Customs and Cultural Diversity

We are living in an excited time in modern human history! There are numerous magazines, newspaper articles, cable channels and television programs set aside for travelers who want to experience various levels of adventure related to customs and cultures.

I am not an expert on all types of customs and cultures. However, what I can safely say is that I once lived in South America and I can certainly add my two bits to the conversation in regards to adventure travel.

Being born and raised in South America can certainly add to what I am about to say in regards to traveling to the Amazon Region. The Amazon River carries the largest volume of water is the world flowing about 3,300 miles from the Andes through Northern Brazil to the Atlantic Ocean.

A traveler wishing to visit the Amazon Region will expect a trip of a life time! The indigenous people of the Amazon Region are made of a number of tribes speaking distinct languages and each tribe has its own culture and custom.

It not easy to travel into the heart of the Amazon. The terrain is a mixture of thick rain forest, mountains, swamps, small rivers and waterfalls. There is also a large abundance of wild animals, reptiles (venomous and nonvenomous), poisonous plants and man eating ants. There is a plant called "Bena" and some tribes use this plant to create fear.

Legend says that some Bena plants can actually make a visitor in the Rain Forest lose their way. The plant gives off a special scent that traps it's un-looker into a trance-like state. It is also said that the only people that can actually help a lost visitor find their way is the local tribes within the area.

Some tribes in the Amazon are capable of shooting poisoned arrows or blow darts with their points dipped in the poison of some species of frogs and special plants. The staple diet of some tribes are mainly fruits, wild nuts vegetables and wild meat.

There are also some tribes who plant cassava or yuca and make intoxicating drinks from this vegetable. Traveling to the Amazon is not for the faint of heart. Travelers need to also be aware of the large infestation of mosquitos which carry malaria.

There are guided tours specially set up for travelers wishing to visit the Amazon. However, it is always necessary to check with your travel agent before you decide to visit this part of South America.

By : Oc Tross