Healing with Homeopathy

by Judyth Reichenberg, ND, DHANP, LCSW, and Robert Ullman, ND, DHANP

A Brazilian Amazonian Adventure: Caimans, Uakari, Pirarucus, Botos, and the Bot

The Intrepid Travelers Venture Off the Beaten Path

Having rented out our Pucón, Chile, home for the month of February, a time when the population of our adopted town swells from a comfortable 17,000 to 70,000, we headed for three weeks in Brazil. Our itinerary consisted of four unique experiences. Judyth enjoyed a weeklong Dances of Universal Peace retreat outside Brasilia, with old and new friends. Bob took a break from the delightful environment there to visit John of God, the subject of our last column. This was followed by a crazy Carnaval week in Olinda, a small World Heritage site in northeastern Brazil. Much calmer than the wilder-than-wild atmospheres in Rio or Salvador – or so we reasoned.

This was Bob’s first time in Brazil, but Judyth had spent a month busing around during a five-month solo trip to South America just after having graduated with a degree in Spanish literature. Ironically, two premonitory experiences still remain embedded in her memory about that 1970 trip. One is an even more chaotic, celebratory melee in the streets of São Paulo following Pelé’s having won the World Cup. The second is the suffering of a month of mosquito and spider bites, culminating in waking one morning with both eyes swollen shut, requiring a visit from a local medical doctor (this was before she knew to carry homeopathic Apis, which would have undoubtedly produced a rapid response). In a curiously strange way, we relived those same memories on our recent trip.

Being off-the-beaten-path kind of travelers, we searched online for an authentic, wildlife-rich, relatively nontouristy Amazonian eco-lodge. We were impressed by the Mamirauá Reserve, which was located way out in the jungle and promised an abundance of flora and fauna. The Sustainable Development Reserve, created in 1990, is the largest protected area and wildlife refuge in Brazil, comprising nearly 2,800,000 acres. The enormous biodiversity and existence of rare species there are the result of a unique flooded forest ecosystem. Completely different nature experiences and ecosystems are found there, depending on the time of year and the extent to which the forest is flooded. We happened to visit in February, when the Amazon was flooded to about half the maximum height. Everywhere we went on the river, it was easy to see the watermarks on the trees, left by annual flooding of 10 to 12 meters of water. The seasonal variation allows for remarkable wildlife and nature viewing in an ever-changing pristine environment.

Getting to Mamirauá is not easy nor quick. The closest major airport is Manaus, a four- to six-hour flight from major Brazilian airports. We overnighted in Manaus, then flew the next day to Tefé, a bustling, somewhat seedy, jumping-off point to the Amazon. It is possible to take either a half-day or day-long boat ride from Manaus to Tefé, rather than flying; however, recently one of the long-passage boats sank. After arriving in Tefé, the Uakari Floating Lodge in the Mamirauá Reserve is another hour or so in a motorized boat.

A Unique, Water-bound Setting

The setting of the lodge and reserve was indeed idyllic and far from civilization, with the only local inhabitants scattered among several small villages, the closest about 30 minutes by motorboat. The floating lodge consisted of two lengths of cabins and a kitchen/dining hall. It was necessary to be transported everywhere by water, whether for a jungle hike or an excursion by motorboat or canoe. The only swimming allowed was in 10-foot-square “pool” of the same brown river water, free from caimans (crocodiles) and other potentially dangerous creatures. The impressive caimans were quite plentiful, and initially seemed rather menacing, with their almost prehistoric appearance. One or two were often lurking in the water around our floating cabin. Bob had a rare opportunity to practice the caiman call that we had learned in the Ecuadorian Amazon in order to get the reptile’s attention. So effectively did he communicate with the creature that one of the crocodiles lazily making his way away from the lodge, did an about-face when he heard it, and headed straight back to within 10 feet of us. Impressive!

The heat was intense, particularly since we needed to cover our arms and legs, whether on land or water, to protect ourselves (at least those of us who, despite all manner of repellants, tended to be mosquito chow) from being bitten. On the upside, we were assured that malaria was not endemic to the area, although we did hear during our weeklong stay that the claim was not entirely true. At least it freed us from having to worry about malaria prophylaxis, a prospect that we were happy to avoid.

