"The World's End"

Today I'm leaving for Antarctica for the next 2 weeks aboard the Ocean Diamond by Quark Expeditions. There will be no internet on the boat so I'm just warning you that there will be no blog posts for at least 2 weeks! Sorry guys!! :(
I've been in the town of Ushuaia  (the southern most town in the world) for the last 2 weeks, waiting for my ship to leave for Antarctica. They call this town "The end of the world". At first, I thought it was cute and quaint and I was having fun exploring it. But after a while, the novelty wears off.  I'm ready to pull my hair out from boredom!! I don't do well being stationary! So you can imagine how excited I am for this day to be here!
What makes this day so special is that it is the last of the 7 continents of the world that I will travel to. This is as successful of a day for me as a businessman getting a promotion to the top of the ladder.
I've finally made it!! It meant a lot of hard work and sacrifices, but it was all worth it.
I will be busy catching up on my blogs on the ship so I can post them once I get back to Internet land!
Until then!!

It's a jungle out there!

During our 4 day Amazon tour, we were acquainted with some of the tough locals who live along the Amazon. 
These people rely mostly on the medicinal properties of the jungle around them for their health care. If there are any major catastrophes, they are forced to travel many hours to a hospital, and even further for a larger hospital. 
It's not an easy existence out there. But this is the only way they know. 

Local family

Paharito, our guide, told us about a tribe that exists about 8 hours away by boat. The people of this tribe wish to have no contact with the outside world. They are modern day cavemen. Any outsider that enters their village is killed immediately. And it's happened more than once. Helicopters have flown over their community and they have launched spears at it.
They are as primitive as they come. They have no idea that television exists, let alone a helicopter. So can you imagine what was going through their heads when they saw a helicopter hovering in the sky??
They are happy with their lives in the jungle and want to be left alone. So, people leave them alone......most of the time.
The important thing is, we know that they are there. That's pretty cool to know that these kind of people exist in the world today. 
Throwing them into a city like L.A. would be something straight out of the movie "Encino man". Haha!

One day Paharito brought us to a local village to learn how to make bread from cassava, which is a root. 
First you pull the root out of the ground...

 Then you shred the root into small flakes...

Then squeeze out the excess water...

Then bake it on an open flame....

It tastes similar to a potato bread. 

Paharito had a sore on his leg. I watched as he took a scoop of the soft shredded cassava, slapped it on his leg and covered it with a plastic bag. He said it helps with the healing and the pain. 

Paharito was a master of making bird noises. He could distort his mouth in all sorts of peculiar ways to make some very believable animal sounds. He could mimic them to a T. 
He said that while growing up along the river, he would practice the noises everyday, out of boredom. It really paid off because it's helped him in his career! When we went trekking in the jungle, he made a monkey noise and the curious monkeys came closer. The noises that come out of his mouth are unbelievable.  

We also met a shaman (a medicine man) during a visit to one of the communities. He was dressed in traditional dress, looking very warrior-like with the paint on his face. 

He gave us a very lengthy explanation on how he became a medicine man. It's a family thing. His dad and grandpa were medicine men, and so is his son. He was born into it. To be completely honest, I don't believe these medicine men have any real powers. Just like I don't believe the witch doctor in Mexico that worked on me was real either. 
Ok, I'll come our and say it. I think they're phonies. 
The medicine man, happy to be getting $3 from each tourist, explained what he had to go through to become a medicine man. It entails drinking a hallucinogenic tea made from leaves. It's called ayahuasca. This way, they can cross over to the "other side". They can see entire villages from a birds eye view and see any danger lurking nearby. 
You know, hocus pocus stuff. 

He announced how he would be doing a cleansing on one of us that day. 
The group elected me to have the cleansing and I was super pumped about it. I love to experience different forms of medicine in other countries. It's very interesting to me. He chanted and ran some leaves over my back and shoulders. Then he ran his hand down my back and wipes his hands clean in the air to take away all the evilness. I was cleansed, even though I felt nothing different. Oh well.....

One more thing before I go. I have to warn you all about a fish that exists in the Amazon. This warning is for males only. Males who decide to pee in the river. There is a fish that is attracted to the ammonia and will swim up your penis. It only travels in a one-way direction, so once it's in, you will need surgery to remove it. It has a pretty nasty barb on the end of it's tail. Ouch!!
Consider yourself warned!!

The penis fish

The Amazon Jungle... at your own risk

As we all know, tarantulas aren't my favorite insect. I'm guessing they aren't yours either. I knew a rustic trip to the Amazon jungle of Ecuador would entail creepy crawly encounters, but I didn't let this deter me from seeing the largest river in the world. Technically, the Nile river is the longest river in the world, beating the Amazon by only a schmidge. The Amazon, however, contains more water than the Nile. 

