The Meandering Melanders

A monkey. Saw lots of them but very hard to get a picture.

We stopped at one of the medium comfort lodges belonging to Explorama. Only airconditioning is open window, no screen on windows so mosquito netting. This and the even lesser comfort lodges are mostly used by groups of school kids doing jungle reserarch or by scientists.

We visited a shaman’s “office”.

The location was guarded by a pair of horned screamers which make a noise not unlike a very loud and mean sounding dog. They are wild birds but have found a home.

This shaman (also known as a healer) works with herbs and plants to concoct medicinal potions, salves, and other items. He grows many of these plants on location. Some of the things he can cure, or lessen the pain of, include arthritis, snake bites, insect bites, stomach ailments, headaches, and any other illness one can think of. I don’t think I would trust him to cure me should I be snake bit, but don’t doubt he can cure lots of ailments. The odds are many of our manufactured medicines are based on these types of treatments.

His friend, another shaman, was there also. His method of work is very different. He deals with the mind and more mind and spirit type methodology. I am not implying that it doesn’t work, I’m sure it does.