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| Incredible sensation - the puzzle of beauty |
Early in the morning when I met my 'cargador' - 62 years old man who was arranged to help me to carry my huge backpack, full of food, up to the jungle mountain to Orlando's house. When I saw him, I thought I better pay this old man just for his company, but I didn't need to wait so long, when he proved that the age is not the one which matters. He put on his 'bandana' around my backpack and other part of it around his head, and started to run in front of me in the same speed as I was without any weight on my shoulders, showing which stones are more safe to jump on, for crossing the river.
It felt amazing - going with my little wooden stick to fill the level of the water in front and to be amazed by everything my eyes met - the great variety of colors which were presented by different size of butterflies, frogs, ants, plants, etc.
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| This butterfly was later eaten by the monkey - Tina |
When we finally reached the house it was still the first part of the day. Orlando welcomed me in his house and the journey began! Paam - paam - paaaaam!!!!
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| My loveliest friend - Chikitito Tin Watch our conversation: https://youtu.be/a5_6xJdGsF8 |
The place - Cerelias, where Orlando is located is a piece of land in the jungles where soil has been destroyed by locals, who in the time of migration were having different camps there. First of coffee, cacao but later of the Coca leaves for the cocaine production (from Orlando stories I also understood, that there was a time when biggest cocaine dealers of USA were placed in Tarapoto). Now this area is preserved and it is not allowed to live and cultivate agricultural plants there anymore. And as the nature recovers in the jungles quite fast - it almost looks back in the shape now, just the fertility of the soil is still doubted - trees are strong and beautiful, but their fruits are not good yet. And here naturally comes in the explanation why the animals in this place are so important. Because with the destruction of the local flora also fauna had been destroyed and that part of the jungles was left with no animals.
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| Martino - the Peruvian Spider Monkey - incredible character and favorite of everyone |
So how does it works with animals, as the main idea of Orlando being there is to recover the fauna?
His explanation to me was as simple as that:
Sajinos (jungle pigs) are the way how the ground is being digged up, to be able receive seeds from the surrounding plants. The monkeys who all day long spend time by being themselves, playing at the top of 20 m high trees are the ones who by eating almost everything spread the seeds of the fruits and plants. As Orlando explained - monkeys are the ecological controllers, because they eat insects who would eat the leaves of the trees, in that way protecting the trees.
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| Friendship |
Coati animals are one of the cutest. They eat the tree leaves and later come back down to the roots of the same tree and make a poo there, in that way providing natural fertilizer to his food provider.
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| Coati - Senorita Luna |
This is so simple explanation which is more than visible to every person's eye who enters this rain forest, how simple is the chain of nature and how important all participants are (except i didn't really understand what is the point of turtles there, but at least it is more fun for the monkeys :) ).
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| This was the smallest turtle, who lived in the kitchen and was always accidentally kicked from one corner to another |
The first night was incredible! We were sitting with Orlando till very late, despite the fact that the light disappeared together with sunset around 7:00 PM, but there were so many stories for me to hear. Just sitting there and drinking coffee behind the net of the house amazed me till the bottom of my heart, also because it was the first time in my life when I saw stars not only above my head but also inside in the jungles - between the trees. Those were luciernagas - the little insects who shine in the night with so bright light that it seamed like a man in the forest coming towards the house with the torch light in front of him.
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| Luciernagas Origin of the photo: http://www.ocholeguas.com/2011/09/02/noticias/1314968564.html |
The stories of Orlando took me to the trip around the world with his time machine - from a young boy he was in a very wealthy family, where dinner table is the place where you dress up in your suit every night, till young careless surfer/ hippy in Lima, who was surfing with a board so huge, that it could be carried only by 2 persons. Than - 10 years in the ocean as a fisherman, staying in the waters of Brazil and Africa and acquiring skills of the fisherman talking style (incredibly rude shouting, which made me laugh so much, but it is still practiced in the conversation with animals). His career changed and followed by having his own business of artisania, where he taught local woman how to make handicraft, for later sell it to the tourists and travelers. Unexpectedly he gave it all up for the new offer and that is how he ended up here in the jungles, by becoming the legend - man, who successfully has liberated already more than 800 animals back to their natural life.
