Here is part of the village of Plataforma.
Plataforma is completely off the grid, no electricity here.
The village is only about 6 years old, and
we weren't sure what brought people here, but it's probably tied in with the destruction of the forest,
either participating in it, or opportunistically taking advantage of newly-cleared land.
This building is the lodge that was built for visiting birders.
Rooms are on the upper floor, and there is a dirt-floor store and dining area on the ground floor.
It was the day before a national election day, and political posters were everywhere.
The lodge had a generator that was run to provide lighting for a few hours morning and evening.
The storeRooms were basic but comfortableThe barbeteers at breakfast (photo by Merrill Lynch)Chickens in the kitchen
