I’m so happy I never decided to try to publish my journal the way it was. It sucks. I say that because of how many things that I remember that I never mention in it. So this is the second entry on the same day. It was also, as odd as it is, exactly 12 hours of time between them. I would have expected myself to mention something about it on the previous entry but I did not. After we arrived to where we were staying, we docked the canoe, put our bags away, and had some dinner. As dusk approached we jumped back onto our boat. We would be out there in the dark to observe the alligators. When you shine a light on an alligator’s eyes they glint red. There were a couple memorable experiences I had on that night experience. While it was dusk out the bats made their presence. We were out on the river and they were flying all around. It was dinner time. These were the biggest damn bats I’d ever seen. They were zipping by a bit too close for my comfort and I admit that I cowered low into the bottom of the canoe to avoid them. Much to the tour guides amusement I presume. Now that I think of it, I think he knew he could fuck with me once I showed how uncomfortable I was with bats. Once it was dark we went on the search for the gators. They weren’t hard to find. There was one in the water near a steep banking and the tour guide navigated the boat just right so that if the gator didn’t go underneath us it would be pinned against the banking. Needless to say at that moment my heart skipped several beats because that gator splashed around, hit the boat and went under. In the commotion I thought the thing was going to be in the boat. The whole time the tour guide laughed his ass off. This was a man who was aware of his surroundings and the inhabitants within it…
Currently relaxing in a hammock right now. It is pitch black and the moon looks like Cheshire Cat’s smile. Today on the pampas tour we walked through them in search of the elusive anaconda. A guide found a baby one but we couldn’t find a full grown. The guide on our trip is a fearless one. He actually found a cobra and caught it to show us. His name is Wilfredo. Later in the day we went back on the boat to find pink dolphins. On the way he pulled up to the shore by a lounging gator. He got out and walked to it. Talked to it. It slowly went away but he had a small fish he used to lure it back to him. He even petted it on the snout. I think he did it to make everyone at ease about swimming in the water and not to worry about the gators attacking us. I still didn’t go in. I don’t have a valid reason why. It wasn’t fear. I think it was more self consciousness of my body. Oh well. Also saw a beautiful sunset as we went to an ideal spot to view it. This tour has been a good way to wind down and come close to closing out this trip. Most definitely the highlight so far.
I did see a “pink” dolphin on that day. I put it in quotations only because the dolphin really isn’t pink. They appear pink because of the brownish hue of the water. They are really more of a white color. Mind you, this is also fresh water. It was a memorable experience and a shame I never wrote about it in the first place. It didn’t jump out of the water or anything spectacular like you may tend to see. It did more of an upwards blurb, just showing the curvature of its back and it’s fin. I also fail to mention that we went piranha fishing. We had a wooden spool with fishing line and a hook. On the hook we put a small chunk of steak. Now, I came back missing bait every time with no piranha on the line. They are tricky bastards to hook. Thankfully, the guide knew the trick and caught some. One fell off the line and flopped around on the bottom of the boat for a few moments. The guide laughed as myself and the French couple panicked lifting our feet to prevent from getting bit by the fish. He picked it up with out any issue. We went back for dinner and ate piranha. I had to try it and have to say it was surprisingly good. Just not a whole lot of meat but what was there was tasty. Honest to goodness it was the cliche’ and tasted a bit like chicken. This was definitely one of the best, if not, the best highlights of my whole trip but with the way this thing has gone you know there’s more low lights to follow right?
Basket of Thoughts 