DAY 45. ARE THERE ANY CROCODILES AROUND?

Ants. All night I had ants running around all over me and exploring their new territory. They seemed to have migrated into the boat from the local reeds. Maybe they were doing their best to keep me awake and out of trouble. I think they managed to squeeze the last drop of compassion and kindness out of me that night. I will neither forget nor forgive their cruelty.

It is 5:20, and the first rays of sunrise are upon me. All the troubles of the night are gone, and my fatigue evaporates with the dawn of the day. Sometimes I feel like I am only travelling for the sake of these moments – sunrises and sunsets. The adventure, the familiarity, the experience – it is all great, but it is never good without the sun. The sun is what I miss most at home. For many times I tried getting up early and peering above the densely built houses at the first rays of the sun, but it was just not the thing I wanted. It was too artificial. It was an abomination to look at those grey panel buildings I could see from my window and those aggressive letters, symbols of supporting the war, stuck on some cars. I remember a song by the Russian hard rock band ‘Alisa’ – its name is ‘The Fool and the Sun’, and sometimes I feel like that very fool who travels in search of the sun.

I stopped by the local village of São Paulo and wanted to treat myself to something tasty, but the prices barely allowed me to buy farinha and some important little things. Everything is 2-3 times more expensive than it was in Peru! I bought some local cereal – it is finely milled and there are no big lumps in it. At least it will bring some variety to my diet.

The market at the settlement was a pleasant experience. I saw some huge fish and even one arapaima – a fish so big that it occupied a whole table! In Peru, for some reason, there was no such luxury available at the markets. There was also one small dead crocodile. When I asked how much its head cost, the owner was confused, and eventually sold it to me almost for free. In my opinion, its teeth would make excellent souvenirs for my friends and acquaintances.

I did not find a solar panel adapter in the village, although there are some modern motorbikes with a cigarette lighter installed, where one usually plugs in a player, and they would use a similar adapter. This is quite sad, as this is the largest settlement for hundreds of kilometres around. From now on, I will read no more books, just take photos of crocodiles if I see any and check my location with the GPS. I will recharge my phone in villages on the way whenever it is possible.

As I was preparing for my departure at the pier, I got acquainted with a man called Manuel and asked him my main burning question: where crocodiles live. Do they dwell in the lakes in this area? He replied that in this part of the river they can also be found in backwater ponds on the way. That is the type of places where I usually camp for the night. That is great news. Now I am bound to find my first crocodile.

I spent almost four hours in the sun and heat, cutting up the crocodile skull and pulling out the teeth. It was hard, to say the least. Its teeth are very sharp. Even dead, the crocodile managed to get me several times. It is a mighty reptile.

I finally tracked the colony of ants that kept me awake last night: they were hiding under the tent. Now they are gone, sent to explore the vast expanse of the river.

I made an amulet from the crocodile’s teeth as a souvenir for myself; it turned out to be very nice and symbolic. It consists of a chain given to me by a girl who gave me a lift in Argentina, a fishing swivel, two large crocodile fangs, some super glue and some Brazilian coffee for better adhesion.

I have decided not to wear it until I see a crocodile in its natural habitat. It is a self-imposed challenge for me. I have always loved all those teeth and claws in necklaces, but I think one cannot just put them on, there must be a story behind them. The story of my journey through South America and travelling down the Amazon is just that! If I come across a crocodile, I will wear the necklace with pride.

In the evening, I stopped for the night right on the water, as all the forests were flooded, and I had no choice. Fun fact: whenever I realise that I will be sleeping in an unsafe place, I experience a weird aftertaste of the Amazon water in my mouth – the water I spit out the night my boat nearly sank.

I caught two small catfish. I decided to use them as bait since I have not caught a big fish in a month! Somehow, I have never had the time, but now I see that locals are fishing the same way as they were on the Ucayali, and anzuelo traps work. Now it is my turn to try and succeed! Or at least I hope so.

Later, in the dark, I heard some powerful splashes near the tree where I had set my catfish hooks. That must be a fish! I untied my boat from the bush, forgot about my fishing rod and rushed towards the new trophy.

Imagine my disappointment when I saw that my catfish were being devoured by the very parasitic wormfish that Jonas had warned me about; this time they were much bigger. My bait was consumed almost entirely in a matter of minutes! Now I can relate to the hatred that locals bear for this fish.

29 May, ~67 (1864) km covered.