Last Updated on June 24, 2019 by PowersToTravel
Black and Muddy Waters
The next day we anchored at the convergence of the black and muddy waters. Each stream and river that feeds into the Amazon has its own unique characteristics. Here you could visually discern the mixing of the two rivers. Dolphins fished in the slightly turbulent water. Greg was excited to go out on the motorboat again, but I decided the best thing to do was rest my stomach.
I had taken Reglan and Immodium the night before, so I was fatigued. My usual regime when faced with a fully-flushing system is to flush it all, obviously not by choice! Then I would take Reglan which is an old prescription medication, originally and usually prescribed for the nausea of morning sickness, to stop the one direction, and over-the-counter immodium to stop the other. The Reglan causes drowsiness. However, the good news is that frequently this mixture, combined with bottled water and fruit punch when sugars are low, will usually get me going in about 12 hours.
So, while Greg went off with the group, I relaxed on the covered rooftop, watching the dolphins and birds, Another small cruise ship anchored nearby, since we were near the ranger station. I watched as their small boat brought them back for lunch. The group, in concert, decided to jump out of their skiff and swim in the Amazon. Apparently many people think it is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Naturally, I envisioned all the bacteria entering their bodies.
I began to worry. Would Greg get caught in the enthusiasm and dive in himself? However when our skiff came back, all of our passengers were quiet and sedate, and none were wet. The biggest news was Greg’s piranha. He was very proud to have caught the largest.
Catfish in a banana leaf, again for lunch, but with a different sauce. You can see him in the picture above. I am so glad I fell in love with catfish!
After our afternoon siesta, we once again took to the water, in our motorized skiff, that is, not in our swimsuits, and in contrast to yesterday, today the wildlife had wings. We saw several beautiful birds that I found in range of my zoom. Photography was particularly difficult in the Amazon as the small boat was in constant motion, and many birds perched high in tall trees.
We landed at the side of the river and took a short hike to a small dock on a lake, of all things. A brief canoe ride, in which we were only passengers, took us to another hike and a canopy walk. We walked between the trees and over the ponds and marshes on suspended bridges. It wasn’t quite as easy as it sounds, and I had been sick the night before. I was ever so happy to have Demo right behind me, with his water and Gator-aid, ready to assist.
Not surprisingly, as we returned to our skiff, some locals had set up a sales booth, just for us. Our purchase that day was a carved gourd, which now hangs above our kitchen doorway.
Dinner was a little different that night: beef, with potatoes, and as my notes so elegantly describe, “3 caramel lumps”.
Check out this article of mine too:
Peru Travel Blog – Itinerary, Reviews and Diabetic Travel Tips
