Monday, April 15, 2019

Everyone gets a name

Saturday April 13th 2019 – Same place in the jungle

FUCK! It’s dark at 4am here, and the electricity isn’t available then. My iPhone started making it’s alarm noise and only after reaching through the mosquito netting and doing the blind hand dance on night stand was I able to find it and smack it in the right sequence to make it be quiet and let my neighbors get some rest. I turned over to get out of bed and got entangled in the mosquito netting. I am not sure if it is designed to keep the critters out or lock them in. I am obviously staying in the staff area, lots of moving around at Oh Dark Thirty Which is anytime after 1030pm). I am very glad I laid out today’s clothes last night, because no electricity light now and I needed to get dressed by flashlight I think I got my clothing on the right side out and my panties with the legs through the correct openings.

The walkway was a bit damp and I was fearful that it was from rain, but the stars are big and bright .. yadda yadda .. Seems it is just the humidity. I found the coffee bar and took two cups of medicine. I wasn’t bad medicine, I read the Peruvians loved instant, this has grounds in it, so it must have been brewed someway. I was in the dark enjoying the solitude and quiet. Catch the flit of a bat occasional. Really enjoying myself. During the daylight house,I’ve never been alone. Good company, but I am no used to being submerged in so much humanity. Then came down the raised avenue the flicker of a headlamp. Turned away and then the person was standing next to me, I looked op at the sound of her voice and was blinded by a bazillion lumen of over amped LED lights. Fuck! My Swedish princess (Fiona from Shrek), can’t you turn it down or off. Every group has one. Someone who has no clue that they are traveling with other people and that they have needs and wants too. Sometimes it is me, sometimes It is someone else.

Saturday April 13th 2019 – Same place in the jungle

FUCK! It’s dark at 4am here, and the electricity isn’t available then. My iPhone started making it’s alarm noise and only after reaching through the mosquito netting and doing the blind hand dance on night stand was I able to find it and smack it in the right sequence to make it be quiet and let my neighbors get some rest. I turned over to get out of bed and got entangled in the mosquito netting. I am not sure if it is designed to keep the critters out or lock them in. I am obviously staying in the staff area, lots of moving around at Oh Dark Thirty Which is anytime after 1030pm). I am very glad I laid out today’s clothes last night, because no electricity light now and I needed to get dressed by flashlight I think I got my clothing on the right side out and my panties with the legs through the correct openings.

The walkway was a bit damp and I was fearful that it was from rain, but the stars are big and bright .. yadda yadda .. Seems it is just the humidity. I found the coffee bar and took two cups of medicine. I wasn’t bad medicine, I read the Peruvians loved instant, this has grounds in it, so it must have been brewed someway. I was in the dark enjoying the solitude and quiet. Catch the flit of a bat occasional. Really enjoying myself. During the daylight house,I’ve never been alone. Good company, but I am no used to being submerged in so much humanity. Then came down the raised avenue the flicker of a headlamp. Turned away and then the person was standing next to me, I looked op at the sound of her voice and was blinded by a bazillion lumen of over amped LED lights. Fuck! My Swedish princess (Fiona from Shrek), can’t you turn it down or off. Every group has one. Someone who has no clue that they are traveling with other people and that they have needs and wants too. Sometimes it is me, sometimes It is someone else.

Lucy the guide arrived and after finding my hiking boots among a 100 other boots of the same style (No boots allowed in the lodge) we were away to see more Macaws. Different location from yesterday and the day before. Four of us in the group. My hobbled self, our Swedish Fiona, and a boy/girl couple. Lucy is a walking machine, I am still hurting and running at about 80%, but can mostly keep up. Toes down are alright, toes up, stretching whatever muscle is attached to the Achilles tendon wake me right up ! A very short boat trip, a shot set of stairs an a stroll in the woos and we were at the lick. Similar to yesterday, but a little more vegetation on the clay cliff. The Macaws were calling and flying. He kept getting closer and closer then some silent warning went trough them and an explosion of feathers and they were off. Coffee and cake with Fiona asking every question in the book, monopolizing Lucy and the birds slowly returned. Finally a few came down to the the lick. Not nearly as impressive as yesterday, but way better than the first day. A nice Toucan and a few other sights, but too seen we had to hit the boat. We just HAD to get back for breakfast ! I’d of rather pass on breakfast and waited for the Macaws. But this train that the lodge runs has to stay on schedule.

Breakfast was breakfast. Some cereal, an egg dish or two, potatoes (of course ! They were invented here), juice and coffee.. food. The train started up again about 930am, and Fiona was there. Sigh! Back down the trail to the boat and back to the same drop off point as the clay lick, only this time we went left, not right. It was billed as an easy Island walk. I was feeling pretty close to normal, but it was best to not push it. Along the way, Fiona found a Scarlet Macaw feather, a weird flower, 2 leaves, several sounds up in the trees and down on the ground and she needed to have each and everyone explained and take the perfect picture, no matter how long it took to get the right frame. Also along was Jimmy Olsen Cub Reporter, well actually he had nothing to do with the news, he was an avid birder. He knew exactly how many different species of birds he had identified and was looking for more. Unfortunately looking for birds is a full time avocation and don’t leave much room for the social graces, like a response with more than 4 words. We took a long pause at a pond and examined the critters. After a while the critters got bored watching us, so we left back to the boat.

