is 'go to hospital' but often the answer is for Tomas to send his wife into the jungle looking for a certain healing plant.
Anyone can become a shaman if they can handle the training, although it is often a hereditary role. Tomas' twelve year old son is already taking the drug as part of his training. Women are allowed to be shamen, and they're very good at it, but they can't practice while they're pregnant or mensturating. It is also forbidden for women to be around a shaman during this time, which is why Tomas lives away from the village.
Tomas tells us that his magnificent dress helps him connect with the jungle (feathers, seeds and grasses). It is also like a western doctor's white coat - it marks him out from other people. He doesn't wear it every day, but we're assured that it is not simply a show for us tourists. When we've had a chance to ask all our questions Tomas performs a cleansing ritual on one of the group. This I don't volunteer for as it seems to mostly involve being hit over and over again with stinging nettles.
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