8 Days of Pelelu Tepu; Day 2

6:00 AM sharp. I woke up to the sound of my alarm. Maybe a bit early, but I decided to wake up at this time so I could see the sunrise and because it's usually misty. We had a busy day ahead of us, but first I needed to capture this:

I took a bath in the river and met a few locals. They are really friendly. I learned a few words in the Trio language, but can't recall any at this moment.

Our guides for the day were Marcel en Tuno and our schedule today included a visit to the school, experiencing how Cassava bread is made and exploring the woods and looking for a tree that is used for medicinal purposes.

The visit to the school was quick, but the hike uphill was intense. The school consisted of exactly 7 classrooms and what caught my attention is that there were only two female teachers. The classrooms were also very small and there were not more than 15 pupils in each classroom. After our visit to the school, we immediately headed to Tuno's wife who was about to show us how Cassava bread is made. As we arrived I noticed that she walked on bare feet and stood quite close to the fire.

The pieces of bread were huge. She made these for the crew of ACT (Amazon Conservation Team), where her husband works. The ones she makes for personal use are smaller.

Tuno is a healer of the village. He works with plants, which he knows a ton about, and heals locals. Locals only pay a visit if the local isn't able to help them any further. Around 4:00 PM he took us to see the tree he promised he'd take us to. It was quite a walk but it was worth it. On our way to the tree, I got the chance to snap a few shots.