Scorching Hot Wax
- 18 Feb 08, 01:06 PM
Posted from: Parana
As I'm writing this I've just broken into a secret stash of dry roasted peanuts that have been traveling in a camera box since Peru. Sat joining me for this mini-feast are three little wide-eyed Marubo kids who are loving this treat as much as I am.
One of the Marubo children
Had a fun experience last night. It was late and I was alone in the middle of the longhouse filming some dancing when Robson (the young charismatic Shaman) ran in carrying a flaming torch. He then proceeded to chase frantic young women around the hut flicking the torch at their feet as inside the centre of the torch was scorching hot wax.
This commotion turned out to be a fun party game that they love to play and hoots of laughter filled the smoky air as anyone within range scattered and leapt for safety. Once a young woman had been burned on the feet, calves or ankles by scolding wax she would then take the flaming torch and it would be her turn to chase after the men.
The Marubo are fantastic fun and, apparently unprotected by the fact that I was filming them, I quickly found myself being chased around the longhouse by a topless Marubo beauty flicking hot wax at me. Not something I鈥檝e encountered very often! Unlike the bare-legged Marubo I was luckily wearing long trousers so pretended to jump in pain as the hot wax hit my trousers.
The young women were having none of it and I was pinned against a post by a group of them as they rolled up my trousers to above the knees. Then the chase began for real as I flung down the camera and did my best to zig-zag and avoid the hot wax coming my way. Boy, did it sting on the backs of the legs and four laps of me running and hopping around the longhouse later I was handed the torch.
Not yet understanding the opposite sex rules I looked at the lovely girls and felt that I couldn鈥檛 inflict this on them so instead chased some nearby men with the torch. Caught unawares by this sudden change in the rules and hit by the flying hot wax they ran in panic, leaping over hammocks and crashing through cooking pots. Chaos hit the building and, feeling that I鈥檇 taken enough out on our kind hosts, I put down the flaming torch for another to have a go.
A teenage Marubo girl ran forward and took it up and I couldn鈥檛 believe it when she began chasing me again. This happened two more times as I became the evening鈥檚 entertainment. With no sign of anyone else from the crew to take over the scalding duties I suddenly noticed flip-flop and shorts-wearing Pete sitting as still as he could in the shadows.
As any loyal comrade would I enthusiastically gestured at Pete to the charging mad woman who changed her direction and began spraying hot wax at Pete鈥檚 bare feet. Pete was cornered with nowhere to run so remained sat and began a sort of mad tap dance routine as he tried unsuccessfully to avoid the hot wax hitting his shin. Suddenly, the woman鈥檚 over-eager flicking caused the end of the torch to snap off and a piece of burning ember landed on Pete鈥檚 toe, sticking to it with hot wax.
The game was over and the atmosphere in that smoky candlelit longhouse was fantastic.
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