the last two weeks

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Sorry for the last story being cut short, as you know someone stole my imodium so that was working against me that morning. I have also had an internet gremlin following me around. Last night half way through this very story the poewr died and all was lost. I am moviing south through Brasil so things are getting better an da bit more modern.

I will start with the jungle journey. It was definately a trip to do, very much a character builder. I left from Iquitos Peru by boat to Leiticia Columbia. the boat was so packed with people you could not even get out of your hammock at night and they served the food right to you in your hamock. I met a Swiss couple on board and they convinced me to join them in Brasil at a wild life reserve, so we traveled on together. After we entered into Columbia we took a cab to Brasil and found our boat. on the way to the boat we had to stop at the police station and get our passports stamped but being brasil they were closed from 12 til 2pm. we found out the boat was leaving at 2pm so we had to go and find the police and drag him back to work, Boy was he ever unfriendly, I think he could have shot us. we sailed off into brasilfor two days before we had to leave the boat for a town called Tefe were we would join the wilderness tour to Mamiroua lodge. However our boat didn´t stop at Tefe so they arranged to have a guy with a motorized canoe meet us on the river and take us to Tefe. He mt us a short time after the sun had totally disappeared and the lightning had started. 6 of us and all our gear jumped into the small boat and were off to who knows were. The driver said it would take about an hour to get there and he had only a small flashlight that he used rarely. It was a good half hour before we saw an sign of a civilization any were. At least the lightning showed us the way. In Tefe the only vacant hotel room was in a dive that rented by the hour, we opened our door and watched everything scamper to safety. In the morning we booked our tour, the pamphlet said one price and they of course insisted that the price was $120us more, we came all that extra way so what do you do.
It was a two hour bhoat ride to the floating lodge where we spent the next three days exploring the jungle and wildlife. There was a two meter caimen(crocodile) who lived under the lodge and always showed up at meal time by the sink on the patio where they cleaned all the fish. We took an evening nature walk but the mosquitoes were so bad all you could do was flail you arms around and try to see what the guide was talking about. the next day was a vilage visit an da canoe ride through the bush. It was high water so you could go anywhere by boat. I had the only snake sighting. my guide also found us a great big terranchala, he had it on his spear and it decided to run towards him rather then the tree he was trying to put it on, I am assuming by the way he tossed the spear it was poisonous. After that it started to rain so it was an early day. the next day the next day we spent at a nother lake 2 hours up stream from the lodge, huge lake full of all kinds of birds, pink dolphins and caimens. We stayed there to watch the sunset. on the way back there is this crazy floating river grass that grows on the water, it had totally closed off our way back. we got stuck several times trying to go through. NObody thought to bring a machetty which would have saved two hours and a very wet ride back.
After we left the lodge it was off to Mannuas on the river boat again. this was the best boat we had great food and lots of space. we arrived in Manuas at 5am. My two Swiss friends had had enough of the river and decided tofly to Rio, so we said our good byes and they went off. I was approached by a guy in a port worker shirt who asked where I was going. I said I need to find a boat to Santeram. I had been to Manuas before and had no desire to stay for awhile so I moved on. The guy and his helper took me and my bagges to find the newboat. we took a bus to the exit of the port than walked a km to the other port were I bought a ticket. all seemed well to this point, then they said we have to take a water taxi to the boat, OK, we did and I ended up right back where I started my new boat was right beside the last one. then the guy demands 70 real for his service. I said no way you took me all over the place and brought me right back here where I could have gotten my ticket and got on the boat. he had seen that 70 real was all i had left after the ticket. we argued for awhile, I wanted to clobber the guy. They still had my bags on there shoulders and the guy made it veryobvious that he was carrying a knife and would use it. well there was not much I could really do so I bargained him down to 50 real which he went for then they dropped my stuff and where off. No point getting the police here invovled they want do anything but waste your time, I guess they really are the same everywhere. Not a good impression of the country so far.
From there it was off to Sateram. On the boat I met Two Italians and a argentine travelling together. In Santeram we spent the day at Alter do Chow A beach resort on the river very nice place, that night they were having Carnavel so we took in the festivities. not like Rio I guess. A crowd of may be 500 some floats and trucks with bands on the roof . the crowd would follow the truck to the end of the road then run back to the next truck and do it a gain giving the allusion of a big crowd. the next day we waited through the garbage on the street to the boat and headed off for the last two very rough days on th e boat. the river was much wider and open to the weather not to enjoyable.

This issuse will be continued soon I gotta run and do some shooting(photos) I Salvador with a guy from Vancouver.

I HOPE ALL IS WELL WITH EVERYONE AND GOOD TRAVELS ALL.

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