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Lift off baby! Cruising 32 thousand feet in our upper atmosphere, all I could think about was getting to the nearest travel agency upon arrival. I was hungry to see what kind of adventures I could get myself into. I also couldn’t help thinking about sinking my teeth into the filet of salmon that I was just served in First Class. Yeah, that's right; First Class. I was randomly selected by the computer to be bumped up; meaning fat, fluffy seats, a gourmet lunch, moist towels, and royal treatment (life's good). I must say that I sure stuck out among the high class; dressed in my backpacker garb, unshaven scruff, and an unshowered funky aroma that I believe originated from me. The flight was short, but sweet. Seconds after crossing the equator into the Southern Hemisphere, we touched down in Ecuador's capital of Quito; which is nestled high in an Andean valley 2850m (roughly 8500ft) above sea level. The temperature was a bit chilly. I went from the usual T-shirt, shorts, and flip flops to long pants, shirt, and jacket (a beanie for my bald head at night).

Latitude 00.00º

Jeremy Curl
2006-08-28 12:41:47

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but I will just have to save that trip for another day. Returning to the travel agent, I soon learned that her friend could get me on several different boats headed down the Amazon; from Ecuador down into Peru. Now, this is not your average tourist trip down the Amazon. I was informed that I would need to buy a hammock to hang in the boat for a bed, bring about 7 days worth of food, water purifying tablets, cash (no banks) and Soles for Peru (never found any - not good), start taking malaria pills, and bring lots and lots of bug spray. I was also informed that I would be staying with soldiers at a military compound for one night on the river (hum; that's interesting). I don't know if there will be any other gringos along for the adventure, and I
doubt that anyone will be able to speak English. Honestly, I have no idea what to expect; but that is the thrill of it. I will be taking a night bus up toward the Colombian border to the town of Coca (named after the cocaine plant - that's nice), and looking in a local restaurant for a man named Luis. I supposedly will take three different boats to my final destination of Iquitos; deep in the Peruvian Amazon Basin. There, I will purchase a ticket for a flight to Cuzco, Peru (base town for hiking to Machu Picchu). The number of days I will be on the river is unknown. I may have the option of staying several days in one of the towns along the way; and maybe do some canoe excursions. The longest boat ride of the three is said to be 4-5 days and only cost $60; but that could possibly change when they get me deep in the jungle. So, I will be away from a computer and out of contact anywhere from 8-14 days. I really need this time away from a computer and journal writing, because I am beginning to get "blog lag". I will miss most of the World Cup games, which I am not happy about; but nature calls. The next time I talk to you, I will be in Peru; I hope. You never know, I could get up there and find that everything wasn't entirely true; but that is the chance I'm willing to take for an adventure like this. Wish me luck and don't worry; I won't do anything stupid like mess around with an anaconda. Although, that would make for one heck of a cover picture on my journal; we'll just have to see. Take care and I'll catch you on the flip side.