210 CultureShock! Bolivia
latitude of key sites along the way with a GPS (Geographical
Positioning Unit).
Red-helmeted Jacinto, nicknamed Mr Good Vibes for his
positive spirit, was the guide. Jacinto worked the trails along
with his son. Their mules carried tarps, fi eld books, medical
gear, snakebite remedies and navigational equipment. Jacinto
promised the imminent arrival to a town called Turnia. Turnia
was found to be one solitary house.
There, they negotiated for more guides, fi nally reaching
an agreement with a reluctant woodsman who wondered
what gringos were doing in these remote forests. Andrew
was baffl ed by a cultural communication gap; the new guide
saw no purpose in projects of ecotourism and searches
for ruins.
It was then, in the heart of the Madidi National Forest,
that the explorers came across remnants of an old village,
with Inca-style stonework. They found broken walls and
what appeared to have been pens for animals. After a proper
time for reverence, the exact location was recorded and the
trekkers moved on.
The next stop was a hamlet called Mamacona,
where Jacinto could go no further because the path had
disappeared. He would not risk leaving his mules behind.
The guides from San José, who should have met up with
the trekkers in Mamacona, never arrived. One reluctant
porter, picked up in the metropolis of Turnia, remained
with the group.
With no path ahead, the trekkers explored the area
surrounding Mamacona, slashing their way through liana
vines and bamboos, with 30 kgs (66 lbs) on their backs.
When they discovered a new set of ruins, it became apparent
why the porter was so reluctant; he had feared that visitors
would be coming to the region to pillage.
US born astrologer and hypnotherapist, Melissa Johnston,
who has also been through the region (with gold prospectors),
explained that, “with these people, if you establish good
rapport, they will help you all along, but if you don’t have
the right attitude, you will be shunned and receive no help
at all.”