Justin Alvo, 23, has abandoned his life in the United States to live deep in the Amazon rainforest after falling in love with an indigenous tribeswoman. He met his wife Maria, a member of the Shuar tribe, while she worked as a chef at an Amazonian restaurant. The couple now resides in the eastern Ecuadorian Amazon, where they document their daily lives on a YouTube channel.
From US to the Amazon
Justin, who grew up in the US, initially traveled to Ecuador because his father had grown up in a remote tribe there. Despite being half Amazonian himself, he admitted that stepping into tribal life felt like landing in 'an alien world.' He said: "I genuinely thought I might get kidnapped, we were meeting in the middle of nowhere."
Justin had no knowledge of which plants were dangerous, which insects to avoid, or which snakes could kill him. The tribe quickly educated him on the more dangerous aspects of life in the Amazon.
Culture Clashes and Traditions
One notable incident occurred when Justin ignored advice not to touch a boa constrictor. The tribe views boas as spiritual animals, and because he touched the snake, he had to be 'cleansed' over fears he might pass on bad energy to pregnant women. He was subsequently banned from going near pregnant women.
While half of Maria's family took an immediate liking to him—impressed by his eagerness to bring gifts and participate in tribal customs—some relatives assumed he was an organ trafficker and that was how he made his money.
Embracing a New Life
Despite the culture clashes, Justin said he wouldn't trade his new life for his old one. He has swapped the daily grind for being surrounded by nature every day, with "parrots flying overhead, monkeys howling in the background." He has even taken on an unusual pet—a javelina, a type of wild peccary he describes as "the cutest thing I've ever seen," despite knowing it will eventually grow to around 40kg.
Justin and Maria are happily married and welcomed a new child earlier this year.
Meeting and Marriage
Justin told Unilad: "I basically said, 'Hey, I like you a lot, you're really cute, and I want to make documentaries and videos about the Shuar people. She said yes, let's do it.'" They swapped numbers, but Maria had what he described as "one of those $20 phones that barely works." Nonetheless, they exchanged messages before agreeing to meet in person.
Traditional Drink Chicha
Another culture shock was chicha, a fermented drink made from cassava root. Justin explained that the women "chew it up for around five minutes" to soften it before spitting it into a big container and letting it ferment for about a week. The drink becomes alcoholic, and Justin says it gets him 'very' drunk, to the point where he's 'stumbling' after three bowls. He added: "The first time I saw it made, I remember thinking, 'What on earth am I supposed to do with this?' In their culture, refusing to drink it is seen as disrespectful—as turning down someone's invitation into their home. So I drank it. The first time gave me the worst stomach ache of my life, and bad diarrhoea. But after about a year and a half of drinking it, I've got used to it—I actually love it now."
