Detox in the Jungle
Usually, I avoid Carnival by travelling somewhere else in Latin America. In 2021, due to the Covid pandemic I could not travel and did not need to as Carnival was cancelled. This year, the Carnival revelries were postponed by two months and Covid disruptions in France delayed the delivery of my new French passport. Without a valid passport, I could not leave Brazil. Our differed Carnival (April) was not as disruptive as usual, principally because the wild street Carnival groups had been moved to Rio’s empty downtown. Autumn is usually less rainy than summer and the 2022 Carnival was dry. The gallons of beer guzzled by the revelers ended splashed in the streets in the form of urine and there was no rain to wash it off. The city stench was abominable. I made the decision to leave in search of a more pleasant-smelling location. On a fluke, I chose the Amazon jungle. I did not choose the forest solely for its sweet scent of hu...