Last Days

admin — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 19:34:32 +0000

Oh god. My last days are finally here. I can’t believe it. In some ways it feels like I’ve been here forever and in other ways it seems the time has passed in the blink of an eye. I’m getting more comfortable with the Machiguenga language and trying to speak it as much as possible. The Machis have noticed because they are speaking to me more in Machiguenga. We’ve been doing a lot of work these days. Miguel, Samuel, and Fabian just returned from Maizal on a mission to collect a bunch of leaves to repair the front awning. With them they brought a new Machi, Nicanor. He is really cool and we pal around a lot. He always cracks up when I say stuff in Machiguenga. While repairing the awning they taught me how to weave the roofs. It’s a really simple design but it holds up against the hardest rains. I was excited to learn that. I have realized that I have a few nicknames now too. When we joke with each other, the Machis call me “Keshui.” When we play soccer they shorten it to “Ketti,” and every now and then they call me “tyapiniaki,” which means “where did you find that” or “where are you” (I think). I don’t really understand that one but I’m cool with it. I’ve been working to finish up the signs to mark the trails in the camp, mostly to mark where the rooms and bathrooms are. I painted both the English words and the Machiguenga words for house (pankotsi) and barthroom (noshita) on the signs to help teach tourists a bit of Machiguenga. One by one, I’ve been saying goodbye to the guides and motorists who come through with groups. I’ve seen many of them multiple times and am sad to leave them too. There are some great people out here in the rainforest. All in all, I’ve had no problems here at Casa Machi. I wear shorts and a t-shirt every day and barely get bit by mosquitos. I got food sickness once but it was my fault because I ate celery that I didn’t properly wash. I’ve only seen two snakes and neither of them bit me. All is good….

Tsonga

admin — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 19:33:21 +0000

It is august 17th and as I am writing this entry I’m cruising down the Manu River which marks the beginning of my exit from Casa Machi. So I’ve got a few good stories to tell before this is over. Yesterday, my last day at the lodge, I decided I should walk through the jungle to say goodbye to all my surroundings. Ines, a biologist who came to stay at Casa Machi accompanied me on the trek. It was a warm, bright, sunny afternoon so we took the trail to Cocha Salvador. At this point, I had been to the jungle so many times that I felt totally comfortable and fearless. I had only seen one snake, learned how to deal with peccaries, and never seen a jaguar so what did I have to fear? It was a good day for spotting animals. We saw two different monkey groups, a flock of macaws, and a toucan in the first thirty minutes of our journey. We were about ten minutes from the lake, and since we had already spotted a bunch of animals, I began to drift into a stream of consciousness without paying attention to my surroundings. I walked peacefully as I reflected upon my time in Manu park and joked to myself that life back in California would never be the same because of all the wonderful things I had seen and done. I think I was a little too deep into my head because I tripped over a gnarled root that was protruding onto the surface of the forest floor. Whoops. “Pay more attention to where you are walking,” I thought. I pressed on keeping a closer eye on the path below me. A few minutes passed and I knew we were close so I looked up to see if I could catch a glimpse of the lake, and there it was. Standing perpendicular to the path about ten feet ahead of me, exposed in a patch of sunlight was a huge, yellow orange jaguar. Oh my god. I jumped back instantly and said, “Matsonsori, matsonsori! (jaguar, jaguar).” My dialogue reveals the whirlwind of thoughts that were racing through my mind because Ines didn’t speak any Machiguenga and I used their word for jaguar. Pure reflex. No forethought at all. No mix of words can describe the emotions I felt in that instant. I was scared because I had never encountered this beast before and there were no Machis to advise me of the proper conduct. I was also amazed to see such a powerful and beautiful animal up so close in the wild. My hands were tingling. I couldn’t move. We locked eyes for a brief moment and then it shuffled off into the thicket. Looking back on it, I think I was in a mild state of shock. We both stayed in our places for a minute, or was it two? I’m not sure because all sense of time and place went out the window when I saw it. After what felt like an eternity of silence I exploded. “Did you see that! No way! I Don’t believe it!” Ines laughed and shook her head. I was walking on air. It almost felt unreal. I replayed the memory in my mind over and over and over each time falling further into disbelief. We wanted to be safe so we turned back to the camp. I couldn’t stop talking. I didn’t care if I was being annoying. “It was so close! We stared right into each others eyes! That thing could have torn us apart!” Ecstatic, I was purely ecstatic. Upon entering Casa Machi I bolted to the office to find Jose Luis on the radio, “Joselo! Noneakeri matsonsori! (Jose, I saw a jaguar!).” I proceeded to regale them with the tale of my close encounter and they laughed at my excited demeanor. The rest of the day I was walking on air. There wasn’t a thing in the world that could have gotten me down. I must have played that memory a thousand times over before I went to sleep that night. Wouldn’t you know it? My last day there I finally saw a jaguar. The next morning was sad. We were to leave at 5:20 am but I awoke at four and spent the morning sitting outside watching the moon. At five, the Machis rose and I went to the office to spend my last minutes with my forest brothers and sisters. After attending four different colleges in two different states, I was fairly experienced in the realm of goodbyes. I thanked them for being so good to me and told them how amazing the time I spent with them was. We spent the remaining minutes loading up the boat. When everything was ready to go, I told them I would return and if I didn’t I would surely contact them through the radio. I held back the tears that were welling up in my eyes as I turned to board the boat. Tsonga (it is over). Needless to say I was depressed on the ride out. Ciro, the cook, kept trying to talk to me but I didn’t want to say anything. I sat in quiet contemplation and felt alone among a group of ten. Luckily, there were a few distractions ahead to take my mind off things. Thirty minutes down river we saw a tapir drinking at the waters edge and ten minutes after that there was another jaguar on the river banks. Both were too quick to get a photo but I didn’t mind. However, thirty more minutes down the river we saw two jaguars lounging on a beach. Mario, the motorist, stopped the boat and we were all treated to a great show as they didn’t run away. I must have taken thirty pictures of the pair including one where the male mounted the female! She wasn’t in the mood I guess because as he got on top of her she let out a fierce yelp and he quickly dismounted. Check the photos, they are epic. I don’t know how to end this as it is my last blog entry. Nothing I can say will capture my sentiment. Thanks to everyone who made this project possible; my family (all of you whom I couldn’t live without), Erik, Ulla and Abraham at ATP, the Machiguengas, Vanessa, Satu, Ciro, Cristiano and Darwin, Javier, Jorge, all of the tourists I met (special shout out to Rod, Emma, Sergi, Irene, and Roser) and everyone else, you all rock so very hard. To anyone who might have read this, come see the place for yourself, it is absolutely out of this world. See you back on the golden shores of California…

