Two years ago this July, I was sitting in my office in Christoval, Texas, thinking that I was bored. I had been in public education in the states for 40 years and just felt it was time to do something else. Well, I had no idea that two years later I would be spending my Easter Break cruising down the largest tributary of the Amazon.
Joeline spent her time on this trip, painting, catching and eating pirranahs, and catching caymens.
I spent mine reading (I read five novels in seven days) and sleeping.
Fantastic trip.
Here are some quick pictures. We just got in late last night and have a thousand things to do, but wanted to get something on the blog.
I leave in a week to go to Mexioc City. SACS has asked me to be part of an Accreditatioin team to evaluate a school there.
Life is strange.
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As usual I have to add a few words to whatever Carl says, hee hee.
I want to explain a little bit about the pictures below.
The first picture is the second river we were on, it is the Rio Mamore, notice the size of this river. It feeds into the Rio Maderia which feeds into the Amazon. The amount of water is just unbelievable.
Sec. picture is two beautiful wild parrots. They mate for life and the male had a broken wing. They had settled in on the cattle ranch where we went horse back ridding. The female will stay with him until they can fly again or they will just stay there. If the male dies, she will stop eating and die also. (Stupid, she should find a rich sec. husband-just kidding). At this same cattle ranch there was a pet green parrot, who talked a blue streak in Spanish. Not sure what he said but they all thought he was very funny. The rancher had just found an egg out checking on some cattle in the jungle and brought it back to his wife. She placed it with a hen who hatched it. Can you imagine that hen when out popped a green parrot. I know she was thinking she had really tied one on one night to get mixed up with a green parrot. Bet she never goes out partying again. Anyway, happy ending, the parrot is thriving and has a very good home.
Third, is Carl reading one of the 5 books he read on the trip. He got some very much needed R&R. Great deck, even some hammocks for relaxing. We would just tie up aong the bank.
Fouth, this year they had very heavy rainy season which resulted in even more flooding than usual and for a much longer time. Several villages had been just wiped out. This is a home we visited. The first 2 days of the trip it was just Carl and I so the captain did some activities that were not on the agenda. His girlfriend was also there visiting from Spain, so the four of us had a great time. He took us to this home, whom the owners he had befriended and we visited with them for a while. These people stay here wet or dry season. As the water rises they just raise the floor which is just planks of wood. They had been living in the middle of all this water for months, no dry land anywhere. Thus all the chickens, ducks, dogs live in the house with them and their 86 year old mother. They told us the story about finding the 86 yr. old wading out thru the almost waist deep water with a stick chasing a caiman who was after one of her ducks. Now that is one tough little old lady! They were wonderfully warm, friendly people who gave me some homemade choc. Made it from choclate beans off trees in their yard. They have next to nothing, but still insisted on giving gifts to take with us.
Next two are caiman we caught at night. It is so fun, you cruise along the bank with flashlights looking for red eyes. Gino, our captain and guide would dive into the water after them. The last night we found one, he was not willing to go in after. Pulled the boat right next to it, and it didn't move away from us. Not a good sign when something wild does not try to get away from you. We were in a 12 foot boat and he was a good six feet long. We could reach down and touch his head, but we passed on that experience also.
Went piranha fishing several times, and what a ball they are. You drop in a hook with meat on it and you have a hit. The fish I caught here is a Pacu, biggest fish caught all week. I could not hold it by myself. Very good eating, feed 8 of us.
Me painting on the deck, doesn't get any better than that. Cruising down the river painting!
Horseback ridding on the cattle ranch. Again so much flooding that we could not ride the normal trails. Horses way to thin for my liking. There is so much green grass, I couldn't understand why they and the cattle were so thin. But everything has been underwater and they could not / or don't get feed to the livestock, so they were just now starting to get enough to eat.
I know this is hard to see, but this is a pink dolphin. They are beautiful and very playful. Will not allow you to get to close, but Carl and I just floated out to them, were very quite and they did come very close. Lots of them in the river and so fun to watch, although I think they were watching us.
Jungle and more jungle all under water. It goes on forever, and then some.
Parrots in the trees. Loved seeing them, storks, monkeys, capabaras (worlds largest rodent, no tail, bigger than a pig and very cute) everything just free.
Then the river at sunset, or maybe sunrise ---- no I took this one it is for sure sunset!
