TRAVELS AND TREASURES 9

MANAUS TO SANTAREM …

ANOTHER PEACEFUL EXPERIENCE IN THE HAMMOCK
ON THE WATERS OF THE AMAZON.

AS THE BOAT LEFT MANAUS 
WE CROSSED THE LINE BETWEEN 

THE BROWN AND THE BLACK AMAZONIAN RIVER,

IF I HAD NOT SEEN IT WITH MY OWN EYES

I WOULD PROBABLY HAVE THOUGHT JAJAJA ...
OR IF SOMEBODY HAD TOLD ME OR I HAD ONLY READ ABOUT IT, 
THAT THE TWO ASPECTS OF THE RIVER 
ARE ACTUALLY SEPARATED WITH A CLEAR LINE OF COLORING ...
 AS IF THE LINE HAD BEEN DRAWN FROM BENEATH 
WITH A PENCIL AND A RULER …
A MIRACLE REFLECTED AND PAINTED FROM
THE DIFFERENT LEVELS OF DEPTHS
 OF THE GODDESS OF WATER

I WAS HAPPY TO BE ON THE BOAT AGAIN,

 A LITTLE BUSIER AND SOMEWHAT NEWER IN STYLE ...

BUT AWAY FROM THE UNHAPPY BUZZ OF THE 
HOMELESS FILLED, UNHEALTHY STREETS OF MANAUS ...
I WAS HAPPY BEING ON MY WAY TOWARDS THE UNKNOWN AGAIN.

LESS THAN A WEEK LATER WE ARRIVED IN SANTAREM,

WHERE WE IMMEDIATELY STARTED LOOKING FOR 

A BUSS THAT WOULD TAKE US DOWN SOUTH 

THROUGH THE RAIN FORREST TO A LITTLE VILLAGE,

WHERE WE HAD PLANNED ON STAYING.

WE FOUND OUR BUSS ON A PLAZA SURROUNDED
BY FLOCKS OF VULTURES HAVING THEIR BREAKFAST …
AGGRESSIVELY PROTECTING THEIR SMELLY FOOD.
AFTER AN HOUR OR SO IN OUR VEHICLE OF TRANSPORTATION

WITH ALL THE SURVIVAL ASPECTS OF

THE ANIMAL KINGDOM AND HUMAN KINGDOM 

ON TOP OF EACH OTHER, SITTING AND STANDING.

WE ARRIVED IN THE PRETTIEST LITTLE TOWN

BY THE RIVER …
COLORED BY THE TREES AND PLANTS OF THE RAIN FOREST.
WE FOUND A PLACE TO STAY THAT HAD BREAKFAST
INCLUDED IN THE PRICE …
SURREAL IN A WAY IN THE MIDDLE OF THE RICHNESS OF 
THE AMAZONIAN RAIN FORREST.
I HAD REALIZED VERY SOON THAT MY FRIEND
SAW ME AS HER PERSONAL BANCO, 
AS SHE HAD NO MONEY,
 JUST JEWELRY SHE PLANNED ON SELLING.
SO THE CHECK HAD A WAY OF LANDING ON MY PLATE 
AS I WAS HOPING SHE WOULD START SELLING
HER CREATIVE WORK …

OUR LUXURY B&B 
 WAS PRETTY MUCH FOUR CONCRETE WALLS
WITH A ROOF ON TOP OF IT, ONE SHOWER, ALL
SURROUNDED BY CHICKEN AND ROOSTERS AND
WOMEN WASHING AND COOKING AND GOSSIPING OUT-LOUD.
INSIDE THE FOUR WALLS, WITH VERY PLAIN MUD FLOORING 
WERE TWO NIGHT STANDS, A FEW HANGERS AND 
THE MOST IMPORTANT THING 
HOOKS FOR THE HAMMOCKS FUSED INTO 
THE WALLS, SAFE AND SOUND.
ALL WAS VERY CLEAN AND FELT VERY NEW,
LIKE YESTERDAY NEW NOT QUITE COMPLETED.
THE TINY ATTACHED BREAKFAST AREA,
 WITH ONLY TWO TABLES PROVIDED
BEYOND BEAUTIFUL FRUIT DISHES AND DRINKS,
PICKED BEHIND THE B&B,
PREPARED BY THE MAMA, QUEEN OF THE HOUSEHOLD,
AND HER DAUGHTERS.
THE  ARTISTRY AND BEAUTY AND FLAVORS 
OF MAMAS FRUITY CREATIONS WERE HEAVENLY.

