The Elusive Pink Dolphin

The amazon is known for its wildlife. The original plan had been to stay one night at the lodge and another camping in the jungle, hammocks for beds. However, this was out of the question, as the jungle trek was buried under 15 feet of water. Instead, we would do all our wildlife spotting from boat. Not a terrible tragedy, but a disappointment to those who love to hike (something Brian & I have never confessed to loving).

As evening approached, we all climbed into the boat. It was nice escape, after just a few hours in the lodge we were all feeling trapped and wet. Rueben drove us out to a place where the river was wide and flat. There we relaxed, the boat gently rocking, our cameras ready. A few minutes’ later dolphins began to leap. Pink and grey dolphins frolicked around us. The grey ones looked just like ocean dolphins, leaping with grace and beauty. The pink ones looked like a fish-pigs, barely able to get their bodies above the water.

We took picture after picture but to no avail. The grey ones were easy to catch film, leaping high into the air, the pink ones were impossible, mere glimpses of their pinkish hue visible above water before they dove under again. Still it was enthralling to see an animal that seemed as real to me as a unicorn and we enjoyed the sight immensely.

We returned to the lodge for dinner and soon after were out in the boat again. It was now pitch black. We were going caiman hunting. Our guide, Jorge, and another man were armed with flashlights and amazing eyesight. Rueben trolled us slowly along the jungles edge, as Jorge and the caiman hunter stared out into the bush. After what seemed like an amazingly short time, the hunter yelled out and lurched from the boat, as he leaned back in he held a small caiman in his hands. They passed the animal around, promising us it wouldn’t bite off our fingers as long as we kept them away from its mouth. We did this successfully and soon released him back into the wild. All of us glad to know that this was another animal we could now worry about sharing our rooms with.

Monkeys were the final animal we were promised on the tour. The next morning we rose much too early and headed out as the sun rose. For the next few hours, we trolled along the jungle, looking for sloths, river wolves and monkeys. Our guide warned us that this would be difficult, that due to the flooding most of the animals were now residing deeper in the jungle since the river had spread out so far, we held out hope though. We just wanted to see something. 

Just as I began to drop off to sleep Rueben called for our attention. He pointed at a shaking tree, we all stared and stared, and were eventually rewarded by seeing the cutest, tiniest monkeys ever, leaping from branch and branch chasing each other. We watched until they disappeared further back into the jungle, then returned to lodge, content in knowing that our Amazon animal sighting had been successful.

Fishing For Piranha

When we weren’t eating, sleeping or riding in the boat, there were not a lot of options of things to do. Relaxing in hammocks and playing cards can only fill so much time.

Our guide convinced us that we must swim in the Amazon. Despite the inherit dangers (caiman, piranhas, strong current, the fact that the outhouses were located in it) he assured us that it was something every person must do in their life. He described to us the magical powers the water carried and the belief that if we were to drink some of the river we would later return, as does everyone who carries a little part of the Amazon inside them.

So, armed with this knowledge, we climbed in. Entering the river was not difficult; we simply walked out the front door. Standing on the front porch meant you were thigh deep in water, walking down the stairs meant you would be doggy paddling before you ever reached the third stair. None of us swam far from the porch. Jorge’s assurance meant little in the face of the Giant River and moving current.

Once we were all in, Jorge asked the ladies if any of us were on our period. This seemed an awkward and inappropriate question, but we all shook our heads no, staring at each other like, “What?!?!” He laughed and explained. According to legend the pink dolphins are attracted to any woman experiencing her flow. As soon as the lady steps into the water the pink dolphins can sense it and immediately swim to her. Then, overwhelmed by their need for her, they capture her and bring her into the depths of the river, keeping her for always. This is why no woman should ever go into the amazon during that time of her month. He looked at us again giving us a knowing look. Soon after we climbed out.

The only other activity offered was fishing. This was what Brian had come for, so of course this was meet with a resounding, “Let’s go!” Jorge drove us out to a part of the river, known for its good fishing. Each of us was given a stick with a piece of line and hook tied to it. We stuck raw pork on the hook and dropped it in. No luck. We moved to a new location. All the lines were dropped in again. We felt small tugs but when we pulled up the meat was gone and no fish hung in its place. This was done again and again, but nothing changed.

Brian had brought his traveling fishing pole. After 30 minutes with the stick, he took out his reel and pole and cast off the side. Within a minute he had a fish, he did this again and again, piranha after piranha were caught and released. The rest of us continued to catch air. One of Brian’s was quite large with a bright red belly. Our guide shouted at Brian to be careful, but before he could release it, the piranha freed itself. Jorge assured us this was better for everyone, especially Brian’s fingers.

