Notes from my diary: The Amazonas
Day 35, 4th Feb 2023 – Arrival at Kowappana and community visit
We are in an Amazonian village called San Martin Amacayacu, I am resting on a bed under a mosquito net, in a room that's been beautifully decorated with flowers, the sounds of insects and the pitter patter of the rain provide a nice backdrop. I feel calm and relaxed.
This morning, we boarded the 10am boat from the Port of Leticia to get to the village of San Martin. The boat ride itself was 2 hours long, there was nothing much to see except trees and water, the vastness of which fails to meet ones imagination. There is a peculiar gentleness to the water. At the mouth of river Amacayacu, also known as Bocado Amacayacu, a smaller boat was awaiting our arrival to take us to our destination. As we boarded this small boat, it’s an experience I am finding hard to put into words, something we had only seen in travel and nature shows thus far, Munis and I felt like explorers, in our own documentary (!)
On arrival at our hostel, we were served a delicious meal of black lentils, rice and chicken, (very similar in taste to our daal chawal) cooked by Gina, the daughter in law of the house. It felt comforting.
The village itself is beautiful – houses are simply yet elegantly designed, bright coloured graffiti adorns the outside of most houses. We are staying with Don Eusebio and Senora Loida’s family. They own and run Hosteaj (hostel) Kowapanna and live in the house next door with their two sons, their wives and four grandchildren. Our hosts are welcoming and proud of showing you their village. Don Eusebio took us on a community walk where we got to see different areas of the village, meet people, witness how the village gets electricity through solar power. We saw a school, a church, a small football ground.
The village only gets electricity for certain hours during the day (9 am - 12pm) and a few hours in the evening (5 - 10pm). That is when you can hear people playing their radios and televisions, and also when we get to charge our phones and laptop. There is no Wi-Fi either. You only get signals at a certain spot in the village during times when there is electricity. Our first day without electricity has not been as difficult as I thought it would be. We have five more days to test this theory.
They speak Spanish and Ticuna language in the village. Communication has not been a barrier, for the most part we are able to understand everyone (thanks to our Spanish lessons), for the rest we use Google translate and it works a charm. We got to speak with Senora Loida for a bit, who is a Ticuna language expert and a community leader. She has also participated in books on Ticuna language. She seems headstrong.
At night we are showered and sit in the hammock admiring the sounds of the evening and I think to myself, how did we get so lucky?
Day 36, 5th Feb 2023 – Day jungle trekking
We were warned about packing insect repellent before travelling to the Amazon, which we did bottles of, but nothing can prepare you for the mosquitoes you will encounter here. They are brutal! I now understand what people meant when they use the phrase ‘eaten alive by bugs’. Oh my Goddddd. Luckily the DEET in our repellent and the mosquito net in our bedroom has been helping.
Day 37, 6th Feb 2023 – Visit to Puerto Narino village
Today, Don Eusebio thought it would be a good idea to take us dolphin watching and then for a visit to the village of Puerto Narino. We took the boat shortly after breakfast. It took us 15 minutes to approach the end of Rio (river) Amacayacu, where we waited near the waves for the grey dolphins. It was easy to spot them and to my surprise they were quite small in size. After that we made our way to Puerto Narino, which was a further 20 minutes away by boat.
This was a bigger village and appeared more ‘developed’. There were shops, a hospital and higher education institutes. The village was lined with hostels and companies offering jungle expeditions – all things you will not find in San Martin Amacayacu. I immediately found myself thinking how much I preferred the simplicity of San Martin to this. We went to the shops to get snacks and withdraw some cash. Don Eusebio then gave us a tour of the place. Whilst walking I remarked to Munis, what's the big deal, we get to see these developments everywhere. However, when I looked at Don Eusebio beaming with pride as he talked about the the village, I realised how wrong I was to let my biases infiltrate my thoughts this way. Looking at things through Don Eusebio’s eyes offered me a new perspective. Indeed, having built all of this in such a remote part of the world is no small feat. The village has been spectacularly designed and they have taken measures to ensure it is done in a way that is environmentally friendly. I left with a new-found appreciation for the village.
Upon our return, Gina had prepared a meal of puco fish, white rice and salad for us. It looked deceptively simple but I only had to take one bite to know that this is the one of the most delicious fish I have ever tasted.
Day 38, 7th Feb 2023 - Ceramic class & night jungle trek
Aside from jungle trekking, Kowapanna offers experiences/workshops such as textiles, ceramics or basket weaving. We decided to try our hand at the ceramic class today. The session was run by Gina’s abuelita (grandmother).
A clay like substance found in tree barks is used to make ceramics. The entire process is natural and it is then heated in a big pot over a fire. Munis and I made small cups and left them with abuelita to dry. We will go back tomorrow to see the process of them being fired.
Tell me that the idea of doing a night trek in the Amazon rainforest doesn’t sound crazy to you? But having slept to the sound of nocturnal animals every night and knowing there are certain animals you can only get the chance to see at night we did not want to miss out on the opportunity. I was both excited and petrified and expressed my fears to Don Eusebio. After dinner, we doused ourselves in mosquito repellent, got our flash lights ready and headed for the jungle. Any ounce of worry I had disappeared within the first 10 minutes of being outside – the sights and sounds were exhilarating. We saw a poisonous snake, nocturnal monkeys and birds, a frog, a tarantula and, wait for it...tree bark and leaves that glow in the dark! Nature truly is amazing. I am still in awe.
Day 39, 8th Feb 2023 - A day of reflection
Tomorrow is going to be our last day in Kowappana so we decided to spend today reflecting on our experience so far. After breakfast, Munis and I went for a walk in the village, spent some time listening to music, wrote in our dairies, and had a heart to heart about what being in the Amazon has meant for us as individuals and as a collective.
Day 40, 9th Feb 2023 – Last day in San Martin
We woke up early today. Don Eusebio and Senora Loida joined us for breakfast as we were having coffee. Senora Loida hugged Munis and I as she approached the table. It felt bitter-sweet. Soon Gina served us bowls of hot chicken and vegetable soup with rice. Don Eusebio talked about the visit of a neighbouring indigenous tribe and showed everyone souvenirs they left behind, they were hunting tools. We finished breakfast and went out to the front to take some pictures and expressed our gratitude to everyone for taking care of us like family. After that we retired to our room to pack our belongings.
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As we get ready to leave Kowapanna and the family gets ready to bid us goodbye, a sadness lingers in the air but I am incredibly grateful for all the memories we are taking away. Life will go on for us as we move on to our next destination and for them as they get ready to receive new house guests, and even though we will remove our physical trace from their lives and they from ours, a piece of the Amazon will always remain alive within our hearts.
