23-02-2019, 11:36 AM
(This post was last modified: 23-02-2019, 11:37 AM by Ramesh_Rocky.)
At first their, vacation went as planned. They arrived in Lima and from there took a flight to Cuzco. After seeing several Inca sites including the Sacred Valley and the Machu Picchu, the couple took a flight to Iquitos, the main Peruvian city in the country's northeast.
In Iquitos, they boarded a riverboat. A three-hour journey downstream took them to their first destination, a jungle lodge from where they would be able to tour a nearby nature reserve and where they spent the night.
Very early on the following day, the tourists were divided into four groups, one for each tourist boat. Gerald counted 24 tourists, eight each in the two larger boats and four each in the two smaller boats. Gerald and Aiko found themselves in one the smaller boats that included another English-speaking couple. Their guide spoke good English. The other three boats consisted of Spanish speakers.
For several hours, the four boats headed downstream in the general direction of the Brazilian border. When they reached a large tributary, two of the riverboats split away to sail upstream, while other two, including Aiko and Gerald's boat, continued sailing downstream. Their guide, Pedro, informed them they, along with the larger boat, intended to go up another tributary, about another hour away.
For several hours the two guides, one in Spanish and the other in English, pointed out the sights and sounds of the local jungle. The highlight of the afternoon was the sighting of a jaguar.
When it was time to return to the lodge, the unexpected happened. As the guide turned his boat around, he noticed a group of monkeys in the trees. He pointed at them just as an underwater log punctured a hole into his boat. The water rushed in. It was obvious the boat would sink. Remembering piranhas and candirus, Aiko almost panicked.
"The water is shallow here. We're very close to shore," he re-assured her. "There's no immediate danger."
The other boat approached cautiously, wary of the log that had punctured and sunk the smaller boat. An animated discussion took place between the two guides. Obviously, they were discussing what to do.
"Their boat is almost at its maximum capacity," Pedro informed his English-speakers clients. "There's room for only two more on Carlos' boat. It's too dangerous to carry five extra persons. There is an indigenous village nearby. I didn't point them out because they left signs that told me they don't want contact with the outside world. But now we have no choice but to contact them and hope they can and will help us."
Carefully and slowly, the overladen boat, its draft very low in the water, made its way downstream. It turned into a small tributary. After a few minutes, a group of huts came into view. Women, children and an old men were present but no other men. Except for some adornments, they were naked and not the least bit conscious about it. Blushing, several tourists averted their eyes.
Pedro spoke to the elder; he obviously knew the language. Gerald saw some of the tourists ask Carlos what was going on. He shrugged his shoulders. He didn't understand this particular indigenous language.
After several minutes, Pedro turned to the tourists. Speaking first in Spanish and then in English, he explained their predicament.
"I explained our situation to the village elder. He offered us a boat but none will be available until the men come back some time tomorrow. Apparently, the tribe has to move because local resources have been exhausted. The men are away building huts at a new location.
"Are you telling us we have to stay in this god-forsaken jungle for the night to wait for a stupid little boat?" the English-speaking man whined.
"No," Pedro answered patiently, "only three of us have to stay behind. I volunteer myself as one of those three because I speak the language."
Something seemed to occur to Pedro. He exchanged a few more words with the village elder.
"I asked him about their boats. We can't use them. They're too fragile for long-distance travel upstream on the main river. Whoever stays is stuck here for at least two nights, probably longer, until a proper riverboat can be sent."
In the meantime, a heated discussion took place among Carlos Spanish-speaking passengers.
"No volunteers among Carlos' passengers," Pedro informed his passengers. "They're city dwellers. They have no idea what it's like to rough it in the bush."
"Don't look at us," the wife of the other English-speaking couple said. "My husband has only enough medication to get himself back home."
'Plus he's a whiner,' Gerald thought.
"I volunteer," Gerald announced. "But surely there's another man who can volunteer too."
Pedro translated into Spanish. Still no man volunteered.
"I'm not leaving you behind," Aiko protested. "If you're staying, I'm staying."
From her tone of voice, Gerald knew he wouldn't be able to dissuade her from her decision. He sighed. "You wanted something off the beaten path, hon, but I don't think this is what you really had in mind."
"There's one other problem you have to consider," Pedro interrupted. "I said at least two nights, but that was based on the assumption we were staying with these people in this location. But these people are moving the day after tomorrow. It's too dangerous for just three of us stay here. For our own safety, we should go with these people to their new location. I've got GPS on my mobile device, and a solar-powered energy charger to keep it going. We will be found, but it may take two or three more nights for our rescuers to triangulate our position and then actually physically reach us."
"Two tourists have to stay behind no matter what. The others are unwilling or unable." Aiko said. "Someone has to be the third person."
Gerald sighed. "Okay, Pedro, Aiko stays. Clearly, we're going to miss our flight home," he added. Please ask Carlos to contact our embassy. Ask them to let our family and employers know so they don't panic."
Gerald pulled out his passport. In it was a slip of paper with the embassy's address and phone number.
Pedro handed over his cell phone. "Call them yourself now," he offered.
Gerald did. He spoke to an embassy official. It took a weight off the couple's shoulders to know their family and employers would be informed about their situation.
Pedro and Carlos exchanged words once again.
"He told me to call our office three times a day to let him know we're safe and to allow the triangulation of our location."
