listening to the ocean and reflecting on the incredible time I just
had in Brazil. Dominica was so unreal, I didn't know how Brazil would
be able to compete. Let me tell you, I found out!
The first day was alright. I walked around the city of Manaus with my
roommate, Julie and 7 other people. It was a large group for walking
around a city and exploring, as everyone has different agendas. I
walked for 7 hours straight and sat for all together maybe an hour
before heading off to my FDP. It was HOT HOT HOT. The sun is insane.
We're on the equator! And its really humid. I wasn't a big fan of
Manaus. There are street vendors everywhere, and everything seems
about the same. There's a lot of poverty, and the city definitely did
not give off a friendly, safe, welcoming. There wasn't a whole lot to
see, but I'm glad we explored it! I had brazilian coffee and it was
amazing! The coffee on the ship is all decaf, I swear. They just put
a regular sticker on it and laugh at us, I'm determined. Anyways
after a long hot day of exploring, I went to my FDP (required field
trip) for my Anthropology of Food class. We went to a culinary school
in Manaus and got to go in the kitchen with professional chefs and
watch and help them cook! It was awesome! I helped cut up fish. It
did get very long however, especially from being on my feet ALL day.
We were in the kitchen cooking for 3 hours straight. The food tasted
INCREDIBLE. Oh my goodness. We had fried fish, 2 other different
kinds of fish (one was from a 9 foot, 350 lb fish), rice, tapioca
noodle sort dish, and a fancy dessert. I made a new friend who's
really sweet, from Virginia named Maura. When we got back we hung out
at an outside bar/restaurant right by our port.
Now for the 2 most epic, unforgettable days I'm pretty sure I've ever
had. Katie and I decided to go on a 2 day/1 night trip to the jungle
in the amazon with a group of 20 other people. We didn't really know
what we were getting ourselves into and were a little apprehensive,
but boy was it a good choice! After a long process of getting to the
jungle (drive to a different port, hopped on a speed boat to little
village, got on a bus, stopped at a floating house that was surrounded
by giant lili pads that were about 5 feet in diameter, then took a big
2 story riverboat) we finally arrived at a lodge where we enjoyed a
DELICIOUS feast. PS I have NEVER eaten better than the last 3
days..in my life. We then got in 3 canoes and headed out to go
Pirahna (not sure about spelling) fishing. I didn't catch anything,
but a couple people in our canoe did. About 5 of us were gutsy enough
to hop out of the canoe and swim with pirahnas and pink dolphins
(didn't see any close up though).
Our guide, Sammy was probably the coolest guy I have ever met. He
ended up in my canoe, and I ended up talking to him for a long time on
our journey down the river before and after fishing. I learned so
much from him. I wish more than anything that I could remember every
little thing he said so I could share it with you. Some fun facts
about Sammy: He cannot read and write, has lived in the jungle for 3
yrs by himself without leaving, has traveled in many countries through
the jungle, has gotten malaria 6 times, his grandfather had 3 wives
and 38 kids, he's been in jail for 9 months (carrying drugs) and gives
tours voluntarily. He is the wisest, kindest, most loving, and
HAPPIEST person I have ever met. He was so joyous. It's a different
kind of joy. Thats the thing with Ken (from Dominica) and Sammy.
They don't have much, but they're happier than any other person I've
ever met. Just a different kind of joy I cannot explain. It
radiates, permeates and passes on to people they're with. Just
listening and talking with Sammy gave me such joy. In the canoe he
kept bursting out in song. Literally. When I knew a reggae song he
was singing, I'd join in. Kaite, Sammy and I were singing "Don't
worry, about a thing. Cuz every little thing..is gonna be alright."
I've learned so much from him, in those 2 days. He told me that the
secret to life is a pure heart. He told me over and over to not
cheat, lie or steal, but to have a pure heart and to love. He said
over and over again, "Who feels it, knows it." He said that he is the
doctor of the jungle. He knows how to cure anything. He took us
trekking through the jungle yesterday and pointed out trees, leaves
and other plants that cure malaria, help with cancer, diahrrea,
bronchitis, an abortion tree, natural viagra tree, natural insect
repellent and other thing. It was so incredible. He said the natural
stuff is so much better than the medicine we take thats chemically
altered. I had a cool epiphany that its pretty sweet that God gave us
all the medicine we need. Nature is awesome. I can't explain how
awesome Sammy is. I really wish I could. I'm so blessed to have met
him.
