(Water rushes) (girl sings in native language) (birds cry) - [Kelly] Join me as I attempt (upbeat rock music) to hunt, forage, and farm my way across the globe in search of the world's best ingredients.

I'm Kelly Cox, and this is The Original Fare.

I just got to Peru to have my dream trip.

I'm gonna go down the Amazon and spear fish piranha.

But this is how it happens.

It's my birthday, it's 2:00, maybe 3:00 AM in the morning.

I left Portland 24 hours ago.

We have to get on another plane at 5:00.

There's no sleep happening.

We gotta go to Iquitos to do more work.

And I just realized on the plane ride over here, I discovered that I don't have half of my flight's plan for the second half of my trip 'cause I'm here for three weeks.

And I'm too poor to even go up and get a room and shower.

And I look like a (bleep) rockstar right now, don't I?

(rock rhythms) I begin my journey with less than 24 hours in Iquitos, a town only accessible by boat or plane.

Since I was a kid, I wanted to see the Amazon river.

It's one of the most rugged environments on Earth.

But what is the relationship between these people, and their wild land.

What do they eat?

How do they chill on Sunday?

- [Man] Uh, charapita chile.

Charapita chile.

You wanna try?

You will try okay?

- [Kelly] Okay (laughs) (men speak in Spanish) Yeah, hot.

- You wanna try?

- Okay, three minute, hot.

- Three minute?

- Three minute hot, and I got water here.

(men speak in Spanish) Okay, try!

Bon apetit!

- Um, good.

It's so good.

- Chile belongs to the tomato family.

Charapita chile's the bad one.

- I want it on everything!

- Okay, you will try on-- - Everything!

- At the food stall, you will try a lot out there.

This is the patarashca.

Patarashca is like uh, is the fish, like a steamy fish inside, but it is covered with a banana leaf.

They just cover, and put in the smoker.

And after they smoke, the inside part just get like a steamy, right.

This is work as a pot.

And then just become like this.

(mellow rock music) To the right hand side, that is the Itaya river, and this is the Nancy river, and right behind that is the Amazon river.

Right?

- So close.

- Great, great.

But you will be in the same place.

- We will be in the Amazon.

- Yeah!

(laughs) (engine sputters) (quiet conversing) - [Kelly Voiceover] The next morning, it's another two hours down the road until I finally get to my boat.

The Delfin is owned by a husband and wife team, and they operate with the most respect to the ecosystem and culture around them, and unlike most outsiders who come to this area, they're not here to rape and pillage.

Hello, rubber boom.

- [Man] Kayak also.

(engine hums) - Oh my gosh, this is incredible.

This is the boat that we're going to go have an Amazon adventure on.

(footsteps) - [Man] Hi welcome aboard, everybody.

This is uh, Delfin 1.

- And our bar, and we already know the bartender, so we're good.

Big moths.

- [Kelly Voiceover] It's amazing some of the places I get to stay doing this show, and the amount of luxury.

- Your room's nice.

You like it?

- This is gorgeous!

- [Kelly Voiceover] Because I can barely even rub two pennies together to even get the show to happen.

- Perfect!

(curtains open) And there's my pool.

And that's my corner, where I just sit and think my thoughts, i.e., smoke, alone.

Smoke alone, what I do best.

(water rushes) (birds call) Alright, we're going to get in the boat, go see a shaman.

Is this where we're going?

I feel like, I'm in paradise.

(people speaking in Spanish) - Carolla.

- Carolla.

(woman speaks in Spanish) Kelly.

- [Tourist] Who are we going to vote off the island?

- Carolla is not just special to see because she's a shaman, but it's actually very rare to be a woman, and be allowed to be a shaman.

(leaves rustle) (Carolla sings in native language) - [Kelly] When did she know she was a Shaman?

- [Man] To heal with leaves, barks, resins.

- What's one of the most important things that we should learn, being here, in this part of the Amazon?

Was there a story she has where during this process of training, being out in the jungle that was very terrifying for her, where she might have questioned her path?

- No (Carolla explains in Spanish) (Carolla sings in native language) (engine hums) (birds call) (engine hums) - [Kelly voiceover] As I head to visit one of the hundreds of small communities that dot this mighty river, we run into a family harvesting chonta, which is like a heart of palm the people here shred to eat.

(quiet conversations) (guide speaks in Spanish) - This is crazy.

All of that, just to get that.

And we just ran into him on the river.