The community-based and supportive nature of the reserve was quite impressive. Local villagers were offered employment as available at the lodge, and the food was primarily locally grown and prepared according to the indigenous recipes. Visits to a couple of the villages allowed us to become familiar with the local way of life, to purchase the (limited) handicrafts, and to get a firsthand experience of the indigenous Amazonian lifestyle. Consistent with our experience with the Huaorani in Ecuador, the people we met seemed happy enough with their very basic, simple lifestyle. Again, this was a stark contrast to the complex, desire-driven way in which we live our lives. Not always do they lead easy nor comfortable lives. An earthy, motherly-type woman shared with us her remarkable survival story: She was swimming in the river when she was stunningly and forcefully grabbed, or should we say chomped, on the upper arm by a giant anaconda. There was no one in the immediate vicinity to respond to her screams. Fortunately, her husband heard her cries and came running, but he was bare-handed. Thinking quickly in his desperation to save his wife, he literally bit the anaconda on the head. The snake must have been taken by surprise, because he abruptly dropped his prey and swam away. The woman showed us her large scar as testimony of the gruesome experience.

A Plethora of Wildlife

The scarcity of wildlife in the Ecuadorian Amazon, due to overhunting, was one factor that led us to undertake the long journey to Mamirauá. We were not disappointed, although we wished that our guides had been better equipped to share information with us. We were spoiled by the excellent nature guide on our Huaorani trip. The Internet description admits right off that “the ecotourism program at Mamirauá is just beginning,” and we hope that they will offer a better guide and resource experience in the future. The reserve is home to thousands of caimans (easily observed in the dry season) , 400 species of birds, at least 45 species of mammals, and up to 15,000 cormorants and herons, who enjoy fishing in the lakes, which teem with fish. Monkeys, sloths, and river dolphins were available for our viewing pleasure.

Perhaps the most unique and fascinating of the creatures of Mamirauá are the white uakari monkeys. Weighing 4 kilos, the size of cats, and living in bands of up to 50 members, their appearance is striking and unforgettable. Their small, bright-red faces and tiny, bald heads resemble old men with monkey bodies. Their hair is long and white, and they move nimbly from branch to branch, appearing to almost fly through the jungle canopy. They reside only in the flooded forests of the reserve and are referred to as “Englishmen,” poking fun at the Brits’ predisposition to sunburned faces in the scorching Amazon. Their red faces are also said to be the primates’ manifestation of health; the redder the face, the more attractive as a mate; the paler, the more prone to malaria. We searched them out every day of our trip, by foot and by boat. Elusive, timid, and prone to traveling many kilometers a day in search of their favorite foods, they were located adeptly by the indigenous, non-English-speaking guides, high up in the tree canopies. They were mostly a bright red blur surrounded by grayish-white hair. Also endemic to Mamirauá are black-headed squirrel monkeys, capuchin monkeys, and red howlers, whose vocal presence is unmistakable.

No less amazing were the pink Amazon river dolphins, known as botos (also as Bufeo, Bufeo Colorado, Boto, Boto Cor de Rosa, Boutu, Nay, and Tonina), and up to 2-meter-long, tasty pink fish known as pirarucus (Arapaima gigas), at first glance easily confused with each other. We love dolphins, and took advantage of the opportunity to spend a morning counting and identifying individual members of the boto population. Botos are larger than the gray tucuxi dolphins, whom we also observed, and have remarkably long, toothed snouts and flexible necks (unique among dolphins), which allow them to hunt successfully in shallow as well as deeper floodwaters. These pink dolphins live only the freshwater of the Amazon, are considered endangered, and, incidentally, possess brains 40% larger than those of humans! It took us a couple of days to easily differentiate these pink beauties from the enormous pirarucu fish, considered by many to be the world’s largest freshwater fish. So in demand are the pirarucu, due to their size and their delicious flavor, that commercial fisherman are now using botos as bait, further endangering the species. An adult pirarucu needs to surface approximately every 15 minutes for air, making it vulnerable to human predators.

Caimans, mentioned above, were also plentiful. One of most memorable experiences on our Mamirauá journey was boating down the Amazon in a driving thunderstorm shining hefty spotlights on the shore, looking for the pairs of red eyes of the hungry caiman. Only too aware of the bolts of lightning and our being a possible moving target for electrocution, we pictured a potential Far Side cartoon image; the caption: “Dinner cruise for caiman.” We wondered who was looking into whose eyes.

Bringing Home a Little More of the Amazon Than We Bargained For

We figured that we had left the suspenseful part of our trip behind us upon leaving the Amazon. But, as fate would have it, several more dramatic surprises lay ahead. We flew out of Manaus quite late on a Friday night, arriving in Rio around 7 a.m., we were booked to fly back to Santiago, Chile on LAN Airlines. We were looking forward to spending a few days with our expatriate friend and homeopath Judy Steinfeld, who inspired us to consider buying property in Chile in the first place. But that holiday was not to be. We were the first passengers to check in for the Chile-bound flight, at which time the frightened LAN attendant said in Spanish, “There has just been a massive earthquake in Chile, the Santiago airport is closed, and the world is ending.” Literally, that is what she told us.

