We had breakfast at the Hotel El Auca, supplementing it with warm, fresh baked rolls from the bakers around the corner. We then went down to the Marine Depot to haggle and debate about prices and conditions. Several times the jungle trip was in jeopardy, but eventually we decided to give it the green light and drew up a rough contract.
Several of us were still dubious about the changing terms and conditions, but Peter-Paul was so enthusiastic and had worked so hard, that nobody wanted to disappoint him. We then went for a litre of cold mineral water.
Back at the hotel we were lounging around when Manuel came into our room with a new proposition. There were boats down to Nuevo Rocafuerte, which was a gateway to the National Park where the Auca Indians live, close to the border with Peru.
We decided to scrub the organised trip and go for this new option. Our next step was to get permission from the 19th Army Camp across the river. We walked across the bridge and waited under a straw shelter. A lot of soldiers, fit and well-built (a change from the young striplings of Central American armies) limbered up and jogged about in the heat.
Despite an attempted block by our spurned and disappointed guide, we got our permission and received a typed list of our names on a permit in return for our passports, which would be retained until we returned.
We then went shopping for food and provisions. This was a simple act which was made difficult by frayed tempers and impatience due to all the doubt and uncertainty of the impending trip. The Frenchman and the Swiss pair seemed to be wondering who they had thrown their hands in with!
I bought some more laundry soap powder and some embroidery thread to make pulseras during leisure breaks. The night was covered with the pall of smoke and dust, which covered you in grime as soon as you emerged from the shower. Copious sweating added to the personal hygiene hell.
Lit and unlit vehicles zipped about maintaining the smoke screen. We sorted out our kit, deciding what to take and what to leave behind, and then went out for a much-needed meal. We got this in the Chinese Restaurant down the road, a good meal which helped to restore our morale a bit.
The Chinese service was courteous, which made a change in Coca. I bought a plastic bowl for 100 Sucres and on the way back we stopped for our usual ice cream fix. It is extremely hot. The staff of Cremys Ice Cream Parlour still failed to raise a smile for us.
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