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| Orlando Zagaceta https://www.facebook.com/orlando.zagazeta?fref=ts |
But despite the crazy stories I was also amazed by the level of chauvinism Orlando had in his expressions - which like in majority of Peruvian men - flowed like a river without his notice (he so often didn't understand why I laugh). When he described me one of his relatives who is spinster lady, his words sounded like this: "She is a great woman! No really, she is! She COOKS so well!" And later when he was speaking about one of his divorced wife's he underlined very strongly that he broke up as a gentleman: "She had everything! No I mean it! She really had everything! She even had a fridge!". Some of these lines were just impossible to not remember, the same, like this - the fact that his ex-wife married another man was presented with words: "She married another compromise". :)
Yes! The smell of Chauvinism in Peru is quite strong, and it is being carried on also with the next generation.
But back to the monkey business!
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| The late arrival to Orlando's place - my new baby |
THE DAY (I will never forget!)
Few days after I came to Orlando's place, as it was planned before, Orlando needed to get down to the city, so it meant just one thing - I will stay all alone with 14 monkeys, 2 coatis, 9 turtles and a dog. The plan for the beginning seemed great - the only thing I needed to do is to prepare food for all my gang and at 10:30 am sharp and feed them. Didn't seemed so hard! So I calmed Orlando, that he can spend as much time as he needs in the city, because as we both noticed - me and animals got along quite well. Every bathroom visit to the river I was accompanied with one of the monkeys on my shoulders, they were sitting next to me when I did my business and till than I was bitten just once and just a little bit. It happened, when I took a broom in my hand to clean around the house but one of my biggest friends - the monkey Cusho, didn't really like it, so he landed with his tooth in my thumb.
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| The rebel - Cusho |
THE DAY started very early as Orlando left around 5 AM, while it is quite dark, so monkeys do not notice him and don't follow him till the city. Meanwhile after few hours I had my breakfast and started to cook the meal for the animals (rice with carrots) till I realized that there was no water. But that was not a problem - just need to take a bucket and go down till the river. With no much thinking - that is what I done. Of course this time I felt a bit more insecure as the fact of Orlando absence in his 'maison' is a great deal.
I successfully came down to river with no support on my shoulders, but it changed in the moment when I started to climbe back up and felt one of my friends landing from a jump of the tree on my shoulders.
So far so good, just till the moment when I needed to enter the house and the monkey (my friend Cusho) did the same. That was it! Monkey in the house is the most terrible thing what can happen if Orlando is not present, because only he can easily take him out only by the turbulence of his voice.
Shit! - that was the only word which came to my mind when I saw monkey going crazy - breaking the glass jar, cutting his foot and eating whatever there is on his way.
Orlando always say, that to take the monkey You need to grab his tail (close to the but), but I never felt safe about it, because they don't have as big respect to me as they have for Orlando. So I took a cookie, I took a piece of banana, but nothing worked.
I look at the house and realize that by the time when Orlando is back, there will be nothing left and other monkeys by seeing their 'brother' having fun will do everything possible to enter as well. Dammit! I was suppose to take a quick decision or I scarify myself and safe the house or he will destroy everything. With no much time to think I went up to this rascal with all my fear and grabbed his tail. When I did so he grabbed my hand with his teeth so hard, that the few seconds while I reached the door to throw him out seemed like overwhelming floods of time.
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| The second bite |
I through him out with a scream, shut the door and just continued to scream. The blood was just pouring and the first thing I thought - how good that he bit me one time before and I could remember everything what Orlando did to maintain the wound. I ran inside Orlando's room and looked for the liquid (hydrogen peroxide). I found the bottle and poured it so much on my bruise but I was surprised that it is not foaming as it always do. I ran back to his room to find two other things. One was some purple spray and other- some tube of cream. And when I finally got those two, I realized that there is a skull head on that bottle which I used before - the sign of poison.
