5/20-22-Entering the Amazon


        While in the Amazon, we had a magnificent host named Scott.  
The first night, the guy with a "cabin" (sharing a thin wall of bamboo) next to mine pounded on the wall, drummed on the wall, hurling  his whole body into the wall...keeping me up ALL night. 
Scott, the host, threw him out promptly in the morning, saying, "he could take his crazy somewhere else."  Scott, who lives way up on a hill behind the compound, said he thought he heard drumming that night.

When the lunatic got up in the morning (a 40-something-ish guy with more luggage than me),
I said,  "What was going on all night?  Was it drugs?"
He said, "You were too noisy."  lol

          The next night, I woke up at 1 p.m. and brushed something that was crawling on my upper arm.  I turned the light on and saw a 2-inch long beetle crawl into my suitcase. So, I was up and vigilant for the next three hours.  All of my nights became five hours or less of sleep, yet I somehow pushed on the next days.  Pinky (Kim) stayed in one of the three main cabanas.   I chose the cabin because they were in the same shelter as the banos (bathroom).  
We took a water taxi (canoe) to other communities across the lake from the town near where we were staying. There were several events set up in these villages, and everyone held out their hand for a dollar.  (The minimum wage average monthly pay is $480.)
(I never did find the beetle!!!!!)



Puyo, the town nearest the Amazon.

There are magnificent rivers at every turn.


















 





Housing in the Amazon.

Scott's place in the Amazon.

The long walk to our cabins. 



Of course, we got stuck in the mud and rock 1/2 mile driveway. Scott said twice last year it flooded 16" high!
Birds of Paradise.
This is a praying mantis. 
Scott, the host, who is originally from Canada.














Fresh dinner served in Puyo's town square.
                                                            Market square yummies. 



At a tribal village. 

I never did get to see the shaman....but we found some good ice cream!
This guy took me on a tour of the indigenous people in 
his village's veternary section.
Lots of children followed me around holding parrots, snakes, monkeys.
Waiting for the water taxi to go to the next village.

The beach at Puyo.

      Kids playing in the highway in front of their house.
This is the "village of strong women." A community of only women. 


Another tribal village.

Mr. Boa.



With the dancing girls.
With  abuela.





Dinner at the women's community. Shrimp, plantain, rice and avacado. No one's starving here!







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