A Lot of Miles and Another First

January 19, 2026

When you are trying to go by boat to a place that is an hour and a half away and get there by 6am, the boat has to make loud noises to start up and some big cha-chunking noises to get moving at 4:30. That reality was a harsh one for us to face today. We knew that the brutal wakeup was coming but that didn’t mean it was easy for us. Our plan was to get jolted awake when the boat started up, then go right back to sleep as we motored to our destination. We might have been 50% successful, but maybe not. 

Nonetheless, we got to our destination, a small community named Atodi (pronounced ah-toe-GEE), but due to some inexplicable delays, we started into the actual community later than we expected. The plan was to start an 11-kilometer hike just after 6am, but we didn’t really get moving in the right direction until about 8am or so. The hike was supposed to be five hours long if we took the long version and three or more if we took the short version; either of these options would mean we would face some serious heat at some point in that hike. Still, we decided to go for the long hike but just do it really fast. And, oh, what a pace we set!

The hike we were pursuing took us into old growth Amazon rainforest, so we knew it would be worth some suffering. We walked a little over two miles down a relatively flat path at a very fast pace to get to an uphill turn-off to ascend into “the forest primeval.” By that time, a few of us had already figured out they could not keep that pace on a steep uphill path, so they took one of the guides and our friend Ivanete and pursued the shorter path. The other group plowed ahead and kept climbing until they got to a Brazil nut tree (called a “Castanha” here) that is said to be one of the world’s oldest. The guides told them stories of forest spirits and of the uses of the plants, seeds, and bark throughout the forest. 

Both groups were accompanied by HUGE bright blue butterflies accompanying us along the path. And we could all hear monkeys and birds calling out through the trees throughout our treks. The long group also got to see a vista out over a couple of the intersecting rivers that gave them some amazing perspective on all that we were immersed in. No matter which group we were in, we rejoined at an igarapê (a waterway between two rivers), where there is a cool water (!) swimming hole lined by some kind of therapeutic clay that makes everyone’s skin really soft. 

From that waterway, we all went to see a demonstration of how farinha (manioc flour) is made. It’s a pretty complex process that actually takes several days, but we got the accelerated version of it. The process ends with people tossing the grains in the air over a huge outdoor griddle and any of us who wanted got a turn to try it. Oscar became our clear and indisputable expert. 

The “short” group ended up walking about 8 miles today, while the long group must have gone about 10 miles or so. We were spent, but we got back on the boat and ate a great lunch as we motored to our next destination: Vila Brasil. 

Vila Brasil is a longstanding community that has just joined the arts and tourism collective through whom we connect with our friends in Anã called Turiarte (pronounced tur-ee-ARCH-ee). Dona Odila was one of the founders of this organization, as she and others realized that they would not be able to make progress without working together to establish networks to help them promote their interests and market their goods. The organization helps communities navigate the intricacies of federal financial laws, organizes some norms of what kinds of goods and services should be available to visitors, and also serves to cross promote the interests of the various groups to help people find their way to these growing communities. 

As it turns out, unbeknownst to us, we were Vila Brasil’s first group of visitors. All of the community’s leaders were at the shore to meet us when we arrived, and they were all filming our every move from the moment we came in sight. As they were greeting us and welcoming us, we caught on that these were among the first public presentations that they had given, so we asked about their plans and their dreams and we learned that much of what has happened in exemplary ways in Anã is on the agenda for Vila Brasil next. They already have a very impressive viveiro full of fruit tree saplings, but they don’t have any hardwoods. Anã, on the other hand, has lots of hardwoods and few fruit trees in their nursery. So we think we have started a dialogue between the two to share the bounty they already possess. 

Vila Brasil also has a number of artisans who use natural materials to create woven objects and jewelry. They set up a little waterfront store for our arrival and we ended up with quite a bit of their inventory on our boat as we departed (some of it might be coming to YOU, reader!). 

We motored to a beautiful sandbar called Ponta Grande (pronounced like it is POON-tuh Grungy). Every DIRT trip to Brazil has stopped at this beautiful oasis; it is likely the only throughline of all of the ten trips so far. We swam and bathed and watched an amazing sunset that first sent orange rays in a huge corona and then blue ones. We were so mesmerized that there might not be any pictures, as no one wanted to divert their attention from the beauty we were experiencing in that very moment. 

We had another beach piracaia with more excellent fish and (this time) sausage. The proprietors of our boat then brought out a speaker and some traditional skirts, with the plan to teach us the local dance called Carimbó. The women all got right into the mix and started swinging those skirts and learning the steps along with our male crew members Ruan and Flauvio, who are the sons of our friends Junio/Joelma and Nivaldo/Ivanete. Our male group members were so wrapped up in a conversation about California burger options that they missed out on most of the fun. 

We were all still quite tired from our sleepless first night on the boat, so we packed things up somewhat early. Surprisingly, soon thereafter a pretty feisty rainstorm blew up, meaning we had to drop the tarps and move our things to the middle of the deck to keep them from getting soaked. We only partially succeeded. It rained and the wind blew all night, which kept our hammocks swaying but also led to a very pleasant temperature for sleeping, which has been a foreign idea for our whole stay here. 

The one other thing we accomplished today was to induct another member into the Order of the Purple Bike: Thomas. Thomas has been probably the most “on it” group member from Day One. Whenever there is a job being done, Thomas is either doing it or running toward it saying “How can I help?” He is one of the most curious people we know, so he asks a lot about the people around him, including our Portuguese-speaking hosts. He is willing to stumble a bit in broken Portuguese to make a connection and it works. The DIRT group of 2017 had installed a water purification system at the camp, but something had gone wrong with its motor in the intervening years. Another visitor had sent a new motor, but no one had tried to install it. Several of us (Jesse, Shawny, Guido, Brendan, and Thomas) started trying to address it, but it was Thomas who actually got the thing to fire up and pump water. There are still a few parts that need to be replaced to prevent leaks, but we think the members of the community can now finish that job and have their system back in play soon. Thomas is also our bug collector. He got fascinated by some of the insects early in the trip, including catching a big spider in the oca on the first day or so. From that moment on, every fearsome bug sparked a call for “Thomas!!!!” and he would come running and address the issue as quickly as possible, usually sparing the life of the bug as he calmed our nerves. We are grateful to have Thomas among us!

A map of Atodi. The hike we walked today is the trail marked in red. 

                                          

Oscar mixing the farinha and ensuring it is properly cooked through.

Inside the viveiro at Vila Brasil. This viveiro had plant saplings properly marked.

Here is an example of the Goiaba saplings that are growing. These plants are still too young to be traded and transported.

These are the materials used to dye the woven baskets and artwork. 

These are the different natural dyes that are used for their art work at Vila Brasil.

The wonderful artisans that helped weave the beautiful pieces.

Arriving to Ponta Grande as the sun was setting.

        A tree that is well over a hundred years old provides a rest point on our hike! Here's to a hundred more!

                                                        These vines are a ladder for the zogue zogue Monkeys.

                                            The cleansing pool called the Igarapé that had a clay that heals your skin.

                                                    Three men fishing on their boat. I wonder if they caught anything!

                                                                        Two boats cross at the perfect time.