After fishing we headed to our "campsite." The sun was setting, and
Katie and I couldn't believe how magical and surreal everything was.
We were so overjoyed to meet and learn so much from Sammy, and to
experience these beautiful sites. We didn't think it could get any
better, and then I look behind me and see a rainbow. Most of my
feelings during these 2 days are actually very indescribable. We kept
on saying, how do we tell others about this experience? How?
We arrived at the shore of the jungle where we were going to stay as
the sun was setting. We hiked 10 minutes into the jungle (straight up
jungle..like a trail, but thats it). It was dark but a couple people
had flash lights. We get to our campsite which was just a little
clearing in the middle of the jungle and Sammy made a homemade tiki
torch by cutting bark off a tree and setting a candle on it. He then
got a fire going and his helpers (who only spoke Portugesse) started
setting up the hammocks (where we were sleeping.) Another native I
became friends with was Joaquim, who was an 18 year old boy about to
start college, who taught himself English a few years ago. He was so
sweet. I helped him set up the hammocks. While I was doing that all
of a sudden Sammy comes in and goes, "Lady, come with me." I follow
him back down to the shore. He grabbed another guy too. So we're in
the middle of the jungle walking in the pitch dark, but I'm fearless
the whole time because I trust Sammy so much. He was all about a
"don't worry, be happy" attitude, and I couldn't help but immediately
adopt it. He brought us down because he remembered me from the boa
tride, and liked me. I shone a flashlight while he chopped up whole
chickens. We then helped him carry food and dishes back up to our
campsite. On the way he showed us a tarantula (he knows his home) and
I pet it!
When we got back, the other 20 SAS kids were kind of just interested
in socializing with each other and drinking, and I enjoyed talking
with Sammy so much that I went over by the fire where he was cooking
by himself for us (at about 9PM) and asked if I could help. He had me
cut up vegetables for the salad. I also helped shine light for him.
By 11 the food was almost done cooking. At this time, we all went
back down to the water where the canoes were (for the 3rd time hiking
10 minutes in the pitch dark jungle) and hopped into the canoes. What
were we doing? Going Caiman (small crocodile) hunting! I went in
Sammy's boat and sat next to Joaquim and had fun talking with him. We
rode around the river by moonlight. It was like a dream. We were by
trees that were growing up through the water. One girl said, "this is
like Disney world, but the real thing." Incredible. I don't know how
to give it justice. After an hour of searching for a caiman with his
flashlight in his mouth (he searches for red eyes) Sammy caught a
caiman. How does he do it? Grabs it by the neck. Insane! We all took
turns holding the Caiman.
We went back and ate an AMAZING meal. Sammy's a great cook. He can
do anything by the way: cook, carpenter, artist, hunter, doctor,
anything. He's a jungle man! He makes his own rope from leaves and
made me a bracelet out of it! Anyways, I loved how carefree I was in
the jungle. Nothing mattered. My shoes were ruined, my pants were
soaked, I was had 20 mosquito bites, my hands that I was eating with
were filthy, I was using used plates and forks because we didn't have
enough, but I didn't care. I was content and carefree. What a good
life!
After dinner, most people climbed in their hammocks. Half of the
hammocks fell while people were in them because the tree stump they
were hanging on broke (too much weight). So at about 12AM the helpers
cut down a tree and replaced it. We all climbed in the hammocks at
about 1AM and after a little while the other tree broke and people
went kaboom! i was the first to not fall :) This time, Sammy told us
to all get up and we'd for the millionth time go to the canoes and
stay at a very closeby lodge. It was worth it because when we got
into the canoes the stars were out and were breathtaking. I've never
seen so much sky. It was a beautiful sight I'll never forget! We hung
the hammocks in the lodge and I slept very well!
