The Adventures of Kerri & Matt

After meeting the king we decided that maybe Teyuna was a better name than Kerrimatt’s Newfoundsville after all.

The little circle house foundations are everywhere.

Some are big and some are small

The big ones back there were probably for the king

But this smaller one could be for ordinary people

The circles are everywhere

There are more circles down this way, as well as the park office.

Lots of areas are covered in moss

Thousands of circles for thousands of houses for thousands of people.

It was first inhabited in 800AD, so it is much older than Machu Picchu.

And it wasn’t abandoned until 1600 so it’s also newer than Machu Picchu.

But they didn’t build the buildings out of stone

So there are no buildings left.

This is the Mamo of the Wiwa, he is basically the king. He is giving Kerri bracelets for our nieces, and a bag for Matt.

And two little bags his daughters (the princesses) made for the girls that are supposed to hold hopes and dreams but also happen to be Barbie-sized.

He is the only person we have ever met who’s picture is on money.

He is the only person that is allowed to live in Teyuna in this little house he built on one of the old foundations

Other people live in this little village we passed along the way, but only when they are passing through for ceremonies

Most of the time these buildings are empty

The roofs are made of palm leaves

They use gourds for coca. The white on top is a mixture of lime, coca and spit that builds up over time and they shape it decoratively.

The bags are made from cactus

First you have to scrape all the goo off of the cactus

Which was hard work and no one wanted to help Kerri

After the goo is scraped off the cactus fibres are left

Which they dry out and dye pretty colours with leaves

And then they use the threads to make the bags.

Are frogs creepy crawlies?

And butterflies?

They’re pretty and they don’t creep or crawl

But the spiders are colourful too

And we didn’t have enough spiders for a creepy crawly post

Wasps don’t actually creep or crawl either

See, the spiders are pretty

And spikey

And this one was really pretty

Even its belly was pretty

This is a grasshopper like thing

With spikes on its bum

But this one is much more colourful

This butterfly isn’t colourful

We hiked over raging rivers

And up muddy mountains

Past ferocious jungle fowl.

And ate watermelon

Until there was nothing but green jungle in front of us

And also to the right of us

And to the left of us

And in all other directions

But if you looked close you could find some other colours

E

In small patches

Mostly black and white

Like white water

Eventually we made it to shelter

And found an orphaned howler monkey

Who just wanted to cuddle