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back from the really deep south.
Got back Monday from South America. Good points and bad points about Peru
and Equador. Hot and humid in the Amazon and water is nasty. The Amazon
runs at 6-9 knots and is brown. We were 2300 miles up the river and it was
2 miles wide and about 14' deep. Drinking water is all bottled. Lots of
nasties in the water, so has to be purified. I got some that was not
purified enough and am down 18# for the 3 weeks of travel. I could use
another 20-25# loss, but not with Giardia! Caught piranhas, on a high tech
cane pole, with a twisted wire leader and some of the dullest hooks in
mankind. Had left the Leatherman at camp, so not file to put a point on the
hook. Was hard to get it through a small piece of beef. Wanted to try
Peacock bass, but no chance with the tour we were on. Was $50/day equipment
supplied out of Iquitos, Peru according to the newspaper we got when we were
leaving. No fishing in Cusco and Machu Picchu, but I do not know how they
consider Peru a 3rd world country. They are living worse than their Inka
ancestors. We went to a home hosted lunch. Cooking on an adobe stove,
fired with wood. Dirt floor kitchen with Guinea pigs running around (They
eat Guinea pigs). Galapagos was great. I think 7 days is too long, unless
on a scuba trip. After 3 islands and very hot dry walks, all the animals
have been seen. The snorkeling was fantastic. Lots of fish, some very nice
size. 5-8#. Was great watching the feeding fish and sea lions at night.
The ships lights would float the squid, and the flying fish would arrive to
feed. Then the 15-20# fish came to eat Flying fish and squid. Then the Sea
lions came to eat all. Arrived back in Calif to rain on Monday, but has
turned sunny here in North Cal, and the peach tree is in bloom, and the
bulbs are blooming. Just need to get myself and wife well, so I can go
fishing.
Bill |
Calif
Feb 23
2005
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| Fascinating. Tahnks for sharing this with us.
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Bob
Feb 23
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| ***I've always been fascinated by South America and Africa. Hopefully, one |
Steve
Feb 23
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| Calif Bill..having experienced "Montezuma's revenge" a couple of times (
after trips to Mexico) I can commiserate as to your situation and results.
It was the only way that I could lose weight and it isn't pleasant! However,
even it passes after a lots of time and lots of medicine Being skinny is
nice for a week or two until you fatten up like the Gringos that we are.... I have no earthly idea how so much of the world can be 30/40/50 200/300
years behind us???? My trips to Europe left me with the same feeling. What
the heck are they thinking about??? NOTHING that we do over here is all that progressive... if they would just
let capitalism work in their own countries?????? RichG TX |
RichG
Feb 24
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| I also travel to Europe. Formerly on business and now for vacation. They
are nowhere that far behind us, in living standards. Their homes are
smaller and the kitchens tiny, but they have sewer systems and mostly
potable water. Lima, Peru has grown to 8,000,000 people in the last few
years. They use ground water for water supplies and there is now sewer
system. I look at the situation and see a pandemic in the making. One lady
on the tour commented that I was negative. I felt to bad to really tell
her, that I was positive. Positive, that people living in those conditions
were ripe for a major desease outbreak, and it would not be contained to the
local area. Sort of like the avian flu in China. Well maybe I will go back
to work in the biomedical field and make a pile of money working on testing
or cures.
Bill |
Calif
Feb 24
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| Leatherman was in camp. Piranhas are not bad eating. The locals only eat
them if desperate, as there are some really good eating fish in the rivers.
A couple of types of catfish, the Dorado catfish gets to 100#. Some
freshwater sardines, and lots of other fish. They are authorizing sport
fishing in the Galapagos. Lots of billfish 50 miles off the islands, as
well as tuna. Other problem is the vacation was a packaged tour. I do not
like tours and the time constraints. The total tour was about $5k out of
SFO + another $300 in tips. Plus maybe another $200 in food and liquor
purchases. I do not drink much and with the intestinal bugs, I definitely
drank less. + maybe $500 in souvenirs and another $500 for a camera to
replace the one stolen in Lima with my backpack while checking into the
hotel. Tavel insurance may cover it.
Bill Bill |
Calif
Feb 24
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| Bill, thanks for sharing the trip with us! Hope the "bug" doesn't hang
around long, and you get to hit the Delta soon. I never got further
south tham Mexico, but have some really fond memories of my fishing
experiences there. I only drank beer while I was there though :). John K |
jbkbub
Feb 23
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| The bug seems to be gone, just the recovery part now. Wife is down with
bronchitis. I think next major trip is tow to Vancouver Island and do some
fishing. Maybe next summer.
Bill |
Calif
Feb 24
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| Thanks for sharing Bill. Great post. When I was in Viet Nam we ventured into
Thialand and wound up with one hell of a dose of what the military called
"Bankok Belly". Don't ever want to do that again. ! ! ! And it takes trips and posts like your to bring to the forefront what a
blessed country we live in don't we?
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Joshuall
Feb 24
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| And to get back to my "Select Comfort" bed. Life is good. Going to the ISE
sports show tomorrow, and looking at maybe fishing next week, The Sac Delta
is slow right now, but a local lake had a new record set last week of 15#+.
New Melones. So may take a run up there. About 100 miles. They are
catching giant Humbolt squid locally in the ocean, so may do that instead.
These squid run up to 50# and most are 20+. They say they fight strong.
http://www.insidebayarea.com/searchresults/ci_2583521
http://www.coastsidefishingclub.com/
Bill |
Calif
Feb 24
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