Into the Jungle
Part two: All aboard
The port was bustling with people waiting to board the vessel and crew members busy with restocking rations.
So, we decided to make good use of our time and take a detour and visit the local footwear store. We were going to tread on muddy soil in the forest, which wasn’t a good fit for the shoes we had with us. So, we had to buy sandals.
After we had everything we needed we returned on time to board the vessel. By vessel I mean it was a two-storied mini-ship. I think there were 12 separate rooms for passengers and the roof had arrangements for sightseeing and relaxing under the shade. The room I got was on the lower deck and it had bunk beds! (I always wanted to sleep on bunk beds!)
By the time everyone boarded the vessel it was inching closer to midnight. It was getting really cold and foggy as the night progressed. So it became really hard to keep up standing and watch the surroundings from the roof.
But there was this old crew member. He was telling stories of his past voyages across this deadly but beautiful mangrove forest. A lot of the guys huddled around him to listen to his stories. There was a lot of excitement in the atmosphere.
(That reminded me of the old sailor from the poem "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner" by Samuel Taylor Coleridge; telling stories of his past voyage to passersby )
But there wasn't even a bit of sleep in anyone's eyes. We were so excited to know what was ahead of us that we couldn't sleep. But when you travel hundreds of kilometers in a single day with very little rest, even all that excitement isn't enough to keep you awake. So, I fell asleep in my bed the minute I closed my eyes.
I was quite early in the morning the next day. I got out of bed and went directly to the roof to get a good look at where we were at that time. But the fog was too dense to let me see no more than a few inches from the vessel.
The deck below the roof had a little patio with a few chairs. I sat there for a while and watched the vessel guide itself through the dense fog and I could only hear the murmur of the waves. It felt like a realm of mystery and we were lost in it.
But as the day moved on the mist disappeared. And We could see the jungle on both sides of the river. We were on the lookout for saltwater crocodiles and river dolphins.
Freshwater crocodiles are extinct from these waters. However, you may find saltwater crocodiles that are rare to be seen but the river dolphins are not that hard to find.
Dolphins popped up now and then around the vessel and they were a thing of beauty. They surfaced for a bit and dipped into the water the next moment.
After a while, we all were called to the roof for breakfast and it was surely a treat. We were served hot hotchpotch and fried aubergine (🍆).
(Note: If you never tried this out before, you are missing out on something amazing)
Indulging a delicious breakfast in the middle of the river shrouded by the jungle was something unique for all of us.
We were having an amazing time, I thought, can it get better than this? Well, the jungle was ready to prove us wrong in the coming days. And we were not prepared for what was awaiting us!