We stayed out fishing for a few hours, during this time Brian caught numerous fish, mostly piranhas, David and Rueben also caught a few using the stick poles, Jessica, Heather & I caught nothing but mosquito bites, but that made sense - we were the sweetest in the river.

The Amazon Awaits

Leticia was hot and sticky. The airport was small and the bags arrived shortly after we touched the ground. We caught a taxi and arrived at the hostel within minutes. Heather rushed out to greet us. It all seemed so unreal; I couldn’t believe we had made it.

She showed us to our room and invited us to play cards. We couldn’t do it. We were walking dead. We sunk down on the hostel couch and learned about the week’s plans. The boat would leave tomorrow morning. The Amazon River was flooded. It had been over 20 years since it had been so high. All the places to go on the Amazon in Colombia were too flooded to visit, so we would be staying in Peru. It was a 4-hour boat trip. More details were shared, but neither of us could concentrate. We climbed up the stairs to our room and were asleep before our heads touched the pillows.

The next morning we rose early, took a cold shower and repacked our belongings. The hostel stored most of our stuff, since anything we took was almost guaranteed to get soaked. We packed our cameras and kindles in plastics bags, along with a change of clothes. This was all thrown into our backpacks, along with bug spray, water and the tall socks Heather was kind enough to loan me for use with the rubber boots. We ate a quick breakfast and were on our way.

The boat was smaller than I had imagined. It was just long enough to seat our driver, Rueben, all our bags and supplies, the 5 of us, and our guide, Jorge. The middle was shielded from rain and sun by a blue tarp, but Rueben was exposed to the elements, as was the bow of the boat. There were long wooden benches down each side and two short benches across the bow. The floor was made of wooden slats secured a few inches above the actually bottom of the boat which was filled with water. The boat was precariously balanced and if we didn’t sit just so it would tilt wildly from one side to the other. It was green and white and looked well used.

The trip was simple. We drove in a straight line down the river for hours on end. At one point we pulled off to a dock so I could pay a man to pee. The boat rolled back and forth in a soothing rhythm that when combined with my motion sickness quickly rocked me to sleep. I awoke sporadically throughout the 4 hours. Once when it began to rain hard and the tarp sides were dropped to protect us, another when river dolphins were spotted off the side and finally when our accommodations came into sight. I have no idea what the others did to pass the time, beside mock me for sleeping.

No Land in Sight

Our accommodations were indescribable, but I will do my best. The lodge was supposedly located on the edge of the river, however due to the flooding, it was now located in the middle of the river. It was up on 10-foot stilts, but this was hard to tell, as the river had long ago flooded the original floors and patios. It was made up of approximately 5 rooms.

The boat was parked on a floating dock. We ducked through a three-foot tall doorway and entered the dining room. The roof beams were so low we had to bend over and practically crawl under them. Off to our right was the kitchen, the stove sat in a foot of water and a baby splashed beside it. Off to our left was a hall with three 6 x 6 ft. rooms down each side. At the end of the hall was a lounge with 6 hammocks and a TV, the TV sat on a table, perched in at least 3 feet of water.

The bathrooms sat on the floating dock, the original outhouse visible behind the house by just a roof peaking out of the water. One of them was filled with angry bees, ensuring that most of us wouldn’t even go near it. Electricity was run off a generator for a few hours each night, but when the lights went out the lodge was in complete darkness.

At the other end of the dining room was a second hall. This had originally led to a bar type area and a patio, but that was now deep under water. Instead this area had been sectioned off into additional rooms, we stayed in these rooms, towering over the walls and crawling through doorways and under roof beams. We shared our rooms with all the creatures of the river. A fish swam across our floor, a crab crawled across a doorway and a frog leapt onto my foot.

Planks of wood crisscrossed the floor of the rooms. They had been recently laid to keep our feet, tables and beds above the water. However, the river was still rising and by the time we would leave, 2 days later, these beams would also be underwater.

Our mattresses were mere inches out of the water. They were draped with mosquito nets to keep the bugs at bay. This resulted in us sleeping in a sort of a see-through tent, watching a swarm of bugs walk across the thin fabric, mere mesh separating us from the giant spiders and other creepy crawlies we saw. Sleeping in a river, listening to the water lap against your bed and the rain beat down on your leaf-covered roof, watching your boots float across your floor, knowing that if you accidentally drape your bare feet over the edge any river dwelling animal can crawl across them or worse, this, I can guarantee you, will make even the most water loving adventurer dream of dry land and tall mountains, and dream of that, I did.