08/21/2022
The Road to Oiapoque- We set out at night from Macapa- the southern capitol of Amapa - the northern most state of Brazil. Our destination was Oiapoque the northern most city on the river that borders French Guiana. The route is 360 miles and by distance it would be a 6 hour drive, but it took us 15 hours. You could hardly call it a road, it was more of a slash through the jungle.
As we drove through the night, we were on the edge of our seats watching as the driver in his little VW drove around huge craters and big rocks in the road. At times he had to back up and try to gun it through the mud after we got stuck. After a certain point there was just jungle and our little headlights on the car were the only lights. At about 4am, about 8 hour in, I was thinking to myself that there was no way we were going to make it. Just as the sun was coming up, the car bottomed out on a large rock and broke down, just stopped and the ignition turned over and didn’t start again.
Then we got a lesson in solidarity. There was a pick-up truck in front of us who the driver knew, who stopped when we broke down. He returned to his truck to get some tools. Then another truck stopped to help and then another truck stopped to help. Soon there were 10 men standing around trying to help. Between the three trucks, there were the tools and parts the driver needed. 45 minutes later, the driver turned the ignition and the car started! I really couldn’t believe it. Solidarity on the road!
That road was built in the 1980’s to much opposition from the Indigenous people around Oiapoque who did not want the outside world to have access to their area. But, we were on our way to a gathering of Indigenous leaders. Every year they have this gathering in remote areas in the Amazon Forest. One worker at an NGO told me that he goes every year and last year he had to take a two-day boat ride to the fast boat that took him the rest of the way since there was no road at all.
1. realizing we just broke down
2. another driver helping
3. roadside cantina
4. fruit for sale
5-6. more help
7. the map
8. finally reaching Oiapoque
9. the car that made it through!