Equitos to Angamos Matses Community : July 5, 2017
I was concerned we’d be forced to wait another day to fly into the remote community; the storms clouds were thick the next morning. However, by midday we got the green light and raced over to the Air Force base to make the 2 hour flight over the Amazon to the Matses community called Angamos.
It was incredible and surreal flying over the Amazon River and surrounding jungle in a light aircraft. I first saw this sight in 2014 from another perspective – from across the forest in Manaus, Brazil. The jungle looks never-ending and the vast muddy brown waters of the Amazon spill into the trees, eroding everything in its path. I filmed what I could through the dirty window of the plane.
We landed on a small strip of grass with the eyes of about 100 intrigued natives watching us. It turns out they were waiting for their rice and bottled soft drink to arrive from the city. We collected our equipment and as we raced to protect the gear with rain covers, the heavens opened and the typical Amazon monsoonal rain hit us hard, for the entire 30 minute hike to the community. I knew it would be humid but I wasn’t quite prepared for this.
Truth be told, my first impression of the Angamos Community was a little disappointing. I wasn’t expecting to see power lines and concrete roads arranged with stop signs and lanes for vehicles given the only vehicle in the village was a small 3 wheel bike with a tray, taking the children up and down for joy rides. It looked as though the local council had just hastily finished a construction project. This community had been slowly integrated with civilised Peru; the national anthem blares out from outdoor speakers, indoctrinating the children. The presence and power of the military is obvious as it keeps a close eye on the population of approximately 800.
Angamos Children
We met our guides for the expedition, including the chief of the tribe, Hernan who at first looked rather intimidating, despite his Premier League shirt. The chief's role is to make tribal decisions with assistance from leaders. I was told that the former chief was a famous warrior who killed many people and crushed skulls in tribal wars. Dennis, the grandson of the former skull-crusher, would be travelling with us - an expert hunter, highly proficient with the bow & arrow and able to catch large Anacondas with his bare hands. Armando, his father, was a community leader, expert on the land and spiritual chief. Sergio, another guide, was extremely knowledgeable with plant medicine, his father being a Shaman. Before the expedition, Sergio had had a bad accident when an arrow had pierced his knee and exited out the other side. He’d refused hospital treatment so he could complete the expedition with us. I had my concerns about his untreated injury given what lay ahead of us.
Meeting Armando
The local shop owners who run a monopoly in Angamos, and not surprisingly the wealthiest of the community, served up fish for dinner. Various family members watched a loud movie on a small TV in the shop. I slept on a mosquito net covered mattress in a small wooden shack with no lighting and had access to the last modern toilet I see for 2 weeks.
Hernan, Matses Chief 2017
Sergio
Dennis, wife & their child
