Imagine flying low over mountains covered with jungle. As you fly lower, you see a shaved strip of green going right up to the river’s edge. That’s where we were headed and after one big circle around, our pilot landed us smooth as could be and turned and parked by an open wooden structure with people of all ages spilling out everywhere. It’s a big deal when the plane lands and they’re out to see who’s stepping off.
We head up to Karawari lodge and once again, we are the only two guests. Love the service. Once we settled in, our daily routine was pretty much the same. We’d board the boat after breakfast (a boat built to hold 10 0r 12) visit a village, enjoy lunch in a small inlet,
another village and then back to the resort to rest after such a taxing day. It was a steep uphill climb from the dock to the lodge, so we’d crawl into the back (watch your head and back!) of a seriously old, rusted out 4-wheeler, with cardboard laid over the bench seats so there’d actually be seats. Had to laugh; it was all part of the whole.
One of the first villages we visited was the home of our guide, Chris, who we really enjoyed. We visited the large family house, with cooking done in one corner and the families of 3 brothers sleeping there together:
They also laid out craft work, which they called their market, so we could peruse and consider. I picked up a small crocodile skull, complete with teeth, for my (6 year-old) pal Espen.
The ride up – or down – the river was so pleasurable Quiet, still as glass, and the jungle on each side filled with life. Sometimes we’d pass a muddy bank with 6 or more smaller canoes. Chris informed us that was the location of a school, and that’s how the students managed their own transportation. We passed people of all ages in their canoes; most of the time fishing, but sometimes going from one part of the village to another. Children would occasionally paddle out to us quickly because they wanted to surf the wake, which was fun. Or they’d scramble up onto the branch of a tree hanging over the water and then fly in with laughter.
We always waved to everyone we saw, and they returned in kind. One of my more heartfelt moments was waving to about 4 adults on the bank and my eyes locked with those of a woman. She waved back to me. Then I interlocked my thumbs and flapped my hands like a bird and she did the same. Then I held out both of my arms toward her, like I was going for a hug, and she did the same. The energy flow was there and meaningful. Spontaneous moments of connection with humanity. We are all the same and curious, loving and mirthful at our foundation.
