On the River... Experiencing the Brazilian Amazon
A week on a houseboat in the Brazilian Amazon—I can tell you that an experience that spectacular is the dream of any outdoor enthusiast. I was lucky enough to be able to experience such a trip though an honors seminar called On the River… Experiencing the Brazilian Amazon through the University of Cincinnati Honors Program. The class was structured such that all throughout the spring semester we learned about the ecosystem and culture of the areas surrounding the Brazilian Amazon. During spring break we al boarded a plane to travel to Brazil, landing in Manaus and then immediately boarding the Iracema to spend 10 days on a houseboat exploring the Amazon and the aspects of Brazil that we learned while in class through a more hands on approach.
Going into the semester, I was not really sure what to expect. Ecosystems and the beauty of nature had always fascinated me so I was excited for the learning that was to come, but the class was considered a 3000 level course in biology; being a college student with only one semester under my belt, this scared me. Nonetheless, I went into the class ready and excited to learn everything that was mentioned in the syllabus and on the course description, not anticipating “different” type of learning that would occur over the duration of the course. For reference text, we used the Neotropical Companion, which detailed different aspects of the tropics including plant life, animals, geological transitions over time, etc. For the cultural aspect we referenced the fictional novel State of Wonder, by Ann Patchett. This novel follows Marina, a Doctor from Wisconsin and her travels to Brazil to uncover the truth about a coworkers “death”. The book took Marina into the places in Brazil where we would be traveling and discussed the cultural aspects of Brazil as seen through the eyes of an American Woman. Past these two texts, Dr. Shann, the professor for the course, brought in individuals who would be able to better teach us about the culture as well as the ecosystems of Brazil. Additionally, during the course we were assigned the task of creating a research project that we could execute while in Brazil. My group, which consisted of five other students in the course decided to study the use of medicinal plants and their impact on the culture in Brazil. During the duration of this in class session, I was also able to get to know the other individuals with whom I would be taking the course.
The actual trip took place over spring break from March 13th-23rd. We left from CVG and traveled to Manaus where we boarded The Iracema, our floating house for the next ten days. That night we met the crew, explored the ship, and got better acquainted with each other. I think one notable thing about that night was that when asked what was one thing that we wanted to see, I could not think of one thing. This was not because I had no idea what there was to see, but rather because there were so many things that I was excited to see when I was there. For the next ten days, we would wake up bright and early (6 a.m. to be exact), serve ourselves the most delicious coffee, and board our canoes for a morning excursion. These ranged from going out to fish for piranhas, to looking out for howler monkeys at dawn. We would then come back, take our little siesta, eat lunch, and go for yet another excursion out to hike, swim, or meet up with the locals. Then we would come back take some more rest, eat dinner and go out for a third time at night to see the different animals that the rainforest sheltered. In regards to our research project we discovered that much of the medicinal plants that we had researched and anticipated finding were not used. Many of the individuals did use medicinal plants in some way, but anything that was a serious medical concern was dealt with through the use of pharmaceutical medications. During our ten days, we did many things that I didn’t mention, but our daily schedule encapsulated those aforementioned. However, I have chosen to reserve the most memorable and impactful moment that I experienced during the trip for now.
Probably the biggest realization that I had during my time in Brazil is the correlation between standard of living and happiness. I had taken the course because the subject matter of the ecosystem truly interested me and the international study abroad excited me, but I would never have anticipated looking so deeply into the culture such that I would question my own culture. In many of the villages and towns of Brazil that we visited, the standard of living was much more limited than anything that we have—most of them don’t have cell phones, cars, televisions, close grocery stores, etc. To most individuals, including myself, this form of living would be considered much more difficult than our current model; yet, I did not see a single individual who was unhappy. They lived a very content life, void of the many things that bring a modern western society down. I was then left considering at what point do all the things we have in our possession bring us down and limit our happiness. I would not say that I am an unhappy person because I have an iPhone, but having email at my fingertips and constantly being connected to some form of work creates a sense of ceaseless stress. Having games on my phone also creates an out from social situations where friendships can be built stronger, from situations where we should be thanking people for things, being grateful for what we have, etc. We always have something on the mind that needs to be done, something that can be worked on, something that needs to be done. It was here with I started to wonder how weighed down are we by our technology. Granted at this point in my life, I am very comfortable with everything that I have and the resources that I have at my fingertips, but what would life be like without those things? I still do not know because our society thrives on technology. If anybody wants to exist in a modern western society, technology must be embraced because of its importance.
I think that this experience when much further than learning about book knowledge. For me, I was able to learn a lot about who I was, who I was becoming, and who I really wanted to become. Being immersed in the Brazilian Culture, I was able to examine my own culture and how I lived my life based on the importance I placed on material things and realize that those goods are not as important to life as is the pursuit of happiness and the earning of trust, friendship, and love.