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AMAZONAS EXPEDITION INCLUDING YANOMANI ENCOUNTER
DURATION : 16-17 DAYS
The vegetal lung of our
planet, and home to the elusive Yanomani...
The
Venezuelan Amazon has a wide diversity of
exotic and exuberant vegetal formations and
contains a important biological reservoir
of incalculable significance.
You will navigate
one of the world’s least accessible regions
in a bongo - a large dugout canoe - and encounter an abundance of
flora and fauna (over 5,000 plant species, 190 mammal
species, 674 species of birds, 159 of reptiles and 25 known families
of fish) as well Yanomani communities.
The Yanomami live in small villages, grouped by
families in one large communal dwelling called a Shabono; this
disc-shaped structure with an open-air central plaza is an earthly
version of their gods' abode. They hunt and fish over a wide range
and tend gardens in harmony with the forest. Villages are autonomous
but constantly will interact with each other. The villages, which
contain between 40 and 300 individuals, are scattered thinly
throughout the Amazon Forest and the
distance between villages may vary from a few hours walk to a ten
day walk.
The Yanomami people's traditions are shaped by the
belief that the natural and spiritual world are a unified force;
nature creates everything, and is sacred. They believe that their
fate, and the fate of all people, is inescapably linked to the fate
of the environment; with its destruction, humanity is committing
suicide. Their spiritual leader is a shaman.
Though many Yanomami are
peaceful, many are fierce warriors. They have their dignity
and honour and this is an often cause of
duels and fights between the villages.
Sometimes their warring is to capture women, so that their best
warriors can maximize their reproductive success. In general,
warring villages are usually several days walk from each other,
whereas tranquil ones may be less than a day. Villages will usually
fission when the population reaches 100 to 150 people but in times
of warfare villages will not split before they reach a population of
around 300 individuals. Villages may go to
war for a number of reasons and warfare makes up a large part of
Yanomami life. About 40% of adult males have killed another person
and about 25% of adult males will die from some form of violence.
Violence will vary from chest pounding, in which opponents take
turns hitting each other on the chest, to club fights, to raids
which may involve the killing of individuals and abducting women, to
all out warfare.
Marriage arrangements are not only vital in
forging alliances but keeping the peace between families as well.
Most women have prearranged marriages and marry at a young age. The
preferred marriage is the "bilateral cross-cousin marriage" which
helps produce strong relationships between families and villages.
ITINERARY
Day 1 Arrive Caracas International Airport (CCS) and
transfer to Gran Melia Caracas (5 star hotel) for overnight.
Day 2 Private charter flight from CCS to Puerto
Ayacucho. Visit to the indigenous markets and shopping for
expedition supplies and gifts for the Yanomami. Sleep in a beautiful
Jungle Lodge on the banks of the Orinoco River.
Days 3&4 Private charter flight to San Carlos de Rio Negro.
Load up the bongo (dugout canoe with outboard engine) with supplies
and drums of fuel and begin our journey up the Rio Negro to the
Cassiquari River. The bongo is big enough to string up hammocks and
stretch out but progress will be slow. Time to enjoy the wonderful
Amazon Jungle and wildlife all around you. We will make stops at
various indigenous communities along the way including Piaroa and
Arawak as well as Guardia National check points, finally arriving at
the mouth of the Siapa, we will encounter our first Yanomami
settlement.
Days 5&6 Upon arrival we offer our gifts to the Chief who
in turn distributes them to the villagers. Then that evening there
will be an initiation ceremony, where Yopo is blow up the nostrils of all
visitors, and wild dancing well into the night ensues. This enables
us to visit the spirit world and the following morning we will know
if we are welcome to stay or not.
Days 7-13/14 After careful negotiation with our new Yanomami
friends we will continue on foot to find a more isolated group of
Yanomami deep in the jungle. Here there will be villagers who have
had little or no contact at all with the outside world, ever!
Days 15-16 Begin our journey back to the modern world. It is a
lot quicker going back as it’s mostly down river.
Day 16/17 Private Charter flight from San Carlos de Rio
Negro to Puerto Ayacucho and then a second flight to Caracas
International Airport for flight home, or option to spend a night in
Caracas.
Price: US$ 7,500 [EURO € 6,200/GBP £ 4,250] (min 4
persons)
Quoted prices include:
All accommodations, all transfers and local airport taxes, equipment
including insect repellent, meals and drinks, and guides.
SUGGESTED PERSONAL ITEMS
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Wide brimmed hat & Sunscreen
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Shorts & 2 T-Shirts
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Lightweight long-sleeved shirt and trousers
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Sport Sandals
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Sunglasses
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Compact Toiletries
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Pack-towel or sarong
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Camera
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