The Amazonian Temple

by Maria Julia Mendes (Brazil)

Making a local connection Brazil

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When we left the cotton world, a clear blue sky next to the sun, I looked through the plane’s window and immediately felt a shiver run into all my body. An imposing forest, a green carpet cut by curvilinear rivers, similar to large snakes, showed up. It was the Amazon rainforest. Among the wonders experiences I’ve had in Manaus, three of them were very remarkable for the connection established with the place. The first one started in a small boat, that traveled the Amazon river to the deck at the entrance of the flooded forest, always accompanied by “vitória-régias”, light green and round plants that could be about two meters in diameter. It was time to swim with the pink dolphins. I dived into the river, which had warm and slightly turbid waters, and listened to the guide's instructions, who held small fish as bait. In a few moments, I felt a rapid movement between my legs, something like a thick, thick syrup, and soon I saw a long mouth with a pink hue catching the guide fish, jumping out of the water. Four porpoises appeared, which slipped between us and allowed us to caress their smooth and shiny skin, showing that they are affectionate and receptive animals. The next day, we went to visit the riverside communities. Again by boat, we crossed a stretch of flooded forest where the engine was almost off, dodging the thick tree trunks. It would take at least five people to hug one of the trees. When I looked up, the broad leaves were many meters away, whit the birds that were in their tops. At the destination, which consisted of stilt houses on both banks of the river, we climbed one of its walkways and entered one of the houses. It was a small cubicle, in which the residents explained their way of life, that consisted of taking all sustenance from the river and the forest, mainly by fishing and capturing water. Then came three barefoot children in simple clothes holding a long yellow snake with brown spots, a baby alligator and a sloth, which were at the disposal of the visitors to be held and to take pictures. I ended up taking the sloth and nestling in my lap, it was hairy, but with a little rough hair, it had thick and long nails and sleepy eyes, a condition that made it lay its head on my shoulders and seemed to take a nap. The last experience to be shared occurred during the visitation of the Dessana Tukana indigenous tribe. In its territory a large hut of leaves and wood could be seen in the center, with smaller ones around. Inside the big hut was the chief and several Indians, all naked, with only a skirt of leaves, painted and with props. The women were seated on the bench in the back, some nursing infants, and the men were standing preparing to the dance ritual they would present to tourists. The chief began his introductory speech, demonstrating a great command of several languages, including Portuguese, English and the tribe's own language. Next, the men started dancing, with a seed prop on their ankle that made a noise when they stamped their feet on the floor to mark the sung song. I was sitting in a corner enjoying all this cultural manifestation when it was time for each Indian to remove a person from the audience to participate in the dance, and suddenly a young Indian man of my age came towards me. Accepting the invitation I learned that the dance consisted at first of taking steps putting strength on the right leg, with people in pairs walking in circles, until at the end they all put their arms around the shoulders of the companions and formed a large circle. At that moment, I felt a strength of union incomparable to any other social group, and I finally understood that in that place everything was connected, from the forest, the animals, the riverside inhabitants and the indigenous peoples, and for a week I was able to be part of this.