Guyana/London The Life Swap Adventure

Many of us feel like we're stuck in a rut.

My heart sinks when I think about sitting in front of a screen

for another 20 years.

But what if you could experience a world

which couldn't be further from the one you know?

There's so much more to life than going to work.

Imagine being flown across the world...

..and opening your eyes...

Wow!

..to find yourself in someone else's life.

Good grief!

I'm certainly outside the M25 now!

In this series, six Brits...

Excuse me, do you speak English?

..will swap places with complete strangers...

Welcome to your new home.

..from across the globe.

I never dreamed to be in a place like this.

While their opposite numbers...

Are there any crocodiles in here?

No.

..test-drive life in Britain.

Oh, my gosh!

Is that Big Ben?

For seven days...

It's coming.

..both will be immersed in a culture

which is totally different from their own.

I'm not in Kansas any more, Toto!

Could walking in someone else's shoes...

It's been a wake-up call.

..pave the way to a better life back home?

I really want to have life just like this.

What can you learn by seeing your world through a stranger's eyes?

Hi!

What would you do if you were me?

I really don't know what the impact of this is going to be.

Having family and keeping them happy.

I think that's the biggest thing in life.

This time, two men from different sides of the world...

..have agreed to swap lives.

I'll take your blindfold off, but just keep your eyes closed, OK?

Both have to provide for young families.

Both are at a crossroads.

One feels trapped by the hustle and bustle of the city.

I feel I'm just going through the motions.

I've often thought about escaping to a different way of life.

The other lives by the most basic means

in the remote South American rainforest.

His may be a simple life, but it's far from easy.

Here it is very difficult to get a job.

This is a changing world

and I need to earn money to survive.

Now they're about to get a window into a world

which is the complete opposite of their own.

Civil servant John lives in south-east London

and feels caught up in the rat-race.

My heart sinks when I think about

sitting in front of a screen

for another 15-20 years.

I'd be a bit disappointed

if life just continues as it is now.

John dreams of leaving the nine-to-five behind him.

I feel restless, as if there's more to life than this.

I think he needs to experience some sort of shake-up

or sort of shift that's dramatic,

and experience something completely new.

I think this whole adventure

will wake me up to the possibilities

of what's out there.

Office worker John is about to swap lives with Lionel,

a tribesman from Guyana.

A member of the Macushi tribe, 48-year-old Lionel

lives on the edge of the North Rupununi Savannah.

We just live basic,

by farming, fishing, hunting.

One of 9,000 Macushi in Guyana,

Lionel lives as his ancestors have for thousands of years.

Actually, up to maybe seven years, we were naked.

That's how we used to live. Very simple - naked.

The tribe still grow and hunt their own food in order to survive.

Got him.

A skilled craftsman, Lionel makes everything his family needs,

from bows and arrows to fishing rods and baskets.

But times are changing.

In the old days, we never knew anything about a dollar or a coin.

These days, we are changing

because we are forgetting some of our culture.

So Lionel needs to find a way to make his way of life pay.

Now money is playing a bigger role.

Going to the big city,

and there might be something that I can bring back here

and improve my life.

I think we'll have a better future.

Their adventure begins when they open their eyes.

Wow!

Whoa!

Where am I?

That's better. I can see it now!

Gosh, I've never been anywhere like this before!

I think I'm outside of the M25 now!

DISTANT SIRENS WAIL

Oh!

I never dreamed...

..to be in a place like this in my life.

People are all dressed the same.

White and black, white and black.

First job for both men -

find their way to their new home and their new identity.

Lionel, Surama village,

North Rupun-er-ini.

Wow, that's all I've got!

Their only clue is each other's name and address.

Oh!

Brockley, south-east London.

Where is that?

This is really exciting!

Certainly more eventful than the time I got lost in Southwold park.

Good morning, mister.

Can you please help me?

-No.

-No.

There are ten times more people in London

than there are in the whole of Guyana.

I've no idea where it is, I'm afraid.

But, so far, Lionel's not having much luck.

Can you help me get to this individual home?

No.

After a string of rejections...

Hello, Miss Lady.

..his persistence finally pays off.

So you want to get on the DLR downstairs.

-Yeah.

-And get it to Shadwell station,

that's where you want to get off.

-Thank you.

-Good luck. Thanks very much.

-Nice meeting you.

-Welcome to London.

-Thanks for your help.

In Guyana, John is on the edge

of 5,000 square miles of untouched plains

known as the Rupununi Savannah.

I can't see any cars yet.

Still 85 miles from Lionel's village,

he's hoping to flag down a lift.

I can see a buzzard circling...

..ready to pick my bones when I drop dead!

HE CHUCKLES

There are no railways in Guyana.

Taking a ride on a train is like riding a horse.

It's like boom, boom.

-TANNOY:

-'This is Shadwell.'

So train travel is a new experience for Lionel.

What should I do?

Push? Either way.

Oh!

HE LAUGHS

Can you help me? What should I...?

Oh, ooh-ho, ho-ho!

Oh, no!