- Um, yeah.

(laughs) (Luis thanks in Spanish) - Gracias.

Adios.

(engine rattles) (quiet conversing) - [Man] Doesn't look too difficult.

- [Kelly Voiceover] Now, I'm off to the village of San Francisco.

Which is funny it has an actual name, because most are given the name of the date other people came across them, like October 12th.

- [Man] They're performing.

- Oh, my gosh, they're having a game!

Look at this!

- Today is Sunday.

(whistles) - [Group] Yes!

Soccer day.

- What?

- [Man] They play for money.

(whistles) (speaking in Spanish) - [Kelly] Hola, buenas tardes.

- Lourdes, the local leader.

- Buenas dias.

(laughs) - [Kelly] Hola - [Luis] She has a farm.

- [Kelly] What's on her farm?

(Luis asks in Spanish) - [Lourdes] Yucas.

- [Luis] Yuca.

(Lourdes speaks in Spanish) - [Luis] Sugar cane, away to this sugar cane.

Lourdes, she has another farm.

- [Kelly] Oh, wow.

- [Luis] Yeah, but it's far from here.

- [Kelly] So which are her children?

(Lourdes and Luis speak in Spanish) - [Kelly] She said all of them?

(laughs) - [Luis] Most all of them.

(laughs) Big families.

- [Kelly] Wait, that's Italian.

How do you say my family in Spanish.

- [Luis] Familia - [Kelly] Mi familia.

(parrot squaks) This really thin one.

- You see the light green color.

It's just right.

- Uh-huh, that's what you wanna cut?

So this is the heart of palm tree, that we saw on the boat, but they just cut the top.

What is that?

- This is achiote.

- [Kelly] Achiote?

- [Luis] Squeezing, something like that.

- Oh the achiote, I know this powder.

- [Luis] Si The lipstick color.

- Yeah?

I know, is it orange?

Am I really orange?

You didn't tell me.

- [Man] Yeah, you are.

Really, why didn't you tell me Lucas?

- [Lucas] You said you wanted-- - A joke.

- [Group] Hola!

- [Man] Buenas tardes.

- [Woman] Buenas tardes.

- In places where it's not really not really access you know, to the sugar.

This is what they doing.

They squeeze the sugar cane.

Then after that, they have to boil for at least two or three hours.

(cane splits) (laughs) (liquid pours) - Salud!

- [Man] Salud.

- [Luis] Rice is also maybe from China, it's only a little here, right?

- Oh, wait, this is their rice?

(rhythmic thuds) (chicks tweeting) - [Kelly] Chicks!

- [Luis] This is the only way to peel rice.

(laughs) They separate, the how do you call?

Shed?

How do you call it?

This part of the rice?

- [Kelly] Yeah, the husk.

Big hole.

- [Luis] Husk, husk, yes.

(thuds) (thuds) (thuds) - Okay (laughs) - [Woman] See her try to row a boat!

(laughs) - No?

- Very good.

- Bien?

(speaks in Spanish) - [Man] MĂĄs fuerte!

(laughs) (groans) - Too many piscos.

(thuds) One hand!

- [Man] One hand, look.

- Okay, okay, okay.

(laughs) (groans) - [Man] Yeah, yeah, rich, now you're rich.

- [Kelly] I love those.

- [Man] Yeah, we had one at our house.

- [Man 2] Whetstone (metal scrapes) (metal bangs) - [Kelly] Oh, I've heard about this frog.

- I see this once a year.

- [Kelly] Really?

- It's not very common, because they got a very good camouflage.

You know about ayahuasca.

- [Kelly] Yeah.

- [Luis] Side effects are probably three times stronger.

- [Kelly] Holy moly.

- [Luis] Yeah - I could take this to the States and make a lot of money Luis.

I know a lot of hipsters in Portland who would like to get their hands on this frog.

Ah, no, no no!

Whoa, oh my god, its underside is beautiful.

- [Luis] Beautiful, but toxic.

(rhythmic local folk music) (mimics cat) (heavy rainfall) - I don't know.

I was trying to use his wifi.

The flight I was able to get on a credit card was canceled, but they've tied all the money up.

So I tried to get a new flight with what little cash we had, and for some reason our cards aren't working.

So, I don't know what the (bleep) we're going to do.

And I don't know how we're going to get from point A to point B. I'm supposed to just be doing this story.

Maybe, we're just meant to stay in the Amazon.

