But you’ll never forget it!

After lunch, it was nap time.  Cas isn’t much of a napper, but he gave it a shot today.  We both flopped on a mattress and stood up 30 minutes later, and that was perfect.  That put us just in time to get dressed and ready for our trip to visit the Yagua people.  They are the indigenous tribe of the Peruvian Amazon, and they were all decked out in traditional tribal attire.  We went from the boat to their communal meeting space where we saw a demonstration of how a traditional Yagua beverage is made, how they make blow-dart-launching tubes and how they dance and celebrate.  We were instructed that, after they danced once, we’d be expected to dance with them.  Who am I to decline?  Especially when the boy who asked me to dance was about the cutest grass-skirt-wearing six or seven year old there.  Mini indigenous Fred Astaire.  

From there, we went to see a demonstration of blow-dart hunting, and Cas got to give it a go.  He was pretty good.  There’s a video in the ol’ photo album, if you want to have a look.  He hit the mark.  If we had to rely on Cas to hunt up some dinner with a blow dart, we’d be just fine.  For extra fun, we each got a chance to hang on to a sloth, as well.  

First time for everything, I guess.  The Yagua village was pretty interesting, and just about when it was time to leave, the rainforest started raining.  Who didn’t see that coming, right?  We stood under a few of the Yagua’s thatched roof shelters for a bit and marveled at the efficiency of the leaf-built roofs at keeping the rain away, then we all decided to go ahead and brave the rain to get back to our lodge.  Wow, we got wet.  The boat ride back was really fast, and probobly only took about 15 minutes, but it sure felt longer.  When the boat unloaded, everyone shuffled back to their respective rooms to spend the two hours between our return and our dinner drying off.  I know I won’t be forgetting that ride anytime soon.  I doubt anyone else will, either.  Cas and I are morning shower enthusiasts but we made an exception today.  A shower in the middle of a jungle is magical.  I can’t explain it any better than that.  

We met the group for dinner and that just wrapped up.  There was supposed to be an optional after-dark hike today, but the ground is too slippery for walking about in the dark, and nobody has dry things they’d wear on a hike at the moment, so that went out the window.  Good enough, if you ask me.  We have a big adventure at something called the Canopy Walkway tomorrow and a visit after lunch with a tribal shaman who knows how to make lots of different medicines from different things in the jungle.  Get your orders in now if you want a cure for something, and I will ask the shaman!  In the meantime, check out Our Photo Album.