Tuesday, February 9, 2010

Back on the Amazon

We left Phoenix on Friday, Feb 5, after a 4.5 hour delay for mechanical problems we were on our way to Atlanta. We knew we would probably miss our Brazil flight and we did. Delta put us up in a motel and we flew out the next night at 10pm.

After a short 6 hour flight we landed in Manaus, Brazil. It was 5am. It took us and hour or so to get through customs and collect our luggage. When we walked through the door Cindy & Phil were standing there with big smiles. They were starting to wonder....we were some of the last ones on our plane.

Phil & Cindy had hired a taxi to take our 4 trunks to the boat about an hour drive away. We rode with P&C in a small car they had barrowed from a fellow missionary on furlough in the states. Their son , Jeremy, was waiting for us at the river (Amazon river) with a little 16ft aluminum speed boat. It was pourrrring rain. I am sure we were quite a site flying down the river. We had covered everything as much as we could with a blue tarp and black plastic. The 5 of us all had some rain gear on (ponchos, rain jackets) and were holding umbrellas over us or in front of us, anywhere to keep the most rain off.

I was so tired from being awake all night that I just closed my eyes and prayed that I would not let go of the umbrella if I went to sleep. Just 30 minutes on the river and we were pulling up to the dock. They just left our trunks in the boat and loaded it onto a boat trailer. Soon they were pulling up to the back door with a tractor pulling the boat loaded with all our stuff.
It is quite a hike up the river bank and I was not looking forward to hauling everything up. Fred and I did good to get ourselves up that bank.

4 comments:

Sodak Girl said...

Sounds like you're on another great adventure! Soak up that sunshine and fresh fruit. Love you!

Unknown said...

YEAH!!! Blogs from Brazil!!! Thanks for letting us know you got there!!

Love Us! said...

Hello friends,
I just caught up with you on your blog. So fun to read your entry and experience the arrival with you in my mind. I could hear the sounds, smell the Brazil air, feel the rain, see the river. How blessed I am to have been there once with you. I hope you have caught up on your rest a bit - I could feel the fatigue, too. We are back in the states with a better chance at using email. We had a marvelous time - who wouldn't! Please give Phil and Cindy our love. Would sure love to see them. Chuck says Phil and Fred need to knock you girls' socks off at whatever game you play this evening. I'm rooting for you girls!
Love, Laurel

HereBeDragons said...

Whew! That Amazon River Basin is a rainy place! I guess that's why they call it the rain forest. ;-)