On the Amazon

We are actually in the Sacred Valley for a day to acclimatize ourselves to the high elevations we will find at Machu Picchu. The Silver Fox and I came off  the river last night, and while our memories of the mud and heat we encountered will fade, those of the river and indigenous people who shared their homes and villages with us will be with us forever. A favorite memory will be the visit to a small community that had never encountered tourists before. One of our boatsmen had heard of the village and we planned to deliver books and crayons and a goodly supply of pencils to the village school When the children and women saw us they were alarmed and backed away from us. Their only other encounter with white people had been with missionaries and the visit had not gone well. The river people are nominally Catholic but their is a strong streak of animism in their beliefs and evangelical efforts were not appreciated. Our guides calmed them and the visit was the highlight of the time we spent on the river. I wish you could have been with us. We have hundreds of photos, some of which I hope to share with you when we return. Till then...Mary

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