Carlos offered spare rations and bottles of water to the three. These were accepted gratefully and put in their backpacks. Carlos, his passengers and the two English-speakers pushed off heading back to the jungle lodge.
The village elder led them to an empty hut where they stayed until morning.
* * *
In Iquitos, they boarded a riverboat. A three-hour journey downstream took them to their first destination, a jungle lodge from where they would be able to tour a nearby nature reserve and where they spent the night.
Very early on the following day, the tourists were divided into four groups, one for each tourist boat. Gerald counted 24 tourists, eight each in the two larger boats and four each in the two smaller boats. Gerald and Aiko found themselves in one the smaller boats that included another English-speaking couple. Their guide spoke good English. The other three boats consisted of Spanish speakers.
For several hours, the four boats headed downstream in the general direction of the Brazilian border. When they reached a large tributary, two of the riverboats split away to sail upstream, while other two, including Aiko and Gerald's boat, continued sailing downstream. Their guide, Pedro, informed them they, along with the larger boat, intended to go up another tributary, about another hour away.
For several hours the two guides, one in Spanish and the other in English, pointed out the sights and sounds of the local jungle. The highlight of the afternoon was the sighting of a jaguar.
When it was time to return to the lodge, the unexpected happened. As the guide turned his boat around, he noticed a group of monkeys in the trees. He pointed at them just as an underwater log punctured a hole into his boat. The water rushed in. It was obvious the boat would sink. Remembering piranhas and candirus, Aiko almost panicked.
"The water is shallow here. We're very close to shore," he re-assured her. "There's no immediate danger."
The other boat approached cautiously, wary of the log that had punctured and sunk the smaller boat. An animated discussion took place between the two guides. Obviously, they were discussing what to do.
"Their boat is almost at its maximum capacity," Pedro informed his English-speakers clients. "There's room for only two more on Carlos' boat. It's too dangerous to carry five extra persons. There is an indigenous village nearby. I didn't point them out because they left signs that told me they don't want contact with the outside world. But now we have no choice but to contact them and hope they can and will help us."
Carefully and slowly, the overladen boat, its draft very low in the water, made its way downstream. It turned into a small tributary. After a few minutes, a group of huts came into view. Women, children and an old men were present but no other men. Except for some adornments, they were naked and not the least bit conscious about it. Blushing, several tourists averted their eyes.
Pedro spoke to the elder; he obviously knew the language. Gerald saw some of the tourists ask Carlos what was going on. He shrugged his shoulders. He didn't understand this particular indigenous language.
After several minutes, Pedro turned to the tourists. Speaking first in Spanish and then in English, he explained their predicament.
"I explained our situation to the village elder. He offered us a boat but none will be available until the men come back some time tomorrow. Apparently, the tribe has to move because local resources have been exhausted. The men are away building huts at a new location.
"Are you telling us we have to stay in this god-forsaken jungle for the night to wait for a stupid little boat?" the English-speaking man whined.
"No," Pedro answered patiently, "only three of us have to stay behind. I volunteer myself as one of those three because I speak the language."
Something seemed to occur to Pedro. He exchanged a few more words with the village elder.
"I asked him about their boats. We can't use them. They're too fragile for long-distance travel upstream on the main river. Whoever stays is stuck here for at least two nights, probably longer, until a proper riverboat can be sent."
In the meantime, a heated discussion took place among Carlos Spanish-speaking passengers.
"No volunteers among Carlos' passengers," Pedro informed his passengers. "They're city dwellers. They have no idea what it's like to rough it in the bush."
"Don't look at us," the wife of the other English-speaking couple said. "My husband has only enough medication to get himself back home."
'Plus he's a whiner,' Gerald thought.
"I volunteer," Gerald announced. "But surely there's another man who can volunteer too."
Pedro translated into Spanish. Still no man volunteered.
"I'm not leaving you behind," Aiko protested. "If you're staying, I'm staying."
From her tone of voice, Gerald knew he wouldn't be able to dissuade her from her decision. He sighed. "You wanted something off the beaten path, hon, but I don't think this is what you really had in mind."
"There's one other problem you have to consider," Pedro interrupted. "I said at least two nights, but that was based on the assumption we were staying with these people in this location. But these people are moving the day after tomorrow. It's too dangerous for just three of us stay here. For our own safety, we should go with these people to their new location. I've got GPS on my mobile device, and a solar-powered energy charger to keep it going. We will be found, but it may take two or three more nights for our rescuers to triangulate our position and then actually physically reach us."
"Two tourists have to stay behind no matter what. The others are unwilling or unable." Aiko said. "Someone has to be the third person."
Gerald sighed. "Okay, Pedro, Aiko stays. Clearly, we're going to miss our flight home," he added. Please ask Carlos to contact our embassy. Ask them to let our family and employers know so they don't panic."
Gerald pulled out his passport. In it was a slip of paper with the embassy's address and phone number.
Pedro handed over his cell phone. "Call them yourself now," he offered.
Gerald did. He spoke to an embassy official. It took a weight off the couple's shoulders to know their family and employers would be informed about their situation.
Pedro and Carlos exchanged words once again.
"He told me to call our office three times a day to let him know we're safe and to allow the triangulation of our location."
Carlos offered spare rations and bottles of water to the three. These were accepted gratefully and put in their backpacks. Carlos, his passengers and the two English-speakers pushed off heading back to the jungle lodge.
The village elder led them to an empty hut where they stayed until morning.
* * *
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