My Father's Archives #15

One of the things that fascinated me in the Amazon was how far sound carries in the middle of the jungle. This guy had a battery-powered record player installed in his canoe and whenever he had to paddle somewhere, he'd play one of the few records he had and turn up the volume. You could here him from miles away. 
Music cutting through the many sounds of the jungle had an eerie beauty to it. Talking about beauty: I just bought the tickets to meet my dad at the end of April. On the 26th, I will fly to Marabá in the state of Pará, spend the night there and wait for my dad who will be arriving the next day. From there, we will take the bus to São Felix do Xingú (a 12 hour ride) where we will spend 10 days meeting some chiefs from the native tribe of the Kayapós who will be coming into town to see my dad. Hopefully we'll get the chance to fly into one of their villages. I also hope we can find someone who'll take us into the jungle. I once accompanied a party of hunters into the jungle, where we spent three days hunting. It was an unforgettable experience. I am very excited about getting one more chance to see and experience my 81-year old dad in the environment he loves so much. My dad has always been a good man to ride the river with.

(Not much time for writing today. In an hour or so I will meet a group of people who will distribute backpacks filled with school material to children in a very poor community that lives at the margin of the highway that cuts through our town. It's an initiative supported by churches, local lawyers and judges, and the commerce in general. It's called Projeto Amar - "Project Love". I'm surprised to see how many initiatives like this exist in our town, how many people are doing something to help their underprivileged neighbors. And they do it quietly, without making a fuss about it. I was invited to document their activities. You'll read and see more about it in tomorrows blip.)

MMC17 Day #12