The Jungle Series – The People of the Jungle (Part 3)

So today in this part of the Jungle Series we are gonna talk about
The PEOPLE OF THE JUNGLE.
As I said in last weeks video, there is something special about the people of Iquitos and this region. I’ll reiterate that they are entirely surrounded by water. I was venture to say that a vast majority of people in Iquitos at one point lived in the jungle. When you live in a place like this, you want the people around you to be on your side. You want a team or a tribe which will ultimately make your life easier down the road.
While I was in the city I found that people were extremely helpful. Naturally, the people at the hotel were great and highly accommodating, but, I was paying for that. I was when I ventured off alone outside of the hotel that I got a true feeling of local love. I’m 6 foot and stick out so there was certainly a large number of people trying to sell me everything from cheaply made bracelets to iowaska (more of that for Silver and Goldfish members)
This is to be expected as basically, Gringo = Money.
However, you can walk into a restraunt and struggle through ordering some Civechi in broken Spanish and they serve it with a smile. The first place I ate, the lady actually took the time to write out more details of my different food options as I wasn’t getting it done verbally.
I was able to communicate to most people verbally in Spanish that I was there to catch fish. I spoke to one guy Ceiro at a place called “Green Go” that I wanted to catch Piechi, or arapaima, he actually drew me a map of how to get there and was legitamitally willing to take me to where he catches them. I believe there would have been no money involved in this, although, had he taken me to spot where I was infact catching arapaima, I was have gladly paid him whatever he asked.
There was communication without words that showed the love as well. I saw a stand where people were lined up to get this certain drink. I didn’t have the slightest clue what the hell it was, but I knew two things. ONE: If there were a crapload of people getting it, its probably good, and two. It was steaming hot so I assumed I wouldn’t get sick from it. (As a general rule you shouldn’t eat street food in 3rd world countries) The kid not only hooked it up, but I got the full show, a tall pour with him pouring it above his head down to a lower container and everything. He did this as if you show he was proud of what he was serving.
I found a great deal of pride in the people. They have seemingly little, but what they lack in material things that most of us can’t live without, they have a something that most of us seem to be lacking more and more of these days, They care more about their fellow humans than us.
While we were on the boat, the crew was mega accommodating. If I wanted to stop the boat to get a shot, no problem, we stopped the boat.
nd in his back yard where I saw amazon swords growing wild and across river to another pond. He over estimated the size of our boat and yelled, Daria- Cayo Canoe. And two seconds later his kids pulled up in Canoes ready to take us the rest of the way.
You can see the look on my face as I hopped into their canoe to get take to their own fishing spots…