Luis, those aren't any fruits are they?

- [Luis] Locals, we call cocona.

- [Kelly] Cocona.

- Yellow tomato.

I found this spot four years ago.

And let's see how we do today.

Yeah, alright.

(laughs) Are you patient?

- [Kelly] You have to be for fishing.

- [Luis] Ah, we'll find out today.

(laughs) How patient you are.

- I'm so patient.

Everybody knows that.

- She's not?

- When it comes to fishing!

(laughs) Okay, so here's the pole.

- [Man] Okay.

- And then you just put on some beef tartare.

(small splashes) (splashes) - Aha!

- [Man] Look at that!

- [Man 2] Catfish!

- [Kelly] Ooh, that's a pretty catfish.

- Since, I have my lunch.

- He's done!

- I don't have to worry about, yeah?

(water splashes) (Spanish guitar music) - [Kelly] You guys got it!

(group cheers) - This is the typical size of the most aggressive one.

- [Kelly] You guys!

(group cheers) Aw, so close!

I didn't even feel that tug.

- [Luis] One more time, one more time.

Never give up!

Never give up.

- Nah, I give up.

(splashes) (cheers) And now I like you, and I don't want to eat you anymore.

- [Luis] Yeah, we gotta kill him.

Oh, listen, listen.

(mimics teeth gnashing) - Oh, now they look sharp.

(water rushes) I worked so hard for you fishy.

Came all the way to the Amazon, just to eat you.

Okay, step one.

On the inside, they're all the same.

(speaks in Spanish) - [Kelly] Charapita.

- [Chef] Camu camu.

- [Kelly] Camu camu.

Charapita!

Muy importante.

- [Chef] Yes.

(South American folk music) (speaks Spanish) (quiet conversing) (Spanish singing) - [Group] Happy birthday, happy birthday!

Happy birthday to you.

CumpleaĂąos felices te deseamos a ti.

(cheers) (water rushes) (quiet conversing) - That's what they say right?

- [Kelly voiceover] This experience would not be possible without the talents of co-founder, Lissy.

- You walk into the spaces, and it looks-- I just assumed you were an interior designer, or you'd been doing those things for your career.

- Basically, I was a housewife.

And I took care of my two daughters, and I loved entertaining, that's true, and I had it at home, and when we started this, I said, I'm not qualified.

I haven't studied a lot, because when you don't study, you are not prepared, and I was getting scared, and I said, why are you getting scared, you have been doing this all your life.

You have been raising your house.

You have been entertaining your guests, your friends, your family.

Just Liss, do the same.

- When you have guests and you bring them to have these experiences, what are some of the things you hope they take away with them.

- I think that if you maintain your contact with nature, your mind will always be safe.

You can see that life can be simple.

- We have to unleash our inner wild.

We stifle it, some of us.

(South American folk music) - This is a real anaconda, alright?

It was in a fishing net, and they were planning to release back, yeah, but believe it or not, why they didn't do it yet, because, some local people, they believe that they got over-natural powers.

Approximately 10,000 muscles.

- [Tourist] Oh, wow.

- No, no no.

(camera snaps) - How old do you think he is?

- [Luis] Eight months and three days.

(laughs) - [Woman] It's a baby?

- Yes, yeah its-- - [Man] And three days, that's good.

(laughs) - [Man] Thank you so much.

- This one might eat easily a chicken.

- That one can eat a chicken?

- Yes, all.

- It's okay.

Okay.

It just is very smooth, and very cool.

- [Luis] Aha!

- [Man] There you go.

Got it.

The snake woman!

(laughs) - [Luis] We gotta free Willy very soon.

- [Man] I think it's a he.

- I touched it, I got close.

- Okay.

- We've got to release it over there because there is no much land around here.

(birds chatter) You don't have the most powerful snake in the world every day in your hands.

Look at the color, how it shines.

- [Kelly Voiceover] It's not about following a trend.

It's following your heart, with nature as your guide.

Lissy's words have a profound effect on me, as a challenge to follow my passion can become overwhelming.

So sometimes you got to just to let go, jump in, and release your inner wild.

(upbeat rock music) (splash) Next up on Original Fare, I got my plane tickets!

I'm going to Lake Titicaca.

Watch our world!

- Let's get in the lake, it's so fun.

The shrimp will bite you.

Wear pants.

- [Kelly Voiceover] For more adventures and food subscribe to~ our channel.

(wind blows)