The next morning we trekked through the jungle for a couple hours. It
was so fascinating! Sammy showed us so many different trees and plants
that all have a purpose! He showed us rubber from a rubber tree-the
milk instantly turned into rubber when he put it on a leaf! We swung
on a "tarzan" vine! He showed us all of the trees that cured
sicknesses. I learned so much! After trekking for a while we got
back into the canoes and headed back to the lodge where we ate the
previous day. On the way, someone spotted a sloth! We all stopped
and one of the helpers climbed to the top of a very tall tree (no idea
how he did it) and grabbed the baby sloth! I got to hold it! It was
SOOO adorable! We then headed back to the lodge and had another
amazing meal. We got some palms out of the forest and Sammy made me a
crown out of palms! He also made me a beautiful fan! A helper who
didn't speak English made me another bracelet and necklace out of the
rope that Sammy made. They're all so very kind! We headed back on
the riverboat and saw many natives along the way in their tiny houses/
shacks just playing outside and waving at us. I sat at the front of
the boat with my feet dangling off the side waving to the natives,
looking at the beautiful jungle of the amazon and listening to
Brazilian music, trying to wrap my head all of it. I felt like I was
living in a dream.
Those 2 days in the jungle were so amazing. Katie and I couldn't stop
smiling the whole time. We felt so blessed and were so joyful every
second of it. It was so perfect. The only part that wasn't perfect
was that the other 20 people wouldn't stop complaining (about the
heat, the hammocks falling, lack of sleep, walking a lot through the
jungle...basically everything.) It was sad to me because they were
really missing out. I lucked out though I guess, because if everyone
was as interested as learning from Sammy, I wouldn't have had the
experience I did. Everyone kept saying, "I don't want to trek through
the jungle, lets just go home. This is an interesting experience but
I'll never do this again. I never thought I'd be so happy to see the
ship. Thank God we didn't do 2 nights." This was mind blowing to me
because I absolutely loved every second of it. I guess being so
joyful and seeing such beauty made me look at the positives in
everything. I thought the whole falling of the hammocks and walking
through the jungle added to the excitement and adventure! You just
gotta roll with the punches man! I never would've seen the most
beautiful stars I'd ever seen if that didn't happen! I didn't let
people's attitudes bring me down though! I avoided everyone and just
talked with Katie or Sammy or Joaquim or laughed with the helpers and
tried to "converse" with expressions and smiles.
I gotta go back to the jungle. Maybe next time I'll spend a week!
Living in nature like that..pure nature, was just indescribable.
There was a reflection night tonight at the ship and we went around
and said one word that described our time in Brazil, and I said:
Pure. I also shared my experience with Sammy with the rest of the
people at the reflection. I encouraged everyone to really get to
knows natives and that it's changing me already.
After getting back from the Jungle a bunch of us went to Bufalo which
was a Brazilian steakhouse. Holy. Crap. Best meal I have ever had and
also the most food I have ever consumed at one time. How it works is
you pay one price and the waiters walk around and cut up and give you
many different kinds of steak and beef. I tried a chicken heart as
well. Oh goodness was the food tasty!! We then went to club called
Crocodiles. It was pretty fun but I was hoping there would be more
Brazilian music.
Today I went shopping at the markets and a couple stores with Katie,
Andrea and Hannah. It was a lot of fun. Everything here is so
cheap! I bought a few brazilian bikinis. Each piece is only 12 Reals
which is like $6 in US cash. Good stuff!
And now I'm back on the ship. We're headed down the Amazon River
again en route to Ghana. That means we'll be sailing through the
Atlantic Ocean in a few days! A cockroach the size of my big toenail
just fell beside me!
This all still feels like a dream, and I can't believe how blessed
I've been with the experiences I have, the places I've seen and mostly
for the natives I've learned so much from.
That life in the jungle is pretty tempting...maybe I'll be a Jungle
woman someday. ;)
I figured out how to put pictures up! Hope you enjoy! :)
No comments:
Post a Comment