31 August 2001

Lightning night. Aboard the Commandante Savio, moving at 7 knots along the Jurua river.

The river narrows. Thick jungle lies to either side of the ship, an easy swim away if the jacare (crocodiles) aren't biting and the piranhas are full.

Last night we sat in the dark on the top deck watching a silent lightning storm.
Rain pouring down from the roof of the Comte Savio	The lightning strikes seemed to run skywards from this area, splitting as they climbed to form the skeletons of leaves. Heavy rain fell to either side but none on us.

This morning, after a surprisingly cold night, I clambered out of my hammock to watch the red sunrise. I must be acclimatising a bit. The shallower dry season river means there is less water for the dolphins to hunt in and they frequently break the water surface.

Manuel woke me last night, did I want to lead the Xerua river east Greenpeace team? I'm a little concerned about some of the technical gadgetry, using GPS and advanced communications equipment, but otherwise enthusiastic.

This team will assist five Deni Indians and five CIMI workers in marking the territorial boundaries of the Deni land.

They're probably going to find our attempts at bush carpentry most entertaining. We have at least 40 kilometres of boundary to mark out, through forest and undergrowth so thick machetes will be essential.

We can make four or five camps along the way, just open walled with a roofed temporary shacks in which to hang hammocks and nets. Our second camp may be the Terra Nova Deni village if we are welcome there.

An eagle circles, brushing the treetops, its wings six feet across.

The forest is dense, electrified in the midday glare.

Marcio, Paula and I gave a talk on staying healthy in forest yesterday, trying to scare people into being careful. Marcio got onto G6PD deficiency somehow but otherwise it was nuts and bolts stuff.

We passed round the snake book to show the horrors of Bothrops snakebite and emphasise protective measures against bites.

The cooks on the Savio are brilliant and gave us a demonstration of how they cook beans and rice in the bush, which is pretty much how you'd cook them anywhere else. They offered a container of their special garlic sauce.

Time for a little siesta,
Ian

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