Whereas John couldn't be further from the London rush hour.

Stop! No. Didn't work.

Oh, it did. Yes, it worked!

Lionel's village is so remote

that even a trip to Guyana's capital, Georgetown,

means a 12-hour drive down an unpaved road.

Hello there. Hi.

Are you going to Surama village?

Surama village. Er... I will drop you at the junction.

That would be wonderful.

After 30 years in London,

John and his wife have been questioning whether city life

is really for them.

We've thought about moving out of London

ever since we've been in London, so...!

A massive decision that we, as a family, need to make

is whether or not to stay in London or move away.

It would be quite a big thing,

and I'm fearful of going to exile

and having to start from scratch.

At last, I think I'm at Brockley,

and now I'm feeling like I'm close.

This is Lionel's first time outside South America.

That's a big machine. Hi, guys.

That's a useful piece of machine to do some work like that.

We do everything with a hoe or a pickaxe.

Manual work.

Lionel's family rely on him to provide for them,

but his physically challenging lifestyle

is not sustainable long-term.

Lionel is a hard-working man, and he's getting old,

and he has to find other ways and means

to earn money for his family.

If Lionel learns practical skills

to provide for his family,

that would be good for him.

He hopes that seeing how the Western world works

could pave the way for a better future back home.

Development changes everything,

and if you're not ready for whatever is coming towards you,

he's going to be at loss.

After a two-hour drive,

John has arrived in the ancient tribal village of Surama,

on the edge of the Amazon rainforest...

OK, bye.

..home to around 300 people and one tapir.

Wow, what a great nose.

Sorry to disturb you, I know you're busy,

but do you know Lionel by any chance?

HE LAUGHS

After a journey of thousands of miles...

HE KNOCKS AT DOOR

..both men get a chance to meet their new families.

Hello there. Good evening.

-Hello, I'm Rachel.

-Hello!

-Welcome to Surama.

-Great to meet you. Thank you.

-Hello. Great to meet you.

-Welcome to Surama.

-Thank you.

For the next week, John will be living with Lionel's wife, Sylvia,

and their seven children.

This is Lionel's family.

Wow. Lovely to meet you all.

I feel like I'm at a wedding.

OK, John, let's have a seat.

Thank you. I need a sit-down.

So, what do you do for a living?

Well, we do simple things, like...

-For living, we do, like, fishing, hunting and farming...

-Whoa.

..and we're living in the community.

That sounds very different from my life.

While in London, Lionel will live with John's wife, Rachel,

and their two kids, Evie and Elijah.

I'm dying to ask, where have you travelled from?

Actually I come from Guyana,

-in a small village...

-Uh-huh.

-..in the forest.

-Oh, wow!

-Or in the jungle.

-Is that where Daddy is?

-Yes.

So, what does your dad do for a living?

He's mainly on the computer and goes into his office.

He's called a civil servant.

Oh, OK, OK. Uh-huh.

'It's really wonderful being at John's home.'

Mmm! Not too bad.

I'm looking forward to learning more about London

and the way people live

and their culture.

-Here's your room here.

-Right, thank you.

Here's your hammock.

'I'm not quite sure

'about how I'm going to step into Lionel's shoes...'

Whoa!

'..because I don't quite know exactly what's expected of me yet.'

But I'm going to give it all my best shot.

Being here, it's like a big tsunami has come in

and I've been left on the beach somehow.

I woke up at two o'clock in the morning, and everything was like,

"Oh, what should I do?" And then I put extra head pieces

and get a towel and just put it here just to keep myself warm.

-CAMERA PERSON:

-But you didn't sleep under your duvet.

I didn't understand that first of all.

I was just looking at it - "Should I get under here?"

Then I think, "It'll make little difference,"

so I just keep on top.

In Guyana, temperatures are around 30 degrees all year round,

and John is enjoying a warmer start to the day.

Where can I have a wash, kids?

The villagers in Surama live in simple houses,

many without gas, electricity or running water.

I'm not really used to wandering around outside

just in underpants, but, you know, everybody seems OK with that.

Oh, wow! What do we have here?

It's the first time in my life

I've actually drawn water from out of a well.

Yay, water to wash in! Wonderful.

-Now you can have your shower.

-Right. I draw the shower curtain.

JOHN LAUGHS

I'm wet already, so...

HE SQUEALS

# La-la-la-la-la. #

HE HUMS A TUNE

As experiences go, I'm quite enjoying it.

I think I'll just tip this bucket up and over.

Whoa!

That was good!

Having familiarised himself with the shower facilities,

John takes a tour of the hut where Lionel and Sylvia live

with their seven children.

And this is Victoria's bed and Victoria sleeps over here.

OK, yes.

-And this is my bed, where I sleep, and that's Paul's bed.

-Yeah.

That's Don's bed and this is my mother's bed.

-Where are your toys, Jesse?

-I don't have any toys.

-You don't have any toys?

-No.

-Wow.

So for you, your toys are the trees to climb

and the grass to run on,

and you've got a great playground out there.

And that might be Lionel.

I think I might have found a picture of Lionel there.

