All week we have been amazed and humbled by the ribereños that travel along the river in their dugout canoes of varying sizes. With the top edge of the canoe just inches above the waterline they are used for everything: commuting to work, fishing, logging, getting to school in the neighboring village, and in some cases just to visit the neighbor who lives next door. The large ones seat 4 - 6 or more and have a small motor while others are built for one and are paddled. They come in all sizes. These canoes are a way of life here and we have seen everyone including young children paddling them.
This morning after breakfast we got a firsthand view of yet another reason why canoes are important—many of the towns along the river flood for 3 - 4 months of the year. We visited one such village, Urarinas, this morning. On our visit today we drove our skiff over the top of the soccer field, down the various streets, and stopped to shop for local crafts. One local man came by in his canoe to show us the three-foot-long electric eel he had caught. Nowhere was there dry land.
It is hard for most of us to imagine what it would be like to have no solid ground in ones town for 3 – 4 months at a time. (I wonder…would the ribereños find the freezing cold, icy roads, frozen lakes, and high snowbanks of the northern U.S. just as puzzling?) Everything is on stilts—schools, houses, chicken coops, small gardens. On a normal year, the water stops where it is supposed to and the family can live on the main floor of the house like normal. Occasionally the floodwaters get extra high and some must move into the “attic” space or to another location. And, this routine happens every year. Wow.
The rest of our day was spent with more explorations to beautiful rivers, creeks, and lakes. The sun made a stunning appearance today, for the whole day, and reminded us that we indeed are near the equator. It is late afternoon and we are heading downriver. We have a date with an airplane tomorrow. But, for now, we still have time to enjoy the Amazon. The sun will be setting soon and the puffy clouds on the horizon promise to make for some good photos. And speaking of photos, our slideshow of guest images of the week will be happening soon. It is time to gather with friends in the lounge and celebrate the wondrous week we have had.