Lunch, ya know? It had been almost 4 hours since we last ate. It was nice to see the old tribe fr lunch though. The Not Harrys, The Skipper (he brought us all together), the Professor (Mrs. Skipper taught school), Ginger (Not because she was dumb or an actress, but because she was very stylish), Mary Ann (our down to earth actress). Once in a while we might get a guest star or two, but mostly it as us. The Skipper old us this grand story of going to Chile in the 60’s and getting stuck making subsistence ages to get enough money to get back to the US. I think I told the Southern Comfort tale. After lunch we had a short break, before our Sunset Cruise.

Who is my seat mate? Yes, Fiona. The Professor and Ginger (Wow! A red head to boot) were off learning about making drugs from The forest plants. Skipper skipped. Mary Ann was doing some sort of strenuous outdoor activity. It was a boat ride, and we had ordered and bought our drinks, except not everyone got that memo. So I split my beer with a couple from Poland, maybe that will offset the Karma for the free ride in Krakow. There were monkeys in the trees, and birds, and furry creatures, but honestly who cares? There were no Macaws.

Back at the lodge, the Skipper and I told one another tales of wild abandon in our youth. He’s really smart, funny and a true gentleman, the Professor is lucky to have him. Dinner was lunch only bigger and different topics. After dinner as the Macaw research center talk, a PBS pledge drive with some knowledge thrown in. I didn’t pick up any new information, I wanted to ask a few questions, but he made it clear he didn’t approve of captive bred Macaws, so I crunched down and slid away to bed.
Lucy the guide arrived and after finding my hiking boots among a 100 other boots of the same style (No boots allowed in the lodge) we were away to see more Macaws. Different location from yesterday and the day before. Four of us in the group. My hobbled self, our Swedish Fiona, and a boy/girl couple. Lucy is a walking machine, I am still hurting and running at about 80%, but can mostly keep up. Toes down are alright, toes up, stretching whatever muscle is attached to the Achilles tendon wake me right up ! A very short boat trip, a shot set of stairs an a stroll in the woos and we were at the lick. Similar to yesterday, but a little more vegetation on the clay cliff. The Macaws were calling and flying. He kept getting closer and closer then some silent warning went trough them and an explosion of feathers and they were off. Coffee and cake with Fiona asking every question in the book, monopolizing Lucy and the birds slowly returned. Finally a few came down to the the lick. Not nearly as impressive as yesterday, but way better than the first day. A nice Toucan and a few other sights, but too seen we had to hit the boat. We just HAD to get back for breakfast ! I’d of rather pass on breakfast and waited for the Macaws. But this train that the lodge runs has to stay on schedule.

Breakfast was breakfast. Some cereal, an egg dish or two, potatoes (of course ! They were invented here), juice and coffee.. food. The train started up again about 930am, and Fiona was there. Sigh! Back down the trail to the boat and back to the same drop off point as the clay lick, only this time we went left, not right. It was billed as an easy Island walk. I was feeling pretty close to normal, but it was best to not push it. Along the way, Fiona found a Scarlet Macaw feather, a weird flower, 2 leaves, several sounds up in the trees and down on the ground and she needed to have each and everyone explained and take the perfect picture, no matter how long it took to get the right frame. Also along was Jimmy Olsen Cub Reporter, well actually he had nothing to do with the news, he was an avid birder. He knew exactly how many different species of birds he had identified and was looking for more. Unfortunately looking for birds is a full time avocation and don’t leave much room for the social graces, like a response with more than 4 words. We took a long pause at a pond and examined the critters. After a while the critters got bored watching us, so we left back to the boat.

Lunch, ya know? It had been almost 4 hours since we last ate. It was nice to see the old tribe fr lunch though. The Not Harrys, The Skipper (he brought us all together), the Professor (Mrs. Skipper taught school), Ginger (Not because she was dumb or an actress, but because she was very stylish), Mary Ann (our down to earth actress). Once in a while we might get a guest star or two, but mostly it as us. The Skipper old us this grand story of going to Chile in the 60’s and getting stuck making subsistence ages to get enough money to get back to the US. I think I told the Southern Comfort tale. After lunch we had a short break, before our Sunset Cruise.

Who is my seat mate? Yes, Fiona. The Professor and Ginger (Wow! A red head to boot) were off learning about making drugs from The forest plants. Skipper skipped. Mary Ann was doing some sort of strenuous outdoor activity. It was a boat ride, and we had ordered and bought our drinks, except not everyone got that memo. So I split my beer with a couple from Poland, maybe that will offset the Karma for the free ride in Krakow. There were monkeys in the trees, and birds, and furry creatures, but honestly who cares? There were no Macaws.

Back at the lodge, the Skipper and I told one another tales of wild abandon in our youth. He’s really smart, funny and a true gentleman, the Professor is lucky to have him. Dinner was lunch only bigger and different topics. After dinner as the Macaw research center talk, a PBS pledge drive with some knowledge thrown in. I didn’t pick up any new information, I wanted to ask a few questions, but he made it clear he didn’t approve of captive bred Macaws, so I crunched down and slid away to bed.




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