August 9th

admin — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 19:32:48 +0000

Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeew! It’s a blazing hoe summer day here in the Peruvian Amazon. Im sitting in the dining room waiting for my breakfast to cook so I thought I’d make a blog entry. Last week we had another full house and it went smoothly. It was a fun few days. The first group was a bunch of Peruvians from Lima who were all very kind and polite. The Machis felt comfortable with them because they spoke Spanish so we played a huge game of soccer with them and me and the Machis won by a landslide! They made me play goalie though because I don’t play so well. A bit boring for me but I didn’t mind. Id rather play goalie well than disappoint the Machis with my inferior skills in the field. Jose Luis demonstrated how to use the Machi bow and arrow and the tourists were stoked. After they all tried it out they pressured me into demonstrating as well because I was “experienced.” I was nervous. I hadn’t been practicing and they put me on the spot. However, I nailed the target second try and felt good about my self. The second group was three women from Spain. They didn’t talk to us much but were also very polite and friendly. The third group came with Vanessa and was a mixed bunch of Germans and Spaniards. One night the tourists from Spain (Catalunya to be exact), Vanessa, Jose Luis, Miguel, and I sat outside the office and talked for a while. That was cool because Jose Luis and Miguel were very talkative and not shy at all. They were joking and laughing and asking lots of questions of the tourists. I was happy to see them so animated with a group. Well, my exit is rapidly approaching and I must say I’m not looking forward to it. I don’t want to leave my new friends who are now like family. A few nights ago, I was talking to Jose Luis and Miguel and Jose told me that he was happy I came and that we had been treating each other like “ige (my brother).” That made me so happy. I felt very close to my Machiguenga friends. Its been amazing here. I cant wait to come back. The jungle is totally different than other tourist destinations like Cusco or Machu Picchu. You don’t have a bunch of people running all over the place trying to suck up every ounce of experience, just a vast, lush territory full of exotic plants and animals. I must say I really prefer it to any of the other places I’ve been in Peru so far. You must come and check it out for yourself. Come see what the world was like before concrete, shopping malls, and television. It will blow you away.