Getting to the Amazon itself requires quite a bit of effort. We left from Quito on an eight hour overnight bus to the small town of Lago Agrio. From there, we had to take another 2 hour van ride to the river itself. THEN we took a 2 hour boat ride to the little resort we would be staying at for 4 days. 
Don't think for even a minute that by the word "resort" I mean luxury. It was anything but. Think of a bunch of pieces of wood thrown together to form a shack. Add a cold water shower, lots of insects and a mosquito net that smells like urine and you will have our resort. There was absolutely no electricity. Candles and flashlights lit our way after the sun disappeared. 

The workers told us we might see tarantulas in the straw ceiling but not to worry because that's where they lived. Sure enough, the furry little guys were up there. We shared our home with the tarantulas, or vise versa. 
While driving the 2 hours by motor boat to our resort, I was mesmerized by this river. It felt so exotic. I had dreamed about seeing this river for many years. Tall green trees with hanging vines lined the way as we navigated the muddy brown, windey river. 
During the day, the sun came out and tempted to give us sunburns if we left any skin exposed.  
There were 5 other tourists in our group. Together, we would pile in the wooden boat and be taken to some remote place along the river to explore each day. We spotted lots of beautiful creatures in the trees and water. I saw the most vividly bright colored feathers I've ever seen on a bird. There were actually 3 macaws in a tree. As they stretched their wing to fly, I was dazzled by their bright blue, yellow and red feathers. They communicated by screeching at each other across the tree tops. 
Our boat sliced through waters where anacondas, crocodiles and pirañas lurked. 
We saw a baby anaconda, but other groups reported seeing an anaconda the size of a bus in the water, with a big lump in his tummy. Wonder what he ate??

Our guide's name was Paharito. He was an experienced Amazon man. One day he took Dinh and I hiking into the jungle. We walked quietly behind Paharito as he searched for wildlife and pointed out medicinal plants. We saw a latex tree and a tree that contained a special oil that makes your hair grow long and luxurious. Apparently it's not for sale, so only the ladies living along the Amazon have the privilege of having nice hair. I'm jealous. 

Paharito

He pointed out other medicinal trees as we explored the thick lush forest. It was so neat to see where some of the medicines I administer as a nurse come from. 
We heard rustling trees overhead as monkeys made their way over the tree tops. The canopy above us seemed to be at least 20 stories high. 
As we traversed through the sometimes muddy floor of the jungle, my bright yellow rubber boots would periodically get swallowed up. I wondered how I would make a quick getaway from any predators with this issue. I asked Paharito what would happen if we stumbled upon a hungry anaconda. He said we would definitely be eaten. My stomach turned as I thought of the feeling of being squeezed to death. Yikes.

He said that people assume anacondas are slow moving animals, but they are actually quick. Then he told us a story that sent shivers up my spine. One night while everyone was eating supper at the lodge, they heard a loud commotion in the river. Everyone ran with their flashlights to the edge of the river. The group witnessed a spectacular battle between a 10 foot crocodile and an equally large anaconda. They are both at the top of food chain, so it's 50/50 who would win the fight. That night, the crocodile lost and was squeezed and swallowed up by the massive snake. What an entertaining show for those tourists!!! Can you imagine??!!

One night we took a 2 hour hike through the jungle. We nearly stepped on a poisonous snake and I almost ran directly into a spider the size of my hand. 
Gives me the shivers just thinking about it. 
So many times during the 4 days I thought, "this is so unsafe, why are we doing this?" BUT, it is Ecuador, and you also sign a waiver before you leave Quito. Things can and will go wrong at some point. It's very adventurous. It's not for prissy girls. 
If you get seriously injured, you're screwed because any hospital is several hours away. Did I mention it's a small Amazon-y hospital? Something we wouldn't even call a hospital in the US. It would be condemned. You won't find any level 1 trama ER's here. 
Any kind of head injury and you're a goner. 
Although Dinh and I can really rough it, we were both missing civilization. The hot, sticky, wilderness lifestyle was not for us. I can take it for a short while, but then this western woman needs her creature comforts. 

Where's my blow dryer?

Another story Paharito told us: he had a group of tourists in a boat and suddenly a gigantic crocodile started stalking the boat. Before they knew what was happening, the crocodile jumped into the boat and bit a chunk out of the other guide's leg. All the tourists panicked and started crying. Needless to say, they all left the tour early. 
As you can see, it can be scary business out in the Amazon. You're in a third world country in the wild. Things can go wrong real quick. And that's why they make you sign the waiver form!!! Hehe

That eerie feeling in the water

Surfing was on our "to do" list for the Galapagos, by Dinh's choosing. He's like someone without their morning coffee when he doesn't surf. We found a tranquil beach with a good wave. It was so beautiful, it was almost unreal. As I was on the beach taking pictures of Dinh surfing, I watched him keenly. What happened next was something out of a movie. 