WE WENT DOWN TO THE WATER TO HAVE OUR FIRST SWIM,
AFTER A SHORT NAP IN THE WOMB OF THE HAMMOCK.
I REALIZED THAT I WAS THE ONLY FEMALE 
IN THE WATER … 
I SAW SOME UPSET EYES LOOKING AT ME FROM THE BEACH …
MORE FEAR THAN ANYTHING ELSE …
IN THE HEAT OF THE DAY MANY MEN TOOK THEIR
BEER/MOONSHINE COOLERS OUT INTO THE RIVER
WITH STOOLS TO SIT ON AND SAT THERE
UNTIL THE COOLER EVENING TEMPERATURES 
ALLOWED FOR LABOR WITHOUT HEAT STROKE ...
OTHERS WERE SLEEPING IN THEIR HAMMOCKS
OR HANGING IN THE SAP BARS.
SAP TAPPED FROM THE RAINFOREST TREES 
BEING THE MEDICINE OF CHOICE,
HOT AND FIERY.

THE YOUNG WOMEN SPENT TIME ON THE BEACH 
BLEACHING THEIR BODILY HAIRS WITH PEROXIDE 
UNDER THE MIDDAY SUN, FOR FASTER RESULTS. 
I LEARNED ABOUT ONE BRAZILIAN FASHION STATEMENT.  
WHITE HAIRS ON YOUR LEGS AND ARMS IS SEXY.

I ALSO LEARNED WHY WOMEN DON'T SWIM OR
EVEN ENTER THE AMAZON RIVER …
THE STORY GOES THAT THE DOLPHINS MAKE 
THE YOUNG GIRLS PREGNANT!
THEY EVEN HAVE A FESTIVAL 
WITH YOUNG MEN AND WOMEN DRESSED UP IN COSTUMES
DANCING AND PERFORMING TO HELP PROTECT
TEENAGE GIRLS FROM GETTING PREGNANT ... 
BY THE DOLPHINS!!!
I JOINED ONE FESTIVAL AND IT WAS 
BRAZILIAN STYLE TO THE FULLEST, 
IF THE MOTIVATION 
FOR THE FESTIVAL HAD NOT BEEN SO BACKWARDS.
THE YOUNG ONES IN THEIR COSTUMES MAKING OUT
AND PROBABLY MAKING MORE BABIES, 
IN THE DARKNESS OF THE NIGHT LIKE GHOSTS OF DOLPHINS.

PEOPLE MAKE UP STORIES 
TO JUSTIFY AND RATIONALIZE 
TO NOT TO HAVE TO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THEIR MISERY;
IN THIS CASE, 
FOR THE FACT
THAT MANY TEEN GIRLS HAVE MORE THAN ONE BABY 
BY THE AGE OF 15, NOT KNOWING THE FATHER(-S) AT ALL.
BABIES THAT THE GRANDMOTHERS AND 
THE MOTHERS OF THE TEENS 
HAVE TO CARE FOR.

THE GIRLS MADE OUT WITH SAME AGE GUYS, 
BUT MOST OFTEN WITH MANY OLDER 
RICHER MIDDLE AGED MEN VISITING
 FROM MANAUS AND OTHER CITIES, 
 LOOKING FOR 
YOUNG BEAUTIFUL CHANGE-HUNGRY GIRLS,
THAT HAD NOTHING BUT THEIR BODIES AND BEAUTY TO OFFER ...
HOPING AND DREAMING TO POSSIBLY CREATE 
A DIFFERENT NEW ABUNDANT LIFE FOR THEMSELVES.
EASY PRAY FOR THE PREDATORS, 
SINCE THEIR HUNGER WAS ROOTED IN STORIES OF SURVIVAL.
THEY JUST KEPT GETTING PREGNANT SO 
THE BEAUTIFUL DOLPHINS HAD TO BE BLAMED TO JUSTIFY ...
SO THE STORIES WERE TOLD AND DOWNLOADED AND SHARED 
FROM GENERATIONS TO GENERATIONS,
"DON'T GO DOWN INTO THE RIVER BECAUSE
THE DOLPHINS WILL MAKE YOU PREGNANT."

