Demarcation Diaries
15 September 2001
Time: end of the workday in the jungle
Location: approximately three kilometers into the jungle away
from the Commandante Savio
Weather: mild, humid, rainstorm last night
We just came back from doing our first cooking experiment in
the jungle. Janine from the UK took control of the High Frequency
Radio, Kontau from China took charge of the water, and I decided
to try my hand at some outdoor cooking.
I actually brought a load of stuff: beans, sausages, cabbage,
onions and garlic to make feijoada, a Brazilian bean recipe that
has beans and a whole lot of other nice things inside. My biggest
mistake...I forgot the salt.
After first walking thirty minutes the wrong way, then thirty
minutes back to find everyone, we immediately set up the radio
and called in to give our location and a brief description of
how things were going.
We are having some minor problems with the radio, the humidity
has made the microphone sensitive, so sometimes it does not transmit
our important messages - like we need salt. We got it working,
called in, and immediately set out to find wood to prepare our
lunch.
Now, here is a challenge. Trying to find dry wood in the rainforest
in the morning. Every piece of wood we touched was wet, or covered
with a little, vicious type of red ant. These little ants do not
let area that stings for awhile, at least 15 minutes.
Some of the bites I can still feel now, I guess they are the
ones I let happen because I just wanted to collect wood, and not
look for every little creature crawling on me.
We chose a location for our little fireplace away from ant-trees,
and went about cutting small flakes of wood with our machete to
get a fire going. We had no way to cheat, no paper, no fire logs.
It took us one hour before the chain-saw guy walked past with
a small bottle of gasoline that we "borrowed" for our
small project. Voila, fire!
We brought pressure-cooker pans for this trip in order to cook
beans quickly. Kontau cut up the onions, Janine took care of the
garlic, I used some oil that I remembered to bring and cooked
the onions and garlic together, added some water, beans, some
potatoes, almost the whole cabbage (we were trying to throw everything
in) and off we went.
It took one hour to produce a very nice meal. One complaint...it
needed salt.
All the Deni, the GPS experts, and the volunteers ate together,
I think we made a good first impression.
The Deni spent the day surveying and cutting their demarcation
line, while we hauled water, cooked, and established radio communication
with the main boat. In a few days, we will be living days into
the jungle, no ship to return to for awhile. Our ability to cook,
find water, set up camp will be tested then.
I get along well with the Deni men. Each man has a distinct personality,
a personal way about him. I can't say I have a favourite person.
Each time I sit or stand with someone, we talk about how it is
going that day, how hot it is, how the machete is working.
They do not call me Bryan. They say "Brine", with a
strong "i". Short and quick. I hear from all directions,
"Brine, Brine, Vem", which means Bryan, Bryan, come
here. Usually they are looking for water, or something on the
ship, since I am in charge of distributing hammocks and mosquito
nets.
Learning the Deni names is a bit of a challenge for all of us.
A few examples are: Mavahali (mah-vah-hall-ee), Vaicuvi (vie-ee-sue-vee),
Saba (sah-bah), Mahuru (mah-hue-rue), Sivilivi (see-vee-lee-vee).
Once I say them a few times, it is fun to say them and fairly
easy.
We have had a few of the crew trying to learn the numbering system
in Deni. They count to seven, everything over that is "a
lot". Clapping of hands signifies counts of ten. It is simple
and straightforward. My impression is that the Deni are like serious
adults and kids at the same time. They are obviously intelligent,
serious about their work, very knowledgeable in the ways of walking
and working in the jungle.
Yet, they are always ready to laugh, make fun of someone, stay
relaxed, play soccer. It seems they are just plain well-balanced,
experienced and fun. It is a pleasure to see them around here
everyday, to work along side them, allowing us to go with them
onto their land and into their world.
I have to admit, I am envious of a group that can walk bare-foot,
no shirt, shorts through this jungle. Every bite I get, they know
exactly what it is, just by looking or listening to the way we
complain. Natural, easy for them to be here, and always willing
to help us, give us a hand, which we need often as some of us
stumble through.
We managed to help the Deni "demarcate" one kilometre
today, working with a team of four Deni, one GPS expert, and three
of us volunteers.
The forest is thick, sometimes trees are in clumps in our path,
other times, it is only fern-like plants, or thin vines hanging
in our way. The forest floor is soggy, muddy.
In high season, the place where we walk now is under water, that
is obvious by the way many branches from other trees are in the
foliage of others...far above our heads. I was actually looking
for dead wood today above my head, caught in the vines and branches
above eye-level. The wood on the ground is soaked, it has been
underwater most of the year. As we found out today, it does not
burn very well.
Here comes another sunset, another day here pushing on to the
end. We are all cleaned up, relaxing until dinner time in one
hour and a half.
I have received much news from the United States about the New
York bombing. I miss very much my family and friends. I think
because I am so far from there, the news has already pasted, over,
but I know it is not so at home. I know there is a process happening
at home and it is difficult for me to not be a part of it.
I am hoping, one day, that I can show a next generation of mine,
on a map, a land that I helped to keep free during one of the
hardest times in US history. It is strange not to know the future,
strange not to be part of the decisions my friends and family
will make. So, I sleep here thinking of there every night.
I am sending all my love to my Dad, Mom, sister in Seattle, and
my other sister in Arizona, I hope they can help each other as
so many others are doing around the country. I miss you.
From the other jungle,
Bryan
(Team A)
Find out about the different
volunteers on the demarcation project.
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