Lionel looks of a similar age to me.

His hair's receding, just like mine, mine's disappearing,

slowly but surely going further back. So, yeah.

He looks a wise man.

-That's your dad?

-Yeah.

He seems fat and short.

Lionel usually spends his days hunting for food.

Today, he'll spend it in an office -

something John's been doing for the last three decades.

This bit might be a little puzzling

because I don't know how people use this.

But, first, he'll have to dress for the occasion.

-Sorry, Rachel.

-Oh, yeah.

Oh, the tie!

Yeah.

'You see someone putting on long-sleeved shirts

'and black jackets, that means

'you're going to do some important job.

'And we, at home, we don't dress like this, because, you know,

'at the end of the work you're going to be all dirty.'

A little bit big!

It's too big for you.

Suited and booted - next stop for Lionel, the morning commute.

I was given a card.

I don't know if it's going to work, but I'm going to give it a go.

-Sorry.

-Wrong way.

Oh!

All right, all right.

4.8 million people use the Tube every day.

You could fit Lionel's entire village into just four carriages.

This big thing here looks like a coral snake,

all the white and red colours,

very, very long.

Unbelievable.

-MOBILE PHONE:

-Turn right on to Aldersgate Street.

After a 30-minute Tube journey,

Lionel has made it to central London.

Where I am is confusing me.

Even though I am in the middle of thousands of people, I can be lost.

Used to life in a real jungle,

finding his way in a concrete one is proving a challenge.

-MOBILE PHONE:

-Take the first exit on to Montague Street.

In the jungle we navigate by looking at the sun.

But here, in a big city, it is very, very strange,

because I'm not accustomed to looking at a phone

and I'm following the map.

Oh! Where am I going?

Is this the rainforest we're going into?

-Yeah.

-Brilliant!

About 70% of Guyana is made up of rainforest.

It's been providing the Amerindian tribes who live here

with food and shelter for thousands of years.

Have you seen Jurassic Park?

Instead of earning money to survive,

people like Lionel's brother Hendricks and friend Sparrow

hunt for their family's food.

Now civil servant John is joining them on their regular fishing trip

to the Burro-Burro River, in the Iwokrama rainforest.

Whee! That was good!

I never thought I'd come to the Amazon rainforest,

so this is a dream come true.

It is incredible.

It's like, when you sneeze here, it's really weird

because it's just clean fluid, it's not normal.

Whereas in London, when I sneeze,

it's normal, it's black bits and little bits of blood,

and that's what I'm used to.

So there's no pollution here at all.

It's really making me think,

"What does it do to my children

"to grow up in all the pollution of London?"

After a four-hour boat journey, John, Hendricks and Sparrow

finally reach their destination.

Home, sweet home! I'm quite hungry.

Can we go fishing first?

We have to build our camp first before dark, you know?

This is jungle.

JOHN GROANS Come on!

Come on, John.

Here I'm well out of my comfort zone.

I'm well out of the nine-to-five.

This ain't no city, it's the jungle.

Oh, wow. So you're stripping the bark off the tree.

Yeah, bark off the tree.

And then that's your string.

It's amazing how they use the jungle here,

because everything's coming in handy.

This is bark off a tree.

That's incredible.

Oh!

Oh, dear.

In this harsh environment,

John is struggling to find something he can contribute.

Well, this isn't working very well, is it?

Oh, dear, I just broke it again.

Well, I'm feeling a bit helpless.

It really makes me think about the fact that people here

have to go through all this just to get food.

It's just I've never been wonderfully practical,

and to be a man out here you have to be practical.

I'd really like to be able to prove myself as man,

if you like, prove that I'm worth something.

OK. Thank you very much.

Right now I'm feeling a real numpty.

Boof!

-MOBILE PHONE:

-'You have arrived.'

You have arrived.

In London, Lionel's come to meet a friend of John's

who's going to show him office life.

-Hi, Lionel.

-Good morning.

-Good morning. I'm Hugh.

-I'm Lionel.

-OK.

-Come this way.

Lionel's village has no mains power

and, although one nearby hut does use a generator to power a computer,

Lionel's never used it.

So, Lionel, this is our office.

I know very little about technology,

and if there is any opportunity that I can learn about technology,

I'll be glad to do that.

-This is very exciting.

-Yeah.

So these are my e-mails at the moment.

What is an e-mail, actually?

It's a bit like a letter.

-Would you like to have a go?

-Yes, yes. Why not?

Let's start a new message.

I'll write in the name of who we're going to send it to.

It's going to be to Toby.

Why don't you put in, "Hello, Toby"?

I'll be back in a little bit.

Oh, no! What am I going to do here now? All right.

HE CLEARS HIS THROAT

Lionel's unlikely to ever have a desk job.

But as technology becomes more accessible in Guyana,

basic computer skills could help him in the future...

This is my first time trying to put my finger on a computer and...

..it's very hard.

..but at the moment, it's completely alien to huntsman Lionel.

Being in an office like this is, like, you're not seeing anything

other than lights and walls and computers

and people moving around.

