more ! monkeys, race, and medicine

We went down the Amazon and saw a place where there are some monkeys that have been there since they were babies, so they like humans. We played for quite awhile. They were small and cute and had names like Pancho. Roman of course LOVED it and got kind of knawed on, since he was playing kind of roughhouse with them, like a boy. Some of them got kind of bite-y. They liked to climb on you, onto your head. And then you should be affectionate and stroke them affectionately and caringly. They do eat bananas. There was a spider monkey that eats spiders, as well. That one didn´t climb on us. I talked to the guy that brought us down the river. He was 17 and has lived in this area his whole life. No kids. He has met people from all over so thinks about leaving and seeing other places. I don´t know if he could very easily, financially, but maybe. He sees these animals everyday and knows all their names and what they were like as babies.

No one in Peru thinks I am Peruvian. It is so funny, because my race basically changed after coming back from AZ and getting darker than I ever have in my life. And most every white person I told I was going to Peru said I would blend right in. Nope, they know I´m not Peruvian, but my dark skin and Spanish speaking confuses them a bit. One lady thought I was from Spain. I could pass as Mexican maybe (in Mexico people might think I´m Mexican at first. Mexico is more diverse, in a way. Most are part native, but the degree varies a lot and the natives vary more since Mexico is so big. So more mixing).

But it´s much more comfortable here, still. People are okay knowing I´m from the US and learned Spanish there working with Mexican immigrants. The line of questioning stops there with Peruvians. White people are nosier; they still want to know why I am brown, even though I don´t care why they are white, what their lineage is, and I don´t want to talk forever about it. People wouldn´t pry so much before I got tan. Hopefully as the world gets more mixed, people will get savvier and figure out that everyone is mixed to some degree, and we don´t need to spend five minutes going over the details. If Roman and I have a child, it´ll take ten mins to explain ;)

We had the option of going on a tour to see a local native tribe. We would see a dance and could buy their jewlery and that sort of thing. Voyerism. Neither Roman nor I wanted to do that, the whole thing just saddens me. Of course I am very interested in the tribes. But the natives have basically been forced into prostituting themselves for money. The dance and everything is all show for the gringos. It´s like going to a strip club, or watching porn. A sad parody of reality. We didn´t want to be a part of that. We can support them in other ways. I would love to see their traditions, but I don´t think an outsider can truly observe it without altering the process. It´s just not how it works. I can advocate for their right to exist from the outside.

My raw diet got broken, as the salads all have some cooked veggies. No problem, veggies are still healthy. But I prefer them raw, they feel much more vibrant and tasty that way. Still, being vegan is super easy. Fruit salads and veg salads and fruit smoothies all day long. YUM. If I wanted I could also get rice, papas (potato) or yucca or fried plantain. But I don´t really feel like starches, since it´s so hot and humid. We have even found seitan and soy meats for Roman. You can buy lots of packaged soy meats on the shelf in stores, regular stores. They look like dog food. I don´t consider them healthy, but they are a good transition food towards vegetarianism. And at least they don´t carry the burden of being as much of a factory farm product (though sort of).

I haven´t been able to meditate, since I want to see everything! But I probably will later. I have been doing breathwork, pranayama, and a tiny bit of yoga. I would like to study the herbs they have here. It is incredible. There is a tea that is a cure for type 2 diabetes. There is a tea that cures high blood pressure. I absolutely believe it; that´s where standard drugs from. Plants. I don´t generally believe in using any sort of medicine until truly necessary. But if it is dearly needed and available, and can be procured in a way that doesn´t threaten any ecosystems, it would be a shame to not use it.

They have delicious herbal teas here. More later.