Thursday, October 19, 2006

Day 4 - Semi-world adventure

Day 4 - 04 October 2006

Had more eggs and ham with toast, and Paul and I were ready for our amazon trek. The tour guys picked us up at the hotel. We basically checked out, but leaving our luggage at the hotel storage for a couple of days. Got to the harbour, and onto the boat, to start our Amazing Amazon Adventure. Went past the river restaurant we had dinner the night earlier. Also saw these dead fishes and all the crap floating around in the river. Didnt see them the night before.. obviously. I was staying away from the water.

So with an open mind and a blocked nose as I left the air conditioner on the night before (idiot me), headed out into the Amazon river. Paul was a little bit sick, bad belly and all.

After about 1.5 hrs, we got to this small village. Had to have a 10min stop here as the guy had to make a quick call to the head office to tell them that we were still fine. The boats are these small, but long wooden things with a switchable motors and petrol cans. After about 15mins, the typical peruvian time of delaying things, we headed out back in the Amazon river, and after 30mins into the journey, the motor broke. Great I thought, was a little peeved. No way of communicating, and could see a dark could in the distance. Fortunately, had a smaller motor which we decided use to head back, along with the water, back to the small village and wait for a rescue boat. The 30mins travel with the speedmotor took us about 1.5hrs back with the smaller motor. Got back there just in time a rainstorm hit us. That was quite fun actually. Getting stuck in a rainstorm on the Amazon river. I thought, oh wow, this is one for the books. The strong current was taking with it a lot of debris, infact basically dead tree trunks. One of them got stuck to the boat bars, so all of us pitched in to make sure it doesn't take us with it :p

After a while, and getting watched by the kids like we were monkeys in a zoo, we got out of the boat as they prepared a small snack. A tuna sandwitch.. was nice. Got to see kids having fun after the storm jumping into the Amazon for a swim along with the debris. I was gonna jump in myself, but for the fact that I can't really swim and the toilets were just around the corner with all the crap feeding back into the Amazon, I thought it was best to stay away from it all. I was feeling a bit crook, so got back into the broken-down boat, got some advil, and waited. 15mins later the rescue boat arrives to everyones relieve. We then head on to the Muyuna Lodge which takes us about 2hrs. I had a good nap, and got up to realise that my whole freaking left hand was sunburned.. darn it...

So jumped into a smaller boat as it was a "dry season" and the water was a bit shallow. Watched a lot of birds and a few locals and villages on the way. I was in the Amazon, my dream place. It was bloody awesome. Got to the lodge. It was bloody awesome. I was finally there. The Amazon Jungle. Slap, Slap Slap, Ouch. Darn it. Lots of mozzies. Still, we prepared for this. Got that mozzie lotion out, it helped a little, but I was wearning my hoodie, so that was ok. Covered myself with clothes, except for my face.

Checked into our room, Paul and I shared this small thatched hut with no electricity and just oil lamps to light up the room. Atleast it had good beds and a working and clean toilet. Still loving it. The wildlife was busy chirping away, just like a jungle cd that people sleep to. It was awesome. After some dinner, the rest of the group we met on the tour wanted to get some sleep, so Paul and I being the curious cats that we are, got the guide to take us out that night. It didn't matter we were really tired, all that mattered was we wanted to check out the Amazon night life. And believe me. It was awesome. Got to see tarantulas, snakes, frogs, bugs, katydids and felt a lot of mozzies.

Got back to the room an hr later, to get some sleep as had an early morning boat ride to check out the earybird risers.

ah.. good sleep in a fully netted hut. No need for that darn mozzie net I bought. ah well..

zzzzzzzz

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