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Jungle Love
Just one of the millions of amazingly huge trees in the Amazon!He stopped like a bird dog on the prowl. His left leg frozen in a bent, half-way-there position. His ears perked and his head cocked slightly to the side. We had learned after days of following him though the jungle that whatever movement he made, we were to do the same, and so, we froze. For three days we followed our fearless Amazon leader, Orlando, like children playing a game of “Follow the Leader”. If one of us failed to do as Orlando, we were in a very grown-up way, considered to be “out”…out of luck that is. We followed this stranger as if we had known and trusted him for years, fully aware that if he were to leave our side, we would be lost for a long, long, time. Knowing what we wanted to see (our ultimate jungle “high” would be to spot a Jaguuar or Puma), but never really knowing exactly what we were looking for (or were we listening for something?), we bumbled along, stepping on each others’ heels, daydreaming, and sweating profusely in our “mosquito-proof” long-sleeved shirts and pants. Unlike the spider-web dodging gringos behind him, Orlando was completely tuned in to the jungle- to its
Griff with Monkeys
The monkeys were still a little shy, and a uick movement would scare them away, but if you were still they were happy to visit. Their tiny fingers felt strangly like soft human baby hands. sounds, sights and even its smells. His head was full of everything Amazon, and we were there to learn from the our slightly-built guide, who spoke only of the jungle, breathed only the jungle, and was the only one of us on the trail who was completely at peace within the jungle. Though he spoke very little, his words were full of wonder, “This tree is called ‘Garlic, Garlic’ Orlando would explain while cutting away the tiniest chunk of bark from the tree and passing it around for all six of his faithful followers to smell. (Well, what do you know, it smells like garlic!) “This is used by humans as natural insect repellent, they rub it on their skin and the mosquitoes stay away. The animals use it for this purpose as well, but they ingest it. For months afterward, their flesh smells of strong garlic.” ( Huh, maybe he was on to something, my Deet repellent seemed almost useless to the relentless Amazonian mosquitoes!)
The jungle has everything one needs to survive; you just have to know how to use it. With all the life-saving resources the jungle provides, it produces just as many that can quickly
Boy with Pigs
I love this shot. This little guy wanted to see a photo of himself, but didn´t quite understand the concept. The next photo of him that I took, he is smiling, but I am fond to this shot-showing his genuine confusion of the situation. He lived in a very humble house with a lot of land, in an Amazon community. end or seriously interfere with one’s life. Orlando cut a bit of bark from another tree, and from it a milky juice flowed from the tree's meat. “Now this, is poison. If you ingest this, you will die quickly. During wars here, they used to dip their arrow heads in this sap to assure the death of the enemy.” "And this tree over here is called 'The Devil´s Stick." Again he cut away a tiny piece of bark to reveal thousands of the biggest ants I have ever seen in my life. "These are called 'Twenty-Four Hour Ants', because if they bite you, you will be in terrible pain for twenty-four hours." At that, I was again reminded that staying as close to Orlando as possible, would be my action plan to stay alive, forget this jungle survival silliness. My life would be no farther than the heels of my guide…a city girl can get a little paranoid traipsing around the Amazon.
By the end of hours and hours of hiking in the jungle with Orlando, he had showed us natural remedies for hypertension, diarrhea, several skin diseases, and tons more ailments. However, after three days with Orlando, amidst
Amazon Explorers
Albino, and the three gorgeous German girls- accompanied by Griff and our fab Pampas guide, Negro. the millions of similar looking trees, I could still not properly distinguish one from the other. In short, if you and I are ever in the Amazon together, I am not the one you want to fetch your anti-diarrheal tree-bark from the forest, I may just end up getting rid of a lot more than a sour stomach!
Along with his unending knowledge of flora, Orlando had the fauna pegged as well. We would be walking through the jungle when all of a sudden he would strike his “hunting dog” stance, and let out a strange yelp…he had a ton of them…a monkey call, several bird calls, a wild pig call, and my personal favorite, his alligator call. He demonstrated this to us one evening, during a night walk through the woods. Our destination was the river. We followed Puma tracks to get there, and then he shined his flashlight out over the surface of the water, and in the distance we could see several lumps of wood, floating on top of the water. Orlando then let out a strange sharp mooing sound, which is supposed to sound like a baby alligator in distress. He shined his light over
Anaconda "Hunting"
The grassland in the Pampas floods this time of year, and makes Anacondas almost impossible to find. However, in the dry season, you can find several Anacondas without much difficulty- they get sooo big, that they can swallow a cow! A little creepy to think that even in the high water, like this photo, they still lurk- regardless of our ability to see them or not! the water’s surface again, and the lumps had moved closer, close enough for us to realize that they were not pieces of wood at all, but were lurking alligators! Orlando continued this pattern of making a call, and then shining his light over the water, until all of the alligators were right at the water’s edge. The six of us just sort of looked at each other with big eyes and took a few steps back from the river bank.
