I awake with the sun and after showering I make my way to the tour company office just down the way. I dress intelligently. Although it is hot out, both the sun and the bugs are not your friends, so I wear my convertible pants and my lightweight long sleeve. I also bring my backpack with sunscreen, repellant, cameras and a few snacks.
The tour group is almost full, a group of about 30, we head off to our boat. Not a lot of English in this town (as should be expected), and everyone on the tour is from Colombia except for me and a Mexican lady. Our host doesn’t speak English as well, but I seem to understand about half of what he is saying so life is good!
We head out on the river shortly after 8am. About 20 km upriver we stop in some reed areas and shut off the engine. Shortly afterwards some grey river dolphins appear to our left. Moments later, pink river dolphins show up on the right (my side). We watch as they surface and then vanish again for about 15 minutes. Amazing to see, especially since the pink dolphins are becoming so rare. It seems that local indigenous groups, whom make their living often from fishing and supplying canneries with their fish, discovered that Amazon catfish are drawn to the dolphins blood and flesh. All you need to do is catch one, cut it open in a river pen and the catfish will swarm to it until the pen is full. Close the door and you have a huge haul. There used to be millions of these dolphins just a few years ago. Now they are endangered.
Stopping on an island about 30 kilometres from Leticia, we are no on Isla de los Micos. Yep…. Monkey Island. This is a reserve for monkeys with over 12000 of them on the island. As we walk down the path, a teenage girl screams and I see a cute little monkey has just jumped smack on top of her head. Just sitting there proudly while she panics. All I can say is that I am glad the first head jumped on wasnt mine because I would have seriously embarrassed myself with my man screams. Within seconds, monkeys are on almost everyone. Jumping on them and then just hanging out. Some monkeys had little monkeys on their back…. literally. Some people ended up with a pack of monkeys, maybe 10, all on them at the same time. I settled for one. I named him Cornelius (Im sure he already has a name but for the time he was my monkey). Cornelius hung out for a few minutes with me then took of to greener pastures when he saw someone with a banana.
Next we cruised further up river to a small restaurant/garden for lunch. The place was beautiful and safe, with raised piers running out to the boat so you could be safe from the Anacondas and crocs. During lunch a small sloth made her way into the patio area and then just did what sloths do, nothing. I have to say, sloths are right up there with penguins in my mind for how cool they are. Sloths define cool. They don’t have to even try hard to do anything, they are just naturally cool.
We re-board the vessel and head another 10km up river to a small puebla named Macedonia. The small village had kids swimming in the river as we pulled up (don’t really know if they were having fun or they are the unwanted children being used as bait. Who lets their kids swim in the amazon! I guess the Amazonians do). The people give us a traditional indiginous dance show, involving most of the visitors too (I managed to get my way out of this one). I buy a souvenir since it was actually made in the village. By this time I am starting to really enjoy the company of the people on the boat. I have a gay man from Pasto, Colombia (Ormand) who is either hitting on me or just extremely nice, or perhaps both. The lady from Mexico, who left her husband back at the hotel because he didn’t want to go on a boat. A lady with her daughter, whom I nicknamed Colombian Christine and Ryse. Mostly because of the lashes and lifts on the lady, but also because the interaction between the two was identical to Christine and Ryse, just in a totally different language. The people I ended up befriending the most though was Rafael and Angelica. Rafael was originally from Venezuela and has lived in a few countries, including spending time in Canada 30 years ago. He had some English, which was helpful and we communicated quite well. Angelica was totally awesome. She just seemed to love everything to do with animals. She probably had 8 monkeys on her at one time, and was about the only person who could pet them, grab their hands etc. They were a lot of fun to spend time with. We exchanged contacts so hopefully I will run into them again. The tour host, Yur, was also very good to me. Trying to make sure I was enjoying myself as the only non latino there.
Our last stop was Puerto Narino, 75 km up river from Leticia with a population of 1040 (give or take any children who may be swimming in the river since I left). This town is beautiful. Mostly an indigenous village, it has become popular with eco tourists. The town has no cars or motorcycles, and is accessible only by boat. They have a soccer field right next to the river. If you kicked too far to the side, ball gone (and that river has quite a current). Apparently once a week a town across the river in Peru and Puerto Narino have a match. Serious shit to the people here, and supposed to be something to watch. International football at it’s best.
Leaving Puerto Narino we see more dolphins. Bonus!! Then we make the 90 minute voyage back to Leticia. On the return, the skys darken and then let loose, Another Amazon rain storm. For some reason, the storm is quite beautiful, and even finishes off with a full 180 rainbow (other side of the boat, so no photo op).
Back in Leticia, it is just getting dark. I say goodbye to my new friends and to the guide, while tipping generously as he certainly provided a spectacular day. At the hotel, I realize that 50 SPF may not be good enough for gingers in the amazon, but since my cold seems to be gone, why not replace it with burning flesh.
Colombia Motorcycle Ride 