Film one nearly done
- 28 Nov 07, 03:24 PM
Posted from: Ashaninka Village near Catunga.
Thank God. It feels like we've arrived somewhere safe at last. We're in a tiny Ashaninka village four hours downriver and it is quite beautiful.
We left Catungo this morning with armed Ronderos hanging off the back of the vehicles. But we reached the river without incident, loaded up some fast boats, said goodbye to half our camp team and set off into the unknown. The river here is called the Ene and it’s prime coke country.
As you head down river you can see smoke rising from the forest as the cocaleros clear fields to grow coca. Coca is bright green and stands out clearly from the deep green of the forest. It is absolutely everywhere.
Mid afternoon, in stifling heat, we arrived here and breathed a sigh of relief. The problems that are splitting Catungo apart have yet to reach here and the difference is tangible.
The village is quiet apart from the sound of children playing. Women in cusmas bring yucca back from the fields or carry water from the river. Men sit in the shade and drink masato, the mildly alcoholic beer made from yucca and sweet potato.
I know we’re not meant to romanticise tribal life, but after the last few days, this feels like paradise. We’ll make the end of our film here, telling the story of a community who live in peace, fishing in the river, growing crops. Bruce will be able to go hunting with the men and make masato with the women. (It’s quite an interesting process – the women chew sweet potato then spit it into the mixture. It’s then left to ferment for a few days. It’s better than it sounds, but not much.)
It’s been an eventful few weeks and it’ll be good to get to a hotel in Atalaya. We all stink. Film one is done. Five more to go.
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