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| Amazon River Sun Columnist Cerise Photos by Cerise unless otherwise noted |
By Cerise
As promised, here is my first contribution to Amazon River Sun, on my first visit to the Upper Tapajos River, to the lands of the Tapirape.
This trip was not the first to the northern parts of the river regions, as I usually move up and then to the west in search for places to explore and hunt -- an Amazonian ritual you might say, where very different people meet in groups or alone at the famous and dreaded Skull Cave.
It was on one of these trips bearing to the west, where I first met the man who was to be my guide for the Tapirape land -- my friend Cor Sands. Many Tapirape move along the Tapajos and pass by my cabin near the place where the river merges with the Swamp. In more than one occasion Tapirapes wave as they pass, swimming or boating. Their smiles and friendly manner consistently distinguish them from other travelers, as well as their colored attire and varied tattoos. For sure this is not too objective as there are so many human groups that are still a mystery to me.
Cor is a gentle and poetic man, elegant in presentation and in language. A flower that I gather is related to de Passion Fruit adorns the side of his head. He speaks calmly and with respect, and not without a dose of humor and gallantry. As said, we met by the river, far from the Tapirape camp, and he offered to guide me if I ever chose to visit the areas between the Tapajos and the Solimoes.
So last Thursday I woke up very early, checked my gear (the little that remains from the wreckage of my yacht), and boarded the extremely battered motor boat I managed to purchase from shady merchants I will not name.
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| A wooden gate marks the border of Tapirape territory |
I set course to the north, remembering Cor's directions to stop by a wooden gate on the eastern bank. And there it was -- after passing the SALT encampment, the Amazon River Sun offices, various unknown outposts, the Healing Clinic and a mysterious gated cave which I will visit soon -- I disembarked and approached the gate knowing that Cor would be nearby, I dared to push the gate, and it gently opened. I found myself in a busy area with smokers and other cooking instruments to my right. As I moved further into the camp, I saw Cor standing beside his native hut with a wide smile on his face.
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| Cor's hut lies just beyond the gate. |
Happiness was mutual, as we met almost as old friends, talking bout the trivialities of the life in the Amazon. Despite the banter, my guide was not distracted, and contrary to my expectations, he proceeded to show me the camp, area by area, systematically. But sadly not all of it, because the complex is really large.
We visited the fishing area, beautifully adorned with water lilies, the central platform with the totemic figure of the goat and the gathering area with neatly arranged seating and a large cauldron.
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| The Tapirape's favorite fishing hole. |
It was like a dream, but a very organized one. Not only did Cor explain every point of interest, but also the site looked seriously arranged. There are specialized areas according to some "task" allocations, which have to do with the abilities of the local people.
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| The Tapirape camp File photo |
While the plan of the camp is not very structured, each activity has a place. For example, a cleverly build storage area, which I cannot describe here due to the persistent incursions of some group who live to the west.
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| The goat totem looms over the Tapirape camp. |
I proceeded to take some photos, which illustrate this article, and which I hope show the friendly, industrious and clever work of the Tapirape. As I say I did not visit the whole camp, which is very large. I am told that the Tapirape are also numerous, which I cannot confirm because at the time of my visit I could see only a total of three people including Cor. It seems they were out hunting or fishing, which according to my information are the main sources of food in the land.
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| Cor enjoys a beverage as he chats with Cerise |
We settled for a coffee in the meeting area, close to the Cauldron, and tribesman Beda Boucher joined us in the conversation. It was one of the most suggestive meetings I have had in the Amazon, as the themes moved from the sexual behavior of the Tapirapes (Cor and Beda spoke with great respect and only indirectly) to questions of life and death, goat husbandry, hunting experiences, conflicts with other tribes and factions, and generally wondering about the life of good human beings in the Amazon.
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| Cor looks thoughtfully into the distance. |
The only slightly fearful moment was when Cor described an apparently ancient custom of the land consisting of boiling enemies in a specially prepared cauldron. But I overcame bad feelings when he assured me that those were just local legends they have.
I agreed with my gentle guide to organize a second visit, perhaps to meet with the elders or leaders, and to learn more details about the culture. I still have to watch their ceremonies, and there are other mysteries -- for example, the giant Temple of the Wind (I hope I got the name correctly) which can be seen on top of a strange rock formation also near the Western side of the Tapirape land.
It's too much for a single article and a single visit. So I invite the kind readers to follow this series... where I will show what I call the "actual Paradise" that is the Amazon River world.
Cor and Beda waved goodbye from the camp and I navigated back to my cabin downriver. As the engine of my battered boat resounded in the early evening, I had a sense of peace and human understanding.
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| Cerise pours her thoughts onto the page. |
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