Alligators and Piranhas Summary

This chapter tells of Allende's travels and experiences in the Amazon jungle, where roasted monkey is a delicacy. The jungle appears to visitors to be only green. But for inhabitants, the jungle is a varying pharmacy, providing medications, dietary supplements, first aid products, and practical tools.

Allende tells of swimming naked in the Amazon River, where, just a day before, she had seen tourists fishing for piranha for sport. She clarifies that although piranha have a bad reputation, they do not typically attack humans, but instead help keep the river clean by eating carrion.

Another of her experiences included going alligator hunting at night with an adolescent native. He would shine a bright spotlight on the river until he saw red eyes. Then he would jump into the river, she would hear some thrashing, and he would return to...