EXPLORING THE AMAZON
This is a classic case of a story that you will never believe it unless you see it with your own eyes. Far away from modernism, technology, pollution, corruption and hostilities that some of us see on TV, other of us actually live in, there is a lost but clean and so pure wold. It's an awe-inspiring place where people work together to survive and share in the beauty that surrounds them, protecting the nature and living in communion with the nature. Where poverty as we intend it does not exist, it is just a simple way of living, where food is in abundance but never discarded. Also the green you'll see it's a shade of green that you'll never see anywhere else!
Below you will see some images of the community from Boca Da Valeria, Brazil and a few villages around.
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| The first image once the tender boats docked ashore is the youngest part of the community welcoming you and guiding you through the village in return a small remuneration of a few American dollars. It is overwhelming as they all try to capt your attention and you do not know who to pick. I preferred to walk alone and just observe the environment. |
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| Together with another couple, we have hired a local fisherman to takes us up the river to see other villages as well. We paid 30 USD for 2 hours and he took us into his village. The boat with the red cover that you see in the picture was our boat. |
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| Locals were very friendly and did not seem bothered by our visit. |
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| Local young entrepreneur finding a way of making a few coins with his birds. |
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| For many, this could mean poverty, but for me was just a normal way of living, close to nature and consuming only what is needed. |
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| Love story |
TRIBES OF AMAZON - MANAUS
Umuri Diro Mahsa
Brazil’s Amazon is home to more un-contacted tribes than anywhere in the world. There are thought to be at least 100 isolated groups in the rain-forests, according to the government’s Indian Affairs Department. Umuri Diro Mahsa is one of them and you can enjoy these amazing images below.
We have been told if we have any symptoms of flu, fever or even a common cold that we should not visit the village. Reason being that the rain-forest residents are being infected with diseases they have no immunity against as Western culture encroaches on their homeland.
We arrived by boat in one of the villages after a journey of over an hour from Manaus.
The local tour operator pays a certain fee to the tribes in order to bring tourists and once they are ready for a visit they will raise a white flag along the river at the entry of their village as a sign that the group can come.
The access from the boat to the village is made through this wooden pontoon as you can see in the below picture.
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| First to greet us is one of the eldest women of the tribe |
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| The ceremony hut is where all guests are received and where they also held tribe meetings |
Once everyone sits down all members of the tribe, including children are passing by to shake your hand as a welcome gesture. The garment they all wear is used only for ceremonies and celebrations and our arrival is one.
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| According to his saying the collar he is wearing is made with Jaguar teeth, which he caught himself |
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Once the introduction was made all women of the tribe are asked to step outside the hut and turn with their back toward the hut. The reason being that some of the men will perform a show with an instrument that is considered sacred and women are prohibited to see it or to use it. The woman who violates the prohibition stands condemned to death and any man who shows the instrument is obliged to kill himself or be killed by his fellowmen.
Once this performance is done, women are invited back to the hut to perform along with the men a ritual dance.
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| The chief of the tribe |
One way of bringing some income in the village is the selling of the handmade souvenirs. With the money earned, they buy medicine mostly. Unfortunately, none of us could buy anything we were leaving the country by sea water and we were expecting an inspection from the Brazilian customs and as the law of Brazil forbids to buy any animal souvenirs. In all Amazon countries the sale of wild animals (except fish), including their skins, feathers or other parts (claws, skulls, etc.) is illegal even though some of these specimens can be found in local markets and curio shops.
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| The so-called kitchen is of common use for all members of the tribe. Most tribes live entirely off the forests, savannas, and rivers by a mixture of hunting, gathering and fishing. They grow plants for food and medicine and use them to build houses and make everyday objects. |
They have the ethnobotanical knowledge and are aware of their conservation role, indigenous peoples have an unrivaled knowledge of their plants and animals, and play a crucial role in conserving biodiversity. Guaraná, the fizzy cola drink in Brazil, was known to the Brazilian Indian tribes long before it was commercialized. They would roast the seeds, grind them into a powder mixed with water, and drink it before setting off on a hunt. The Guaraná ensured they did not feel hungry and had enough energy to keep hunting.
Some shamans of tribes drink ayahuasca, a brew made from the caapi vine, during healing sessions. Others like smoke tobacco, or inhale it as snuff.
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| Love story happening outside the ceremony area, moments that I have surprised while I was exploring the village |
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| The feet of the chief have a bracelet made of fruit shells |
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| They paint their faces with the natural black genipapo dye and decorate themselves with natural fibers |
I left this place daydreaming. The way these people leave, away from any corrupt civilization, away from wars and envy, away from technology make me feel jealous. Made me realize that modernism and automation brought also vices that I have never accepted and now I realize it is actually possible to escape from those. For me, these people are the richest people in the world and their means of living are simple and effective.
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