After a bit, Orlando suggested that we rest a while, so we all sat down on a log parallel to the river. There was nothing and everything to see. The night was black and the floating clouds had completely blocked out the light of the moon, but directly above us, the sky was vibrant with pinpoints of brilliant light shining down on us. The stars seemed to fall into and behind the dark shadows of the trees that lined the river bed. A shooting star! No, just one of the many lightning bugs dancing amidst the tree leaves. They were there and then gone in a second, flashing and winking their lovely lights at us through the night shadows. The
Mandy and Caman
This Caman was relatively friendly and hung out at the edge-waters of our camp with a competing alligator. Griff had to REALLY coax me into getting this close and then actually turning my head to the camera! only time I had ever seen lightning bugs before the Amazon, was in the Disney Land ride, “Pirates of the Caribbean”. As a child, it had been my favorite part of the entire ride, and here I was living amongst the insects that had waltzed around my carnival cart as a child!
It is impossible to attempt an explanation, or take a photo that can accurately depict for you, the Amazon. One must
hear the Amazon to begin to understand its magic spell. A person could sit with their eyes closed all day and still have the experience of a lifetime, just listening to the sounds of the jungle. In reality, you may only actually see a tenth of what you hear. The swamp reeds hussshhhing under the bottom of your wooden boat and gently vibrating against your feet. A group of parrots sounding their wretched “cries of pain” before flying to the next tree (one would think that there was a domestic dispute in the tip- tops of the palm trees, but upon investigation, all is well). The forceful jaws of a caiman crashing shut, sending shivers down your spine. The pink dolphins calling out a cry for
Flooded Pub
Okay, so the bar itself was not flooded, its entrepreneural owners saw a market and jumped on it, building a bar on stilts, which was not much like a bar really. Inside there were hammocks hanging and a small table with a few choices of pre-packaged cookies and candy. They sold one type of canned beer as well. What a strange sight to fall upon in the middle of the jungle! the birds to come and clean their teeth, as they raise their skinny mouths above water. Howler Monkeys crying out in the early morning in their demon-possessed screams of terror, the wake-up call of the Amazon. There are hundreds of birds and monkeys that you never see, but you can hear hopping from tree to tree, keeping an eye on you. These sounds permeate the Amazon and make a longer lasting impression than anything one can see. The mystery and intensity that is represented by each noise is not soon forgotten.
While the jungle forest is a large part of the Amazon, there exists another area called the Pampas, which was for us, even more intriguing. The Jungle forest is much as one would expect, with one exception. Due to the unending trees, wildlife is difficult to spot. All those PBS specials that I had watched as a kid lead me to believe that the jungle was abounding with Pumas, Jaguars, snakes, and so on….. this is most definitely true. These animals are all there, but PBS was slightly deceiving in that they have months, sometimes years, dedicated to tracking and watching a certain species, in order to properly
"Anaconda Griff"
The day after looking for Anacondas for hours in the Pampas, our guide came accross one in a camp. Griff was bold enough to hold him. (Notice how the snake already has wrapped himself around Griff´s wrist- imagine what it can do in a few years, with a body as wide as the tree in the background of this shot!) document it on film. Three or four days surrounded by thick foliage, is no time at all to view a vast majority of the native wildlife. This is where the Pampas has gained its fame- it is a Mecca for wildlife lovers. The Pampas is basically lowland areas that flood after the rainy season. Much of the wildlife is the same in both areas of the Amazon, but it is much more easily viewed in the Pampas. Another difference is that most exploration in the jungle takes place on foot, while in the flooded Pampas, we spent most of our time on a long, canoe-like wooden boat, with a fifteen horsepower engine.
There were again, only six people in our group- three other really sweet German girls, and an older gentleman from Italy, named Albino (Al-bee-no). Albino spoke both English and Spanish fluently, but somehow I ended up being the translator for three days. (Perhaps it had something with Albino being partially deaf?) I was impressed with how few words I had to ask to be defined, and realized that the time here in South America truly has improved my Spanish. However, having to listen to Albino in both
My number one fear?
Spiders! Can you tell by my face that I was not keen to pose for this shot! Can you belie how gigantic this spider web is? Two people could fit inside that thing! languages was a bit trying at times. I blame very little on his age, he hung in there with the rest of us for the most part, I think most of his abrasive manners were just a part of who Albino has always been. For instance, when he had to go to the restroom in the middle of the night, he woke everyone up with his grumbling, and cussing, assuming that we were all already awake. One morning, when our super cool, extra sweet, Pampas guide, Negro, came in to cheerfully wake us up, Albino quickly snapped back with, “Shut up!” The next morning, he woke up by himself, and then as we were all opening our eyes, he swore four times, just because. At every single meal, there was something that he had to ask for extra. I mean, every single meal!
