27 Jul ARACRUZ – 25 JULY 2019 – THE NATIVES

I was driving quietly when Lavinia jumps like a spring and starts speaking random words with no particular meaning.

“Pull over! Did you see? I want to go!”

She had seen a sign on a gate reading “welcome on our land” and a picture of local natives. We make a quick research and find that, not far, there was an indigenous reserve of Tupinikim and Guarani tribes so we make a u-turn and pump up the 75 horsepower hidden under the hood. 

From that gate to the reserve we drove 60 kilometers in the wild. In the first village we encounter the GPS announces we have arrived. This village is poor, but clean with normal houses and almost deserted. 

We drive around and find 6 women at the saloon in the center. The ladies were sitting on the chairs in front of the houses making their nails. I ask them in Sportuguese where is the Indian reserve and they say that one Tupinikim tribe is right there. 

There where? I ask baffled, looking around. They look at each other and start laughing. Between bursts of laughter I hear one of them saying

“This fool expects to find us bear breasted and face painted”

I smile back and reply that I was more interested in the artisan part than the Tupinikim tits. 

After that good laugh, they tell us that 5 kilometers farther there is a Guarani village, maybe we find artisan work there. 

We drive to the next indigenous village. We are greeted by a small girl with a monkey on her head who invites us to see the handmade objects she is selling. 

We bought a bow and arrows like in the movies and because I liked a musical instrument very much, the kids thought of offering a bear made by their hands in exchange for it. 

We explained that we were Romanians, part of our travelers tribe and that we also made artisan work. So we gave a teddy bear in exchange for a small coconut filled with some seeds and encrusted with Guarani motifs. 

The experience was unforgettable. We didn’t get back on the main road but decided to spend the night on the near-by beach. A few hundred coconut trees will guard us and the sun will wake us up in the morning. 

As for the Indians, what can I say, they trade their horses for a Toyota, but still have bows for sale.

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BASTINASII

Conduceam linistit cand Lavinia a sarit dintr-o data precum arcul si incepe sa tipe cuvinte aleatorii, fara legatura intre ele: – Trage pe dreaptaaaaa! Ai vazut!? Vreau sa mergem!

Vazuse o poarta pe care scria “Bine ati venit pe pamantul nostru” si o poza cu niste indieni bastinasi ai zonei.

Ne documentam noi pe net sa vedem despre ce e vorba si aflam ca nu departe se afla o rezervatie indigena de triburi Tupinikim si Guarani asa ca facem cale intoarsa si dam bice celor 75 de cai putere pe care duba noastra-i are ascunsi sub capota. 

De la poarta cu pricina pana in rezervatie am strabatut vreo 60 de kilometri prin pustiu. Primul sat in care am intrat, GPS-ul ne- a anuntat ca am ajuns. Satucul asta-i saracacios dar curat cu case normale si aproape nimeni pe ulite. 

Dam noi roata imprejur si zarim un grup de vreo 6 femei la salonul din centrul satului! Doamnele stateau pe scaune, in fata casei, se pensau si-si faceau unghiile. 

Le intreb eu in sportuniola unde este rezervatia cu indieni iar ele-mi raspund ca un trib Tupinikim este chiar aici. 

Unde aici?! Intreb eu mirat, rotindu-mi ochii ca girofarul. Femeile se uita una la alta si bufnesc in ras. Printre hohote o aud pe una spunand:

– Nebunul asta se astepta sa ne gaseasca in tatele goale si vopsite pe fata!

Zambesc si eu si le raspund ca eram interesat de artizanat nicidecum de tate tupinikim.

Dupa repriza de ras imi spun ca 5 kilometri mai incolo este un sat de Guarani, poate gasesc la ei ceva obiecte lucrate manual. Dam noi bice mai departe si ajungem in satul de indigeni. 

Ne intampina o fetita cu o maimutica mica pe cap care ne invita in curtea ei sa ne prezinta obiectele de artizanat ce le au de vanzare.

Am cumparat un arc cu sageti ce numai in filme vezi si pentru ca mie mi-a placut tare mult un instrument muzical, copiii s-au gandit sa-l ia la schimb cu un ursulet lucrat de ei. 

Le-am explicat ca noi suntem romani si ca avem tribul nostru de calatori din care facem parte, si ca si noi facem arta manuala. 

Asa am dat noi un ursulet si am primit un instrument muzical al carui nume nu-l cunosc, o mini nuca de cocos umpluta cu niste seminte si incrustat cu motive Guarani.

Experienta a fost de neuitat! Nu ne-am mai intors la drumul principal si am decis sa innoptam pe plaja din apropiere. Ne vor pazi cateva sute de cocotieri iar soarele ne va destepta de dimineata.

Cat despre indieni ca sa va zic, si-au dat toti caii pe cate o Toyota, dar inca mai au arcuri de vanzare!