The Amazon was incredible!

I'm just back in Lima for a day or so after more than a week in the Amazon and I have a lot of catching up to do. I'll post a few things over the next few days ... but I really just truly disconnected from the world for a while and wrote a few notes that still have to be woven into stories to post.

You'll be surprised to learn that one of the jungle camps we stayed in had Internet access but I wasn't even interested in investigating the thought. I think I'm already on Step 11 of my 12 Step "Crackberry Anonymous" program. You'll also be pleased to know that my hiking shoes have not yet become stuck to my underwear and the maple syrup is still in tact. :) Life is good.


Here we go ... (back to April 24th briefly)

Phyllis. How do I write about Phyllis? I’ve put off writing about Phyllis for a few days now but she certainly deserves an early chapter and I’m quite sure some later ones, as well.

I came down for breakfast on my first morning in Lima and all of the tables were taken. I grabbed a cup of fabulous Peruvian coffee (gads! I love the coffee here), glanced around and saw a poor, lonely soul sitting by themselves and almost pleading with their eyes for someone to chat to. I pulled up a chair and sat down for a good ole’ traveling tourist chat.

Phyllis is older. 79 by her own account. Deaf. Loud. Very loud. And she walks with a hand-carved cane of mountain laurel. Phyllis is a character. A true character. The type of character that books are written about and folklore is created around.

Phyllis is from North Carolina. She has that southern forthrightness that indicates generational money and land entitlement – and the southern drawl to go with it. Standing, stooping, well over 6 ft tall, she’s an engineer – a pipeline engineer by her recount. She drives a bobcat, flies a plane, has a farm and by her account, has done almost everything and anything. She’s traveled the world. She was thrilled to learn that I currently live in Calgary – “oh!” She says, “Cavalry! I know it well”. Yes Phyllis, but it’s CAL-Gary. “Yes, Cavalry. Wonderful place” she says.

Phyllis is in Peru to catch a trip through the Amazon. On a boat. Leaving on Saturday from Iquitos. “Oh Dear GOD! I think she’s on my GAP trip”. Well, she will certainly add flavor to the trip.

I run off to meet up with Donna for our trip to Lima city centre and tell Phyllis we will catch up again later.

8pm. Lobby of the wonderful Miraflores Colon Hotel. Mirko, our Amazon trek leader has assembled us together for a quick info session and meet and greet. In the group there are Gerry and Shirley, a lovely couple from Winnipeg – on almost 7 week trip around South America; Sarah, a woman from England; Scott and Danielle, an adorable young couple from Oz and a few other couples. There are a number of people absent as their flights are arriving later, etc and 3 other people scheduled to meet up with us in Iquitos in the jungle. And Phyllis.

Mirko grew up on a coffee plantation in the jungle and now he lives in Lima - "his city", he calls it. He started as a local GAP guide a few years ago; now he is a group leader and this is his first time to take this Amazon river cruise. He’s a fun, affable guy with a humble but quick smile, a shaved head and a shaggy beard. Mirko runs through the details and some schedule info and then, for those traveling on our own, he announces who is teamed up as roommates. Phyllis is my roommate. She beams and says to me “I snore really loudly – but just whack me and I’ll stop for a few mins”. Oh lucky me.

Oh ... I forgot to mention. Everyone in our group (including the crew on the boat) is fairly certain that Phyllis came into this world as “Phillip” … or may well still be. YIKES!