The cook that we had was amazing, and we were constantly awed by her ability to cook such yummy food in the middle of nowhere. One time she even made us pancakes for breakfast, complete with cheese empanadas, and fresh fruit! Later that day on the boat, I said in English, “I could eat ten more of
Our Camp in the Jungle
Thank God for mosquito nets! Inside all of the simple beds had nets draped over them- a legal requirement for tour operators to provide for their clients in the jungle. Without them there would have been no sleep. those pancakes from this morning!” The cook must have understood enough of what I said, and within two minutes, she pulled some pancakes out of the food bag! She passed them forward, and I laughed at my inability to believe that I was floating down the Amazonian pampas, jungle on either side of me, and monkeys hanging from branches, while I ate a pancake! Albino piped up quickly. “But there is not any jam to put on them?” he asked accusingly. I was then so irritated with him for spoiling my moment, that I acted excited and surprised, “LOOK!” I shouted to the others, “A MONKEY!” I pointed at Albino. “Where? Where?” he asked as he looked around. “Right there- at the front of the boat!” I continued with my game, the others had caught on, but Albino was still confused. “Oh! WOW! This is one of the rare sorts,” I continued, “this breed of monkey is very picky- they only like pancakes with jam, and coffee after every meal, and meat for breakfast, and is constantly asking for the food to be hotter or cooler….yes, this is a rare treat to see such a monkey- boy are we lucky!”
Jungle Survival
This tree branch pours out fresh water, like a fountain! Just one of the survival tecniques Orlando taught us. At this point, Albino had gotten the joke, and he laughed along, as our Pampas guide held his sides and the cook nearly cried. They had been extremely compassionate throughout the trip, regardless of the unending requests they had received.
It is the crazy people, the disappointing occurrences, the twists of fortune that make any trip an adventure. Albino’s contribution to our Pampas adventure is absolutely unforgettable. Along with this Amazonian voyage, we will remember our flight on our tiny plane, and our landing on the grass runway, and then the realization that all eleven passengers were without their luggage, as the airlines personnel had forgotten to load every passenger´s luggage! Our first day in the humid, hot, insect ridden Amazon was spent without bug spray, and with boots and wool socks (we flew in from La Paz, where the weather is chilly). The used car salesmen at the jungle tour agency is also one for the books. He had a "deal" for everyone and his short five minute speal, turned into one hour, at which point we had invested so much time at his office, we were too exhausted to look elsewhere!
Our Amazon experience was greater
than I could have ever expected. The more I see of this world the more I realize how fortunate I am to have this opportunity. A chance to see the animals that have been provided for us to eat, and wear, protect, and watch; the chance to see the way the earth erodes and floods and grows. And even more intriguing is the opportunity to see the way others live, I stand amazed at the diversity and the similarity of the human race.
Even now we are in a small village, called Rurrenabaque, the base pueblo for many Amazon tours, and I’ve made friends with a couple of ladies. They think my name is hilarious (“But Amanda is a LATIN name!”) and they take every opportunity to use it as loudly as they can. They call me from across the street when I am walking by, when we are eating dinner by the river, and passing on the streets. One woman loves for me to oohhh and aaahhhh over her infant son. Not a lot of intimate conversation is shared, but that doesn’t really seem all that important- just the meeting of two worlds, two colors, two souls, seems
"Rurre"- Amazon Pueblo
Most people book their jungle adventures out of this town. to be enough for everyone present to breathe in and appreciate.
Griff and I had some time to kill in Rurrenabaque when we returned from our treks and boat-floats in the jungle, so we signed up to see some of the human life that resides in the jungle deep. This turned out to be a really rewarding experience- we would have missed out on so much had we just settled with seeing the wildlife. We drove over a terrible gravel road in our little “taxi” to three Amazon communities that each had a different trade specialty. This tour was not nearly as popular as the previous Jungle and Pampas tour, so we had our own private experience, to be shared with nobody but the locals. We visited a banana field, surrounded by a forest filled with various types of trees that could be raised and sold for everything from lumber to medicinal purposes. We stopped at a village that harvested jungle fruit and produced wine and jams from the seasonal fruits. (The jam was delicious, but only a half-sip of the wine, and your mouth was filled with the overwhelming taste of vinegar.) My favorite community was one in which
Sunset Woman Selling Goodies
As the Amazon sun sets, this woman awaits the end of her business day. the women had organized a co-op and made various items from woven reeds of jungle grass. I laughed and joked with the ladies, they showed Griff and me how to weave, and by the end of it all, we wished that we had more time to spend getting to know them.