I come from the forest and I miss it, yeah.

Hi, Lionel. How are you getting on?

-Very slow.

-OK.

And then you click on this button here,

and you've sent your first e-mail.

-This is very good.

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

This little writing that you did is...

Now I understand what the computer can be

a very good piece of equipment.

And maybe one day, who knows,

I will have one of these.

E-mailing mastered, Lionel takes a well-earned break.

Tastes like a very old, dead fish.

This morning has given him a glimpse

into how people provide for their families in the Western world.

If I was to work like John

I don't think I would make it,

because even though it looks simple, I know it's hard.

Especially if you was not born in a technology world,

it's very confusing.

Very, very confusing.

In the depths of the rainforest...

-Look, snake, John.

-Snake! Oh, wow.

..John is getting a window into Lionel's way of life.

It all seems a bit more foreboding at night,

a bit more scary.

When out hunting for meat and fish,

the Macushi's working day can begin before dawn

and go on late into the night.

Right now they're on the hunt for catfish,

which are more active and easier to catch when it's cooler.

John needs a good haul if he's to provide for his new family.

Each of the two or three fishing trips a week

needs to provide at least 20 fish.

Yeah, it must be quite difficult for Lionel with so many kids.

Seven kids. Wow!

He must be under tremendous pressure to bring home fish for his family.

Yeah, this is real hard work, you know? This is a man's work.

Whoa, look at that!

Well done, Sparrow. That is incredible.

The jungle's newest breadwinner has been up for over 16 hours

and is yet to eat a thing.

Oh, no.

I caught a leaf!

If I had to do this two or three times a week,

I'd really struggle.

Come on, fish! Where are you?

It makes me think my life is very, very easy indeed,

and I take a lot of things for granted.

I've got a bite, lads. I've got a bite. Don't panic.

I can feel it tugging.

I think I've got something.

Look, look, you've got it.

Pull it up in the boat. In the boat, John.

In the boat. Yes!

Hooray!

I got ya!

It's a great feeling, isn't it, catching a fish like that?

And to think we can take it back now to Sylvia and the kids.

-Yeah!

-And have something to eat. It's wonderful.

-So, does this make me a man now?

-Yes, yes.

-Yeah?

That's awesome.

How's your fish doing?

-Dead.

-Dead!

JOHN LAUGHS

They've only caught two fish,

but must return to camp and smoke them

so they don't spoil on the journey home.

-How long will it take to cook?

-Three hours.

-Three hours?!

-Yeah.

It's a hard life in the jungle, isn't it?

-Nothing's easy.

-Yeah.

They must save these fish in order to feed the family.

So, tonight, they'll be going hungry.

There's one way that shows if you love your family,

and you have to sacrifice for them, you know?

But at least I can go to sleep satisfied

that I've provided for them.

Technology may have proved tricky,

but Lionel wants to look for other ways

that the modern world could help him make some money back home.

Hello, Rachel.

Hello.

-What are you doing?

-Hi.

-I'm doing, erm, welding.

-Oh!

Rachel is an artist and trained welder

and is showing him some of her work.

So this is one way that I use

to join two pieces of metal together.

-Sounds very useful.

-Yeah.

Back home, Lionel relies on basic hand tools to survive,

but working in the unforgiving landscape of Surama

means they rarely last long.

A skill like welding could be a lifeline.

We have things that are broken and we cannot fix it.

You know, it's a lot of money to send things

and getting it fixed, and if I can learn about it,

I could weld up all the broken tools.

It is something you could make a living off.

It is exciting to be showing you a technique that's new

that you may be able to make use of,

because this type of welding doesn't require any electricity.

-Oh, OK. Just the gas?

-It's the gas.

-OK.

So it's something that's doable without electricity.

This technique may be simple by Western standards,

but it's still beyond the reach of rural Guyana.

Even though it is a simple thing to, besides electricity,

we don't even have that type of gas in Guyana.

Welding is not the answer for Lionel.

I really thank you for showing me what you do

and I'm really impressed about it.

-Oh, thank you.

-Yeah, it's nice.

But his time with Rachel has inspired him

to look for ways to monetise his practical skills as a craftsman.

'What I have learned here is a big thing for me.'

John and Hendricks arrive back in Surama with their catch.

Home sweet home.

Home sweet home. Right!

On average, they'd expect to bring home

anything between 20 and 100 fish per trip.

But John only has two.

-Hi, good afternoon.

-Hi, Sylvia. Hello.

We went hunting

and we caught two fish.

Is that all right? Is that good?

At least you tried. You tried very hard.

I did. I did my best.

It did make me realise...

what people have to do just to survive here.

And that is why I said our life is very hard.

We have... In a way that sometimes we get,

sometimes we don't get for us to eat enough.

Sylvia thought it was good that I'd caught a fish

but she wasn't really all that impressed.

I think if I'd been Lionel, she would have sent me back out again

on another hunting trip.

If you want to be man, you have to fish, you have to hunt,

you have to bring everything for the family.

There's little ants on it. Do they matter?

