One day, two hunters showed up with their baskets full of tapir meat. They planned on retrieving the rest of it the next day, so Ed and I made plans to go with them. All the men and the hunters’ wives went on the hike. We went by boat to a nearby village and took the trail from there. After about an hour, we arrived at a clearing where there were three thatched huts with no walls. We thought we had arrived, but they laughed and said it was a lot farther. After a group picture, we continued on.
Some parts were muddy and there were many streams to cross. Sometimes the bridge was a fallen tree and sometimes it was a small round pole. I discovered that it was easiest to balance when I slanted both feet inward like they do. Occasionally there were monkeys or birds that they would point out to us and watch. Sometimes they would shoot at something with a slingshot. After another couple of hours, we finally arrived at some more shelters in a smaller clearing, surrounded by creeks.
After a short rest, they divided up the remaining meat and put in in their baskets. There were more people than baskets, so some of them took turns carrying them. They carry the baskets on their backs, with a strap either on their forehead or on their shoulders. They never asked Ed or me to carry anything, and we never offered. It was enough for us to get our own bodies home. We were amazed by the one young mother who was carrying the heavy basket while nursing her baby, which she had also carried all the way from the village.
We finally made it back to the boat, legs sore and cramping. The GPS said we walked for almost 15 miles round trip. I can’t imagine carrying a heavy load in a basket for 3 hours. It took a few days before my legs were back to normal. These people are tough and have crazy endurance.