Bolivia

June 20, 1972

"Greetings from the colony of Piray... Our trip out here is a story in itself... " 

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Montero, the paved road ends.  From there the going is a little slower.  The road was good & dry in most places, but was deeply gutted, which doesn't make for the smoothest ride in the world!  But the ride was beautiful - the sunset throught the trees and the ride under the stars.  We arrived in Hardeman about 10 p.m.  The next morning we arose around 6:30 a.m., anticipating an early start, but it was close to ten before we set out.  From there the going would be rougher.  The road is not so built up and dries slowly because the overhanging jungle doesn't allow the sun to enter & dry out the road.  We only got stuck 2 times before we reached the first little pueblo of 20 houses.  There we ate lunch & waited for 3 hours for the man to return from hunting to let us onto the road.  In case that last sentence doesn't make a whole lot of sense, I'll explain.  A lumber company has fixed up the road, so now they say it's a private road.  We needed permission to pass.  We had to leave part of our cargo there to be picked up at a later date, because it was too heavy.  We again started out, now around 3 p.m.  The next stretch the road was beautiful, but

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alas & alack - the truck driver decided the road was too muddy, so he dropped 2 of us off with all our cargo in a little house & took off.  Alicia & Mary walked to the colony (about a 2 hr walk) and Raymond & I stayed with the goods.  The "house": I'm referring to was a roof over our heads - no more.  but we had a delightful time.  We made our beds on top the food sacks.  In case you are ever in a predicament such as this, the oatmeal is softer than flour!  We had a sleeping bag & our mosquito net, so we were set.  We had some of our oranges & grapefruits for dinner, sat by the fire a while & went to bed early.  What else does one do in a jungle at night?  About half way through the night we discovered our mosquito net had a few holes or something.  We sat up & I held the flashlight while Raymond tried to diminish the population.  Then it began to rain, so we ran out to bring our fire in (our fire consisted of 3 logs, burning.  It is a marvelous way to heat things & the logs, once they catch, last a long time.)  About 2 hours later the rain really started to come down hard, so we brought 

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our fire from the edge of the house, into the center.  We also checked all the cargo & moved a few things.  Light was just beginning to shine in the sky.  We were standing lamenting the fact that there was so much rain & yet we had nothing for water, when we spotted 10 plastic bath tubs for babies we were bringing in.  We scattered them all around the house.  Can you just picture a jungle house with colorful plastic bath tubs encircling it.  Anyway, we collected lots of water!

We were really well off - we had lots of food & we kept remembering things we could use that we had brought along - like tin cans for dishes & I had one plastic picnic spoon I brought all the way from a Palm Park picnic.  It rained almost all day.  I just sat & watched the day go by & I read a little.  After a supper of roasted yucca & bananas, we were greatly surprised to see 3 men & 2 mules from the colony, appear before us.So we paced up a few things, climbed on the mules & headed for the colony.  The rain had stopped, but it was still overcast.  It was then about 6 p.m., half hour before the  

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sun would set.  We set out, with my mule being led by one of the colonists, a Bolivian from Japan.  He & the mules slushed through the road, which ofter resembled a series of ponds more than a road.  As we neared the colony it was dark, the only light being from the flashlight our guide held.  It was a good thing he had it.  I could see the hanging vines & stuff in time to dodge them.  Riding through the jungle in the dark for the first time was an experience.  I find (it) difficult to put into words.  I wasn't scared, really, but it was kind of an awesome feeling.  We arrived at my new home about 8:30 that night.

Our house here is simple, like the ones every body else lives in.  We have one large room, with a loft-like part over half.  this is where 2 people sleep.  Alicia & I have beds downstairs.  they serve as "sofas" during the day.  One of the nicest parts of the house is a nice big  table - perfect for working & eating.  A wall of woven motacu leaves divides our house from the meeting hall.  I really like our house.  We

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have enough to be comfortable.  Two separate little "buildings" serve as the outhouse & the bath house.  Water comes from a pump just across the open field from us.

Right now there are 88 people in the colony, including men, women, & children.  The greates number are men - 44, many of them without families yet.  There are 16 women & 25 or 30 kids, 19 under 5.  The population is young because it is like a frontier & the work is hard.  People must pull up stacks (sic) & come here & start from scratch - and once you see the jungle you realize that the work isn't easy.  But it is a good life.  Life here is peaceful and tranquil.  there are blue skies & green trees & friendly people.  We aren't without problems, though.  The lack of a good road makes it difficult to sell the rice from here to the buyers in town.  Also exploitation, from inside the colony & from outside, must be dealt with.  One rich landowner is trying to take over a part of the colonists land now.