DAY 15. MY LUCKY STREAK

I set off from the bank in the thick fog to avoid the pesky mosquitoes and get down to cutting up my trophy as soon as possible. I checked my bag in the water – the huge catfish was still there. It was not a dream! I have never had to gut anything bigger than a pike in my life, so I will have to sweat a little.

It was easier than I thought. Within 30 minutes, the job was done. The machete came in handy. I do not know if I would have got through the big guy’s shell otherwise, because there was real armour on its back. I got a whole pot of fish! I decided to salt it and store it for the worse days ahead. I decided to boil the butchered skeleton with bits of flesh and the fat fins right away – and make a nourishing soup. It looks like today I will really be celebrating the halfway milestone to Iquitos!

I am about to reach Juancito. This is that village on the map where the river splits into two branches. I wonder how the current will change. Right now, I am watching the dolphins that accompany me and I am looking at the soup that boils and bubbles in the pot – with barely contained anticipation.

As soon as I took my soup off the burner, it thickened. It is very rich! I have never been a fan of fatty food, but after my diet of farinha and sugar – this really is a great dish! I am stuffed to the gills now and I stashed the leftovers in the hold. It is time to clean up and get ready to land in Juancito. There I will try to find some proper planks. Reeds are no good for long-term construction solutions.

In Juancito, I was given an incredibly warm welcome. I popped into a shop on the beach to buy some more farinha and sugar. Carlos, apparently the shop owner, wanted to talk to me. He offered me a soda as a gift without further question, but his generosity went farther than that. I asked if they had any unwanted wood scrapes and explained that I was adding a few more touches to my boat. Carlos said something to his shop assistant Juan – so rapidly that I did not understand it. The latter disappeared right away, and I invited Carlos to have a look at my canoe.

By the time we walked back to the pier from the shop, around fifteen people had gathered there already. Some kids were running around and gazing at the boat curiously, chattering with the adults who were not as determined. I took off the tent – I use it to cover the whole boat every time I disembark in a crowded place to protect myself from losing something valuable. Even the most modest residents came closer to see the outlandish structure.

I told Carlos and the others about my daily routine, about the canoe construction, where I slept and what I ate. They listened to my story with great enthusiasm. They especially appreciated the story about my last night’s fishing. That was when Juan returned carrying several long planks, clean and brand-new as if they had just come off the sawmill. Each plank was about three metres long. It looks like I am building a new bed today as well.

I threw the reeds that had been my bed for the last few weeks out of the boat and started sawing at the planks with my machete. Carlos made a gesture that meant ‘Wait a minute!’ And Juan did not just bring the saw – he and his helper Dimas began sawing the planks they had brought into pieces so that they matched the length of the reed sticks. The entire pier was covered in sawdust. That was truly magical. The men handed me the ready planks, and I used a machete to adjust them. Not an hour later, I had a new bed. It was a real flat bed! A bed without ant inhabitants. Oh, wow! And the magic did not stop there. We worked on together to make a lid for the bow compartment. It now keeps my belongings safe from water. I am delighted.

I took a farewell photo with Carlos and the other villagers – there were at least 20 people on the pier now. It was time to say goodbye.

I have no words to tell you how happy I am now. This is a lucky streak, no other way to put it! When my daily routine is improved and simplified in such harsh conditions, it frees up a lot of time and energy to just enjoy the journey and to appreciate the moment rather than to constantly dive into menial daily tasks. It lets you live rather than keep surviving.

Juancito is already far behind me, and I am still sitting there grinning like an idiot but I am just unable to stop. Even though I always remember that human kindness is all around us, the fact that complete strangers can be so eager to help… I cannot get used to this feeling. It is a crime to get used to this feeling and disregard it as something ordinary. People are incredible. Let’s appreciate people, let’s respect people, let’s help people. Now I am going to clean up the deck, put some motor oil on my feet again and just relax and savour this wonderful moment.

For the umpteenth time, I have noticed a giant millipede on board. It appears that the animal is adjusting to its new home. I thought it was about time I gave it a name. I have a friend who has been on many adventures with me; for example, we once rafted down the Big Kemchug River. The river was so ‘big’ that we had to paddle all the way down. That was quite an unforgettable experience! So, that friend of mine is called Egor. I hope he will not be offended that I am naming the millipede after him. After all, he likes a hearty meal too. Right, Egor? Let’s see how long the millipede stays with me. This is not a favourable environment.

While I was waiting for the medical glue to solidify on my fingers, I noticed that there were no ants on the boat anymore. That is amazing. Apparently, they all really lived in the reed stems that I was using as a bed. That is something novel, as usually there are whole colonies of them on the boat. They even have local feuds and clashes; I saw three species having a fight yesterday, and it was quite a sight. However, the spiders are still here.

It is very hot today; I even wish it rained a little. I hooked my boat to a floating island; there are even flowers on it. It is quite a treat for my eyes. The day is coming to an end, so it is time to look for a good place for the night. The sun has stopped burning everything around, its rays are just pleasantly warm now. What a nice day! I have also got plenty of food now.

It is at times like this that trouble strikes out. I was at hair’s width from some point of no return. I landed on a rather boggy bank and started to make my way along to more solid ground, sinking my boots into the mud every now and then. Suddenly, while I was cutting some reeds out of the way… a snake fell down right on me! Apparently, it was waiting for its prey in the branches, and here I was. It wasted no time and made a dash in my direction, but I had time to instinctively swing the machete in front of me. The snake assessed the danger and pulled back. Seeing that I was not pursuing it, it crawled away towards the river and hid in a bush in the water. I, meanwhile, was stuck knee-deep in mud, trying to get my boots out. My heart was pounding frantically, and adrenaline was rushing into my bloodstream. I had thought it would be an easy walk along the bank, I would quickly find a good place and do some fishing…

For a while I had a mind to find the snake and get rid of it, so I could safely spend the night here, but I gave up on that revenge plan. It was not the snake’s fault; it was my own fault. I have to be much more careful and remember that any lucky streak would end sooner or later, and sometimes I am only one awkward step away from my grave.

I went downstream and found another place to land for the night. I cannot help feeling that the snake is out there and will follow me. This is weird. I will not probably get rid of this irrational fear any time soon. My only comfort now is the warm sunset. A sight like this can relieve both pain and fatigue. Besides, I managed to catch a small sardine casting my fishing rod in the water just once – the small fish would make great bait. I put it on the hook and went to bed. That is about enough adventure for me today.

I woke up to something yanking the fishing line with my bait. I decided to play along and yank the dead fish up and down to imitate movement. Watching one of the predator’s throws, I saw a catfish’s barbells sticking out of the water. That must be another big catfish! Ah, I missed it! My attempts to catch anything continued for about an hour until the bait was yanked off the hook by some smaller fish. Well, it is no big deal.

I woke up in the middle of the night to someone crawling all over me. Lots of tiny creepy crawlers! I reached for my flashlight and switched it on. I could barely get my vision in focus. It is termites. There are hundreds of termites marching across my boat – from bow to stern! They are everywhere! Well, that is what one gets when they land on the bank. Anyway, I am exhausted. My eyes are closing against my will. I will sort it out in the morning.

29 April, ~40 (577) km covered.