Paradise Found

I got back yesterday from the Pacific coast. It was amazing. It was beaches, jungle, waterfalls, butterflies, fifteen pelicans flying sinlge file along the top of the waves, phosphorescent plankton creating miniature galaxies in the night water, a fisherman singing to a seagull perched upon his wooden boat, mud like quicksand, rain, fresh fish every day, a riverbed lined with smooth white rocks like a path through someone´s garden, reading with a flashlight under a mosquito net, the army camped out in tents along the shore, more rain, and clothes that never dry.

Carolina, her sister Carmenza, and I flew in a small plane to Nuqui, and then traveled by boat to their brother´s place, Pijiba Lodge. The lodge has a main house and several small cabanas, and at capacity, holds about 20 guests. Since we were visiting on the family discount (for free), we slept in the balcony in the main house above the kitchen. The other tourists were all Colombian, either from Medellin or Bogota, and because everyone eats together and forms small groups to take day trips, it´s easy to form friendships with the other guests. During the week, I bathed in a natural hot spring, went fishing and caught an albacore tuna, took a trip up one of the jungle rivers, and did a lot of swimming and hiking. Unfortunately, I don´t think the pictures really do the place justice- with all of the rain, boat rides, and treacherous terrain, I left my camera behind most of the time for fear of ruining it. Here are some I was able to take:

The initial boat ride over and the lodge (hard to see because of the trees):

Me, looking a like a big nerd, on the beach:

Boat ride up the River Jobi:

More jungle and a local town:

Hanging out at Pijiba (That´s Caro´s brother Gonzalo, our host, in the first picture):

And lastly, my attempt at taking an artistic photo: