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 (Tze Pang), our volunteer from China. He joined the boat and we sailed out of Tefe heading for the entrance of the Jurua river.

People are already getting used to the Brazilian siesta after lunch.

Writing updates at the Pirhana Internet Cafe

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.

First log raft seen on the river Jurua

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.

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!

Anyway, sad stories to listen to while your thoughts drift. The moon continues smiling and lighting our way. That's all for now, Man

TAKE ACTION: Add your voice in support for indigenous land rights by writing to the President of Brazil supporting the demarcation of all indigenous territory.

Read the statement from the Deni to the Brazilian government

Read more about the Deni and their struggle to protect their lands from logging. Send a Deni ecard to a friend.

Download the pdf version of the Deni letter in Portuguese.