Do they just add flavour, the ants?

John made himself a man.

He bring home a fish for the family.

For his kids to eat.

During the whole rainforest experience

I didn't have anything to eat, so I was really starving-hungry -

hungrier than probably I've ever been in my life before.

So it helped me to understand

that life is bloody hard out here.

In the UK, Lionel's taking a break from the city...

Here we are, here we are.

..to experience life in the country

with Rachel and the children.

-Being in a big city and then coming out to the countryside...

-Yeah.

..it makes me feel like I'm at home.

They're heading to Scotland, home to Rachel's parents.

The family have discussed moving here.

What do you think about your parents moving?

I think Mummy would be OK with it, to be honest,

because I think you already really kind of want to move up there.

But I don't think it's good for Daddy,

because he's going to have to work from home

and he's not going to have a good job.

How do you know?

Because he was always complaining about it.

After failing to catch enough fish for the family,

Hendricks wants to show John how the Macushi help those in need.

Here, you can see a structure there,

up there, that Lionel has built.

We need to finish this for him.

That sounds like hard work.

Whenever there's a job too big for one family,

help is always at hand.

Wow!

One of our traditions is...

-Yes.

-It's people coming together to help one and other.

-That's really good.

-Yeah, people working together.

We haven't got a word for that kind of thing in England.

This old tradition in Lionel's tribe,

is one of the ways the community helps support each other

through hard times.

It's a great concept for having everybody coming together

and working hard and getting things done.

There you go, Francis.

I wish I had a group of men coming around my house to help!

I think in London we've really lost community,

because we're all so busy.

And here they have a great community,

the people pull together.

There's a closeness that I've never really felt in London at all.

This must be an important tradition for you?

Yes, of course, it is important tradition for me,

and I will never like it to be lost.

I'll never lose it, you know?

-Yeah.

-I don't want to lose it.

Oh, wow! There's a great spider over here.

Wow, look at him. Gosh.

Hendricks, what kind of spider is this?

-Tarantula.

-It's a tarantula?!

-Yeah!

Oh, OK, right, that's groovy. Will that one bite then?

-Yeah. Bite.

-It'll bite?

-All spiders bite.

-Right.

I'll steer clear of spiders then.

It was a close encounter of the spidery kind.

-Come on, John. Grab.

-And is this...?

-"Come on, John. Do some work!"

-Yeah.

It's hard physical work, but the Macushi way of life

has awoken something in John.

Helping out here today does make me feel

more of a valued member of the community.

'It's a bit of a watershed moment.

'I'd love to be part of something like this back home

'where people pull together.

'Or, whatever it is, just have people more involved

'with other people's lives.'

I think we're really missing something.

After a five-hour journey, Lionel has left the city far behind.

-Welcome to Scotland!

-Oh, thank you!

They've arrived in Duns, on the Scottish border.

With its sprawling mountains,

luscious forests and untouched coastline,

Scotland boasts some of the most extraordinary countryside in the UK.

But it's 30 degrees colder than Lionel is used to.

Oh!

Look at this.

What is that? This is frozen,

which makes you feel very, very cold.

This is first time I'm seeing something like this.

Look at this! This looks like glass.

I can't really imagine not seeing it.

It may be cold outside, but Lionel is given a warm welcome

by Rachel's parents, Ken and Carol.

Would Lionel like to taste some Scottish shortbread?

-Yes. Look, you've got to try...

-It's a speciality of Scotland.

OK. Let me have a go!

Quite nice?

Tastes like milk.

-Butter.

-Butter.

Very delicious and I love it.

Lionel wants to find out more about what rural life is like in the UK.

Rachel was talking about moving from London here,

and the kids are very keen of moving.

We've been trying to persuade Rachel and John

to move up with the children for several years

because we think it's...

It's a lovely environment for the children.

I think in a place like Duns, you've got a local community,

-people recognise one and other.

-Yes.

Strangers will say hello to each other here.

Whereas, in London, it's impossible to do that.

But coming from a poor, rural community,

Lionel understands what the family would be giving up

by leaving the city.

John's job, it's a good job.

If they decide to move here it will be a little puzzling

to John to find a job and settle again.

I understand that. I mean, he's fortunate to have a job

that probably is fairly secure.

So therefore you justify remaining.

'I think the biggest problem in moving to Scotland

'I think is a financial problem, because John has a wonderful job.'

'It seems like if they move

'from where they have already rooted themselves, come to a new area,

'maybe they would trouble for the first couple of months

'to get a job or settle in properly'

and, erm...

..I don't know how to advise him.

THEY SING IN OWN LANGUAGE

After finishing their work on the hut,

the villagers have come together to celebrate

with some traditional dancing.

I have to go and join them?

With pleasure!

THEY SING IN OWN LANGUAGE

'I'm starting to slowly realise

'why I've been dropped here,

'of all places on the planet.

'Because, in Surama Village,

'I've seen a real tribal community in action.

'Perhaps why I feel I need to move to the countryside

'is because I think there's a lack of community,

'and that's been eroded in London.'

