Demarcation Diaries
6 September, 2001
Hello to the rain, again!
We awoke this morning to a dumping rain. There is a bit of concern
about the weather lately, this is normally the dry season, but
we have had a lot of rain.
It is a bit of a catch-22. We would like the river to be higher,
because at this low level, we are forced to criss-cross looking
for the deepest channels. At the same time, if it rains, it is
going to make our work in the Deni-land bordering on miserable;
trying to keep our communications gear dry, ourselves healthy,
and the work moving.
One day and a half ago, we hit a rock and broke a large piece
off of one of the
three blades of our propellor. The vibration told us something
was wrong. We still had one spare, so we pulled over to a sandy
bank and replaced the propellor, now with a bronze propellor instead
of the cast steel we were using. We took the opportunity for a
swim, always watching for the alligators, of course.
The process of changinga propellor on a river boat underwater
is an easy one here. The system is a big hammer and a steel
bar for leverage, popping out a cotter pin and slipping off
the cap at the end of the shaft. I can say we have never done
that at sea on one of the Greenpeace ships....yet. |
 |
The other night we prepared a campfire and a small cook-out on
the beach. Again, always watching for alligators, snakes, and
our imaginations. The crew loves to tell stories of jaguars that
jump onto boats pulled up to the shore at night, so I will admit
that we all stayed close together around the campfire.
A few people went for short walks on the beach, and we decided
who gets their stuff if they do not come back. I tried to explain
that the biggest snakes are the
smartest, that´t how they got so big, so a snake hiding
under a sand-pile seems to me a possibility. Some of the group
need to see it to believe it.
While it was still light, Steve and I wandered about 100 yards
up the beach and were stopped by an angry bird. We were apparently
getting too close to a nest. A big black and white bird similar
to a Cormorante made it pretty clear we were going no further.
It was an aggressive way to be welcomed to the neighborhood.
We will arrive tomorrow at our main starting point. Janine from
the UK will arrive as another group member, and a television crew
from a Brazilian news service called Globo. It is our job to make
room for all of them, their gear, and their sleeping arrangements.
Now that we have kind of taken ownership of our vessel, we need
to coordinate how to welcome our guests. So, I spent the morning
doing some cabin
re-arranging, consolidating, and planning for their arrival tomorrow.
Ribamar and othes from the crew caught some fish this morning.
They are sitting in our aluminum boats right now preparing these
fish for our dinner tonight. These fish remind me of our mackeral,
they are grey with black tiger-stripes down the side. They taste
pretty good, the cook fries or grills everything, and it always
comes with a sauce of tomatoes, garlic, onions, and cilantro.
The brazilian "farinha", which is a small grain that
they eat commonly with beans, is a staple of every meal, and is
great with the fish, also. We are eating very well here, if not
fish, then pasta, or tomato, cucumber and onion salad. Many nights
we have had fried bananas. And lately, the cook has been making
a chilled cream dessert out of the local cupuacu fruit.
Bryan taking
a break |
This is a taste that is impossible to describe because I
have never tasted anything like it in the States. It is a
white color juice, frothy and a bit thick. Can something be
sweet and slightly bitter at the same time? Also, at every
meal, we have a juice of either pineapple, pomegranite, or
acerola, another red fruit juice that is a little stronger
than watermelon. With all these options, we are a happy, well-fed
group...a little wary of venturing out and cooking for ourselves.
|
Well, as I am getting more comfortable writing, I am still looking
for ideas, questions, comments about this place. A group from
the Deni community will meet us tomorrow, and the project will
begin to take shape in a matter of days. I will have this computer
operating out in the field everyday, powered by solar power during
the day, and battery power at night. I will be sending updates
each day as we progress farther and farther into the forest, so
join me, I´d love the company from the States and around
the world. Any questions, technical, basic, about weather, feelings,
plants, noises, whatever are very welcome. (Post
messages to the crew at the Greenpeace Cyberactivist Community)
From the land of 100-shades-of-green,
Bryan
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