the other half of our boat trip

From Iquitios, we continued on the river. This time we were on a big boat, similar to the one we'd traveled on coming to Leticia. It was a cargo ship, the bottom deck containing all kinds of scrap metal stacked about ten feet high on either side of the narrow walkway leading to the stairs. Upon going up to the second level and entering the large, enclosed area with small, variously colored windows and benches lining the perimeter, three rows of hammocks containing people sitting, laying or sleeping with all their luggage scattered around were visible. On this level, in the front was an open space overlooking both the pile of metal junk immediately below, as well as the vast Amazon river and jungle visible when scanning the horizon. Our deck was the third; almost the highest. Here it looked very similar to the level below, but some of us were privileged to be able to stay in a “cabin”. If we would have gone on this boat before the first one, after walking in we would have taken a big breath, and been like “ok, we can do this”, but because we had already been through, this was luxurious in comparison. It was twice as big, had bunks that were a foot wider, and had individual bathrooms in each room! This time, mom being with us, instead of having to fit ten people's luggage, and two people in one tiny room, we had two way bigger cabins to fit five people, and everyone's luggage. Each room had a pair of steel bunks to the left, with thin, green mattresses to lay on. At the head of each of the beds was a window, where in the mornings we could pull back the thick, matching green curtains, and see the soft pink, blue, and orange sky as the sun began to rise. To the far back, taking up about 1/3 of the room (about four by eight feet) was the bathroom. Immediately behind the slightly blue tinted glass door was a brown, corroded, seat-less toilet, filled with brown, murky, Amazon water, that returned from where it came from as soon as it was flushed. Between it, and the faucet coming from the ceiling, serving as a shower was a small sink, and mirror, all being in the same room, and each using the same source of water; the Amazon. So whether you took a shower, washed your hands or flushed the toilet, it was all the same opaque brown water flowing out. Knowing that the river, where the water was coming from was the also the local sewer system wasn't the most comforting thought as you stood there taking an uncomfortably warm shower, or turned on the faucet to wash your hands. But, we were all extremely thankful for the room, bathroom, and although filthy water, something less dirty than we we were to use while cleaning up every once in a while.

Compared to the others on the boat (excluding Ben and Dave), we were very fortunate. They all had to sleep on the deck in hammocks with all the other hundred people, their children, babies, and assortment of small pets. At night the TV blared, babies cried, parrots in little wooden crates squaked, people rudely rammed into your hammock, and large men snored. All this occurred with the lights on. From our room we were able to hear all the commotion during the night, but were able to turn our lights out, making it much more comfortable. The first night, we thought we'd discovered what everyone else had overlooked... a space where we could put our hammocks up on the VERY top level. Although the sound of the engine was absolutely deafening there, considering the smoke-stacks rose from below, it seemed to be deserted. We hung our hammocks all up there to save spaces. Us girls even decided we'd rather sleep up there in the fresh air, than inside a protected cabin. Later that night we discovered that the place was not so deserted. It was for the captain who was off-duty, and his crew. One man rudely told us to get downstairs, but as we fought with trying to undo the knots Ben had securely tied, making sure there was NO WAY someone would fall, a man came up and said it would be ok, but just tonight. We found out he was the captain! It was so beautiful up there. The noisy deck below was inaudible due to the constant droning of the engine, and there was a cool breeze circulating the whole night as we lay in our hammocks talking, looking up at the vast sky, or out over the dark, now quiet jungle. So, that night we slept up there; a guard pacing back and forth carrying his shot-gun over his shoulder, not being careful in the least with it, pointing it in every direction, practicing absolutely no gun safety techniques. Because he had to keep himself awake all night he kinda hung around and tried to talk to us, but we were so tired we fell right asleep.

The next few nights, because it was a little too cozy, warm, and sweaty sleeping two girls to a bed in the cabin, it was decided two would sleep out on the deck every night. It wasn't as bad as it's description most of the time, but stopping at little villages all hours of the night did get a little frustrating, having people ducking under your hammock to get by then standing up too quickly, giving you a jerk, waking you up. Then, it seemed even though all we had to do on the boat was just sit all day anyways, some people would be up and awake at like four or five in the morning! Although not the most pleasant awakening, the sunrises were always beautiful over the water. If the boat would get close to the bank, or stop at a village, cutting it's engine at that time, the sounds of all the jungle animals could also be heard. Some places little monkeys were visible swinging from the branches of banana trees. Other times our boat would be passing canoes, and looking down from where we were, HUGE fish would be visible in their boats. Some so big you hardly knew how they could fit in such a small boat without it sinking!

Meals on the boat were pretty decent. For those in the cabin, two were served, then the others would go down to the second level, their own bowls and spoon in hand, and wait in line for their turn. Although the meals for those in the cabin were definitely better, the others were good too. We had quite a bit of fresh fish from the river, as well as yuca, rice, and chicken. To drink we were given avena (a liquid oatmeal, which most of us considered delicious) for breakfast, and tea at dinnertime. We also brought snacks, and large amounts of water and soda in case we needed more than was given.

