Cottage near the river

Far away from the village, on the river lives a family. Dad caught minnows in the morning and works in a small field, the mother prepares a meal. Children have a year-round vacation - a favorite pastime is swimming in a small river. They are not afraid of piranhas and other creatures. In the afternoon we all are resting lounging on hammocks. Parents read, meditate, children learn letters and play. You do not need to wash the windows, because they do not exist. Toilets not cleaned, because you won't find it at home - in the area is a lot of trees. It is so warm that children do not have to dress up specially, not to mention wearing shoes. Just sweep the floor and behind. You do not even have to bend down the scoop, because in the floor is a small hole, which sweeps everything. There eagerly awaiting chickens that eat everything that chute. Bones and larger pieces of food is thrown away through the "window", where are waiting dogs. Live not to die :).

Kite

Wow! Finally something sweet! Residents will also grow sugar cane to sweeten his life a little bit :). When dad brings some cane all the children line up - everyone gets a piece of the teeth squeezed juice. Adults are waiting for a juice in a cup. A simple wooden device that makes the juice is squeezed to the last drop. Yum :)

Shopping trip

Early in the morning men go shopping - waiting for them nets full of the fish :). In the evening they left there  nets for all night long. Jarek had the opportunity to fish with a rod. You have to be very fast, because the place where he was fishinng with a rod was full of fish becouse our friend left under the water boiled yucca for night and fish they love it. Even later, I managed to pull a few fish.

Juka

Yucca in the jungle is the main dish, as in our bread or potatoes. In total, it tastes like potatoes and fits well with the fish. There is not growing here, rice, corn, so you have to somehow manage to fill their bellies. Residents grub up some jungle and soot yucca. You can eat only what grows in the ground. To introduce some variety, rather than cook, sometimes barbeques. It's getting out of kind of crisps. For me, they were a little too hard and tasteless. I was told that taste better with milk. But there is nowhere to milk! Kids eat those puffs with warm water with such zeal as our children chocolate cereal with milk :)

Nights in a house on stilts

Not only did we sleep in a wooden house with lots of slots, it's still on the floor, through which can pass all the worms. We spread our sleeping bags and cover with a sheet. Fortunately, we have a mosquito net, because as soon as we turned on the flashlight inside, had come to her a lot of mosquitoes. It's hard to sleep on rough planks with protruding nails. However, when I was very tired, even walking rats and cockroaches so do not bother. Every day so much going on that evening we fall like flies :).

Vanilla is a "monte"?

We think that we are in the wilderness. For natives, it seems that the wilderness is somewhere else.

For us mere arrival to Iquitos - city in the middle of the jungle was exotic. But it was only when we were going to Indiana town, just 2 hours away (swimming with the tide). Iquitos residents told us that there is a "monte" or the wilderness and need to be more careful with danger. The people from the Indiana told us that it is not yet monte, monte will be in the Vanilli - additional 4 hours away. In fact, there was less of civilization, no current (or 3 hours) no motocars and shops.

Going to the service with one of  the resident Vanilli, Daniela 15 minutes on the path from her house surrounded by various type of trees, hearing strange noises, I ask her if we can meet here alligators and anacondas. Daniel says no. They can be found only in the "monte". This is where we end it?
 I came to the conclusion that the wilderness is everywhere here. Just the animals flee from the people, and where there are houses, disappearing animals. As Daniel said, if an alligator  came here it was soon to be eaten here - for us :)

In the basin of Amazon

Journey into the unknown that is, to the village of Vanilla. Vanilla is situated by the river, which is the Amazon basin. Four hours by boat laden with even more than before. In this page are riding with us various products, which can not be found in the jungle such as breads, cans, drinks, wardrobe, and even huge chunks of ice - is something special in this place. Where there is no electricity, of course, will not be usable fridge, so you can forget about ice and ice cream. The ice will be used for cover the fish to sell to not be spoiled. Once we go in the rain, once in the bright sun. At the some moment we go into a narrow creek of the river is also called vanilla. Already getting dark, unknown to us at the edge of the animals seem strange noises. We are curious about what awaits us there. 

