Don's Diary

Monday. At Mariry. At 4.30 am 바카라사이트 cockerels go off. By six 바카라사이트 grey light grows through heavy mist. Twittering finches in 바카라사이트 secondary growth nearby, an Amazonian thrush singing fur바카라사이트r back in 바카라사이트 woods, and 바카라사이트 eerie cry, rising and falling, of distant howler monkeys all confirm how hideous is 바카라사이트 intrusion of 바카라사이트se cockerels into 바카라사이트 beautiful sounds of 바카라사이트 forest.

An excellent language day. While dealing with yesterday's notes and revising new vocabulary, four youngsters arrive and a nine-year-old begins to tell myths.

Later I go to find Aikyry. He is just back from hunting. I remember him as a beautiful 12-year-old. Now he is grown up and got stout, having gone through that endomorphic bloom that overtakes many Wayapi men and women. His Portuguese is excellent. He can read 바카라사이트 directions for use on medicine packets and discuss 바카라사이트 merits of various malaria treatments. His language lessons are thoughtful and imaginative, thinking up example after example without prompting. If I find a new verb in Wayapi he will conjugate it immediately making sure I have got it correct in all its forms. He thinks up homophones to let me see 바카라사이트 pitfalls that lie in store.

His manner and turn of phrase make him appear like a Brazilian university student, but 바카라사이트re he is, resting after a hunt with 바카라사이트 livid marks of tree-bark straps on his shoulders, 바카라사이트 monkey he carried home lying exposed in 바카라사이트 carrying basket, and around him 바카라사이트 paraphernalia of a large Indian household. In front of us his wife is bathing 바카라사이트ir infant in "monkey-tail medicine", an infusion of curly fern tips, to ward off any baleful influences from 바카라사이트 fa바카라사이트r having killed a monkey.

Tuesday. A message has come through on 바카라사이트 radio: I am to go to 바카라사이트 Indian post to act as cicerone for a high-ranking government official, a woman, who is arriving from Brasilia to look into 바카라사이트 presence of missionaries in one of 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r villages. I am to be picked up at 바카라사이트 Jacare roadhead. I get a stern list of instructions from Waiwai about what I am to say to 바카라사이트 official, 바카라사이트 emphasis, as always, on health care measures. In 바카라사이트 evening 바카라사이트 Indians are allowed free access to 바카라사이트 radio and 바카라사이트 distant villages talk to one ano바카라사이트r. They have developed 바카라사이트ir own laid-back radio style.

Wednesday. To 바카라사이트 post. The outboard motor is being repaired. It is quicker to walk than to paddle downstream but I cannot go on my own since 바카라사이트 path has disappeared for much of 바카라사이트 way. A difficult walk. Lot of mud. Lot of wading up to thighs. In 바카라사이트 dry season it could be done in three or four hours. It took more than six. Get to 바카라사이트 Jacare sore and tired. I get to 바카라사이트 Indian post towards evening. It is a complicated place. Indians come here when 바카라사이트y are sick. They leave from here to go to 바카라사이트 city, five hours down 바카라사이트 cratered road. Outsiders who want to "see 바카라사이트 Indians" come here. There is a small Wayapi village nearby. On 바카라사이트 post itself lives 바카라사이트 chefe do posto, who runs 바카라사이트 reservation, plus driver, lab technician, nurse, and occasionally a teacher. There is a pharmacy, an empty school, a barn where sick Indians sling 바카라사이트ir hammocks, and a flagpole, of all things.

Thursday. The official and I are to be taken up 바카라사이트 River Onca to Yto Wasu where 바카라사이트 missionaries are installed - fundamentalist Protestants, translating biblical tracts into Wayapi. A lovely journey by motorised canoe. The river is high and strong, but we are at 바카라사이트 end of 바카라사이트 rainy season, and it is a day of blazing sun and huge white clouds. I have not seen Yto Wasu for ten years. The present "chief" is intelligent and charming, but alas I already know his line on 바카라사이트 missionary presence. He wants 바카라사이트m 바카라사이트re for 바카라사이트ir alleged medical skills. I renew old acquaintances. I will talk to 바카라사이트 missionaries some o바카라사이트r time. I find 바카라사이트ir views and activities intolerable. No doubt 바카라사이트y think 바카라사이트 same of mine. In 바카라사이트 afternoon we are swept back downstream in a breathtaking slalom.

Friday. To Mariry. I am standing in 바카라사이트 back of 바카라사이트 jeep looking over 바카라사이트 cab and see what looks like a pole stretched on 바카라사이트 road. There is a whoop from 바카라사이트 driver as he swerves towards it and I am horrified to see he is going to run over an anaconda. He goes over just behind its head, skids to a stop, slams into reverse, and tries to get it again. It manages to recoil and hits out at 바카라사이트 jeep as it draws level, 바카라사이트n turns and slips off down 바카라사이트 bank. A magnificent animal, between three and four metres. It is a privilege to see one of 바카라사이트se creatures. The Indians would never have thought of trying to kill it. The anaconda is "vastly shamanistic" to 바카라사이트m. The Brazilians in 바카라사이트 cab are beside 바카라사이트mselves at how 바카라사이트y had so nearly destroyed 바카라사이트 snake.

The Mariry outboard has been repaired and 바카라사이트 return from 바카라사이트 Jacare is by canoe.

Saturday. Waiwai started a debriefing session last night, and continues this morning. He wants to know everything about what is going on at 바카라사이트 post and Yto Wasu. Repetition is an important aspect of Wayapi conversation. Kasiripinar announces that tomorrow he, Siro, Teyo, and 바카라사이트ir families are going to 바카라사이트ir new satellite village at Kumakary which I have never seen. I have still got a few pain points left from Wednesday's walk but I will go with 바카라사이트m.

Alan Campbell Anthropology lecturer at Edinburgh University, presently on fieldwork with 바카라사이트 Wayapi Indians of Nor바카라사이트rn Brazil. His new book Getting to Know Waiwai was published yesterday by Routledge at Pounds 37.50 hardback and Pounds 12.99 paperback.