Carlos the Jaguar
(This is a true story)
My name is Carlos Damasceno , tour operator and multilingual guide in the Amazon Rainforest. I was born in the Amazon in a small town called Lábrea located on the right side of Purus River tributary of the mighty Amazon. This small town is located roughly 1.300 Km from Manaus the capital of the State of Amazon. Taking 6 days by boat to get there, 2 hours by plane and 2 days by car in summer.
There, I spent part of my life seeing and learning direct from mother nature just outside my door. My family lived about one hour away from this small town on the banks of Purus River, tributary of the Amazon. We lived in a house on stilts situated a few meters from the river.
In the 1960s the most important occupation of my family was: agriculture, fishing and the amazing extraction of latex from the famous rubber trees. I still remember when I helped my family to collect latex from the trees to make rubber balls to be sold in the small town of Lábrea. So, we could get money to buy our provisions.
In November, at the beginning of the rainy season the water level began to rise flooding the entire region, so our plantations were destroyed by the water level. The scenery was completely changed because the unforgivable water level rising more and more until the end of June. Sometimes, the water level was so high that reached the floor of the houses, as you can see below.
During the night, in the silence of the Amazon, anacondas came in order to eat our chickens kept in a chicken coop next to our house. Then, my grandfather woke up to the sound of chickens and took his paddle canoe, flashlight and machete and went up to the coop to avoid the anacondas’ attack, some of them in astonishing size, but we could not lose our food, my grandfather had to drive them away or even had to kill the most aggressive. Sometimes, they tried to attack pigs, goats, cats and even dogs. However, this phenomenon still occurs all over the Amazon.
Rainy season was a difficult time for adults and for children who could not play and have fun outside the house. In June, the river level began to go down. Fortunately, the water level did not bring only troubles, but it became the soil extremely fertile and rich in nutrients and mineral salts so important for agriculture. Then in summer, everything changed, the water level lowered and the scene was drastically modified.
It was a bountiful season: the soil became extremely fertile , there were many fishes, many fruits and plenty of vegetables. Natives were happy to come back to work, animals were around the house, the children could play and have fun around the house again.
Then, in few months the water level began to rise up repeating the endless cycle, year after year, day after day. So, I grew up, watching and learning of the Amazon that is not found in books. Then, In early 70’s my parents moved to live in Manaus. So, I began my new life living in the city of Manaus the capital of State Amazon. Later, I decided to learn languages by myself, starting first by English, than, German, French, Italian and Spanish.
From the jungle to multilinqual Tour Guide and Tour Operator in the Amazon:
It all started in 1980, when I walked through the famous Opera House of Manaus and found two Swiss visiting our town; soon we became friends. At that time I only spoke English. Then, they asked me to organize a 3 days tour in the Amazon. I had no experience in tourism but I had in the Amazon and decided to organize that tour for curiosity, that’s how I have made my first tour in the Amazon. Then, I told myself, that's what I want to do all my life, show the Amazon to people around the world and from that day on I have never stopped organizing tours in the Amazon for customers from all over the world.
During this first tour, I realized that the two swiss guys spoke in different languages one with other. So, during this tour I have decided to learn languages, but I had no teacher, no money to pay a school. As well as, that time there weren't also german and french schools. However, I didn’t give up, continued my lonely journey in searching of knowledge. Later, I got some books and I started studying nonstop every day. My mother said to me: Carlos go to have fun with your friends, but I told her, no! I will stay home, I have to learn languages. My books were my companions and I took them anywhere. Sometimes, I went to the front of the famous Opera House in Manaus only to have a chance to practice the languages.
Fortunately in few years, I became a multilingual guide and later a tour operator in the Amazon, I started to show the Amazon for people from all over the world. Later, I had a chance to travel to Europe as a result of my hard dedication and a proof that anything is possible for those who believe. Thus, I went to Germany in 1989 to visit friends from a Chamber Orchestra. Our friendship started when the group of 37 musicians spent 3 days tour in the Amazon with me on the same date. In 1996 an interchange between German musicians and Amazon musicians was arranged and I had another chance to visit Europe once again. The musicians played together in the famous Opera House of Manaus and also in Germany.
However, I realized that something was missing to me which was to have a degree in a university and I was fond of psychology so, I decided to make a vestibular in the Federal University of the Amazon.
So, In year 2003 in the age of 42 years old, I prepared myself to enter in the famous Federal University of the Amazon – UFAM, I had to study again, competing a place with thousands and thousands of young people and, for my surprise, I got the sixteenth place in Psychology in the Amazon. So, I studied in this university for 6 years, but never left my tours in the Amazon. After my graduation, I decided to dedicate my life exclusively for tours in the Amazon.
(So, this was my life and my experience lived in the Amazon, a theoretical and practical experience that justified all my knowledge of the Amazon, giving me the ability to better visualize the parameters that permeate the Amazon biodiversity and the forest as a whole. Therefore, it is precisely this extensive knowledge and this global view that I acquired from the forest that I offer for all my clients).
By Carlos Damasceno
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