Jungle Times

“A wise man desires nothing; he does not judge, he makes no plans, he keeps his mind open and his heart at peace.” –Isabel Allende

Misi, my cat, is gone. My host nephew told me he last saw him going over to Granpa’s house and quote ‘He eats everything that goes to his house.’ I can’t say if he was killed, kidnapped or eaten but what I do know is that he is gone.

Sometimes the things that happen around me are surreal. Especially, for a city girl from southern California.

The other day Frijol and I headed to the river to indulge ourselves in the game that has become the quite phenomenon for Frijol and the rest of the community; throwing rocks in the river, and Frijol trying to fetch them. Don’t worry I’m slowly replacing the rocks with sticks so that the swim is more rewarding. This time Alvaro, a fourteen-year-old boy from my community, was trying to tame a pony and decided to follow me to the river. He proceeded to ride the reluctant pony into the river, battle with him for 20 minutes, meanwhile the kids cant believe that a dog will retrieve anything and want a dog just like mine, then I see Alvaro on a rock with the pony next to the rock resting. One, I can’t believe that a boy would be so fearless to get in the water and do that with a pony. Two, I know this boy and he is scared of the dark. It was such a rewarding 30 minutes.

In my journal, I’m beginning to write one line sentences to help me remember certain events, so I thought I would share:

Collecting clay from the cliffs…
Hugging Jacob and Valeria…
Looking for chonta curo…
Falling in the mud…
Playing with puppies…
Holding a sick puppy…
Playing with Rumi…
Tickling Ruth…
Being watched…
Listening to Rumi ramble and not understanding…
Working and listening to music…
Eating cacao with Dona Wilda…
Watching Dona Wilda climb a cacao tree…
Rainy days…
Playing cards with Marlon…
Walks with Frijol…
Frijol biting me as I play soccer…
Slipping in the mud while playing soccer…
Walking back from Chincha Yaku…
Showering outside at night with five other people…
Hearing horses’ fight at night…
Listening to the “night bird”…
Warming up by the fire…
Hungry faces…
Curious faces…
Smiling faces…
Singing a song…
Walking 4 hours and fifteen minutes from 11 pm to almost 4am trying to get home…
Fishing for carachama…
Feeling cold after the rain…
Smelling the rain before it gets there…
Ridding in a canoe…
Tipping over in a canoe…
Frijol swimming next to the canoe…
Becoming a godmother, again…
Wanting to hug Adrianna…
Missing home….