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To Kill Or Not To Kill

6 August 2005 (Saturday) – Lake Mamori to Manaus, Brazil

Celso and Marian prepared to leave right after breakfast. They had a flight to catch at 2pm and hence, wanted to be back by 12pm. That also meant they had to leave by around 9am here.

Fernandes had told me my walking tour with him would be at around 8:30am. Yet, he went off somewhere to deliver things. So, I sat there with Jorge, waiting for him until 9:15am or so. I thought it was usually the best time to see wildlife as early as possible. But with these people, they just take you walking for 3 hours, with no regards as to what you would see or not. Sheesh.

Then to my surprise, Celso and Marian had thrown a hissy fit right at the dock. They refused to leave this place with Jose, the boat-guy. They claimed that they had always talked with Fernandes and they demanded Fernandes be the one who took them back. Fernandes was supposed to be my guide now. Driving the boat for 1.5 hours is a brainless deed. Why did they demand for Fernandes? And before I knew what was really happening, Fernandes hopped into the boat and departed with them, leaving Jose to be my guide in the jungle walk.

What??? I asked Jorge if Jose knew the jungle well and Jorge claimed that he did. Well, Jose sure ‘knew’ the jungle well. He knew how to walk very fast around the jungle. He did not pause to show me anything, or stop to watch for or listen to anything. When I asked what bird this was, what that sound was, he simply shook his head. I was really angry at one point and Jorge quickly changed the story, saying that it was Jose’s job to get us in and out of the jungle alive, but it was up to Jorge to explain the jungle to me. What?? Come on, Jorge is an ex-politician. No offense, but I think the best person for the job would be Fernandes and there, he went off with the Spanish tourists. Sheeshh…. I was very pissed off for a while, but in the end, I know that these two tried their very best to make up for things, and while I was disappointed, I did learn something out of the walk.

Jungle walk

Jose making a fan for me

Rowing through the lake under the shade of the jungle

Back at the lodge, Fernandes soon returned with two new guests. We were finishing up with lunch when he said to Jorge in Portuguese something about cooking jacare tonight. Jorge quickly shushed him up, and told him NOT to talk about jacares in front of her (me). They all then froze for a moment, praying that I did not understand a word.

Piranhas for lunch

I had been studying my nails at that time and I did not react at once to what was said but slowly, I asked Jorge in English, if Fernandes was going to kill another jacare tonight for cooking. Jorge quickly explained that, nono… Fernandes was only going to cook the jacare that he had already killed.

That was when I started arguing with Jorge, asking them how they could call themselves an ‘eco’ lodge when they had no idea what it meant to be running an ‘eco’ trip. Fernandes stood up to his full height and pointed his finger on the table, claiming that by law, he was allowed to kill 1 jacare. What law? 1 jacare PER WHAT? I insisted back. He did not know.

Now, you have to imagine, Fernandes is a huge, huge, huge guy, over 100kg, with a gigantic tummy, very brown and the machete is merely an extension of his hand. He also used to be with the Brazilian Jungle Army. So, for him, it had also been natural instinct to kill anything that moves with his machete.

Jorge quickly calmed him down, and drew him aside to explain things. Finally, when I saw that Fernandes seemed to be listening, I reasoned with him in my broken Portuguese, telling him that if he killed a baby jacare every night in this lake, then, each night, with different tourists, he would need to search 3 hours, next time, 4 hours… next time, 5 hours… and he would wonder why he needed so long to find a jacare when previously he could find one in 2 hours. That is because there would not be any more jacares left.

Then, I asked how many lodges are there on this lake. He counted, 6. OK, if each lodge killed a jacare each night… that would be 6 jacares per night. That is 180 jacares per month. And more than 2000 jacares in a year! Sooner or later, there would be no more jacares and no more tourists would come anymore.

Slowly, with Jorge’s advice as well, Fernandes seemed to be nodding his head and agreeing with our reasonings. Oh gosh!!!!!! I cannot believe it was left up to ME to explain this information to my local guide!!!!

By the time I left the lodge, Fernandes was apologizing to me profusely. Well, I really don’t know what to think anymore. I never saw the meeting of the water on my return as well. I felt that the tourism industry here in Manaus is being exploited by entrepreneurs who are out for a quick buck (not because they love nature) and being run by people who are NOT educated and NOT suitable for the jobs. I doubt this is the only company like this.

A typical riverboat along the river system of the Amazon

Anyway, I was very glad to return home. My best rewards for the day must be that I managed to spot 3 or 4 river dolphins jump right out of the water! It was precious to see this!!!

More pinkies!



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