There is sooo much to see on a trip like ours, but without doubt, we are always the most fulfilled after having a meaningful interaction with other humans. It would be easy to become consumed by all that there is to do, and bypass all the people that live these events on a daily basis. What insight they have to offer! What beauty they have to share!
Whether it be the annoying complaints of an aging Italian, or the flattering compliments of an Amazon native, our interactions with people are what touch us the most, annoy us the most, evoke sympathy and joy the most. No matter what corner of the earth you are in, people are still the most likely creatures to get inside your head and your heart. People in the inner-city of LA, in the suburbs of Seattle, in the pueblos of the Amazon, crave one
Play Time
In another Amazon community (the same one with the woman's co-op), this little boy played with one of the few "toys" around. another, search for a smile, and respond to small kindnesses.
Do we do enough on a regular basis to thank each other for just being, well, each other? We race from appointment to appointment, with our phone alarms going off, and our electronic day timers full-up. We race through drive-throughs for dinner, and count the event as proper quality family time. We drown ourselves in work commitments, only to realize that we make the hole deeper… we can say “no” to nobody but those we love.
I could go back to the jungle in twenty years and see some monkeys, having no idea if they were the same ones I saw a few days ago or not. I could float down the same river, and know no difference in its waters. But I cannot say this about humans, about the ones I love and live next to. Humans change every day and then eventually cease. There is only one Mrs. Cho, only one Elliott, only one Heather, only one Kendall.... Has it really taken me a trip into the jungle to realize how amazing
humans are? That's a long ways to go for such a simple lesson.
This
Weaving Woman
I bought a fan that this adorable lady made, and she shyly posed for this photo. She was very flattered and giggled when she saw her image on the camera´s screen. jungle is about as far away from “regular civilization” that I have ever been. One-fifth of the entire world's bird species live in the Amazon. There are over 5000 species of plants there as well! However, more than my amazement of the jungle’s trees and animals, I am left with an experience that people are truly the most interesting creatures on earth- their shortcomings, their happiness, their mistakes, are all part of what makes them marvelous to interact with- in every one of earth's corners.
What if God shuffled by one day, He might see us doing not a thing.
Breathing just to breathe.
We might find some reason, but rushing around seems what's wrong with the world
-Don't lose the dreams inside your head, they'll only be there 'til you're dead.
Dream
Lying on the roof, counting the suns that fill the sky.
I wonder if someone´s in the heaven's looking back down on me-I'll never know.
So much space to believe.
Walking through the wood- no cares in the world.
The world, she´s come to play, she's all mine just for a day!
There's not a moment to lose in the game-
-Don't let the Amazon Children
This is another shot I love because the kids are just being kids The little boy on the right is shooting a sling shot, and the girl in the front is giggling at both of the boys' behavior. troubles in your head steal too much time you'll soon be dead.
So play
It won't be so long now, out of the darkness comes light like a flash.
You think you can, you think you can- sometimes that is the problem.
Dream little darling, dream!
Spinning on the wind, the leaf fell from the limb-
But everyday should be a good day to die
It won't be too long now, every fire dies.
I find it hard to explain how I got here-I think I can, I think I can...
And then again, I will falter
Dream
-Dave Matthews
AND THE WINNER IS....
I have been sending short trivia videos to my fifth graders back in Los Angeles. Each video asks them a few questions about where I am at- I call it, "Where in the World is Mrs. Schutt?". Jamila Cervantes is the first winner! I received a lot of correct answers, but most were not detailed, as I had asked in the video- if you want to play this game, you have to play hard and do your research! Jamila will be receiving a bonus post card from Machu Pitchu! She wrote:
"You
Walking Through the Jungle
This is actually the mother of the boy sitting with the pigs. She was so sweet, and though she could only understand a tiny bit of Spanich (she spoke her own indigenous language), she followed us around her property for a few hours, just soaking up the fact that people had come to HER home! were in Punta Tombo,Ushuaia!!! About 800,000 penguins were in Punta Tombo this year-the largest penguine colony outside of Antarctica! These animals are amazing and very docile. They let you get very close, but watch out, if you press your luck, they peck you and can rip open your flesh with their turned-under, pointy beaks!- those were Mrs.Schutt's words In my words: Penguins are of course black and white!They spend 75% of their time underwater, looking for food.They eat (mainly)fish but they also eat krill,crustaceans,and squid.Their average speed of swimming is 15 miles per hour.They are classifed as the Sphenisciformes and the Spheniscidae family.They are warm blooded.They relie on a thing called "blubber" and two other layers of feathers.Penguins huddle up two keep warm.I think thats all I know!"
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Tom and Mary Louise
non-member comment
Wow!!
Thank you for taking us on such an adventure!! Not sure we would like to be near those spiders and snakes and alligators either!! Admire your bravery to be there and experience all of this world--but, yes the people are the most important!! We love you and pray for your safety in all this traveling!!! Thanks for sharing!!