Today we left the Kapawi Ecolodge and Reserve after a week in the jungle. We packed up our bags with mixed feelings. I was sad to leave the beautiful amazon, but am excited to boat with Dan Dixon in Tena. The kapawi Lodge has a tradition that whenever guests leave, they get their faces painted like an Achuar hunter and they get to practice shooting the traditional Achuar blow gun. A blow gun is a long tube that projects a dart when an Achuar hunter blows through it. The Achuar make this by taking two long pieces of palm wood, carving a semi-curricular grove in each one, and gluing them together with black tree sap. The dart is created from a very small palm twig, and has a tuft of Kapok cotton on the back end to keep the dart flying straight. They get poison from a very large and poisonous ant and a poisonous frog, then smear the poison on the tips of the darts. After we all had defined “war paint” on our faces, we set up a target and shot the blow gun. We did not use poison! I hit the target about one out of four times and got better as the morning progressed.
We have now arrived back in Tena, and I am feeling really sick. My belly is killing me, and I am going to skip dinner. I’m sorry I cannot write more about the travel.
Thank you for reading Rohan Geographic!
Looks like you could make a pretty good spear out of that dart gun...
ReplyDeleteSorry to hear your stomach is upset -- hope that passes quickly.
Cool face paint!
Rohan,
ReplyDeleteI hope your tummy is better by now. I wonder if drinking that spit infused brew wasn't such a good idea.
Look up "Smithsonian.com/titanoboa" to read about a prehistoric boa much larger than the one you saw.
Won't comment on your dad's blow dart aim
ReplyDeleteUntil knowing your belly is better.
With that face he can only work basic care.
Will also miss Amazon