The Sunflower: A Novel (19 page)

“Lions, tigers and bears, oh my!”

PAUL COOK’S DIARY

Not long after their departure from the Amaracayre, the rain stopped and the plastic sheeting was rolled up from the sides of the boat and strapped to the canopy. Three hours later the boat veered from the middle of the river to the east shore, edging up to a small embankment with stairs cut into the dirt. Several Peruvian men walked down as the boat approached, carrying a large cardboard box.

“This is where we leave the river,” Paul shouted back, moving toward the boat’s bow. “We have a short hike through the jungle. On the other side is Lake Huitoto. From there it’s forty-five minutes to Makisapa Lodge.”

The men reached the boat and pulled it tight to the shore, securing it with ropes. The cardboard box was lifted over the side of the boat and Paul opened it. It was full of rubber boots.

“Listen up. It’s the rainy season, so the trail’s submerged in places. We’re going to have to wear galoshes. Go ahead and put them on.”

The boots were passed down in pairs. Christine slipped off her shoes and slid her foot inside a boot. She quickly pulled it out. “I think something’s inside this one,” she said. She turned the boot upside down and cockroaches erupted from the boot in a thick stream. She screamed and dropped it, and the bugs disappeared in the boat’s grated flooring. Paul tried not to laugh but could not stop himself.

“It’s not funny,” she said, trying to sound mad.

“I know,” he said, still laughing. “I’m sorry.”

“I’m not putting those on.”

“Here,” Paul said, lifting her boots. He first shook them, stuck his hand inside, then handed them back to her. “There you go. Just be glad it wasn’t a tarantula.”

“Is that supposed to make me feel better?” she asked as she pulled them on.

Everyone found their bags and carried them up the bank. At the top of the ridge was a clearing with a shack perched on stilts. A dozen chickens roamed the grounds pecking at insects.

Gilberto began walking toward the forest and everyone followed. He stopped where the forest became denser and shadow fell over the trail. Paul came and stood next to him. “Okay, campers, this is where we hike through. Remember, this is the real thing. Stay alert. Don’t change places. Keep together. We keep two machetes in front and one in back.”

“Why two in front?” Mason asked.

“Because sometimes the first hiker only wakes the animal,” Paul replied.

Several in the group chuckled nervously.

“Follow your guides, keep to their footsteps. There are jaguar, puma, vipers, constrictors, wild boars and quicksand, among other ways to ruin your day. So be smart. I promised Jim I’d bring you back alive.” Paul took out his machete; then seeing how frightened everyone looked, he said, “Lions, tigers and bears, oh my!”

Everyone laughed.

“Okay, campers,
Vamos.”

Jaime and Gilberto led off, Marcos fell in to the middle, while Paul waited for the back of the line to pass him so he could bring up the rear. Christine stopped next to him. “I’m sticking with you.”

The path was well enough trodden that it was not difficult to follow, though it was mostly mud. In many places logs and thick roots fell or grew over the path, and it was crossed by an occasional streamlet. At one point the water was more than two feet deep and water spilled into the top of their boots. The thatch canopy above them grew thicker until it blocked most of the light.

“Cuidado con las anacondas,”
Gilberto shouted back.
“A ellas les gusta este tipo de agua.”

“Watch out for anaconda,” Paul said. “They love water like this.”

Christine said nothing but looked more anxious. Paul held out his machete. “Just stay close.”

The deeper into the forest they went, the less talking there was, the chatter replaced by the sounds of their steps and of unseen things moving in the foliage around them. At one point Paul stopped and crouched down next to a tree. “Look at this.” He ran his hand across four large gashes in the tree. “This is new. A jaguar was cleaning his claws.”

Christine glanced around. “Should we be nervous?”

Paul stood. “No. Jaguars usually attack solitary things.”

After about forty minutes the trail began to slope down slightly as the lake came into view. The trail ended in a steep embankment and below them were several canoes bobbing in the muddy green water.

As Gilberto descended the incline, there was a sudden splash as a startled crocodile fled into the water.

“What was that?” Christine asked.

“Nothing,” Paul said.

Gilberto gingerly stepped to the back of one canoe, then motioned for everyone to follow his lead. One by one they carefully filed into the boats, sitting on wooden planks two across. Christine sat near the front. A large spider suddenly ran across her leg and then Joan’s. Both women shrieked.

“They’re harmless,” Paul said calmly.

When everyone had boarded, the oars were distributed among them and they paddled off toward the southern end of the lake. The sun fell to the tree-rimmed horizon and the last spears of light sparkled in the water like liquid gold, then vanished, leaving the rippling water dark and menacing. Twilight was brief and the light faded quickly. The two boats stayed close together, moving forward against the dim silhouette of the trees. Nearly an hour later a faint electric light could be seen in the distance.

“Makisapa,” Marcos said.

“We’re here,” Paul said.

As they approached the camp, the muffled sound of an electric generator grew louder. The first canoe slid up to the dock and Jaime climbed out and tied the boat to a mooring. Suddenly a man wearing a white shirt and Levi’s appeared on the shore. Paul shouted out to him and the man walked down the dock’s wood planks. A monkey was wrapped around the top of his head, with its hands around his ears and its tail curled around his neck. “That’s Leonidas,” Paul said. “And his friend is our camp mascot, a baby makisapa monkey. Its name is Maruha.”

“It’s so cute,” Christine said.