Time was an abundance for the five days we were on the river. Some hung out in the hammocks, taking frequent naps, others played Rook, Phase 10, and Authors (mostly Ben, Nate, Anna and Dave, with Cam and I coming in every once in a while), Lydia and I enjoyed painting up on the top deck, sometimes some of us would play soccer, or volleyball up there too, but after accidentally hitting the volleyball over the side, and watching it disappear down river, into the distance, we decided that might not be the cheapest way to spend our spare time. Having time to read our Bibles, and having quiet time with the Lord was really one of the things we appreciated the most. We could just go up on the top deck, and even if people WERE making noise up there we wouldn't hear it! Being up there was just amazing. Although I realized for the first time I COULD get a headache from too much loud noise, being up there for short increments was awesome. The whole jungle (well at least part of the whole) spread as far as you could see ahead of us being interrupted only by little villages and the winding river, looking like it had gotten lost, reminding me of nonobjective termite tunnels going every which way, having no specific destination. During the day, it was extreamely hot, but dawn, and sunset were the most amazing times to be up there. The sky, with parrots and elegant white birds flying overhead, would turn all sorts of vibrant colors that looked photo shopped. Sitting up there, in the coolness, a slight breeze, you'd just get lost in the beauty of it all.

People on the boat were interesting. The only other tourists were two girls in their twenties from Spain, here to help the disabled in the Jungle. They knew some English, and we talked with them a little bit. One of them played the guitar, and at night she would sometimes take it out, and play. Because of the beautiful music, and lack of anything else to do, people would gather around and listen. One night Lydia and I climbed up on a pile of crates near where she was playing, and laid on our backs listening to the soft singing and strumming, talking, and looking up at the starry sky, watching for shooting stars. Talking with one of the girls, we found she really didn't have a “religion”, she said she believed everyone is right, and everyone's religions have good points. It's so hard to know what to say to that kind of person! The little kids on the boat were crazy. One of them was terribly rambunctious. He wasn't exactly BAD, but was always doing little things to get a reaction from anyone he could. He threw bugs at us, as well as tried to drop them in our soup, would come into our rooms unannounced, beat up other little kids, and insist on HIS way. Another girl I talked to was going into nursing like me, so I really enjoyed talking to her. She was almost more of a doctor, but was doing “practice” time in the remote Amazon villages. It was her first time out in the jungle like this, and she was really nervous about the primitiveness of it. On the boat also, in a hammock near where the boys were sleeping was a little old man, somewhere in his late eighties or nineties. He was terribly skinny, every bone in his body was visible. The light in his eyes was dim, and he was very weak. According to the lady traveling with him, he had cancer, and was going for treatment in Pucallpa. Honestly, he didn't look like he would last much longer. One night we had our Bible reading with him, all sitting around his hammock. I'm not sure exactly what religion he was (probably Catholic), but the whole time he had his hands pressed together in front of his face with his eyes shut, as if he was praying. He, and the lady traveling with him both really enjoyed the singing too (even though we WERE right by the smokestack, where you could barely hear).

Every evening we would have a Bible reading. We started reading in 1 Corinthians on the boat to Leticia, and continued on. One night was with that man, two nights we all squished in one of the cabins. Guys on the top bunk, girls below them, Dad sitting on a bench outside the bathroom. It was SO warm in there, and the next night we decided to go out on the front deck. We all sat there with our flashlights, singing out of our hymnbooks, when people started to gather around. It was pretty much like they'd done with the girls from Spain. They were curious as to what these Americans were doing; reading and singing in Spanish, when they really spoke English. Some were really interested, and talked to my dad even after the like two-hour reading. It was neat. After that, there were a few Christian kids who had listened, and afterwards took out a keyboard they'd brought (one of them was on their way to Lima to find a better life, working as a clown, playing the piano...) and played Christian songs on it. It was awesome, just sitting there, cross-legged in a circle, on a boat, in the middle of the Amazon river, singing with Christians, at night, watching the stars.

Sunday was a little compicated. The day before, when we'd stopped for a while it a little town, we'd gotten off to see if we could find wine for remembering the Lord in his death. So, we were going through this town, the only white people, going around asking for where they sell wine in this jungle village. One place we asked they were like, “sorry, we don't have wine, but we do have rum?”. We were like “uh, no thanks”, and finally did find a place. So, when we were actually there, remembering Him, we had this little “pansito” on a blue and white checkered napkin, and next to it the wine in a flimsy, clear plastic cup, sitting on a little “table” having all kinds of random articles on the shelf below. Again, we were on the bunk-beds, but this time, being during the day, it was SO stuffy, hot, sweaty, and really hard to concentrate too. It was probably the most unique Breaking of Bread I've ever been to!

The whole boat ride was a really awesome experience, and a really nice little break before launching off to more craziness.






As soon as we got to Pucalpa, we spent the day with Franklin and Ruth's (from Lima) niece who lives there, then got on a bus that evening. Eight hours later we arrived in Huanuco, showered (the first REAL time, with CLEAN WATER in over a week!!!!!), slept a couple hours, ate, spent the day with the brethren, went to meeting that night, then were on another night bus to Lima. Getting in at five AM, we got taxis to the Flores. After eating breakfast, started right in on the wash that needed disparate attendance. Us girls hand washed all the clothes, and put them up on the clothesline like the whole day. The Lord gave us an amazingly sunny, warm day for the wash to dry. The day before, as those after were all typical; smoggy, cold, and NO sunshine, but that day was perfect. We unpacked, repacked, slept the night there, then were off another bus for Bolivia the following afternoon.