Soaps and Light and Disrespect

admin — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 19:32:37 +0000

Wow. We had a full house this week. Literally every room was occupied. I had to sleep in the office with Jose Luis and Miguel. There was one group of Americans from Colorado with a guide I didn’t know, and another group with Vanessa. In addition to that three Peruvians working for Parks Watch showed up unannounced and wanted to stay one night. Jose Luis, being as generous as he is couldn’t say no, so we were packed. Once again the Vanessa hypothesis was proven. Because the Machis feel comfortable with her, they are more likely to talk with her tourists. I must mention again that Vanessa is available through Amazon Trails Peru, an excellent tour operator based in Cusco. There was, however, a few small problems that came to pass. The first issue was with the Colorado group. The day of their arrival they asked their motorist to petition Jose Luis for an ayahuasca session. Jose Luis explained that the season for ayahuasca taking was over and to proceed drinking would be dangerous. He had previously explained this to me and revealed that they (Jose Luis and the other Machi who were at the lodge) don’t take ayahuasca between mid July and the beginning of October because the sun is so hot. For this reason fire can appear to the ayahuasca taker and cause spiritual or physical harm. Whats more is that snakes are more apt to appear during this time and illness can be incurred as well. I hung out with the Colorado group at night and chatted for a spell. They also asked me about ayahuasca. Had I taken it, how many times, what it was like and why they couldn’t take it. I explained to them directly the dangers associated with taking ayahuasca during the hot months and told they had to respect this cultural tradition. Nevertheless, the next day they once again asked their guide to request an ayahuasca session from Jose Luis. I was pissed. To me, asking again after Jose Luis already said no was very disrespectful. First of all, the ayahuasca ceremony is special, not just some product that is bought and sold. Often, the Machis are kind enough to share this wonderful experience but they do so out of kindness and a desire to expose others to the marvels of their culture. Second, where is the respect for cultural traditions? Jose said no, so that means no! They just don’t take it at this time. Sorry for the negativity but that episode really angered me. The other problem sprang from the “Parks Watch” group. As I said before they showed up totally unannounced and were lucky that Jose Luis let them stay the night. Jose and I scrambled to prepare their rooms with sheets and mosquito nets so they could relax after the long boat ride they had taken. One of the rooms they had to occupy was the room I was staying in. I must admit, I am a pretty messy person when it comes to my room so as you can imagine my stuff was strewn all over. I hurried to shove it all under one of the beds and as I was doing so one of the “Parks Watch” members started to complain. He told me in a very loud and aggressive voice, “I’m paying forty dollars to stay here I should have a clean room.” I didn’t like this. I pushed all my stuff under the bed, all of it! It was not inconveniencing him in any way yet he had to complain. I made it clear to him in an assertive voice that my articles were totally out of the way and that they had to accept what we gave them because they didn’t have a reservation. I wanted Jose Luis to kick them out. But they were bringing money to the Machis and I knew he would never do that. After the rooms were set up Jose and I went to light the candles in the paths through the camp. He asked me in a worried voice, “Is that man mad?” The emotion he was conveying to me told me that the episode regarding my luggage had frightened him or at least made him uneasy. I remembered what I had read in the ethnographies of Glen Shepard and Carolina Izquierdo about the Machis fearing situations in which there are strong emotions, like anger, or a clash of desires. I assured him everything was ok and told him not to worry. He shook it off like a champ and we finished the work for the night. This episode also angered me. These guys came in out of nowhere and then started demanding things and stressing the Machis. How rude. How inconsiderate. And they claimed their mission was to help Manu Park and its people. Ok, that’s it for the negativity, no more.

In other news, we made six new towel hangers and six new door handles to improve the rooms that were previously lacking them. Part of my work here is to determine if the activities at Casa Machi are having an impact on the environment. I think a big problem is the soap that is being used by tourists and the Machis themselves. Tourists bring in basic shampoo and body soaps to shower off and the Machis are using regular laundry detergent to clean their clothes and the bathrooms. So all of this stuff gets washed into the Manu River and I’m sure that can’t be good for the environment. We need to get a hold of some earth friendly biodegradable soaps which will drastically reduce any negative environmental impact. I’d really love to see Manu Park live on for future generations. Another thing I noticed is the lights being used here are totally outdated. They use up too much electricity and don’t put out enough. I know there are greener technologies out there. I will have to take both of these issues up with the administrator in Cusco. Other than that everything is going well and I’m loving life in the jungle. Its so casual and tranquil. I’m dreading my return to the crowded Cusco streets but I’ve still got a while here. Until next time, ciao amigos, be well.

