Today was a day of closure and reflection. We started our day with a half hour boat ride to the Tiririca Village. While there, we were greeted by three beautiful birds, a macaw, a parrot and a fish hawk. Leandro told us that the village consists of 11 families that live off the land. They make barbeque skewers out of wood and sell them in bundles of 3,000 for 50 Reals (Brazilian currency). He explained that recently there was a huge change in the Brazilian government that put strict laws in place to protect the environment. Villagers who made money from cutting trees and hunting are now prohibited from doing so. They now sustain themselves in other ways, for example, creating jewelry for tourists from the lodge. The jewelry is created from different items collected from the forest such as tree nuts, acai berries, and straw. This change in government policies has also helped with sending the children from the village to school. Each village now has a school boat that brings the children to and from school each day. While there, Leandro also taught us about different ways these villagers live off their land by showing us all the plants and fruits that they use. Before we left the village, we purchased some jewelry which was a small contribution to the village’s economy.
After lunch, our next excursion was to another non-government organization called Novo Airao Aana. The organization consists of people making hand woven crafts such as baskets, place mats, hats, purses, and vases out of natural materials. Edy Vado, the director, spoke to us about the organization and explained that it is difficult to get the younger population to commit to their work. This is due to the complex process and painful handling associated with making these artifacts. There is also a dye that comes from a fruit grown locally that stains fingers. We learned that they are using their by-products or waste materials to create new products. This cuts down on their waste and makes the business more sustainable by adding more products from the same materials.
When we came back to the lodge, we sat down with Augusto Costa, the Anavilihanas owner and creator. He explained to us how the lodge came to be and how much effort it took him to create such a successful eco-lodge. It was interesting to learn how Anavilihanas is different from other Amazonian jungle lodges. One of the lessons that we learned is that everything starts as a simple idea. Augusto told us the story of how his idea turned into reality and how much hard work he needed to put in to make his dream come true. To execute this idea he created a business plan which included comfortable accommodations with guided tours by local people. By using the locals as guides, the guests get a glimpse of the Amazonian culture through their real life stories and experiences. The stories that were shared by our guides helped give us a better idea about the environment and culture we’ve been living in for the past five days.
Our Amazonian adventure was filled with new experiences, new stories, and laughter. We treked through the jungle, fished for piranha, visted local villages, and most imporantly gained a unique perspective on ecotourism. This truly was a journey to remember!
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