Day Five

After breakfast I anxiously removed the bandages half-expecting the gangrene infested mass of tissue that my mind had conjured up the previous night. With relief, I found a decently clean and only partially open wound. I`m highly optimistic although Conan does much to squelch that feeling saying that he thinks, sans stitches, I will be immobile for at least 20 days.

In the morning Joe, Otobo, Conan, I and some other Huaos take the canoe upstream so they can forage for plantains and sugar cane. Traditionally, a tribe of hunters and gathers, Otobos family still relies heavily on what they can gather and kill for their food. Because of their high protein consumption, although short, the Huaorani men are are solidly built with little body fat. Joe and I have begun to wonder the possibilities of bringing Otobo back to play middle linebacker for Mizzou. We would lose our ass in his hunting permits though.

While they were off gathering the food back in the forest, Joe stayed with my gimpy ass in the canoe. Our idleness proved fruitfull when we spotted some pink river dolphins surfacing downstream. Also, while alone on the banks Joe and I heard what we thought was a distant motor downstream, which prompted the discussion of what we would do if the boat ended up being bandits of some sort or drug smugglers coming up from the border. Our answer was a pathetic nothing as we could flee only to die a slower death of starvation away from camp. The noise ended up being a bush plane that we never saw.

Basically unable to walk, I feel ever more useless and more of a liability to the group. Wonder just how long I will remain as such.

After they gathered the food in the forest, Otobo states that since it is Sunday, it will be a day of rest. Thank you Jesus. The Huaos go back up to the community leaving Joe and I to christen the first ¨Sunday Funday¨ in the jungle. First we are happy just not to be working (or just Joe as I am now useless) so we relax and do a bit of reading. Joe is reading one of the three english language books that Otobo brought down to our campsite (proably left by Tom and Mariela previously)--Gary Paulsen´s ¨A Dogs Life,¨ which is an entertaining although creepy love storyesque account of the famous writer´s life with his former dogs. I find a bit of irony in the books presence here as his books ¨The Hatchet¨and ¨The River¨ were both childhood reads that are probably partially responsible for my trips such as this.

Sunday Funday lived more up to its name when Joe and I decided to treat ourselves to some jungle rum-runners, aka flavored TANG mixed with our precious reserve. Its deliciousness amplified by our lack of other options.

Later Otobo brought back part of a peccary or wild pig for our consumption. Apparently, Omallave had hunted one earlier in the day. Cooked over an open fire it did not have too bad of a flavor.

Our water situation has been addressed. Using a big piece of plastic that drains into a 55 gallon barrel, we have started collecting rainwater. After its collection we filter it and use the Steri-Pen that I bought back in the US to kill any viruses or bacteria in the water. The recently invented Steri-Pen is basically a magic wand looking device that emits germicidal UV rays into a Nalgene bottle. Personally, I think it appears too futuristic for my believeability, let alone what the Huaorani think of that gizmo. I could probably conquer an entire village just waving that thing around.

Boy With No Tongue continues to lurk around the camp during work hours--occasionally helping out but never speaking--not even to the other Huaos. Has the stone cold look of a killer and it has been decided that if they are going to send in an assassin to finish off the worthless, gimpy gringo--its going to be him.



I realize that I have been speaking of names, without proper description, and so I am going to give a little list below to help out with the clarity of my ramblings:



Otobo: Huaorani; Mutual friend of Tom and Marielas and the guy starting the eco-tourism. Known, respected and sometimes feared by other Huaos and outsiders alike, Otobo is a pretty solid individual, who deserves much of the credit for our enjoyment and well being during the trip. Much of our day to day interaction was always with him and the occassional other Huao helping out.



Conan: Huaorani; aka Cookie or Coney. Camp cook and Otobo´s right hand man. Aside from Otobo he was definitely the most hard-working and capable of the Huaorani. Strong and long-haired, his Conan the Barbarian look was contrasted greatly by his tranquill nature and desire just to be the cook. A deep thinker and often out of nowhere Coney would ask Joe and I life questions that apparently he had been pondering for sometime. Even through our cultural barriers he had correctly indentified me as a source of all lifes answers. As the only Huao that slept in our campsite when he was around, he was usually a good source of Huao information and gossip.

Caiga: Otobo´s brother; aka The Repeater---given the nickname early on for his repeated stories of the fatal Tagaeri attacks and other things we did not care to hear more than once. Also, repeated everything that Otobo said. We would come to think badly of him and later dispise him due to his refusal to listen to building suggestions by cutting us off saying ¨esta bien, esta bien.¨ Luckily, due to his laziness, he was not around the worksites for extended periods. Would later find out that during Tom and Marielas previous trip in, there group had nicknamed him ¨Fredo¨ from The Godfather, which we considered the most appropriate name.

Bartolo: Otobo´s younger brother: Are only encounters with him were our entry and exit from the territory. Never gained our trust and seen as us as a potential hindrance in the cause of Otobos project.

Omallave: Otobo´s father and leader of the community. One of the only Hauos who routinely preferred to rock the naked look. He is the real deal and gained a cult like following from Joe and I. He makes Chuck Norris look like a useless hippie. I swear I saw him kill a wild pig with just a mean look.

Typhoid Mary: Otbbos mother, who was rarely without a smile.

Lenny: Otobos bro-in-law. A massive Huao who was so soft spoken we never figured out if he was speaking spanish or what to us. Performed several AMAZING acts of strength and courage that will be acknowledged later.

Boy With No Tongue: Unknown. Made undistinguishable noises.

And more character sketches as they become relevant.