THEY CHEER

But John's realised that the thing he's been missing

is something he can help to create, regardless of location.

I think I've found a community here.

Quite an amazing community

that lives a very, very hard life,

but they have a great sense of who they are,

a great sense of cultural identity.

Perhaps I've been far too passive in my life.

I'd like to try and be more proactive in reaching out to others

and to try and create community like it back home,

wherever home becomes for me.

To really share life together and be alive together,

rather than walking through life quite isolated.

Above my head is a big clock, which is famous, I think.

Both men have now spent several days

in each other's worlds.

I'm going to bid for the chicken

and provide some meat for the family.

The Amazon rainforest,

it's as extreme as you can get on the planet,

but it's helping me to shape my thoughts.

Being in London is absolutely unbelievable.

I can see people who live in cities,

how hard they work, because of money,

but I think, the way I live, I love it.

Our movies, our traffic, is songs of wildlife.

Here is concrete jungle, but there it's real jungle.

-1,500.

-1,500.

1,600.

Who is that back there?!

'Being here has certainly woken me up,

'because life here is really tough.

'So, when I get back, I'm not going to take things for granted at all.'

A shower, the supermarkets...

I'm going to love it.

It's going to astound me for the first few weeks, I think.

Amerindian people really don't think that far

about big changes in their life.

Once they know that they're living peaceful, happy and simple,

I think that's the main goal.

1,800. Gone.

Hurray!

I love the clean air and the openness around me,

and I feel more connected to the planet

and life and nature.

I'm going to call my chicken Lionel, if that's all right?

Is that OK? Hello, Lionel. How you doing?

Are you doing all right?

CHICKEN CLUCKS

-Hello.

-Hi, Sylvia.

-Hi.

-I've got a present for you.

John's hoping that the chicken

will help to make up for his failures on the fish front.

-I hope you don't mind, but I've called it Lionel.

-OK!

-All right?!

-Thank you very much, John.

That's all right.

'I was determined to bid for that chicken,

'and I managed to get it, which was great,

'because then I was able to bring home some meat,

'because I only caught two fish and that was it.'

Oh, look, Lionel's making friends over there. That's good.

And in this part of the world,

a man isn't really a man unless he brings home some meat.

So I was pleased about that.

Since being in London,

Lionel has been searching for a way he can make money back home.

Although welding wasn't achievable,

there's a clear need for tool-making and repair in Surama.

-Hello.

-Hello. You must be Lionel.

-Yeah, I'm Lionel.

-Nice to meet you.

-Nice to see you.

So, today he's come to see a traditional blacksmith.

What we thought we'd do would be to make an axe.

OK. OK, that would be nice.

Once you know how to make an axe,

-you can make whatever tool you need on the end.

-Yes, OK.

We've got this piece of 25mm rebar.

-It'll be quite good tool-making material.

-OK.

-OK.

-Let's pop this in.

-OK.

And we'll just wait for that to start warming up.

Blacksmithing has been practised in Britain for over 2,000 years

and the technique has barely changed.

All you need is a hot enough fire and some brute strength.

I'm going to come in and strike the first blow.

-OK.

-So I go one, then you go, hit it in the same place.

-All right.

-Just like that.

That's it.

Being able to work with metal could change the way that Lionel lives,

as tools such as axes and hoes

currently have to be purchased outside the village.

So, Lionel, what's so important about being able to make tools?

Actually, way back home we don't have so many tools,

and so what happens, every now and then some of these tools broke,

but learning from you,

I may have an idea how we can mend it up

so that I would be more productive in farming.

So, this will be a very, very important lesson for me.

OK. Cool. So, on the axe, on the front, we have the blade.

-OK.

-On the back, what would you like?

What about if you make, like, a pickaxe edge, a sharp...?

-Like a spike?

-Yes.

Because some places, the earth is very hard.

If I can make a small pickaxe it's going to be very valuable

and, financial-wise, it's something very, very important.

So, you know, this is a big thing for me,

-for my family and for my village.

-OK.

So, what do you think? Do you think this is sharp enough now...

-Yeah!

-..for what you want? OK.

In just a few hours, Lionel has learnt the basics of forging tools.

So...

for you.

Thank you, Kevin. Thank you so much.

-Thank you for teaching me.

-No problem.

Sharing your knowledge with me is one of the biggest things.

-I really appreciate. Thank you, man.

-No worries.

I will take everything and tell my people

about how you guys make tools.

I think you'll make a very good blacksmith.

-Thank you! Thank you so much. Bye-bye.

-Bye-bye.

It is very, very interesting being here.

As soon as I get back, I'm going to try to make something like this.

If I can make my own tools, I don't have to buy tools from no-one.

I just make my own tools, that would be very beneficial.

Maybe I can, as I develop,

I can sell it to other people and make an income.

In Guyana, John's spending the day finding out more

about the skills that people like Lionel have traditionally relied on.

Now we're going to show you how to make the bow.

OK, brilliant. Have you got a lucky bow?

-Yeah.

-Yeah, have you?! I have lucky socks.