The Animals Were Out

admin — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 19:29:23 +0000

So Im in the first week of July here and its been raining heavily four days in a row. Needless to say our work has been put on hold, well, at least the outdoor things. Ive been using the time to make what I am calling, “Mandatory Machiguenga,” a list of important words that will help tourists interact with the Machis. Im thinking if the tourists can speak a few Machiguenga words, it will help the Machis to be more social. When the rain lets up every now and then I take walks around the camp to look for any structural problems that can be fixed. There’s not too many, actually. A few of the doors don’t have handles on the inside and a couple more towel racks here and there wouldn’t hurt, but I’m saving that for sunnier days when we can venture into the jungle and get supplies. The next group is due on the eleventh so until then I figure we can hang out inside and keep warm while teaching each other our languages. Be well, maika noate (now Im going).

Hello again! All is well here at Casa Machi and the sun is shining brighter than ever! Jose Luis told me the rest of my time should be hot and sunny with little rain. This week we finished construction on the new paths through the camp and both the Machis and I are satisfied with the results. The group on the eleventh proved to be a good experience for all. Jose Luis and Miguel greeted the tourists in English upon their arrival and on the second day bid them a, “good afternoon.” I was stoked. As Jose Luis always says, “poco a poco (little by little)” they are shuffling off their shyness. The guide for the group was Vanessa, my favorite guide. She’s really friendly and cares a lot about the Machiguengas. Plus she lets me eat with her groups! The animals were out this week! The day after the second ayahuasca ceremony I rose early to accompany the group to Cocha Salvador and Cocha Otorongo. On the way I met Rod and Emma, two travelers who were taking a, “midlife sabbatical” and traveling all over South America. I think they had been on the road two months and were going to continue for another four or so? Anyway, they were so cool! Definitely the best guests who have come through so far. Both of them were doctors and very smart and friendly. Good conversationalists too. Emma had done some work with an indigenous group in Canada and Rod had worked with the Aboriginies in Australia. Needless to say we had plenty to talk about and got along just fine. Meeting people like them is one of the best parts of traveling. The Salvador otters weren’t out that day, but on the way to Otorongo we spotted an adult giant otter hanging out on the banks of the river. It was sweeeet! I had never seen an otter fully out of the water before. It stayed long enough for everyone to snap a few photos and that boosted the group morale after the disappointment at Salvador. Over at Otorongo we saw even more otters and I shot a great video. As Rod said, “We just couldn’t get rid of them that day.” However, the otters at the lake were not pleased with our presence and warned us off (listen to their warning calls in the video I will post.)/. We didn’t want to stress them so we left the dock where we were and headed to the viewing tower a hundred yards or so away. Luck was on our side once again and we could see them from the top of the tower swimming and fishing for sardines. We also saw some caimans, turtles, and a couple cormorants. After Otorongo we returned to Casa Machi for lunch and some relaxation time. I was eager to catch up with Jose Luis and Miguel because I hadn’t talked to them since the ceremony the previous night so I headed straight to the office when we arrived. We laughed and chatted about what went down. Everyone was feeling good. Later, the group went a bit further upriver to explore and look for animals. I opted not to go because I was still catching up with my buds. When the group came back they gave me some bad (good) news…they saw a jaguar! I was so jealous because I still hadn’t seen one. At dinner, a heated conversation ensued. One group of tourists insisted that it was better for the Machiguengas to stay completely cut off from outside influences and that they should not even be operating Casa Machiguenga. I had to contest. Not only is Casa Machiguenga a big source of pride for the native communities Tayakome and Yomybato, but many of the Machis are curious about the outside world. While I do agree that it is important for them to retain their culture and be careful with outside influences (tobacco, alcohol, refined sugar), I don’t believe it would be right to deny them the opportunity to experience new things. The tourists were not moved by anything I or Rod and Emma (who were on my side) had to say in opposition to their opinions. Rod, Emma, and I had to leave the table because our tempers were boiling and we didn’t want anything ugly to happen…ahahhah.