Last leg. Amazon Jungle

Juancho is river and with the river he shall always be

Well, as some of you know, I'm at home... And getting rid of all the parasites (last day today with pills).

But, there are a few memories still yet to gab about.  We went to the Amazon Jungle Basin.

Highlights:  

1.  The fact that we didn't take a 20 hr. bus ride through the mountains to get there (took a boat there which took 3 days)

2.  Saw monkeys (which shat upon our bunk houses every night), pink dolphins, alligators, crocs, cobra, big rodents the size of small bear cubs. 

3.  Meeting some amazing fellow travelers (Johannes, Ijoya, Liza) that we hung out with for about 10 days which is SO long in these types of trips.

4.  Catching piranhas

5.  Eating piranhas

6.  Flying in really small plane 19 people, taking off from a field that usually closes due to rain because it isn't paved.

7.  Zip Line... about 100 feet above the jungle floor, massive trees, strong cables that hold 2,000 lbs. and this next part is ridiculous.  The platforms: suspended in the air, built with wood but they didn't put each board next to each other, they left about 3-4inches in between, just enough to put your toes through.  And of course we're up in the canopy, in a tree, so we were swaying back and forth.  I felt the safest when I was gliding on the line.  The view, wow.

The food wasn't great, but we had a great time, admiring some of the locals and guides especially one legendary man named Juancho.  It was beautiful.  Gracefully he strode to the bow of the boat, upon reaching his prominent position, he took a few moments to relax and indulge his onlookers.  A scratch of the head, rub of the stomach, shoulder shrugs.  Every time the same.  His mission was born deep within him, to guide the boat with simple but important hand gestures to the captain.  Rocks, downed trees, shallow passages, are but a few of the obstacles that the Juancho gracefully maneuvers his vessel around.  (Sorry if this short description means very little to you, I don't blame you.  The man described has great importance to me and to the world he graces.)

Enough rambling.

The trip to the Amazon basin was relaxing, a great way to finish out a great South American adventure.  From there, I went back to La Paz, got a parasite, enjoyed a few lazy days, tried to soak up the last experiences.