I'm back!!
Wow! What a week!
Thanks for all the messages- always nice to catch up on what's been happening and glad all is still good, although rather cold. Vic, did you not buy all the amazing, life changing creams and stuff? Aww, I am sad that I am missing seeing the boys and the opportunity to play with the Lego, but enjoy and give them a big kiss!
So, I got picked up about 9am to go to the port and was mightily relieved when there were two English lads also doing the same trip so I wouldn't be the only gringo. We boarded the boat which really was an old wooden thing with three levels- the bottom deck was jammed packed with every type of cargo you can imagine. Then the main deck where, by the time we arrived, there was already 50-odd hammocks squeezed in. We were thinking that we were never going to fit in but managed to put out 3 hammocks next to each other in the middle line of hammocks, which did mean it was a mission to squeeze through others hammocks to get to ours and at both our head and feet were others hammocks but it was cool and by the time we left another dozen or two people had squeezed in also. The two guys were brothers from Brentwood in Essex believe it or not! They are 23 and 21 and have just started their round the world trip. We soon spied out two more gringos- an American girl called Amanda and a French guy called Thomas, both 23 so I was the 'mother' of our group. And thanks to them we shared the most amazing experience- I am so happy!
The breakfast bell would ring at 6.30am and most of us would go get some bread, fruit, sometimes egg, once rice pudding. Then we would go back to our hammocks and doze or read until the lunch bell at 10.30 (who eats lunch at 10.30?). This was a bit more of a free for all and we did queue before the bell on a few occasions. They would let about 20 of us in at a time to a tiny room to sit and self serve and scoff it down so the next sitting could come in. Like being back at school. The food was ok- it was nice not to have to cook or anything. But I admit that one day I ended up eating meat- I'd had breakfast of bread, then lunch was chicken soup and bread- so more bread for me. Then tea was rice, spaghetti, bread and either chicken with veg stew or bolognaise. I couldn't face any more carbs so I tried a bit of both. The chicken was nice, mince a bit salty. And it messed up my stomach- it didn't know what to do with it after nearly 20 years and let's just it come out the way it went in which wasn't pleasant, so I won't be eating meat again unless times get desperate. Other days we had lots of beans and fish a couple of times, but always bloody rice and spaghetti. My onion, tomatoes and avocados were a popular addition with our group and between us we had a variety of treats, so we certainly didn't go hungry.
In the afternoons we would sit up on deck and play cards and numerous other games, including the name on the head game and where you choose lots of categories and then a letter and have to think up something for each. We done a skills swap and one night we each come up with 10 quiz questions and had a quiz- guess whose idea this was?! I was also teaching Alfie and Charlie some Spanish every day. Most of the people on the boat were Brazilian but we made friends with an Argentinian called Sebastian and it was great to practice my spanish as he spoke no English. And a Peruvian guy on a hammock near us complimented my pronunciation when I was teaching the others. There were a lot of little kids on the boat and they were always really inquisitive and I soon befriended them, so they were always coming over to borrow my pens and paper and they liked my drawings and playing rock, paper, scissors.
It was always really humid although often overcast, we all topped up our tans. The scenery was mainly forest, although the river was often wide so we didn't see much wildlife. 100s of pink dolphins, weird and wonderful insects and birds. There were lots of little settlements on the bank where they lived in huts and had farmland. We also passed an acai production plant and a little speed boat come over so we could buy the fresh acai over the edge of the boat- I got some and it was completely different to you get in the shops, but nice.
The dinner bell went at 4.30. Another dash to the dinner room and more rice and pasta. The boat had 4 toilet/shower rooms- incredibly basic but they kept them clean. It had a little hose shower, not convinced they didn't get the water from the river, but all good.
Then we would go back on deck and they would have a few beers while we played more cards and watched the sunset. Paul is right when he says it is magical. The whole sky and clouds all marvellous colours. Plus, on one night we had a beautiful moon rising with the reflection on the water, then another night was clear so we lay watching the stars and another night was a most spectacular huge storm! Every night there was lightning in the distances, but one night it was right over head and for 3 hours we watched the most amazing lightning show. The boat pulled over and turned off it's engine at one point. Then suddenly there was the brightest flash and instantaneous deafening thunder. It scared us all! We could smell the smoke from the lightening it had been that close. I have never seen such an amazing storm.