THE SAME STORIES TOLD
 FROM FEAR IN EVERY CULTURE AROUND THE WORLD,
STORIES ABOUT HOW TO SURVIVE IN A WORLD OF DECEPTION,
STORIES THAT MAKE US FEEL POWERLESS,
 STORIES THAT WE ALL HAVE BEEN TOLD
(AND CHOSEN TO BELIEVE AND TRUST IN),
DOWNLOADED FROM GENERATION TO GENERATION …

STORIES THAT WE CAN RELATE TO,
BECAUSE WE GREW UP WITH THEM AND 
LEARNED TO SURVIVE THROUGH THEM …
STORIES THAT WE CAN'T RELATE TO
BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT PART OF OUR SURVIVAL
HERITAGE AND IN THE DARKNESS OF SURVIVAL 
AND THE 'THEM AND US" PERCEPTION
WE HAVE BEEN TOLD TO FEAR "THEM"
AND NOT LISTEN TO THEIR STORIES.
SHARING AND LISTENING TO EACH OTHERS STORIES
HELP US REVEAL WHAT IS OURS AND 
WHAT IS NOT ... 

WHILE MANY JUDGE WHAT OTHER CULTURES
WERE TOLD TO BELIEVE AND RELY ON FOR THEIR SURVIVAL,
MANY TEND TO FORGET THAT WE ALL BELIEVE
IN THE STORIES WE GREW UP SURROUNDED BY
AND BELIEVE AND TRUST IN THEM TO BE THE TRUTH.
WHETHER THEY ARE OR NOT ...
ALL THESE SURVIVAL STORIES HAVE MADE US INTO 
PUPPETS DANCING TO THE SOUNDS AND RHYTHMS 
OF THE STORIES WE WERE TOLD.
WE HAVE BECOME PUPPETS ON A STRING
RESPONDING AND REACTING 
ONLY TO THE PULLS AND PUSHES
GIVEN TO US THROUGH THIS HERITAGE, 
THESE FOLK STORIES,
BELIEF SYSTEMS AND DEFINITIONS, THAT WE
HAVE USED TO CREATE THE STRUCTURES WE CHOOSE 
TO LIVE WITHIN.

WE WILL NOT BE ABLE TO LOVE AS ONE NATION,
GLOBALLY AND COLLECTIVELY IN PEACE,
BEFORE WE REALIZE AND TAKE APART OUR PERSONAL STORIES,
ILLUMINATE WHERE WE GIVE OUR POWER AWAY;
SEEKING TO FIND THE MISALIGNMENTS
AWAY FROM OUR OWN TRUTH  
TO BE ABLE TO ALIGN AGAIN WITH 
OUR NATURAL SELF,
OUR OWN SACRED DIVINE TRUE STORY OF LOVE.

THROUGH OUR INTERCONNECTED HEART TO HEART
ALIGNMENT I 
THANK YOU ALL
 FOR YOUR STORIES TOLD THROUGH HERITAGE
AND THE STORIES OF LOVE 
TO BE TOLD BY EACH ONE OF US INDEPENDENTLY
AS WE LEARN AND ALLOW OURSELVES TO LIVE INCLUSIVELY 
AS ONE IN A NEW WAY WITHOUT FEAR, 
INSPIRED BY LOVE,
STEP BY STEP,
BREATH BY BREATH  ….
INTEGRATING OUR NATURAL SELVES INTO 
OUR PHYSICAL VESSELS, 
OUR BODIES GIVEN TO US TO HAVE THIS SPECIAL EXPERIENCE
OF  LIFE IN A FORM OF MATTER,
CHANGING DARKNESS INTO LIGHT.

WITH LOVE IN PEACE,
MORAYAH