-This is one of Lionel's skills, making bows.

-Right.

-Yeah.

-Has your tribe always used bows like this then?

-Yes, our forefathers used this.

-Yeah.

-Yes.

So, thousands of years ago,

somebody could have been sitting here from your tribe

-making a bow just like Derek's doing now?

-Yes!

Yes! That is incredible.

Over the last generation,

the lure of the city and the promise of paid work means that young people

have been leaving villages like Surama in droves.

Skills like bow-making are at risk of being forgotten.

We are losing this

-because other developments are coming into our community.

-Yes.

-More jobs, and we have computers and all those things, you know?

-Yes.

So our children are less interested

-in those kind of things, you know?

-Yes.

So it seems like we are losing our tradition

-in making bows and arrows and using them.

-Yeah.

The modern world and technology will bring a lot of really good things,

-but you don't want to lose your traditions.

-Yeah.

But there is still demand for the products

that craftsmen like Lionel and Hendricks make.

A few of our people know how to make these bows and arrows, too.

So some of the people buy from the people who made this bow.

-Oh, I see. So they buy the bow. Oh, right.

-Yes.

It's a good skill to teach your children, then?

-Yes, it's good skill.

-Not only can they hunt and get meat and fish,

-but they can earn money as well through selling bows.

-Yeah.

It's a good thing, then.

At the moment, Lionel sells his bows infrequently,

either to other villagers or the odd tourist he happens to meet.

-You see that?

-Wow! Did that go right through?

-Yes.

-Whoa, good. Right, cool.

But John thinks there could be a way

for Lionel's crafts to provide the family with more of an income.

'I think it's very important for them here

'to cling onto their heritage and to really protect it,

'and if they can, make some money out of it as well

'so that they can improve their lives.'

'Maybe Lionel could open a shop somewhere and sell things.

'That could be a great way of generating money.'

Yes! Well done, me.

-Well done, John.

-Thank you.

OK.

In the UK, John's daughter Evie is also getting an insight

into Lionel's skills as a craftsman.

So who does this in the village?

I do it myself, because I'm a huntsman

and I have to get my arrowhead.

-So, do you teach other people how to do it?

-My kids.

Skills like arrow-making have been passed down

from generation to generation in Guyana.

My dad hasn't taught me anything like this.

Lionel is only too aware of what's at risk

from the increasing need for cash.

If you are not careful,

we would lose our culture and craft-making,

because it looks like we are following too much

of how developed countries...

Or people in the developed country lives,

rather than just protecting our culture right.

And that's how your arrowhead should look like.

-Wow!

-Would you like to have a go?

Yes, please.

'It is very important to pass on knowledge and experiences

'to young generations as to what our forefathers did in the old days.'

Slowly. Yeah, that's good.

'We start teaching our kids from five, six years,

'because they must learn to handle knives skilfully.'

I don't think I would have been able to do this at five!

-You think that's good enough?

-No!

It looks weird.

We can hold out together and see which one looks the best.

-Your one.

-Yes, but you did good.

-That was really fun, thank you.

-Thank you.

In Guyana, John's been thinking about ways

to make the most of Lionel's talents.

Lionel is a really great craftsman.

If they could sell things, that could be a great way

of generating money.

So if I can help somehow, that would be really great.

Over 20,000 tourists travel to Guyana every year

to experience the pristine jungle and traditional way of life.

But with Surama well and truly off the beaten track,

the question is how to attract them.

John has made his way to the nearest computer,

at an eco lodge, 1km from the village.

For me, I'm not a hunter or a fisherman or a farmer,

but I'd like to bring what skills I can

to help these guys out a little bit.

Inspired by the sense of community Surama has shown him,

he wants to do his bit by helping to find a way

to connect with potential tourists passing by.

I'm creating a social media page for Lionel

to market his skills and what he can offer people.

So people will be able to find him and spend money!

I've found a great photo of him in a canoe,

so I think people will be impressed by that.

There you go, he's there.

"Lionel James updated his profile picture." That's good.

So I've put, "I belong to the Macushi tribe

"who have lived here for thousands of years

"and practise the traditional skills,

"such as hunting, fishing, bow-making and weaving,

"in the jungle around Surama Village, Guyana."

OK, I think that's it.

My hope, in doing this, is that it will set him up for the future.

I want him to realise that technology isn't to be feared,

but it's something he can use to market his business

and, really, so he can start making some money.

It's the last night of the swap,

and in the UK Evie, too, wants to show Lionel

how he can use technology to get the message about his crafts

out to the masses.

eBay is basically where you can sell things that you've made.

So you could actually make money from your village.

Maybe that would be useful.

Thank you so much for giving me that information.

So the most important thing

is probably to take a photo.

'Evie, even though she's young,

'she seemed to be knowledgeable about the technology.

'I just taught her simple things

'about making arrowheads,

'that's nothing compared to what she taught me.'

So, as you can see, it says, "What do you want to sell?"

Just put "arrowheads".

I think we should describe it more,

because when you say "arrowheads", it's not very interesting.

