Before our trip to the Orinoco Delta, I was rather skeptical: I thought we'd see just another tourist attraction—actors dressed as "Indians" showing tourists scenes from the lives of the indigenous people. But I was wrong.
After a couple of hours of bumping around in the car along the dusty roads of the savannah, we disembarked in a small town. A boat was waiting at the dock. After loading our luggage, we set off in search of the Warao Indians.
The first Europeans arrived in the Orinoco Delta following Columbus. There, they encountered Warao dwellings built on stilts and connected by bridges. This simple architecture reminded them of Venice, and the new lands were named "Venezuela" ("little Venice").
"Warao" means "boat people," and all life in the delta is built around watercraft. Even the word for "house"—janokō—means "a place for a boat." This aptly describes the Indians' approach to their dwellings, which are typically a platform made of planks or palm trunks. Above them is a roof for protection from the rain, also constructed of palm leaves or reeds. There are no walls at all. A few hammocks, woven by the women from palm fibers, constitute the entirety of their simple life.
Warao learn to sail boats from childhood. They rarely hunt; they primarily fish and gather. Some communities, if the soil allows, grow vegetables and rice. Most of the delta is a swamp with mangrove forests, making even walking difficult. During high tide, water covers the tree roots, and at low tide, the marshy soil is exposed, revealing thousands of tiny crabs and millions of mosquitoes.
We stayed in a small hotel on stilts, located deep in the jungle. The windows were covered with thick screens, and the beds had canopies. But even with repellents, this didn't keep the mosquitoes out. By nightfall, they were everywhere. The resident cat was so badly bitten that his ears and nose had swelled to twice their normal size.
The next day we set out for the Indians. They greeted us very warmly: everyone, young and old, came to see us and then proceeded to treat their guests.
Palm trees are not only a building material but also a source of food. A coconut worm—a large white larva—is implanted in the trunk of a felled palm tree. After a few weeks, the worms chew away the core until it becomes a crumbly dust. The dust is scooped out, soaked in water, pressed through a sieve, made into a kind of dough, and baked into a "pie." It tastes slightly sweet and sticky, but pleasant. The worms themselves are also a delicacy: they are eaten raw or fried.
The diet also includes fish—a rather unusual one. Piranhas abound in the shallow channels. Contrary to popular belief about their bloodthirstiness, they apparently pose no danger: both children and adults swim there. The Indians make a delicious soup from piranhas, and sometimes birds, which they hunt with slingshots, end up on the table. Guns do exist, but they are homemade, single-shot, with flintlocks; they are muzzle-loading.
Warao families are large and have many children. However, the overall population is small: only about 20,000. Lack of medical care is a major problem, resulting in tuberculosis and fevers.
Despite the harsh living conditions, the Warao smile a lot. Life in the jungle has taught them to be content with little and to appreciate the simple things. Venezuela used to have government programs to support the indigenous people: schools were built, electricity was brought to villages. But with the onset of a severe economic crisis, these small peoples were left to fend for themselves. They live as their ancestors did hundreds of years ago, receiving everything they need from nature, believing in a hunter-god, and sailing their own boats.
Source: travel.ru
