Edit - forgive the spelling errors. Paying for internet at this rate makes you type fast.
I now know how the guests on FOX news feel! No, the night was not quite what I had in mind but after 20 hours flying with little to no sleep, my bags being lost, my guide not showing up, taking one of the most insane cab rides (until I rode in a mototaxi that is) of my life, being taken to a craptastic hotel with basically the choice of stay here or figure it out yourself, a room without a proper window and roaches in my bed, sweltering heat......well, I must have figured that knock was just par for the course. In hindsite it was a mistake of quite possibly deadly consequenses but I survived and that mistake is now a leson. I did not say "who the hell are you" in English, nor have I spoken English at any time while here. I wrote the emaill to my unilingual partner because HE WOULD NOT UNDERSTAND IT IN SPANISH. As far as anyone here is concerned I am Mexican but most ask if I am Peruvian because of my last name. Ugly American, no. Tired Latino, yes. Op Ed should at least be somewhat accutare.
36 hours ago I was seated behind my guide on his motercycle as we raced through the small back alleys of Iquitos in search of rubber boots for our journey into the Jungle. The small motercyle screamed as we turned tight corners into oncomming trafic just in time to navigate the sea of metal and rubber. I have to admit that I was holding on to my seat with my ass more than anything else because around here you don´t hold on to the person infront of you, needless to say it was an interesting night. We found the boots in the worst part of town. Belan (sp?) makes the rest of Peru seem normal, in this part of town the stench of raw sewage mixes with gas fumes and cooked meat. My guide asked if my camera was put away and asked I not show it at this time of night. I tried on several pair and went with a black and tan pair that felt quite nice on my feet, little did I know that I would spend 13 hours in them and walk over three hours in the Jungle wearing them.
Oscar (my guide) picked me up at 7 the next morning and we took of for the boat area. I had asked Oscar previously to not change the way he works in any way for me. Pretty much just pretend I am not here and do your work as the organization you work for has you do it. He looked very oddly at me and asked if I was sure, I said of course. I can not give an accurate account of this project if I am the focal point of your attention. He agreed.
Our boat was old. I mean like John McCain old. The Amazon river is much wider then the Willamette river and much darker. The mosquitos hit you so hard you think they are small rocks. We travelled down the Amozon going north for several hours then turned off into a smaller tributary where we had to slow down quite a bit to avoid fallen logs and roots. The water is low this time of year. Several times our path was blocked and we had to cut our way through the river. It occured to me that there was no way to turn back at this point. Another hours or so passed and we landed in a remote place with steep banks and wandering cattle. We unloaded and began walking. We were told that the village we were looking for was one hour away by foot, this was not the case. Along the way we passed many small villages and houses. People were surprised to see visitors so far in the Jungle. They were all very nice and wanted to shake hands and look at what I had in my camera bag.
Side note - I had with me 2DSLRS, batteries, battery grip, two lenses, Leica M3, film, Fuji digicam, and one litre of water. Trust me, this gets heavy.
The povery in the city is very obvious. Kids sick and hungry, begging for money. Adults hustling any way they can and basically fighting for survival. Povery in the Jungle is much different. Because although people in the city are poor they have access to services and if they can scratch together enough money, they can eat quite well. In the Jungel you live and die by the mercy of the Amazon river. What food it brings you consume. What water it provides you drink. You animals need the water and your grass grows with the rain for them to eat. I have never seen skinnier cows.
We reached our destination after several hours. Oscar and Herman were dragging along 8 2.5 litre bottles of soda pop for the village (they freeking love that stuff) as well as chips and cups. It occured to me that although they had food for the village they had none for themselves. Our talk went great and they had good advancement in the co op, you can see more about this in the finished product I put together upon my return. On our long walk back I finally had to say something. We had been hard at work for about 9 hours at this time and all they had eaten was a ball of rice early that morning. I asked if we were going to stop at a village to purchase some food. They both looked rather embarassed and told me they had no money for food. I asked why not and they told me the Co op would pay for gas, the boat, some of there time (Oscar makes much less working for the co op than as a guide), but not food.
I sit here at my hotel getting ready to head out again into the jungle. I begin to wonder about all the people I met in that little village. The photos I took and the look of just being tired in the eyes of the old. I think of Oscar and the people here in the city. I think of myself and am more sure that I am doing the right thing than I have ever been in all my life.
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The first thing your told to chase is your dreams
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10 comments:
Their is no feeling in the world like knowing you have found the thing you were supposed to do with your life.
I am so proud that you have made the leap and reaped reward.
Carlos, this is absolutely amazing! I am sitting here simply perplexed by what I have just read. You're f**king doing it man! I remember talking about this with you years ago when I was just getting back to school. I'm so hapy to see that you're living the dream and loving it! Plus there's hookers, I mean, what's better than hookers?
Now this is what I like and miss. Carlos and I used to have discussions. You say something. I disagree, you protest. This would go on for some time and usually did. Reading what Carlos wrote made me think about some things. This is the part that gets people worked up. So before you read on, I offer that all I say is in respect and meant in goodwill. You see Carlos and I don’t always agree and I am not going to start here just for the sake of the internet.
