Day 4 Part 3 – Jumping Fish and More Alligators

Day 4 Part 3 – Jumping fish and more alligators



That night we ventured out again for night spear fishing and alligator exploring, but this time our group was larger. In addition to us three girls, there were 4 guys who had just arrived that day. It was quite funny because by day 4 Suzette and I felt like seasoned veterans at the lodge. During our 4 nights there, we learned we were the only ones staying for 4 nights. Everyone else stayed for 2 or 3. So anyway, Joshua said to the guys that it was fine to go out in their shorts and flip flops and they wouldn't need anything else, but we knew better. 

They must have thought we had lost our minds when they saw us with our pants, long sleeved shirts, hiking boots and butt pads for the oh so comfortable wooden boat. We sprayed ourselves down in DEET and then applied OFF! to our faces and hands. It’s funny how even though I was a little nervous going out on the water at night searching for alligators, I became much braver when those guys looked really scared.

First Joshua started spear fishing, but there were some fish that just starting jumping up out of the water and some even landed in our boat! The guys started freaking out that fish were flopping about their feet in the boat. I thought to myself…and that would be why I chose NOT to wear my flip flops.

Then it was time for Joshua to capture an alligator like he did on the first night with us. However, this time instead of just climbing down from the boat and standing in the water, he left us all in the boat with John John and started walking on the grassy area with his flashlight. We sat still and quiet in the boat just following the light from his flashlight with our eyes. It seemed like he was out there forever. While we waiting, the mosquitoes started biting and I could hear the guys behind me slapping themselves and whispering that they wished they would have put on bug spray. Again I thought to myself…and this is why we were spraying the DEET on before we left AND I put some in my backpack. I reached in and grabbed my bug spray and politely offered to the guys while thinking “Man these guys aren’t going to cut it for two nights.” haha (And they didn't...they left the following day with us because of the guys was apparently "sick".) 

The alligator Joshua brought back was larger than the one on the first night. This one really made me nervous because I wasn't sure I was strong enough to hold onto it if it started thrashing about, but I held it anyway!



The trip back to the lodge took longer than expected because we got a little lost. Although I couldn't understand what Joshua and John John were saying I knew they were disagreeing on which way to go. We tried to go one way that John John recommended, but just as we were starting to pass under a tree, Joshua stopped and started paddling the boat backwards while telling us to turn off all our lights. Why you ask? Oh no big deal, but we almost paddled right into a wasp’s nest! Good thing Joshua was observant! That could have been interesting. Finally we arrived back at the lodge and we went straight to bed! It was our last night in the Amazon!

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