Demarcation Diaries
30 August to 1 September 2001
The team remains busy with preparations. From time to time our
boat has to slow down, even stop as we were nearly stranding on
a newly formed beach. This river is still very dynamic and as
such beaches form in places where it was quite a deep last year.
A few times, we had to turn back and look for another route.
We stopped in Tefe to pick up Kontau , our volunteer from China.
He joined the boat and we sailed out of Tefe heading for the entrance
of the Jurua river.
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People are already getting used to the Brazilian siesta
after lunch. It's not surprising, it is so hot at times that
you burn your feet on deck when trying to walk barefoot. My
thermometer that is placed on the table near my laptop, shows
37.5 degrees Celsius in the shade at times! |
In the evening we find ourselves surrounded by a huge lighting
storm. In the Amazon they are quite common, but this one was really
amazing. Impossible to have nicer or more amazing fireworks then
these. Have you ever seen the old Frankenstein films? The lighting,
the water, all this life inside the forest, for me the Amazon
is simply like a huge kitchen where life is created.
We are approaching the mouth of the Jurua river and sandbanks
are getting worse. Even with the moon smiling on us, we cannot
see the sandbanks until we are very close to them. Daylight the
next morning makes the difference and we enter the Jurua.
The river is still large but you can't compare it with the Solimoes!
From now on we will sail south. Actually we will sail in all directions,
but moving south, this description might help you understand the
river a continuous combination of curves.
We identify our first log raft on Jurua river. Flavio says
that as many log rafts have been caught during the normal
season, but they may wait until dry season to transport logs
since nobody will be looking for them in this time of the
year, interesting idea. |
First
log raft seen on the river Jurua |
We have been together for a few days now and I have a better
idea about the different skills of the group. I talked to Paula
(Team C) , Ian (Team B) and Bryan (team A) and they agreed to
be the leaders of their respective volunteers teams.
Each group will consist of not only Greenpeace people, but also
our Deni friends, colleagues from the non-governmental group CIMI
(the Indigenous Missionary Council) and a few others.
In total there will be about 15 people in each group, that means
big pots and pans for cooking, lots of food to be carried, medical
suitcases, solar panels, communication equipment and more - a
nice challenge for the teams.
Members of each team will take turns as cook, and I asked our
onboard cook to show the entire group the basics on how to cook
rice, beans and even spaghetti for so many people in the forest.
Sounds easy but it isn't... this here is Brazil and we will cook
the Brazilian way. Also do not forget that we have lots of nationalities
involved, people will become real Brazilian chefs after this trip!
Ribamar shows everyone the fishing kits with special iron protection
for the piranhas, a small 10cm long steal piece that is put between
the hook and the line, otherwise the sharp teeth of the piranhas
will cut the line. It is easy to catch piranhas for food if you
can't catch anything else and you're
hungry. I remember eating lots of them during my first expedition
to the Deni, land.
We will also have one medic per team, each of them will have
the necessary equipment and medication to deal with most situations
that might occur in the jungle. The base hospital on the Comte
Savio and team C on the Cunuia will be the only ones that will
have anti-venemous snake, spider and whatever serums available.
In case of accident or illness, the medic on the ground will
be able to deal with first help and smaller problems. In case
the medic on the ground judges that the illness or problem needs
special care, we will take that person back to the better equipped
hospital on the base boat, Comte Savio. In case of real emergency
we will be able to pick this person out of the bush with the help
of Tweety, our helicopter that will be on standby near the Comte
Savio.
In the evening I had some interesting conversations with Falvio,
the captian, and Ribamar. Flavio hasn't sailed on the Jurua river
since the mid-80s. He is surprised how much it has changed.
He mentioned that all the river banks were full of tracajas,
the local river turtles, then. The banks would be black with the
umber of them, but he has not seen a single one this trip. The
beaches are empty.
It is the same situation for the fish. It used to be easy to fish
here, fish were constantly jumping. You wanted to fish , you just
dropped a net, easier then shopping in the supermarket.
Some folks, not the ribeirinhos living here, but people that
only want to make money without any respect for their surroundings,
when they see lots of Tracajas or fish, they drop huge nets.They
surround the fish and everything in the water is simply pulled
up to the beaches - they get it all!
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Anyway, sad stories to listen to while your thoughts drift.
The moon continues smiling and lighting our way.
That's all for now,
Man
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