There's Piranhas in the Water and Frogs in the Toilet (Part 2)

The next morning we woke up early again. We greeted our first full day in the jungle with watching it wake up with the rising sun. The entire time our guides were pointing out various wildlife. We spotted a monkey, but mostly we saw birds. I wish I knew more about birds of the rainforest so I didn't have to keep wondering what type of birds they were. Most of them are unfamiliar to me here.

After breakfast we went out on a nature hike, this time our guide Toni explained more about the medicinal properties of the trees and plants. We ate a strange type of coconut, climbed trees, and swung on vines.

We also discovered that a tree frog appeared to have made our bathroom sink home, but that wasn't quite as dramatic as the girls in one of the other room who discovered an even larger tree frog residing in their toilet. It seemed to creep out the girls who had to deal with it, and when I finally captured the thing and released it outside the lodge I could imagine why. The frog was as big as my palm, and I can understand how uncomfortable it would be to have that guy watching you pee. I also asked our guides about the rustling I had heard last night coming from the palm leaf roof of our abode. My suspicions were correct, there were indeed bats that had taken up residence in our room as well.

For lunch that day we ate caiman, a creature related to an alligator but even larger. I had always heard that alligator tastes like chicken, and honestly I don't think that is entirely true. The best way I can explain it is that it has the appearance and texture of chicken. The flavor is not quite the same. However, if no on had told me I could have been fooled.

A few hours later, when the sun was less harsh, we headed out on our wooden boat again to try our hand at catching dinner. There were no fancy rods, just poles with line and a hook attached to the end. We baited the hooks with pieces of chicken or smaller fish that we eventually caught. I was not lucky enough to catch a piranha, but I did manage to catch a decent sized sardine.

That evening our wonderful chef prepared our piranhas and sardines to eat. There wasn't much meat on them, but they did taste good.

The following day, we packed up our belongings to head back to the city; our last full day of vacation. Since we weren't leaving until that afternoon, we headed to the town of Puerto Miguel one last time to celebrate the anniversary of the town. They served fermented drinks and sold handicrafts. I bought a knife made out of fish bone. We also got to hold a sloth. They are truly amazing creatures. I think that their faces are wonderful. When we finally had to leave the sloth we let it climb onto beam that was supporting the house. At first we thought it was going to climb up to the roof and take a nap, but instead it lifted itself up just enough to rest itself on a shelf while still holding onto the beam. I don't think I have ever related more to something on a spiritual level in my life.

After lunch we had a little more time before the boat came to take us back to Nauta so we were invited to attend the birthday party of a three year old girl who I guessed was a relative of the people who ran the lodge. We sang her happy birthday and took pictures. Luckily, some of my friends had cameras that took instant polaroids. They gave those polaroids to the mother of the girl who we noticed admiring them with a smile on her face. We knew that she would treasure those special pictures for a long time.

Getting back to the hotel in Iquitos took just as long as the first trip to the jungle, and once again we all fell asleep on the boat ride. When we did arrive in the hotel, we were all glad to finally have a fully functioning shower and air conditioning so we could finally cool off and get clean.

Then suddenly it was Tuesday. The long weekend was coming to a close and our flight back to Lima was departing at 2:30 that afternoon. But we still had time for one last adventure. Our guide, Hilter, took us to the Mercado Belen, the outdoor marked in the poorest district of Iquitos. It sold everything from vegetables, to medicines, to souvenirs, to chicken feet. We even gave a local delicacy, fried grubs, a shot. It had the flavor of a vegetable with the texture of an insect. I would not eat it again.

(Photo by: Leah) 

 (Photo by: Leah)

(Photo by: Leah)

Though finally returning to Lima was a relief of familiarity after a weekend of new experiences, I had fallen in love with the jungle so much that I could have stayed for several months without complaint. I was not thrilled to leave fresh air behind for the foggy smog of the city, but it is still my foggy smoggy city. I will miss the jungle, but this city is still home.

(All additional photos for this blog post provided by Megan. Thanks!)