I wake up feeling like death and beg for our host, Marlene to see me in hopes that she can recommend a cure via some flowers or herbs. I remember the common succulent in the garden at the Jardin Botanico, that can be boiled into a tea and used to cure sore throats and wish I had some with me. Watching the KPU Amazon squad get into a van to go exploring leaves me with a twinge of abandonment but also a sense of relief of getting to relax and spend time by myself for the first time in 2 weeks. Marlene picks me up at the hotel and decides immediately that it is not something succulents can fix.
We arrive via tuc-tuc to a clinic where my vitals are taken (90 heart beats a minute, 110/70 blood pressure and a temperature of 36.5). Marlene waits 2 hours with me before we are finally able to see the doctor who turns out to be absolutely beautiful, wearing pink hello kitty scrubs and largely unconcerned about me. They retake my vitals (heart beat at a solid 99 - probably from being excited about the hello kitty) and nothing special to report.
Asking a series of questions, Marlene translates: "how long were you in Costa Rica? Did you visit a farm there? Were you using mosquito netting at night? What vaccinations do you have?" The doctor does the classic tongue depressor say "ahhhh" thing and quickly moves away from me. Marlene translates "you have spots on your throat and you are contagious. You are also developing slight bronchitis and it is good that you don't have a fever or they would quarantine you in Leticia to make sure you don't have something more serious." The doctor writes me 7 different prescriptions for my various ailments and others that may possibly arise. I feel overwhelmed and defeated, and just so extremely exhausted. Marlene drops me back off at the hotel, sending me to my room with my new face mask, which is mandatory by Colombia law to reduce the spread of diseases. "No air conditioning. No fans. No cold showers or swimming. Stick to cold food & drinks." I cut the AC and pout.
The group returns from their hike and they are full of energy and stories. We take our bags and head towards the docks of Leticia and I have two ice-creams on the way (doctors orders!!). Waiting by our boat is the notorious Elvis. I don't know him, but I've heard so much that I feel like I do. He welcomes us with a big smile and laughs with Marlene and Diego. We pile into a fast boat and head West, upriver, toward Calanoa.
I can't really explain the Amazon river. It is so vast that you feel like you are on a lake, but a moving lake - 5 km on the surface to be exact.
We pile out of the boat and are welcomed to a beautiful wooden sign that says "Calanoa". It is perfect. We head with our bags to the cabins and I am quarantined to the back of the upstairs where I won't be able to infect the others. But how do I get better without giving it away?? (Just kidding, I have anti-biotics) My little bed is pushed close to the window - the mattress sitting even with the ledge - and sitting there in the safety of my mosquito netting, looking out, it feels like I am floating in the jungle canopy.
I unpack and go exploring with Allyson to see the domain. Each building is beautiful and unique, surrounded by plants with boardwalk platforms leading to each unit. We go to the dining room which is an open air structure with tables and hammock chairs overlooking the river. Elvis takes a small group of us through the surrounding area and stops frequently to point at leaves, tree trunks and moving things. We see a tree called the Cannonball tree, which has perfect circular balls growing organically off the trunk. He explains that some species of monkey love to eat the ripe fruits. We pass leaf cutter ants and get to a huge clearing in the forest which looks man-made but Elvis explains that it is due to the high acidity of the ant dung that kills off surrounding flora and makes it impossible for new plants to grow there. Terrible! Ants can be just as destructive as humans and are even more industrious perhaps. Elvis points out wild cilantro, papaya, mint and stevia and lemongrass. We see "walking palms" which are palm trees with an above ground root system - designed to be successful in the Amazon and ensure they get their piece of sunshine. And finally, a huge tree with massive tapering buttresses which the natives use to communicate by hitting the side of the buttress with a flat, open palm or a stick that enables communication up to 3 km away.
Elvis tells us an incredible story about catching an anaconda by the head before releasing it back into the water, only to find it stalking him. Then another story about being on a boat with a Colombian filmmaker when a leopard swimming across the water doubled back when he saw the boat sitting stagnant, jumped aboard and tried eating all the passengers!! Just as we're heading out of the jungle, Elvis spots a poison dart frog. You can't help but be impressed by his ability to see things when even with him showing us exactly where it is with a laser pointer, we still have a hard time seeing it.
The micro hike really takes the energy out of me and I wouldn't say I'm feeling better, but definitely not feeling worse. I sit in the hammock chairs overlooking the river and watch the sunset while getting eaten alive by mosquitoes. It is a good reminder to take my malaria pills and Mozi-Q (a homeopathic solution for mosquito bites). Bon appetite mes amigos... After dinner, heading back to our cabin, we stop at the dock to see the stars, but instead, we see fireflies and the Amazon river illuminated by the full moon. As we're going to bed, the jungle is only starting to wake up and it is so alive, so wildly musical, that each time I fall asleep a new symphony of sounds starts. I reluctantly grab my ear plugs and fall asleep instantly.
