THE AMAZON JUNGLE

After eating, Ed fished for piranha, and I went into the catamarans, still in the pouring rain, looking for birds and other wildlife. You must use binoculars to see anything of birds. The vegetation is very tall and dense. Birds cannot be seen well with the naked eye, and pictures were impossible. We could not dare to take our cameras out of their waterproof containers in the continuous downpours. I must say that the birds I saw were unique and beautiful. Many colorful parrots, macaws, birds with large plumes on their heads, whose names I can't remember, and lots of others whose names I can't remember, either. The butterflies are the most colorful I have ever seen. Ed had some nibbles, but was not able to hook a fish.

Our plans had been to swim in the river,even though it contains those supposedly deadly fish Ed was trying to catch, and caiman as well, but those plans were changed by the weather. Caiman feed only at night, so they do not bother daytime swimmers, and piranah are, for the most part, vegetarian. They do not pose a threat. The native people swim, bathe, and fish in these waters on a daily basis. Another of our plans was to sleep at the camp that night, but we changed our minds when we realized that sleeping on mattresses on a floor constructed of palm tree trunks, on stilts above the jungle floor, surrounded by mosquito nets, would be really difficult for us. Especially with this weather. We are not youngsters anymore. A few people in our group did stay in the camp and told us it was a wonderful experience. They had seen wild boar, and some large predatory birds. Instead of sleeping at the camp, we walked over that same hair-raising boardwalk, and rode in the dugouts for another two hours, back to the flotel. As we passed, native people sat on the banks of the river and watched us go by. It was still raining when we arrived, and again, it was just in time for dinner.

After eating, and another briefing about the next day's plans, we went up to the sundeck and watched the stars and listened to the jungle sounds. To our surprise, the boat began to move. It had been repaired while we had been traipsing through the wild terrain. Again today, we had no problem as far as bugs were concerned.

At 7:00 the next morning, we got into the dugouts, still in the pouring rain, with our ponchos on, and knee-high rubber boots. We traveled just an hour down the river this time, to a Cofan village. The Cofans are one of the many native Indian tribes that live in the jungle. When we arrived, we were introduced to the bathrooms. One path for women, and a different path for the men. It was what they called "Nature's Bathrooms". There was deep mud everywhere. When everyone gathered together after their trip to the 'bathrooms', we went on a jungle walk with a Cofan guide who introduced us to the various medicinal plants, and how they use them. It was VERY interesting and informative.

After our walk, we went back to the village, and we saw their various handicrafts. We got to see how they live, how their houses (huts) are constructed, and how the kitchen facilities work. Of course, they, too, use Nature's bathrooms. We also had the opportunity to try out the blowguns they still use to hunt with.

The thatch roofs on the huts are made from extremely long palm leaves found in the jungle. These leaves are 15 feet long, or longer. They are folded in half at the vein, and tied to roof beams made from slender tree trunks. They are tied with roots that hang from the trees. The first leaf is tied down, then the second leaf is laid half-way over the first, and so on. This is done much the same way our roofing shingles are laid. The roofs do not leak. They are wonderful.

The floors of the huts are made from palm tree trunks, cut in half, so they are half-round. When their hut begins to deteriorate, they just cut new lumber, and build a new one.

The kitchens have a barbecue type stove. It is a large metal grate, laid over a raised pit, filled with charcoal. The steps going into the huts are made from balsa wood. When a family goes out, they pick up the steps, which just lean against the hut, and turn them around backwards, to let visitors know that no one is home.

The walls are made from bamboo, and are only half-walls, which is evident in the pictures. Some huts now have a solar panel in the thatch roof, which supports one electric light bulb. Most have no electricity at all.

The villages are very small. There are only a few families that live in each village. The natives dress in typical American style clothing,mostly jeans, shorts, and tee-shirts. They still dress in their native clothing for ceremonies and other events that pertain to their culture. We were not allowed to take pictures here, as the people really don't want to be 'on display'. Before we left, we gave a bag of candy to the children. They were thrilled with it.