The over-the-counter pills I took for my stomach troubles did nothing, but the little red bean they gave me had an almost instant effect. The women know of two different flowers that can influence the sex of their children. Their blowpipes are four metres long, and are made with 22 different species of plant and tree. Their knowledge of plant medicine, and the spirits, is immense, and incredibly skilful. They are the most cultured and developed of the tribes of the region. The Yekwa’ana Indians, our hosts and guides, have a deep and ancient relationship with the jungle. He also promised bats that crawl into your tent to suck your blood, fish that swim up your urethra, and giant man-snatching spirits that walk backwards. Charles told us we would find undiscovered and unimaginable flavours in Venezuela. We had met Charles a few years earlier, when he was giving a lecture on his extraordinary life. It also threatens to kill you at every turn. The forest provides so much food, medicine, magic and tools. It’s even more confusing if you’re a Londoner who probably wouldn’t survive more than a few hours there on his own. It’s immense, dark, and beautiful, terrifying and kind: Nature at her strongest and most raw. Exploring the rivers of the Venezuelan Amazon by boat.
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