The ensuing hours were chaotic, for us and the many Chileans who were booked on the same flight, all of whom (including us) were trying, mostly unsuccessfully, to reach their loved ones back home. It took us a couple of days to receive assurance that our Chilean house was fine, except for a couple of broken glasses. Alaska Airlines came through brilliantly by booking us on a direct flight to the US on our same frequent flyer itinerary at no extra charge. We ended up having a day in Rio, staying in the delightful, artsy Santa Teresa neighborhood and taking a remarkable tour of the Rozinha (pronounced “Ho-seen-ya”) favela (slum). But that is another story. Our hearts remained in Chile, with those suffering the devastation of the earthquake, for many weeks, as did a box of clothing, which had been stored at the Santiago airport and was returned to us many miles, weeks, and pesos later.

Two and a half weeks after returning from Brazil, Judyth developed mysterious pustules in various parts of her body, the largest and most severe in the genital area. The Staphylococcus-like eruptions were unlike anything she had experienced previously. They became larger and larger, much like boils, and quite painful. Despite all manner of natural therapies – and she tried everything that we could think of as homeopaths and naturopaths – she resorted to Western medicine. A nurse practitioner, who was impressively knowledgeable about the differential diagnosis, suggested either a Staph infection or a botfly infestation. We viewed graphic (and somewhat sickening) YouTube home videos on botfly removal. The botfly is a larva transmitted by mosquitoes in Central and South America, that remains lodged under the skin for at least a month, and can then be pulled out by a firm but careful tug with a tweezers. Even we doctors were grossed out by the idea. As it turned out, it was not botfly but community-acquired MRSA (an antibiotic-resistant Staph infection), not nearly as serious as hospital-acquired MRSA, but not to be taken lightly. Judyth realized that savagely scratching her multiple Mamirauá mosquito bites with her nails, as well as a rough fish jaw file purchased from a local artisan, plus bathing for a week in brown, unpurified Amazon river water, set the stage for her later infection. It was an excruciating and inconvenient two weeks before Cipro and a host of natural treatments relieved the infection, hopefully for good.

A Bit of Advice About Amazonian Travel

Travelers be warned. A few words of wisdom, in hindsight, to make your Amazonian adventure enjoyable:

• Check your lodgings carefully. This was the first time that we carefully researched our lodging possibilities on Trip Advisor. It was extremely helpful to hear the insightful, positive and negative, and candid opinions of other fellow travelers who trod the path before us.

• Travel insurance is a good idea. It was not realistic for us, because we were to be gone three and a half months in total and could not find insurance for just a part of our entire trip. It would have cost us over $900 but, had we not been so fortunate in flying back to the US following the Chilean earthquake, it might have been worth the cost.

• Do your homework regarding epidemics, immunizations, and other health concerns. Malaria, of course, is the big one, but we have heard many stories of travelers contracting serious contagious diseases in the Amazon, particularly insect-transmitted.

• Take a variety of insect repellants and be prepared with a high-quality, effective sunscreen.

• Practice careful hygiene methods while in the Amazon, especially if you have any open bites, eruptions, or scratches.

• Double-check your local flight itineraries. We got a great deal on our internal flights in Brazil (the Brazilian Air Pass), but the connections and stopovers were ridiculous.

• Investigate visa requirements carefully. We did not decide to journey to Brazil until a week or so before leaving the US for Chile, so there was not time to obtain our visas. We discovered that doing so, as US citizens in Chile, being 10 hours’ distance from the Brazilian consulate in Santiago was a challenge that took weeks and ended up costing us twice the quoted fee on the Internet. On the upside, at least the visa is good for five years.

• Take your travel first-aid kit with you. For us, our Homeopathic Self-Care book and kit are indispensable, along with basic first-aid supplies. Don’t assume that they will be available where you go!

• Once you make your plans, surrender to adversity as much as possible; take in the amazing beauty, diversity, and uniqueness that the Amazon has to offer; and enjoy yourself thoroughly. Take a pair of high-powered binoculars to catch glimpses of those remarkable uakari faces close up and personal!

Judyth Reichenberg-Ullman and Robert Ullman are licensed naturopathic physicians, board-certified in homeopathy. Their books include A Drug-Free Approach to Asperger Syndrome and Autism, Ritalin-Free Kids, Rage-Free Kids, Prozac Free, Homeopathic Self-Care: The Quick and Easy Guide for the Whole Family, Whole Woman Homeopathy, The Patient’s Guide to Homeopathic Medicine, and Mystics, Masters, Saints and Sages: Stories of Enlightenment. They live on Whidbey Island, Washington, and in Pucón, Chile; have taught and lectured internationally; and practice at the Northwest Center for Homeopathic Medicine in Edmonds, Washington. They treat patients by phone and videoconference as well as in person, and can be reached by telephone at 425-774-5599 or by fax at 425-670-0319. Their website is www.healthyhomeopathy.com.