 It happened in slow motion, like most unbelievable life moments do. The water was brilliantly clear blue. A big wave came curling up perfectly. I watched as Dinh floated gracefully over it. 

Directly to the left of him I saw a dark object nestled in the light blue wave. My eyes focused and I see the body, then the fin. 
A SHARK!!!! 
It was plain as day to see. 
My eyes lurched out of my head and for a second. I was in denial. 
Reality hit me quickly and I started screaming as loud as I could to Dinh. 
"DIIINNNH!!!"
I strained my vocal cords and took another deep breath. "DIIIINNNNNNHH!!!!!!"
My shouts were drowned out by the roaring waves. It was no use. 
I closed my eyes, knowing what was sure to happen next. The shark was headed straight toward Dinh. 
I didn't see any chaotic movements on his part. No blood in the water either. My heart beat fast and my anxiety level was sky high. I paced anxiously on the beach. 
Dinh caught a few waves and paddled in early. 

I was still shaking as I told him about the shark. He told me he had just seen him when he paddled in early. I felt relieved to have Dinh in one piece. 
The shark didn't have Dinh on the menu that day. 
The waters of the Galapagos are chalk full of sharks. 
A few days later, I fought my fear as I paddled out to surf myself. I got the eebie jeebies as I floated in the beautifully blue waters. There was a lull in the waves and I felt trapped out there. I had no escape if I saw a shark. 

I would have to paddle frantically, hoping he didn't bite my arms off. Finally a wave came and I surfed it in to shore. I didn't go back out, I had already pressed my luck that day. 

scared

When I'm in the water, I can always sense if there is a shark nearby. Believe it or not. It's an eerie feeling and it sends me into panic mode. You have to have a little talk with yourself sometimes. It's a mind game.

looking for sharks

I felt it the strongest while surfing in Hawaii. I was paddling in deep dark waters. No one was close by. I paddled as efficiently as I could, making sure each stroke count. I didn't want to be lunch for a shark. It's one of the worst feelings to have a big unknown world under you. Something lurking below, looking up and perhaps mistaking you for a seal. 
Eeeekkk!!
I live another day!!!

Bahia Tortuga, am I dreaming?

I've discovered a beach in the Galapagos. A beach so idyllic it will hurt your eyes. It's easily one of the top 5 beaches I've ever seen in this lifetime. It's located on Santa Cruz island, in the main town of Puerto Ayora. 
You have to really want to go to this beach, since it requires a 30 minute walk (one-way) to reach it. But don't worry, a nice cobblestone path leads the way. 

 On the journey to the beach, you can spot iguanas and some pretty fancy looking birds. They don't seem to be the least bit afraid of you either. That's the thing about the Galapagos, the animals are so friendly. 

As you're walking the path, you have no idea what you're about to experience. For the last few steps, you catch a glimpse of the dreamy beach. It stopped me dead in my tracks. 
"Wow!", were the only words that could leave my lips.
The talc-like sand was blinding white and the water was such a pretty clear blue. 
A true paradise. 

You won't find a scrap of trash on this beach, but you will find plenty of black iguanas casually waddling around. There was a park ranger standing guard, making sure no one got too close to the ugly little guys. Honestly, they're very homely-looking creatures. Being aquatic reptiles, they would spontaneously take a little dip in the water.  

It was so neat to watch these reptile residents take a stroll on their beach. We were the guests and fully respected their space. 
Another 30 minute walk will bring you to a calm lagoon where you can frolic like you used to as a kid. 
This place creates a certain happiness. If you show up in a bad mood, you will most definitely leave in a good mood. 

Happy happy happy

I kicked off my sandals and felt the soft, warm sand against the soles of my feet, then ran into the see-through water, splashing the cool water on my hot skin. Aaahhhhh!! 
Don't forget the sunscreen!
This place makes you act a little silly. You won't be able to wipe the smile off your face. That's a good thing. 

We liked this beach so much, we visited it twice while we were in the Galapagos. We couldn't get our fill. The second time we ended up surfing. No sharks at this beach! (None that we saw anyways). 
I'm going to rate this as the #2 most beautiful beach in the world. The only reason it doesn't take the #1 spot is because there are no palm trees, just lava rocks on the shores. But it does have the aquatic iguanas going for it. My #1 pick for the most beautiful beach is Lanikai beach on Oahu, Hawaii. It has the same blue water and white sugar sand, but also has the palm trees and little islands (the mokes) in the water going for it. My sister got married on this beach, and possibly I will too??

Bahia Tortuga