Amazon

Post date: Jun 21, 1981 11:18:15 PM

Letter sent from Jarí Florestal e Agropecuária, 21 June 1981, to my parents in Aptos, California.

I’m in the middle of the Amazon jungle, in a rather fine oasis, tho lacking in community spirit. Right across the river is a shanty boom town of 8,000 people to supply some of the goods and services which the company overlooked.

My companions return to New York yesterday & tomorrow, but I will stay for two more weeks to gather the rest of the data and write things up and get the draft checked out.

The plants and birds around here are beautiful and amazing, but the tropics really belong to the insects. Despite man’s best efforts the place is crawling, buzzing, & flying. Very few mosquitoes and reportedly no malaria, however. There is an expression that the “jungle has teeth” which refers to insects, snakes, and thorny vines. I can’t step into the jungle without getting itchy bites around my ankles. Maybe I’ll try insect repellant.

Everything grows. The Eucalyptus here grows 1 cm/day. Over my head in six months! The [forest] plantations have to be weeded 2-3 times the first year, and again the second year because everything else grows fast, too. If you want two of something, just cut off a branch and stick it into the ground!

The people on the project have been friendly & helpful. Food is good — but I’ve now been through the menu and am starting over.

I’ll give this letter to John to mail from NYC. (Actually mailed from Stamford, CT, 24 June.) Brazilian mail takes forever from here.