"Handcrafted arrowheads from Guyana."

'I really appreciate what she taught me.

'It seems very interesting.

'Even from home you could sell your produce to the outside world.'

Yeah, it's really impressive. Yeah.

Don't forget your toothbrush.

Having spent the last week living one another's lives,

the time has come for John and Lionel

to start the long journey home.

-OK, Rachel, I am leaving!

-Bye-bye!

Oh, Evie!

'I'm going to really miss Lionel.'

Because he was really funny and nice

and he taught us lots of things about his country

and where he lives,

and he's not modern and he just makes his own things

and that's really what I like about him.

I'm very sad at this moment, leaving good people.

Since I come, everybody was so hospitable, friendly.

And at the same time,

I'm looking forward to seeing my family back home.

-That's for you.

-Wow, thank you.

You put it up on your wall as a souvenir

and, every time you look at it, you will remember Surama.

Oh, thank you very much indeed.

Thank you. Wow.

I can shoot the squirrels outside now.

'My experiences here

'have been unlike any I've had anywhere else.

'It's such a different environment,

'it's like being on a different planet, and I've enjoyed it.

'It's been hard, but nevertheless

'I'll take something with me from here,

'because there's a deep appreciation of community.'

Before reuniting with their families,

John and Lionel will meet for the first time.

I'm feeling really excited about seeing Lionel today.

He's like a long-lost brother or something,

because I know so much about him but I've never met the fella.

I will be very interested, yes, of course,

to hear how John coped with doing some of my work.

When I get there,

I will get the whole story.

This whole experience has given me great insight into who he is,

so I'm going to be very interested to find out what he has to say.

-Hello!

-Hello! Hi.

-You must be John.

-Hello, Lionel.

-Nice to meet you.

-Hello. Hi, mate.

-How are you?

-All right, doing well.

-Good.

-Take a seat, let's catch up.

-Why not!

-How was London for you?

-Actually, it was unbelievable.

-Unbelievable?!

-Unbelievable.

But, beside everything else,

you have a very lovely family.

-Oh, thank you. Thank you.

-So do you.

-Very welcoming.

-So do you.

John, I want to ask you, what do you think about the way I live?

I put myself in your shoes for this small slot of time,

but I don't think I could do it for the rest of my life

-or for very long at all, really.

-Yeah, yeah.

Something that we're seeking in London is more community...

Mm-hmm.

..and in Surama, people have time for one another

and people care about one another.

-We haven't got that in the same way in the UK.

-Yeah.

-That's been lost.

-Everything is different, yeah.

Yeah, that's what I see, that's what I experienced.

People don't have that togetherness.

What would you do if you were me?

I found out when I was in Scotland

how people in the countryside were more happier

-than living in the city.

-Yeah.

So my advice is, it might be like starting from scratch again

if you decide to move but, for the kids,

they would love the countryside.

-Yes.

-They are really...

They're really active. Really active kids.

But it is a big decision.

-It's a difficult one.

-It is. Yeah. Yes, yes.

This whole experience has opened my eyes

to what life might be like back in the UK,

and it has set me thinking about how to stimulate community

and shared life with other people wherever I am.

And it will be very influential throughout the rest of my life.

My advice for you, if I could be so bold,

I think opening a shop is a vital way

of keeping your heritage alive,

because it's generating money.

And I think the way to do both of those things

is to start selling crafts

and use the internet to let people know you're there.

So, to help in some small way, I set up a social media page for you.

I think that will be very useful.

Your daughter taught me similar stuff,

and putting it together may be very helpful for me in the future.

-Thank you so much for your encouragement.

-Yeah.

He tried to encourage me. I will take it seriously.

If you are not careful, we would lose our culture and craft.

So, actually, that's something very important to be considered,

to start selling my craft.

-OK, John.

-Good to know you.

-Nice meeting you.

-See you.

-Yeah.

-See you.

-Yeah, man.

-Yeah. Good one.

-Yes.

-What a way to meet, eh?

-Yes!

-Incredible, incredible.

-Unbelievable.

-See you again sometime, I hope.

-Yeah, goodbye.

-Bye-bye.

-OK, bye. See you.

'It is one of the biggest adventures I went on.

'But the tool-making was one big thing for me.'

The little that I have learned in a short time

is going to make a big difference for life back home.

This whole experience has motivated me

to really squeeze the marrow out of life

and not just sit around at home

in front of a TV or a computer waiting to die.

I want to live - and I only get one life, so I want to live it!

DOORBELL RINGS

Hello, what are you doing here?!

-Yay!

-Hello!

Hello, hello, hello! How are you?

-Next time...

-Good grief!

..a sheltered fisherwoman

is dropped into one of the world's busiest cities...

So many people, so much noise!

..while a city slicker is forced to cope with the muck of country life.

I made the right decision - I didn't take my high heels.

They're a million miles from their comfort zones.

What do I do with this?

I've not done this before.

-Keep going.

-OK!

-Will they survive their new lives...

-Right.

..and can they change the way they lead their own?

I hope I can learn to be more perfect.