Surviving Amazonas: The Shanenawa Exam

Once they arrive in the Amazon, the first challenge awaits: crossing the fast-flowing Rio Envira in simple wooden boats. Just how water-resistant are these celebrity adventurers? In the village, the Shanenawa welcome their guests with traditional dances and songs. And right away, the first ritual begins: purification with rapé, a herbal mixture used to rid oneself of negative energies. Who will be pushed to their limits by this first encounter with the people’s cultural traditions?

After their first dinner together, Manipa, the Shanenawa shaman, invites the candidates for an indigenous name to a second ritual: an ayahuasca ceremony. The next morning, the famous adventurers set out in two groups with their hosts to harvest bananas and cassava—two essential staples of the tribe’s diet. Gathering their own food is one of their most important tasks.