SHIT! I just realized I probably took the wrong bottle! (Yes! It was formaldehyde - to maintain the dead animals) And the worst was the thought that I will not die from the terrible monkey bite but from the blood poisoning I did to myself!
I read what was written on the bottle, but realized that I have very limited water (only what I brought), so I can't wash out this with running water. SHIT! SHIT! SHIT!
I found the real hydrogen peroxide and poured a lot of it. Afterwards I took the purple spray which I clearly remember him using and only at this moment realized that it is for vets in use for animals. "Whatever!!! It worked before - it will work now!" - and I just sprayed it. Then was left only the cream. I just decided I better don't read what is it for to stop shocking my self even more
. The treatment was over and I was trying to calm down.
After the bit of time reality came back -I have my duty to do! I need to feed the animals!
Ok! But the only thing I understood - I can not leave the house, because I will not enter it back alone and I don't have so many arms, to continue to sacrifice myself. So how should I feed the animals?
This is what I did. I found many old plates in Orlando's kitchen and when there was the less possible attention of the rebellious monkeys, I quickly opened the door and threw the plate with the food outside. To reach the most of the animals I tried to used all 3 doors there is in this shack, but unfortunately when Orlando is not there, the most naughty monkeys started to deprive other monkeys and other animals from the food and there was nothing how I could help them, so some of the animals didn't get their portion properly and they started to gather around the house. That was crazy! It was a time for panic.
As the house is with a net in stead of walls around it, monkeys (if they really want) can bite it and make a hole to enter (but they are afraid of Orlando's reaction, so usually they don't do it). But this time, when I was there on my own and not everyone was satisfied with their meal, the madness began... One of the monkeys started to work on demolition of the tube of the sink, which ends outside the house (if he moves it just a bit, it will create the hole for him to enter), other one started to bite the net and the third one found the weak point in the roof and started to try to lift it up (and monkeys have incredible force with their hands).
Mamma mia! At one point I thought - that's it, they will occupy this shack! And that was the point with the overwhelmed level of stress and overwhelmed purple color all around my hand - so I just gave up..
I made myself a coffee and lied down in hammock, with a thought - whatever happens, happens!
Luckily my calmness reduced their interest to enter the house and most of them left to play in the trees. It was such a relief! For real!
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| Coffee with Chia & My sleeping spot, where one night I woke up with a mouse in my tent. It was something! |
But not for long... Before I managed to finish my cup of coffee, my eyes settled on the turtle. She was lying outside the house and upside-down! (and as I remember, Orlando was telling me before, that they can't turn back by themselves, so they can die if they stay in this position too long).
That means just one thing - I need to leave the house to safe her, but needed to do it so carefull that none of the monkeys could see me. I got all my strength and braveness, waited till monkeys start to loose their attention towards me and run as a wind out of the house. I pushed the turtle upside down (in position - back in the game) and in the speed of lightning run back in the house!
Crazy! I managed! No one could imagine my happy face in that moment. It was great...
Then came the lunch time for the animals and I served them in the same manner as breakfast, till I noticed that some of the bushes start to move chaotically, which meant just one - someone is coming!
And truth it was! It was a cargador (carrier) of Orlando!
My heart almost jumped out of the happiness, because that meant just one thing - I am not alone anymore!
After 5 days the same monkey bit me one more time (that was a different story) just this time I decided to leave and get back to the city, to clean my bruise as it was much deeper than the previous one. It was a good decision! In the city of Tarapoto I got my very first stitch in my life (who would ever think it will be fom the monkey bite) and bunch of antibiotics!
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| Love cures everything |
This experience, the same as my scarfs will stay in my memories forever! I actually enjoyed it so much and this 'locura' (craziness) was a significant part besides the other calm days when I was imagining my self as a mermaid by sitting on the stones of the river!
That is for now!
I am off to the next adventure, but let's keep it as a secret for now.
Besitos!
A.
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