More from the Amazon

I have to write more about our days in Puerto Nariño, the jumping-off point for our jungle adventures. Forgive me the length of this post. It's just that there is so much to tell.

The first day we went on a boat trip to Lake Tarapoto, home of the famous pink dolphins. We only saw a couple that were kind of purple but to cruise down the Amazon in a little motor boat was incredible. We stopped in an indigenous village and later went for a swim in the river's very murky waters. I was sure something was going to attack us, but we emerged unscathed by either pirañas or any other scary critter.

The next day was our first big hike, this one to a different indigenous community called San Martín. It was a three-hour trek through the most mosquito-infested place I have ever been. They positively swarmed around us. On an otherwise tranquil hike, we did have a slightly nerve-wracking moment when we unexpectedly hit the end of the trail -- not where we were supposed to or where the boat was supposed to meet us. Fortunately, we came across a local Ticuna man, his hands and face painted a dark blue color from a plant dye used by indigenous people in the area, with a dugout canoe who ferried us across a stream so we could continue our trek. When we finally made it to San Martín we were greeted by, among other curious onlookers, by a toddler yelling "Turistas!" as we passed. It was hilarious yet disturbing at the same time. The kind of surreal experience continued as the local drunk insisted on being our tour guide through the community. Finally -- when, I swear, I didn't think I could walk another step in the rubber boots we had to wear for this muddy hike -- we headed back to Puerto Nariño by boat.

Our last full day in Puerto Nariño we went on a much more hard-core, much more jungly hike. We tromped through mud and grasses taller than us. We ate wild grapes and tasted some local yucca moonshine-like drink (not particulalry tasty). We walked through several communities (one complete with soccer field and covered bridges) in the middle of nowhere. Again, the silly-looking and spectacularly uncomfortable rubber boots proved to be the best $7.50 I've spent in a while. It was worth every step in them, following our guide Saúl who cleared the path with his machete when necessary and taking in the green that surrounded us and the blue sky when we could see it.

Now we are back in Leticia, winding down our trip -- but not before we go to Peru for a ceviche lunch. Last night's stay in the indigenous community didn't happen because it was actually REALLY expensive. So instead, we walked across the border to Brazil to try some Brazilian beer (far superior to Colombia's most popular brand, Aguila) and to buy some Hawaiana (i.e. kind of trendy (?) and over-priced in the States) flip flops and $3.50 cahaça. I see homemade caipirinhas in our future.

In sum, if you ever have a chance to come to this sweltering part of the world -- home to skies that seem bigger than in other places, even when the daily rain clouds roll in, as well as to this enormous river that cuts through a dense jungle populated by isolated communities of indigenous people trying to both preserve and share their customs and traditions -- take it. You will feel as lucky as I do to have been so far from the rest of the world and seen such wonderfully different things.

Amazon dispatch

Just a brief update from the sweltering Amazon.

This trip has been as fun and random and restful and restorative as I had hoped. Moira, Evan, and I have been to Brazil for dinner, gone dancing with two Colombian policemen (?!), and eaten meat on a stick -- and that was all on our first night. On day two we got poured on (big shocker in the rainforest) while kayaking on a tiny Amazon tributary.

We are just back from the jungle and as stinky as you would expect. But we had two incredible, loooong, sweaty jungle hikes in our stylin' new rubber boots and are headed tonight to stay in an indigenous village outside of Leticia. I expect that for dinner we will have fish and fried plantains (patacones), which I have eaten twice a day, everyday since I got here. I am about to turn into a patacon. Tomorrow we are determined to have ceviche for lunch -- in Peru.

There is so much more to tell, but it will have to wait til I get back to Bogotà with a better connection and a less crappy keyboard.

Adventure!

I had been afraid that I would fall off the blog writing wagon at some point, and I certainly did. For what it's worth, the last couple of months have been a blur of work and work, with some time with great new friends sprinkled in there. I mean, I could have written more about how Colombian social and economic inequality are demonstrated every day at my school or how I was struggling to keep up with my Modern World History class, trying to teach the Vikings and the Mongols for the fist time. But I didn't.

So now the semester is over, and I have just embarked on a trip to the Amazon. I arrived in Leticia today. It's the "big" town in the region -- a grid of tiny streets swarming with motorcycles. (I almost got run over by one in my first 5 minutes here. I mean really close).

We flew in over the rainforest, which was pretty amazing. A sea of green as far as the eye could see, interrupted here and there by barren patches with felled trees, which was a good reminder of how hard life can be in this remote area. When I stepped off the plane my glasses fogged up; it is THAT hot and humid here. Not that I didn't expect it, but. . . Not to over-share, but ladies, you'll understand this. It's so hot that you get that insta-under-boob sweat. Not to mention that my hair is already plastered to my head.

While I wait for my friends Evan and Moira to arrive, I am getting settled in town and at the hostel where we're staying. It's 9 blocks from the river (which I haven't seen yet) and about 7 from Brazil.

Signing off to go find some exotic fruit juice. I think this is going to be a great trip.