Palms On The Rock.

I've always had a deep fascination with our ancestry and evolution but never came close to any tangible records of it. And when I read that around Monte Alegre there have been discovered caves and artifacts, including wall paintings several thousand years old, I could not resist. The Andes were always thought to be the main hub of prehistoric settlement but apparently during the last few decades signs of human presence have been unearthed in the Amazon basin. And pretty much all of it is right here, a few kilometers away.

The ride to the mountains is dirty and rough but fun. The rocky mounts among deep green, the snaky red soil and the river in the distance are amazing. But the palm prints and obscure red symbols dedicated to sunrise were what put all in context. Don't get me wrong, I love nature and despite never being the first to jump on a chance for a good hike, I'll follow along. But in reality, the presence of marks of human fingers on the earth is the treasure. It's the inescapable link with our past and the rest of the planet. And most of the time it's not as obvious at it sounds .