The village was nothing really special, a collection of primitive houses, except the lecture about the latex and rubber production was really interesting. We got a demonstration how they cut the bark of the tree to collect the sap or milk. It takes 25 trees to produce 1 liter of milk, which can be used to produce 200 grey of rubber. Once they are done collecting the milk they pour it over a big stick that they rotate over a fire to vulcanize the rubber. This way, by pouring layer after layer on the stick, they create big rubber "balls" of up to 50 kg.
At one time Brazil produced 42,000 tons of rubber per year, almost 90% of the world production. In 1890 a British botanist smuggled 2 nuts of the rubber tree (containing approx.. 70 seeds each) out of the country. In Malaysia they created plantations with it and soon Brazil was displaced as the top producer. Due to the soil conditions in the Amazon (the top soil is only about 5 cm) it was not possible to create plantations here. All labor was manual, they assumed that 300,000 workers (primarily collectors) were needed. The milk has to be vulcanized immediately. If it dries up it becomes useless.
More on latex or rubber:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/India_rubber
On our way home we stopped at a beautiful beach. We swam in the river and then played soccer. Argentina / Chile and Germany versus Italy / Chile ..... we won 4:1 .... it was fun!
After lunch we went to swim with the pink dolphins. I have to admit I lack the words to describer the experience. It was absolutely awesome. At first we fed them and then we went into the river to actually swim amongst them. They come so close, you can touch them .... they swim all around you .... suddenly you touch one with your feet, then one breaks through the surface right next to you, blowing and breathing and then diving again .... It was a blast!
I was excited like a little boy and would have loved to do it again to be a little less nervous and being able to enjoy more. Yes it is quite unsettling although you know that they don´t do any harm.
There was a film team of the travel channel to produce a "1000 places you have to see before you die" series with a young couple. They filmed me , but I did not want to do an interview and kept myself a little hidden to "escape" .... well I guess I never will be a movie star, that could have been my two minutes of fame :-)
We got back to the hotel just in time for the Piranha fishing. Or should I say feeding? They ate all the meat I put on the hook of my fishing rod and I could feel them bite an d nibble, but they only surgically removed all the meat, I could never catch one. Some in our boat caught 4 of them .... that´s not fair :-( ... I guess I will never be a good angler either. After dinner I had drinks with Monika and Rhonda and then went to bed early since I wanted to see the sun rise the next day.
The village we visited. 13 families live herwith theirir children.
The cutting of the tree bark, part of the process of harvesting the latex or milk of the rubber tree.
Slowly the milk is being collected in a can.
The vulcanization process begins with pouring the milk slowly over a stick.
This stick is then being held over the fire of a certain local nut (it producs less or less painful smoke).
Termites .... just a little example how this species destroys the trees completely. By the way this used to be a Palm tree which was completely eaten up until only a small piece of the trunk is left over. The locals use these nests for various purposes, e.g. while hunting (so they have no smell) and against mosquitos.
Before we swam with the Dolphins we were feeding them .... I guess so that we could get used to them. THe guard attracted them and suddenly they appeared from the "black" water, grabbed the fish and disappeared again. It all happened so fast, but I think I got a nice shot.
This Dolphin was grey, not pink.
.... and another pink one.
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