The great adventure began with an 18 hour bus ride to northern Brazil (the state of Pará), followed by a frantic two-day shopping spree in the small city of Sao Felix do Xingu on the Xingu River, one of the largest rivers on the Amazon. The campers ran to and fro, bargaining and comparing prices, consulting one another and giving tips, and taking some and ignoring others. A couple of times, we found out the grass was in fact greener on the other side. Nathy realized she could have bought a swiss army Xingu knife for 25 Brazilian realis as opposed to 79, but the rest of us assured her that her super sharp, stainless steel knife would be our survival ticket in the jungle.
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| Xingu knife: Little did I know how important it would be. |
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| Trying out our hammocks in Sao Felix |
While in Sao Felix, the opportunity opened up for me to briefly visit a health post for the indigenous people group Kayapo. I don't usually write poems (and that will become obvious), but my visit and smiling with the children inspired these lines:
Tell me what you see.
Tell me what you know.
Your smile tells a story
Of God´s splendor with its glow.
A handshake and a smile,
Perfect strangers, yet we met.
And now you´re in my story
With a smile I won´t forget.
This is what I see.
This is what I know.
Now I´m in your story, too...
(Your smile told me so).
I love meeting new people and forming friendships that last. So, there is a sort of sad reality that sinks in when a first meeting comes to an end, knowing it will likely be the first and last. But I´ve also learned that this is where trust comes in--trust in the omnipresent God, who is sovereign and unchanging. People flow in and out of my life, but God´s presence remains.
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| Preparing lunch on the back of the boat |
October 3rd: Gator Island
After learning how to hang a hammock properly with a mosquito net in Sao Felix, the crew (13 total) packed our bags, filled our water bottles, and hit the Xingu River for yet another two day trip. I knew we'd eat lunch on the boat, but I figured (silly American me) that we´d have PB&J sandwiches or something that could be slapped together in a jiffy (ha!). Not quite. Three of my fellow travelers sliced meat and peeled greens right at the ship´s stern. As I later learned, the same platform we cooked on was also the designated squatty pot and bathing area. We had huge pots full of rice, beans, beef and tomato..and of course, farinha sprinkled on the side in the Brazilian tradition.
At nightfall, we stopped at a little island inhabited by creepy, white mosquitos and gnats galore. It was hard to stomach the idea of eating with bugs swarming all around in the dark, knowing more than a few would hitch a ride on the Fork Express. But we ate. We also enjoyed a bit of excitement when our leader, Tchiwere, shined a flashlight on the surface of the water near the sand bank, and something caught his eye--a small jacaré or caiman/alligator. Well, we changed our bathing plans, tiptoeing in groups of three to the stern to bathe by the bucket instead of the river.
We stayed up for awhile to listen to Tchiwere´s stories of adventures from previous camping trips. His wife, Tia Alili, expertly held a citronella candle upside down, letting the wax drip onto a pan, then flipped the candle over onto the wax to hold it in place. I also found out about a natural, homemade bug repellent that actually smells kinda good and works well:
Put cloves and cinnamon inside of rubbing alcohol. Let sit for four days. Mix with Johnson baby oil.
Unfortunately, I dont know the amounts of the ingredients, but there are online recipes also if you google search "natural repellents".
October 4th: Arrival to island base:
Bugs! Eeek! While digging moats around our tents for periodic heavy rainfall, we came across plenty of creepy crawlies, including millipedes and cockroaches. The next day, while hacking away at vines to clear a space for all of our training activities, we uncovered a few scorpions in the sandy dirt. In short, there are big bugs and venemous insects everywhere.
After two nights in a stuffy tent, I tried out my hammock in a snake, scorpion and tarantula-inhabited hut, partly because I wanted to get use out of my R$80 mosquito net. It took me awhile to fall asleep initially, but you can imagine it only got harder after hearing about the top of the food chain on the island---jaguars.
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| Making Waves on the Xingu River |
I'm without a phone, computer, watch, alarm, and music. The intense sun is the hour hand. The clanging of the meal bell is the minute hand. Beads of sweat are a constant reminder that a month in this exotic, wild place will be challenging, but good. I dont have means of connecting with family and friends, but I have my fellow campers to laugh and joke around with, to ponder and discover with every day.
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