Another day, another boat ride - today we're off to check out the wildlife along the banks of the Marañon River.We weren't disappointed, although taking pictures can be a challenge in a rocking boat. Here are an immature great black hawk, a crimson-crested woodpecker, and a green iguana.
Best of all, we got a pretty good look at the hoatzin - a prehistoric-looking bird with a blood-curdling call. Not only is it a strange looking creature, scientists remain unsure about its relationship to other birds - in fact, it acts more like a cow – with a specialized digestive system to accommodate its diet of tender green leaves.
Back to the ship for a shower before lunch, we were moored near some small boats that were being used for washday chores. Had to look twice to be sure this wasn’t the ship’s laundry.
Lunch today is a special event - a home-hosted lunch in the village of Monte Alegre. Our group went to the home of Jaime and Elbia Ipushima and their 7 children, ranging in age from 3 to 17.Here is the family home, along with its detached kitchen and nearby chicken coop.
One of the younger boys kept a watchful eye on us while we talked with the host family, with Neil as our interpreter.The "table for lunch was made of banana leaves spread on the floor. We all helped set the table and put out the food, then we all joined the family on the floor.
There was a plenty to eat, but the best dish was something called 'patarashcha' - it is tiger catfish seasoned with cilantro, tomatoes, onion, sweet pepper, garlic and salt, wrapped in a bijao leaf and grilled for about an hour. It was easily the most tasty food of the entire trip! Other items on the lunch table included boiled yucca root, salsa, grilled plantain, grilled armor catfish, bread fruit, mashed plantain, and venison. To drink we had lemon grass tea and cocona juice (made from yellow tomatoes).
After lunch, we presented gifts to the family, and everyone posed for pictures.Among the gifts were two machetes, one for the father and one for his oldest son. In the Amazon rainforest, the machete is the most important item anyone can own. The locals refer to their machete as their 'second wife.' Everything they do in the forest involves the machete; they are not cheap (about 10 Soles or $3.50) and many don't have the means to replace them regularly. It was easy to see that these were most appreciated, particularly by the son who was just thrilled to have his own tool for helping his father.
After saying goodbye to the family, we headed out to see the village. We were NOT surprised to see the Monte Alegre "Mall" - a covered shed with lots of tables for folks to show off their handicrafts.
Around the village, we also visited the church. Not quite like the church at home, but unmistakable nonetheless.We wandered around the village for a while, attempting to speak with the locals. They don't speak any English and our Spanish was pretty limited, but they made us feel welcome.
Kids of every culture love to play in the dirt ...
After siesta time on the ship, we were off again to the Monte Alegre village, but this time to visit the shaman in her maloca, a teepee-shaped ceremonial house set away from the village.
The maloca is decorated with masks representing her ancestors.
Many of the villages along the Amazon have a shaman (medicine man or woman). The villagers do not have easy access to medical care, as the closest city may be days away by dugout canoe. Thus, they rely on and believe in the practices of the shaman. With Edgard as our translator, we had the chance to ask questions and learn about shamanism in the rain forest.
The shaman was a 27-year old woman named Carolla, a member of the Cocamilla tribe of Indians from deep in the rain forest. Her grandfather was a shaman who invited her at age 14 to participate in a ceremony to determine if she had the "gift."To prepare for the ceremony, she followed a special diet for 2 weeks - mostly fish and bananas - no sugar, no salt, no oil, no alcohol and no sex. She then took a hallucinogenic drink made from the ayahuasca plant, also known as the soul vine or spirit finder.
She studied in the jungle for 8 years to learn about medicinal plants and cures. She would spend 15 days out in the jungle, with periodic returns to the village to serve as apprentice to her grandfather. Her practice includes the combined use of herbs, roots, mysterious concoctions, and conjuring up spirits. Some of her medicines today included ginger root, bark, roots, leaves, seeds, saps, and resin - most of them were mixed with lethal-smelling sugar cane rum.
After our question and answer session, the shaman performed a brief spiritual ritual for the benefit of our prosperity, good health, good luck and safe travels. She opened the ceremony with a prayer - in spite of the fact that the church won't recognize the shamans, she sees herself as a devout Catholic. She then chanted and sang in her native language, shook leaves over our heads, blew tobacco smoke around the teepee, and then said a blessing. A very interesting experience.
Another lovely Amazon sunset and then it's time for more music.Tonight's band was Marden y los Homeboys - no pictures tonight - they looked a lot like last night's band.
After dinner, instead of hitting the sack, we were back in our excursion boat for a night-time discovery along the Yanayacu River. Ever wonder who or what comes out at night in the jungle? It's for sure the stars come out - quite a spectacle for city folks who have forgotten what DARK means.
We heard more than we saw - sitting there in the dark, we could hear frogs, toads, birds, insects, fish, and dolphins. We went around with a big spotlight looking for eyes along the river - it's pretty hard to see them, but our guide Edgard and naturalist Neil were fearless in their pursuit. We did see a couple of night hawks, including a Great Potoo. And Neil caught a couple of frogs - the larger Gladiator Frog and the small Polka Dot Frog.
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