Justin Alvo, 23, left the United States to live deep in the Amazon rainforest, and says falling in love there changed the course of his life. He has also revealed the mistake that got him banned from going near pregnant women in his new community.
Why he was banned
While out in the jungle one day, Justin and members of the tribe came across a boa slithering nearby. He was told firmly to leave it alone, but couldn't resist. He said: "They told me, 'whatever you do, don't go near that thing', but I love animals, so of course I caught it and started showing everyone." The tribe views boas as spiritual animals, and because Justin had touched one, he wasn't allowed near any pregnant women in the community until he had been cleansed, over fears he might pass on bad energy.
How he ended up there
Justin grew up in the US but always felt something was missing. His father grew up in Tres de Noviembre, a remote part of the eastern Ecuadorian Amazon so isolated that he didn't see a radio until he was fourteen, and where birthdays weren't tracked at all. His father eventually left in search of a better life and met Justin's mother in a Chinese restaurant in the US. Years later, Justin returned to his father's homeland to document the culture he had always felt disconnected from on his YouTube channel.
Meeting Maria
That is where he met Maria, who was working as a chef at an Amazonian restaurant. He told UNILAD he pitched her directly, saying he liked her and wanted to make documentaries about the Shuar people, and she agreed. Getting her number wasn't simple, as she had a cheap phone mostly used to call family in emergencies, but they began messaging and arranged to meet. Justin admitted he was nervous, saying he genuinely thought he might get kidnapped because they were meeting in the middle of nowhere. Things clicked when they went to a river to film their first video together.
Life in the jungle
Although he is half Amazonian, Justin grew up in the towns of the Amazon rather than deep in the jungle, so he had no idea which plants, insects or snakes were dangerous. The tribe taught him about hazards such as the macanche, a highly venomous snake he says can kill a person within two minutes. Not everyone welcomed him at first. Half of Maria's family took to him straight away, charmed by the gifts he brought and his willingness to join in with customs, but some relatives assumed his money must come from something sinister, and one rumour was that he was an organ trafficker.
No regrets
Justin said he wouldn't go back. In the US his routine was waking up, going to work and coming home to basically live in a box, whereas now he wakes to parrots flying overhead and monkeys howling in the background. He has even adopted a javelina, a type of wild peccary, as a pet. He and Maria are happily married and welcomed a new child earlier this year.
