April 6, 2005
Some serious hang time!
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We have spent the last three days swinging in our hammocks, talking with fellow passengers, and observing the river and its inhabitants. Our five-person crew has joined over 200 Peruvians for the trip by lancha from Iquitos to Lagunas. Our fellow passengers are friendly, curious, quick to smile, and anxious to teach us as we learn the ropes of life on a lancha. When we unpack our cameras, computers, and other gadgets, curious onlookers quickly gather to point and ask questions about items they have never seen before. Many people, young and old, enjoy seeing their photos on the back of our digital cameras. This is something new that often brings out squeals of laughter. Currently, a curious gentlemen is watching Adam listen to his I-Pod! The lancha has stopped at many small riverside communities to drop off passengers and to pick up bananas, rice, and other commodities being shipped to market. These brief stops have provided us with glimpses into the lives of the people along the river, and provide entertainment for us, as well as the villagers. Day or night, the whole town runs down to the river to greet our boat. Toddlers smile and play with their brothers and sisters, old men take breaks from dugout canoe building, and young girls board the lancha to sell fruit and other refreshments. For a few minutes our boat is the center of attention. Then the giant engines fire, and we pull away from the muddy river bank and continue up river. Soon we will reach Lagunas and will have the opportunity to spend extra time exploring the town, or we will try to gather our supplies and enter Pacaya Samiria National Reserve as soon as possible. The choice is yours, so please Cast YOUR Vote! Keep exploring! Dave Temperature: 84 Humidity: 78% Passangers on the Lancha: 217 Last meal: sweet rice porridge Average time spent in hammock each day: 18 hours River Dolphins Seen: 6 Number of Bird Species Seen: 25
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