Let us start with the famous knock. He calls it a mistake, I call it a stupid American move. Why do I call it that, because I wonder would the locals have made that mistake? Before everybody gets all offended, answer the question. We can justify it all night long but the reality is I bet most of the locals wouldn’t have even gone near the door. I know Carlos and respect him for what he is doing. Reality is though he IS an American in Peru. I only know one language and this is true but at the end of the day, it is what it is. I meant what I said earlier. Did he think that his friend troy was stopping by for a visit? I think that his American thought process told him it’s ok to answer the door. I would have made the mistake and so would have most of the people reading this. He is right though, it is a lesson.
Let’s talk about the trip on the Motorcycle next. For some reason I focus on the meaning of him having to put his camera away. I didn’t know why but then I reread it and it hit home. He was the newcomer in the city and his guide asked for him to put the Camera away. Remember his guide knows he is a Photographer. He then goes on to talk about smells and colors. I am really assuming here and he may correct me but I bet it is because he has pictures of everything else. Let’s think about that for a minute.
I am sad and feel very selfish for the next couple of statements. Carlos talks about the Poverty in the city. Until he mentions the Amazon, I got lost. That sentence could and does describe cities right here in our own country. Why did he go all the way to Peru to tell me that?
Ok it has been all night and I just dont get it. I am still baffled. I keep getting that there is potemkin village effect going on. There has to be more. Something isn’t right. I am not doubting the realism of what Carlos is going through. However, the answers and or lack of new found wisdom is not coming through. Something is missing. Everything is on the checklist; Poverty, sewage, cooked meat and death encounters.
What I don’t get is how come the despair is coming through so easy. I know there is so much there but we knew that.
There is an abhorrent difference between the reality fabricated by Americans and the reality Carlos now faces in the Amazon jungle. This Americanization of “reality” or “truth” is murderously indifferent in the face of the starving. While we sit comfortably in our ergonomic chairs, sipping on over-priced coffee, religiously spouting the appropriate liberal mantra, men like Oscar suffer hunger pains.
Carlos, the reality facing Oscar and many others and that you stand witness to will not go unnoticed. As a journalist you are able to start the conversation and the rest is up to the public. Let activist say what they will and hope that they act but know that knowledge is free and empowering and you contributed to its creation.
Perfectly put Mike! This is the thorn in my side and what I was trying to explain in a conversation the other day.
As Americans who want to save the world, we must not be blind to the consequences of our actions. Words are cheap, intent is cheap, results are paramount.
And there it is. That is just a mere part of what I am looking for. Once again I wont take away from what Carlos is doing but lets face some serious facts. This is not a new situation. The poverty is not new. Nothing that you hear about there is new. I am not doubting that what people do is making a difference. I am just saying what are the results that we seem to be after here. If we cant clean up our towns and cities. If we cant cure our own starvation, Why do we think we can do better somewhere else.
Remember as wrong and as much as it shouldnt be true. Poverty sometimes is not bestowed but truely chosen.
The brash assumption that the poverty Carlos is witnessing has in any way been chosen by those in poverty is wholly void of historical context. The only thing that has been chosen (that is in anyway connected to the poverty in the Amazon) was the colonization of the Amazon by Western Europe and the United State of America. Ignorance of our nation’s wholly negative impact on Latin America through corporate entities (like the United Fruit Company), backed by physical violence and repression, and the immeasurable and permanent damage done to the Amazon people’s society and psychology by American and French anthropologists (like Napoleon Chagnon and Jacques Lizot) is inexcusable if one is to comment on the Amazon’s “chosen” path of poverty. The holocaust that swept through the Amazon was our nation’s doing. We are not good people trying to help. We are guilty robber barons desperately atoning for our sins.
To compare the poverty in the United States of America to the poverty in Peru is laughable once facts are introduced. The percentage of Peruvians under the poverty line stood at 53% in 2006 (worldbank.org). The percentage of Americans under the poverty line stood at 12.3% in 2006 (census.gov).
Need we go into the existing social safety networks in Peru compared to the US?
http://devdata.worldbank.org/AAG/per_aag.pdf
http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/income_wealth/010583.html
Let’s take what I put into context and let me clarify. I believe in individuality. I believe that change and social reform start with people. Sure governments dictate and people follow, that I will not argue. What I am saying is that people should want change. If we aim for results and point the finger at the same time then we will do nothing and fail. I know the history as you do and perhaps you know it better than I. I still say the social climate has changed and poverty is now expected and not fought. Make sure of my intent that I did not mean to say that Peru has chosen its path or that the “Amazon” has chosen its path. I simply stated that people choose their path. There is a great difference in that.
Next I still say it’s not laughable to compare the two poverty’s. Poverty is Poverty and when you’re poor you see two kinds of people. Those that are stuck and those that can’t find a way out, no middle ground. We are taking the same safety nets that we have here and placing them in other countries now. I say if those nets have gaping holes now then they will when they arrive. All we are doing then is placing a broken fix into the equation. So that is why I compare them. If we know the political landscape such as here and the monetary resources then I have to ask why do we still have the poverty we do? If the problem was just money then I could go find a philanthropist and fix the problem. If the problem was purely political then we would talking about political agendas and reform or leadership change. We both know that conversation would take all night and all day. I still say the problem is a social one, which means people.
Ok so how do we meet in middle? Remember the hope or vision of the site. I say, let us take a coffee approach to the way look at this. The vision of the site is to listen to other views and come to a consensus. Let us sit down and drink a cup of coffee and continue the conversation. The old saying of not talking about religion and Politics is thrown out the door.
The amazon river rules... its huge! was it dirty? i am thinking yes, for you said there was sewage and gross things in the city... So why not in the amazon? I hate pollution.
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