Paul put down his oar and held out his hand to Leonidas, who pulled them in.

“Hermano,”
Paul said.

“Es un placer volver a verte.” It’s good to see you again.

“Es un gusto volver a verte. ¿Está lista la cena?” It’s good to see you too. Is dinner ready?

“Sí.”

When everyone was on the dock, they gathered their bags and walked to where a steep dirt stair had been cut into the side of the mountain. Gilberto and Leonidas led the group, holding their flashlights to light their steps. Lizards scampered up the dirt walls, and dark shadows jumped around the trees leading up the path. At the top of the rise the ground leveled off and they could see the whole of the camp. Oil lamps burned to light the path and several thatched-roof bungalows were visible.

Paul led them to the
comedor,
the largest of the structures, and the camp’s central gathering place. They went inside. The
comedor
had a kitchen and a spacious dining area. The tables were thick rounds sawed from a tree trunk and sanded smooth. The roof was thatched and the windows were open but covered with thick screens. The room smelled of tomato sauce and garlic.

“I’m sure you’re all hungry,” Paul said, “so get something to eat, then we’ll assign bungalows and go over a few rules.”

Leonidas’s wife, Rosana, was the camp’s cook. She had laid out two great pots of cooked spaghetti, and a large saucepan of spaghetti sauce. There was a basket of garlic bread and two whole watermelons, with cold spring water to drink.

The group lined up at the table, filling their plates to capacity. When everyone was seated and eating, Paul addressed the group.

“First, there’s plenty of food. So don’t be shy about seconds.”

“How about thirds,” Mason shouted. Everyone laughed.

“…or thirds. Welcome to Makisapa Lodge. Our stay is short but we’re going to have a lot of fun. For your own safety there are some rules you need to abide by.” Paul lifted a laminated sheet of paper. “Rule number one. Do not play with or tease any snake. If you find one near the lodge, let one of the staff know about it immediately. Be smart. The Amazon snakes tend to be more aggressive than snakes in North America, and most of them are venomous.”

“What do you mean by tease?” one of the teenage boys asked.

“Don’t try to catch or poke them or throw things at them.”

“Yeah, I was going to do that,” Joan said.

“Rule number two. If you leave the lodge area, do not go out alone and always have at least one machete with your group. You can get one from any of the staff. I repeat, never go out alone into the jungle. Especially at night. The vegetation is thick and it’s easy to get disoriented. You could get lost just thirty feet away from camp. And there are things out there you really don’t want to meet.”

A teenage girl raised her hand. “Do dangerous animals ever come into camp?”

“Sometimes. Earlier in the year Gilberto had a puma walk through the middle of camp. Fortunately they didn’t have any groups here at the time. In the unlikely event that you encounter a jaguar or puma, back off slowly but maintain eye contact with a dominant stare. Whatever you do,
do not
run. It triggers the chase instinct in them. And trust me, you can’t outrun one.”

He again looked at the list. “Rule number three. We’d prefer that you not swim in the lake. There are crocodiles along most of the shores. There are also piranhas, electric eels, leeches and anacondas. You’ve all filled out your liability release forms, so it’s your choice. But consider yourself warned. We’d like to have you come back with us, preferably in one piece.

“Rule number four. If you want to fish for piranhas, we have lead-coated fishing line, but have one of the staff remove the fish. Piranhas can bite even after they’re dead.

“Anything else?” He looked at the monkey on Jaime’s head, “Oh, yeah, rule number five, no monkeys allowed in the bungalows. They have a knack for destroying whatever they touch. Especially Maruha here; she loves to eat books. Any questions?”

Joan raised her hand. “Are we going to get out of here alive?”

“They haven’t lost anyone yet. But remember, this isn’t a theme park, it’s really a jungle out there. Err on the side of caution. You’ll notice that, unlike El Girasol, everything here is enclosed. Primarily for your own safety. You’ll hear all sorts of noises at night, mostly birds and insects, but larger animals as well. We are intruders in an active ecosystem and potentially a part of the food chain.

“This time of the year you need to be especially wary of the fleas and mosquitoes. One night I got more than one hundred and seventy bites. So in addition to your mosquito netting, be sure to use repellent and flea collars. If you forgot to bring repellent we have extra.”

Another hand went up. “What are we doing tomorrow?”

“Whatever you want. There’s an island right across from us that we’ll row out to in the morning and hike through. Mostly we’ll just relax. After working as hard as you have, I know most of you could use a little R and R. We have a saying here:
there are no clocks in the jungle.
We eat when we’re hungry, sleep when we’re tired and the
comedor
is always open.

“Okay, one more thing. Jim sent you a treat.” He reached behind the counter and brought out two brightly colored boxes. “Hostess Ding Dongs. One for each of you”

A loud cheer went up.

Paul handed one of the boxes to Gilberto, and they threw out a foil-wrapped cake to each person.

“Your bungalow assignments are on this sheet,” Paul said, holding a clipboard above his head. “When you finish eating, get your things and get settled in for the night. The generator goes off in two hours. If you have any questions, I’ll be here in the
comedor.”

Christine brought Paul a slice of watermelon.

“Thank you.”

“It’s very sweet,” she said, sitting next to him. “I love watermelon.”

“Me too.” Paul took a bite, wiping the corners of his mouth.

“What bungalow am I in?” Christine asked.

“You and Joan are in Guacamayo,” Paul said. “Turn right outside and follow the path to the second building.”