Kane squats on the rain forest floor next to Harnan, his guide. Sticks rest over a fire Kane has built. On top, piranhas are roasting. Today, these predators will be a tasty lunch.
Kane is deep in the Amazon rain forest. He is in the Matsés (MATsess) National Reserve in Peru. Miles away from any towns, the Matsés tribe lives off the grid. No electricity. No plumbing. No cell phones. Just miles of jungle.
For two days, Kane traveled through the rain forest to reach the Matsés. With him are his father — Paul — and a photographer Dom Farrell. He also has three local guides: a man named Sergio; Harnan, chief of the Matsés tribe; and Harnan’s father. His mission: to live like the Matsés.
Like the Matsés, Kane had to make many of the things he needed to survive. Nature provided all the basic materials. Kane just had to learn how to use them. His basic tool was a knife called a machete. He used it to chop down wood and hack into tough vines. The Matsés use machetes to make firewood, fishing rods, and more.
Next, Kane learned that if he wanted lunch, he was going to have to catch it. His guides taught him how to make a fishing rod. Kane cut off a small, thin tree at its base. He peeled off the bark. Then he attached some fishing line and a hook. Meat scraps were used as bait. To cook any fish he caught, Kane had to learn to make a fire, too.
Kane uses a machete to cut a thin tree.
Kane was successful as a fisherman!
Kane’s guide also showed him how to make a bridge from a fallen log. Using long branches as poles, Kane was able to cross a fast-moving creek.
By nightfall, Kane was tired. Before he could rest, he had to build a shelter. First, he cut two big tree branches, each with a Y at the top. He dug them into the ground. A strong branch between the two Y’s made a frame for a tarp. He tied down the tarp edges with vines. Done! He fell asleep under the tarp immediately.
Matsés National Reserve
Bolivia
Brazil
Colombia
Ecuador
Guyana
Peru
Venezuela
Atlantic Ocean
Pacific Ocean
Amazon rain forest
Matsés National Reserve