It took a while to get used to sleeping in a hammock, but it was surprisingly comfortable really and I slept ok even on the squashed deck with 100 other people. Not great for the back if you done it a lot I think.
This was our general daily routine. I must admit it was a rather surreal experience- time had no meaning and we totally lost track of days and I took off my watch so time meant nothing. We all thought 6.5 days would take ages, but the time flew by! It was also weird to think that we were completely cut off from reality- no idea what was happening in the real world and uncontactable, but rather liberating! No iPhone, no internet. Another great excuse to be lazy- like being on holiday for a week.
After a couple of days we started stopping at various little villages to drop people off and pick more up and also unload cargo to supply the isolated villages with food, etc. A couple of times we got off and wandered around- incredibly basic but interesting places and nice to get off the boat.
We arrived in Tabitinga on Thursday afternoon about 4pm. Tabitinga is a small town still in Brazil so we all lumped our rucksacks to the police station to get our stamp out of Brazil. Then jumped in a little old bus that took us the 5 minutes to get to Leticia in Colombia and dropped us at our hostel. Peru is just the other side of river. No real borders or anything. This area is renowned as the main drug trafficking port and I have never been to a hostel like this one! It has a lot of land with a lake and trees and they sell more drugs than I have ever heard of! Everything except coke! The staff are all off their faces all day and walk around smoking weed. A proper hippy place and an enlightening experience.
We mooched around the small town and got food from street sellers and found a cashpoint to get colombian money and stopped at a bar for a drink- it wasn't long before some guy we were talking to was trying to set us up with coke. But we weren't late back and chilled at the hostel.
Friday
A chilled morning- trying to catch up on the world with rubbish internet and plan our next steps. We walked through the small town to the airport where you have to get stamped into Colombia. We had a really good lunch- although more bloody rice and beans- it just seems to be all they eat. At least here it come with salad, fish and plantain- the banana type thing which they either grill or fry- it's good!
Me, Alfie and Charlie sorted out a flight for tomorrow to Bogota. About £110, but Leticia is unreachable by road so no other options if we didn't want to boat. Amanda and Thomas sorted a 10 hour boat to Iquitos in Peru for tomorrow too as they are going that way. It was so hot and humid here all day! Just standing around would leave you drenched in sweat!
We went out to the park to watch the sunset as it's renowned for the swarming in of the parrots and as we arrived we saw some flocking back to the trees in the park and then there was just more and more. Literally 1000s of them would fly back from wherever they go in the day and starting flying around the circle of trees in the park, squawking as they flew- so loud! We then had dinner- more fish and plantain- I just left the rice this time. Then headed to a few bars- they do a really nice shot here that tastes like sambuca and you take it with the lime and salt. A really good night!
Saturday
Enjoyed the hippy hostels lovely fruit and muesli breakfast. Had a last game of cards together and then got a taxi to the airport as Thomas and Amanda needed exit stamps. We grabbed something to eat at the airport and then said our sad farewells! We were lucky that we all had each other on the boat and it was nice to get really close with people rather than just spend a day or two and I have learnt a lot from them all. Our flight took off at 2.40pm and it was only two hours to Bogota.
Such a contrast as we got off the plane and it was bloody freezing and raining! Just like England and there was us 3 in shorts and tshirts. Bogota is at altitude and obviously outside the tropical amazon, but we hadn't planned for it. We got a taxi to a hostel we'd booked and had a game of pool, sorted our laundry and got some food- aubergine lasagne. We chatted to a few people and Charlie and Alfie were up for another big one, but I was knackered and cold so have come to bed.
I'm so glad I done the boat trip! A really great experience with some amazing people. Time is going so quick and I just don't want my trip to end! But I need to get a move on- lots to see and do in my final 7 weeks!