Coco

Jarek's favorites drinks in the jungle are coconut water and refresko of cocoons. If do you break yourself coconut with machete and you will open it, the taste is even better. Precipitation  coconuts went pretty smoothly. It took a little large cut pieces with a machete. We were shocked  how quickly natives they do it :)

After two hours of walking, and talking to people on a hot day, when we were so thirsy, it was a real delight and refreshment - only the glass was a little hard :). 

Piranhas and other fish

The river is full of all sorts of fish. Most tastes good if have no bones. When we were served once the fish sauce, after eating a few pieces I asked "It's not a chicken?".

Piranha simply tastes. Ridiculously close to her face, when its fry. Worse find her alive. We bathe in the river, because they all say that we do not have to worry. However, from time to time we hear the story that someone did something. Our friend was fishing at night. He caught so much fish that he began to sink with his boat, so he jumped out. Suddenly piranha cut his hand, he left everything to find coast as soon as possible. However, and so on do not you ask someone to tell you that they are not dangerous and can safely swim :).

Atardecer

Few of our friends in Indiana has a TV at home, even if it is outside is much nicer than at home. Thus the slogan "atardecer" - sunset big group going to the nearby beautiful town to walk. Views on long remain in our memory.

Bathing in the Amazon

We couldn't miss that. First, what Jarek asked after arriving to Indiana is where is the beach. This beach wasn't here, but swimmingplace pretty good. Each month, it looks different, because during the year the water rises and falls a few, and in some years a few yards. For this brown water - as coffee latte. By entering, you can only imagine that the flow near you piranhas and other fish. You hope that there is no alligators and anacondas around, because it's populated area.The river is brown, but that's only because the land here is loam. Sure garbage flowing down from the mountains or somewhere others places, but we do not think about it. The mud is like a mask on your skin - use the max with Amazon SPA. This allows us to be conformed to the natives a little :).

Anona

Oranges and limes - this is probably the only fruit that is eaten, in this jungle and in the Poland. We were not able to remember the names of fruits that we ate. Even bananas here have various name - they are such tiny, sweet or large, green, hard - for cooking or frying, perfectly matching the fried fish. At the market sold fruits such as Mangue (like mango), uvia (similar to grapes but much larger), papaya, and the rest I do not remember. Some of us really surprised. Following in the path of Lorena see before me dry thick stalk - I wanted to kick him to not fall over it. Suddenly I see Lorena raises and opens it, and all around great seed is delicious white sweet edible. Another sweet fruit also impressed us with its taste, but then we could not open his mouth - everything sticks together :)
Mi liked the Anona - when you opens it, looks like the original bowl, served ice cream with whipped cream, and the flavor is sweet and delicate pudding sour - yum :) Well, good that Jarek likes to climb on the trees - because such a pleasure only for those who can sever this fruits :)

Another world

We had a chance for two weeks to live in another world, almost like a paradise. Life flows slowly here, people do not have many needs. Fish fry, boil bananas, yucca, rice, and the rest of the day enjoying the hammocks, play with the children and walking. It was amazing to hear how pretty strange people say to each other hermanito (little brother), hermanita (little sister). We were able to feel completely safe here, people showed us a lot of warmth. When we asked for something, explained in detail, gave fruit, gave shelter in the rain, and much much more. 

Travel to Indiana

It was a very exciting journey and a bit stressful. At the beginning we had to go through the port of Iquitos, where he awaits a lot of thieves, looking if you have something on top. Later, a few people who will give you his boat saying it is better or cheaper. We swim 2-3 hours Amazon. We have heard that many boats were sunk in the past with the crew. We finally decide to go. We pay only 7 sol, but sitting on sacks of potatoes, going with the whole pile all sorts of things, and a multitude of people. It seems to us that you can not push pins, and there still reach new people. The floor a little wet inside, but sitting close to several life vests that are here so do not be afraid :). The owner assures us that everything is OK We're going into the jungle :)